Friday, January 06, 2006

Get More Shops

One of the big questions that a relatively new shopper will ask is, "How do I get more work?"

Mystery shopping sometimes has a slow start. You shouldn't expect to keep up with the amount of work that an experienced shopper gets after having carefully established a reputation of quality work and reliability, as well as relationships with schedulers and other shoppers. However, there are some steps that you can take to get a jump start on mystery shopping.

1.) Apply, Apply, Apply. You'll see this phrase often in the mystery shopping world because it's the biggest thing that you can do to get work -- apply with more mystery shopping companies. Applications are (at least at reputable sites) free, so all this takes is time. Make a goal for yourself depending on how much time you have to commit. For example, set aside a set hour per day to check your mystery shopping job boards, and if you're done ahead of time, apply for another company; alternately, you could plan to apply to one, or another set number, of companies per day.

To make your applications quick and effective on your quest for shops, here are a few tips:
  • Apply for the big companies first. Use this site, or other mystery shopping sites, to find the "big name" companies with lots of jobs.
  • Try applying for SASSIE companies all at once. The form is nearly the same and very easy to complete quickly.
  • Save answers to long questions such as a positive or negative mystery shopping experience, companies shopped for, why you want to be a mystery shopper, and other essay-style questions in a document to reuse.
  • If you are a slow typer, finding software (such as RoboForm) that automatically fills in forms for you may be helpful.
2.) Work creates work. Consider taking shops that aren't necessarily your favorite. Schedulers often reward shoppers that they have worked with in the past with the most exciting or rewarding shops, and often sites have feedback ratings for shoppers (though they may not be visible to you) that will qualify you for shops that aren't given to new shoppers or shoppers with poor work. Experience counts! In addition, you'll hone the skills needed to create quality work.

3.) Check, check, and check again. You're competing with other shoppers. Make it part of your routine to check five or ten job boards right as you get up in the morning, right before bed, and periodically throughout the day. Check all job boards at least once each day or two. Check your e-mail often. It's not uncommon for shops in a metropolitan area to be given away within hours, even minutes. Shops can be posted at any time of the day or night. Start a "core list" of bookmarks for companies that seem to have shops often in your area, and check those most frequently. I sort my mystery shopping bookmarks into a folder and have the highest priority on top, and work my way down when I have time. Also, consider using Firefox or another browser that will save your user logins and passwords for you.

4.) Network. Consider joining a mystery shopping forum or other online community. You'll often hear which companies get new clients, or when they post shops. Schedulers often post directly to major mystery shopping forums with available jobs, as well. If a shop comes up in your area, consider signing up with that company even if you can't do that particular shop -- that way, you'll be contacted, or able to see the job board in case they offer bonuses or other local shops. I often check back through older job postings just to see which companies seem to be doing business in my area. Try some of these sites:
5.) Treat every shop with care. Schedulers often work together and share shoppers' information. Treating mystery shopping companies well -- by being reliable and creating quality work -- will only benefit you in the long run. No scheduler wants to get stuck with a shop that's not done or not usable.

6.) Keep records. Set up a spreadsheet or some other way of documenting which sites that you've applied for and when. Many companies won't let you in right away, and other companies won't have a site that you can look at (they simply call or e-mail with shops). Still others may reject you for various reasons, such as not having work in your area. It doesn't pay to spend time re-applying for the same company, so maintain a list.

Good luck and be persistent. Set goals for yourself. Mystery shopping can be fun and rewarding, but the more that you invest time in creating relationships with shopping companies and building up your own skill, the more rewarding it will be for you.

3 Comments:

Blogger Amaranthim said...

Great job Reviewer!

8:27 PM  
Blogger blogmother said...

Essential content, Reviewer, for newbies and good reinforcement for oldies.

5:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Reviewer.. I am so impressed! great info and a knack for bringing the not-so-obvious to light! Proud to have you aboard at MSFreedom!!! :)
~ICforYou

12:05 AM  

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