The Bottom Line
How much is not enough? It’s important to have a good idea of the actual profit you’ll get from a particular shop. Some shoppers will have a certain threshold, under which they won’t accept shops. A mystery shop can have lots of hidden costs, so it’s important to read the details.
Shop pay vs. reimbursement. Make sure that you know the details of where money is allocated. To me, a $5 shop with a $20 reimbursement is very different than a $20 shop with a $5 reimbursement, unless it’s a business where I would have spent money anyway. Also, make sure that you check that the reimbursement maximum is likely to cover the actual purchase; for example, if there is a $3 minimum purchase required with a $3 maximum reimbursement, you’re likely to have to go over a little to complete the shop, and a $20 dinner reimbursement is unlikely to cover two in many restaurants.
Time. While it’s hard to gauge the length and detail of the report in advance, check to see if you can see the audit form (some companies will allow this). Also, read the shop instructions carefully for the details of the shop and the time involved in completing it in the store. I seldom take purchase and return shops because of the time element; they usually do not pay much more but require a second trip or a scramble to find a copy machine for the receipt. It may very well make a lot more sense to grab the $10 shop that requires a brief visit and form instead of the $25 one that requires an hour in-store and a lengthy, detailed debriefing.
Travel. Even in-town driving can take up a lot of time and gas, but in order to get a lot of shops, you’ll often have to expand your shopping area. Keep in mind that you could plan a “route” of several shops in the same area. Otherwise, twenty minutes of driving each way may just not be worth it for a standard shop.
Enjoyment. I’ll often take shops for less money if they’re an enjoyable experience or, more often, need a higher fee for unpleasant ones. If it’s a high-pressure sales pitch or a store I’m very disinterested in, I’ll usually pass unless it’s bonused or high-paying. This all depends on how much money you are interested in earning and how many shops are available to you.
Receipt and form submission. If I have to make special arrangements to print and mail a form, receipt, and invoice, this has both time costs and materials costs. If you have to pay to send a fax, this should also be a consideration.
Tools and equipment. If I'm utilizing expensive equipment like a digital camera, DVR, or other devices I've paid for, I expect a little additional money to help recoup my investment. Digital camera shops should either take less time, give more money, or both.
Long term gains. I’ll take an unworthy shop now and then to get an application accepted to a new MSP because the long term gain of new possible shops will often offset the small temporary gains. Similarly, for certain schedulers, I will take shops in order to help them out of difficult situations – both to build rapport and to thank schedulers who have given me good shops in the past or who communicate well.
Sometimes, even with your best efforts, a shop will end up to be a bad choice. You may find out that the "quick and easy" form that the scheduler advertised actually included extensive narratives and took you over an hour. Learn from your experiences and keep careful track of your earnings and findings, and count each shop as a lesson learned.
Shop pay vs. reimbursement. Make sure that you know the details of where money is allocated. To me, a $5 shop with a $20 reimbursement is very different than a $20 shop with a $5 reimbursement, unless it’s a business where I would have spent money anyway. Also, make sure that you check that the reimbursement maximum is likely to cover the actual purchase; for example, if there is a $3 minimum purchase required with a $3 maximum reimbursement, you’re likely to have to go over a little to complete the shop, and a $20 dinner reimbursement is unlikely to cover two in many restaurants.
Time. While it’s hard to gauge the length and detail of the report in advance, check to see if you can see the audit form (some companies will allow this). Also, read the shop instructions carefully for the details of the shop and the time involved in completing it in the store. I seldom take purchase and return shops because of the time element; they usually do not pay much more but require a second trip or a scramble to find a copy machine for the receipt. It may very well make a lot more sense to grab the $10 shop that requires a brief visit and form instead of the $25 one that requires an hour in-store and a lengthy, detailed debriefing.
Travel. Even in-town driving can take up a lot of time and gas, but in order to get a lot of shops, you’ll often have to expand your shopping area. Keep in mind that you could plan a “route” of several shops in the same area. Otherwise, twenty minutes of driving each way may just not be worth it for a standard shop.
Enjoyment. I’ll often take shops for less money if they’re an enjoyable experience or, more often, need a higher fee for unpleasant ones. If it’s a high-pressure sales pitch or a store I’m very disinterested in, I’ll usually pass unless it’s bonused or high-paying. This all depends on how much money you are interested in earning and how many shops are available to you.
Receipt and form submission. If I have to make special arrangements to print and mail a form, receipt, and invoice, this has both time costs and materials costs. If you have to pay to send a fax, this should also be a consideration.
Tools and equipment. If I'm utilizing expensive equipment like a digital camera, DVR, or other devices I've paid for, I expect a little additional money to help recoup my investment. Digital camera shops should either take less time, give more money, or both.
Long term gains. I’ll take an unworthy shop now and then to get an application accepted to a new MSP because the long term gain of new possible shops will often offset the small temporary gains. Similarly, for certain schedulers, I will take shops in order to help them out of difficult situations – both to build rapport and to thank schedulers who have given me good shops in the past or who communicate well.
Sometimes, even with your best efforts, a shop will end up to be a bad choice. You may find out that the "quick and easy" form that the scheduler advertised actually included extensive narratives and took you over an hour. Learn from your experiences and keep careful track of your earnings and findings, and count each shop as a lesson learned.
posted by The Reviewer at 10:43 AM
1 Comments:
James Poynter quantifies this in his book "Mystery Shopping Getting Paid to Shop." He gives the Dollar per Minute Rule. This states that when the earnings from a shop are considered they should be paid an average of one dollar for each minute worked. I think this is a worthy goal, I still get suckered into <$1/minute every now & again!
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