Should i become a secret shopper

Many big companies hire secret shoppers to make them visit their businesses to maintain specific standards. These secret shoppers get to decide their work hours and complete the assigned task in a given period. In return, they are paid for the work they do while receiving some freebies in the process. Secret Shopping can be a reliable side hustle or a full-time job that will help you pay your bills.

The benefits attached to secret Shopping have pushed many individuals to sign up for secret shopping schemes. Sadly, this created an opportunity for fraudsters to trick people. To avoid being scammed by untrustworthy companies, you must research and shortlist trustworthy companies in this field.

After shortlisting the legitimate companies, sign-up with the companies on your list, register yourself with as many companies as you can handle under your capacity. You need to fill out an application form while registering with a company. If you are applying for many companies at a time, saving your profile as a word document or email draft will save you a lot of time. Building your profile will also come in handy while choosing the companies to work for.

A typical secret shopping profile must include your writing samples for reference, shopping preferences, and a brief description of your latest shopping experience. With so many people applying for companies to become secret shoppers, secret Shopping has become just like any other job search.

Secret Shopping, Looks pretty good, right? Of course, you get the perks only if you do your job. Now let us learn how it works. Firstly, you are to be briefed about your assignment before you accept the job offer. The assignment typically includes what to buy, what questions to ask, what photographs to take, and things to look out for hospitality, cleanliness, etc.

Once that is done, you must choose a day within the given time frame to do the assignment. The assignment you receive will come with the details on the process of reimbursement. But in many cases, you may be reimbursed. For example, if you are required to eat at a restaurant, you might not be paid for your time but would likely be reimbursed for the cost of your meal. Some retail stores include a small purchase allowance but expect only a few dollars.

Other places that typically reimburse you for services include beauty salons, dry cleaners, or even car maintenance. Still, others may offer you freebies include hotel stays or free tickets to movies and theme parks. First, do your homework. Be sure you understand what you may need to do. For example, if you are shy and do not like conflict, you may find arguing with a salesperson or posing as a "difficult" customer uncomfortable.

Then apply to become one. Do you have to be a certified mystery shopper? Not always, but it helps. Some companies give preference to certified mystery shoppers.

If you are considering being a mystery shopper, scams are not an issue when working with reputable mystery shopping companies. The best way to make sure you are starting off on the right foot is to find out if the company you are looking at is MSPA-certified, meaning that the company has gone through all the legwork to be labeled as trustworthy. Other than the legitimacy of mystery shopping programs, why should you become a mystery shopper with one of these certified companies?

Better businesses are those that take into account the voice of their customer and make concerted efforts to improve the interactions between the two. Better customer service, higher quality products, and improved customer experiences are beneficial to everybody that spends money in America. Mystery Shopping helps you become a part of this beneficial process because companies look to mystery shoppers to improve these areas.

Mystery shoppers give valuable data and feedback to some of the biggest brands in America, which will then be analyzed to refine store designs, employee training, and products. In short, by becoming a mystery shopper, you can help make the world a better place. Mystery shoppers can be used for any industry meaning the requirements vary for each application. Most positions require individuals be at least 18 years old. However, some mystery shops require the purchase of age sensitive products such as alcohol or tobacco, requiring the mystery shopper to be at least 21 years old.

Most mystery shopper assignments require you to provide your own transportation as well. While this seems like a job that might be too good to be true, in some cases, it might be.

One red flag to be wary of is that you should never pay money to be a secret shopper. A legitimate company is not going to charge you a fee to sign up or fill out an application. This is probably the best resource out there for finding a legitimate position as a secret shopper. On their site you can learn a bit more about secret shoppers, check for scam sites, and search for shopping assignments from member companies. The Federal Trade Commission warns potential mystery shoppers of scams that trick applicants into sharing bank account information or sending a check in as part of the application process as well.