You want to become a mystery shopper but don’t know what the job involves? Below is an brief overview for you.

What does a mystery shopper do?
In short you go to the shop buy something or request information on something then go back and  write  small report on it. Most often you then transfer your reported comments or feedback to your secret shopping agency web site for them to forward to the hiring organisation. A word of warning, make sure you fill the details in accurately to avoid being penalised. It helps if you have spelled all the words correctly too. I confess, I usually have www.spellchecker.net open in the next tab so I can check any spellings I am not 100% certain about. The more accurate your are the more you earn so try to work on a “less haste, more pace” ethos.

What Kind of Questions Do Companies Ask?

Were you greeted by a sales person?
How long did you have to wait before someone offered to help you?
Was the store clean and tidy?
What was your overall experience like, good or bad?
Did the sales assistant have sufficient product knowledge?
Did you encounter any problems at all, if so what were they?
What could we change or add to make your visit a better one?

What sort of shopping tasks might I have to do?

Dine at a restaurant
Watch a movie at a theatre
Rent video, DVDs or video games from a video rental shop
Have a relaxing message or facial at a spa or Health club
Rent a vehicle for a day
Test driving a car at a dealership
Have a hair cut or hair styled
Book a flight at a travel agents
Play Golf or have Golf Lessons at a golf  & country club
Get an oil change on your car

What Kind of  Shops Will I have to Visit

Department stores
Grocery stores
Book stores
Shoe stores
Health & Fitness stores
Electronic shops
Wine stores
Travel & Tourism shops
Music Stores

These are only a sample of the tasks you may be required to do. Never under estimate how important your job will be if you become a mystery shopper, it’s a valuable service where everyone is a winner. If you have to report a negative you usually find that if you were to go back to the same business to do an evaluation a year or six months later the problem has been rectified. I’d guarantee it. The business gets more customers because they have improved and the consumer gets a better experience when they visit.