Complete Get Started Guide
So, you've decided to become a mystery shopper. Now, what do you do?
First of all, you'll need a few things to get started.
You should apply to as many companies as you can, as soon as possible. This is of crucial importance. If you apply to only a handful of companies, you are unlikely to be very successful. Most mystery shoppers work for many different companies, and you'll never know which ones have work in your area until you apply.
First, you'll need a list. msfreedom and Volition offer long lists; for more details, try my MSP Alphabetical List and of course the MSP Watch List as well.
SASSIE companies are probably the easiest to apply for. It's not difficult to complete ten applications in one sitting, and many SASSIE companies offer instant access to their job boards upon applying. I'd recommend applying right away to Shop'n Chek, Corporate Research International, and Service Intelligence, which are heavy hitters -- lots of jobs and new shopper friendly (although CoRI pays low).
Make sure you keep a log of which companies that you've applied to. I use a spreadsheet for this with the name, web address, and status of application (applied and which date, accepted, and any declines). This will save you a lot of time later.
Also, I recommend setting up your browser to remember usernames and passwords for you. Internet Explorer and Firefox both have this option. RoboForm is another option to help reduce the application time by automatically filling in fields for you.
You should also save a document with answers to all the essay questions you have to fill out. Many questions are used over and over. For example: "Describe a recent shopping experience", "Why do you want to be a mystery shopper?", "Why do you feel you would be a good mystery shopper?", "Describe a negative shopping experience", "Describe a recent dining experience". There's no reason to write these all out over and over, so give a good and thorough answer, spellcheck it, and use it again and again. I also keep documents with a list of all zip codes I'm willing to shop as well as a list of MSPs I work for, as these are also common questions.
Many MSPs will also require tests about their company's policies. These can be frustratingly picky. Try opening the test in a new window (or tab, for Firefox users) by using right click on your mouse, then selecting "Open Link in a New Window" or "Open Link in a New Tab". That way, you can use their documentation as a reference.
There really is no end to the application process. There are often new companies to try. You should make it a goal for yourself to complete a certain number of applications on an ongoing basis until you have enough work. For me, being a part-time shopper, I made the goal of one application per night.
Step Two: Looking for Work
Once you've been accepted to some mystery shopping companies, you'll need to keep a lookout for jobs. Each company is different in how they communicate.
Many companies will send out bulletins of available shops by e-mail. Make sure you check your e-mail as often as possible. This would be a minimum of once per day, but even this may not be fast enough to grab work. I use Gmail Notifier to alert me with a chime when I have e-mail, which is great for when I'm at home. I stay connected all of the time with broadband, which as a mystery shopper, pays for itself.
Other companies have job boards that will post available jobs. Some will notify you, and some won't, but the general rule is that notifications will tend to come out some time after the shop posts, so the more often you check, the better! As a brand new shopper, make a routine to check all sites that you can access a job board for at least once per day, and sites that have a lot of shops available to you more often than that.
This can be time consuming, so make sure you save usernames and passwords in your browser if you can. Make a folder of bookmarks just of MSP job boards and go down in order. I actually rank my job boards based on how much work I've gotten from them -- the best companies at the top, and I'll go down the list in the time I have. I'll only hit the least useful companies on occasion to see if they have new work.
Other companies may contact you by other ways, such as by phone. If you're still not getting enough work, try looking in Volition.com Forums and the Mystery Shopping Solutions database, and search for companies recruiting shoppers at the MSPA search page. Even if a job is taken by the time that you apply, you've still applied to a company which is likely to have shops in your area.
Remember, the larger the area, the bigger pool of work. If you can't find much work where you live, consider setting up a route. Find an area that you can complete several shops in one trip. It's probably not worth it to drive thirty miles to complete one shop, but it may very well be to complete four shops or even ten shops. You can also try to find shops along the way!
You can find more information in my article, Get More Shops.
Step Three: Document
You need to find a method of organizing your personal records that will work for you. First, I recommend setting up a simple spreadsheet that has the following information:
You'll also want a calendar to keep track of mystery shopping appointments once you start to get more work. Lastly, you'll want to track your mileage and any business related expenses for tax purposes.
Now you have all of the basic instructions with how to get started in mystery shopping. Good luck and happy shopping!
First of all, you'll need a few things to get started.
- A computer with a reliable Internet connection
- An e-mail account you plan to use indefinitely (I prefer Gmail or Yahoo!)
- One e-mail address is important, for several reasons. Certification, if you choose to get it, is linked to your e-mail address and is a pain to move. You also don't really want to try correcting 100 different companies' databases if you switch internet service providers.
- A spreadsheet program such as Excel to track your work
- A small amount of startup money (optional but helpful)
- Time, preferably a few hours a day for the first few weeks
You should apply to as many companies as you can, as soon as possible. This is of crucial importance. If you apply to only a handful of companies, you are unlikely to be very successful. Most mystery shoppers work for many different companies, and you'll never know which ones have work in your area until you apply.
First, you'll need a list. msfreedom and Volition offer long lists; for more details, try my MSP Alphabetical List and of course the MSP Watch List as well.
SASSIE companies are probably the easiest to apply for. It's not difficult to complete ten applications in one sitting, and many SASSIE companies offer instant access to their job boards upon applying. I'd recommend applying right away to Shop'n Chek, Corporate Research International, and Service Intelligence, which are heavy hitters -- lots of jobs and new shopper friendly (although CoRI pays low).
Make sure you keep a log of which companies that you've applied to. I use a spreadsheet for this with the name, web address, and status of application (applied and which date, accepted, and any declines). This will save you a lot of time later.
Also, I recommend setting up your browser to remember usernames and passwords for you. Internet Explorer and Firefox both have this option. RoboForm is another option to help reduce the application time by automatically filling in fields for you.
You should also save a document with answers to all the essay questions you have to fill out. Many questions are used over and over. For example: "Describe a recent shopping experience", "Why do you want to be a mystery shopper?", "Why do you feel you would be a good mystery shopper?", "Describe a negative shopping experience", "Describe a recent dining experience". There's no reason to write these all out over and over, so give a good and thorough answer, spellcheck it, and use it again and again. I also keep documents with a list of all zip codes I'm willing to shop as well as a list of MSPs I work for, as these are also common questions.
Many MSPs will also require tests about their company's policies. These can be frustratingly picky. Try opening the test in a new window (or tab, for Firefox users) by using right click on your mouse, then selecting "Open Link in a New Window" or "Open Link in a New Tab". That way, you can use their documentation as a reference.
There really is no end to the application process. There are often new companies to try. You should make it a goal for yourself to complete a certain number of applications on an ongoing basis until you have enough work. For me, being a part-time shopper, I made the goal of one application per night.
Step Two: Looking for Work
Once you've been accepted to some mystery shopping companies, you'll need to keep a lookout for jobs. Each company is different in how they communicate.
Many companies will send out bulletins of available shops by e-mail. Make sure you check your e-mail as often as possible. This would be a minimum of once per day, but even this may not be fast enough to grab work. I use Gmail Notifier to alert me with a chime when I have e-mail, which is great for when I'm at home. I stay connected all of the time with broadband, which as a mystery shopper, pays for itself.
Other companies have job boards that will post available jobs. Some will notify you, and some won't, but the general rule is that notifications will tend to come out some time after the shop posts, so the more often you check, the better! As a brand new shopper, make a routine to check all sites that you can access a job board for at least once per day, and sites that have a lot of shops available to you more often than that.
This can be time consuming, so make sure you save usernames and passwords in your browser if you can. Make a folder of bookmarks just of MSP job boards and go down in order. I actually rank my job boards based on how much work I've gotten from them -- the best companies at the top, and I'll go down the list in the time I have. I'll only hit the least useful companies on occasion to see if they have new work.
Other companies may contact you by other ways, such as by phone. If you're still not getting enough work, try looking in Volition.com Forums and the Mystery Shopping Solutions database, and search for companies recruiting shoppers at the MSPA search page. Even if a job is taken by the time that you apply, you've still applied to a company which is likely to have shops in your area.
Remember, the larger the area, the bigger pool of work. If you can't find much work where you live, consider setting up a route. Find an area that you can complete several shops in one trip. It's probably not worth it to drive thirty miles to complete one shop, but it may very well be to complete four shops or even ten shops. You can also try to find shops along the way!
You can find more information in my article, Get More Shops.
Step Three: Document
You need to find a method of organizing your personal records that will work for you. First, I recommend setting up a simple spreadsheet that has the following information:
- Shop date
- Mystery Shopping Provider
- Name of client
- Shop number or ID (from MSP)
- Shop pay (including bonus pay)
- Reimbursement pay
- Receipt submitted to MSP? (Yes or no)
- Paid? (Yes or no)
- Paid amount
- Paid date
- Out of pocket costs
You'll also want a calendar to keep track of mystery shopping appointments once you start to get more work. Lastly, you'll want to track your mileage and any business related expenses for tax purposes.
Now you have all of the basic instructions with how to get started in mystery shopping. Good luck and happy shopping!
posted by The Reviewer at 12:14 AM
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