Sunday, May 07, 2006

Questions from the Mailbag #1

Tom writes, "Thanks for putting your information online. I just started reading this and have sent the link to my wife. It looks like the 15 Silver Certification is the first step and eventually Gold. I know this is subjective number, but what does a typical certified shopper make on a weekly basis and how much time is spent doing the shopping, reporting, etc?

I think you stated that you should never pay a fee to join a MS
company. Did I read that right?"

First of all, welcome to mystery shopping, Tom! I wish you and your wife the best of luck.

First of all, yes, getting Silver Certification should be one of your first steps. Many companies will give you a slight preference if you have it. However, it's not difficult to accept a few shops to try out mystery shopping first, before you spend the $15. After that, Gold certification may be an option depending on your area.

As for earnings -- unfortunately, it's an impossible question to answer. The amount of time and energy you spend getting certified, signing up for companies, actively looking for work, and developing a professional reputation with MSPs will be a huge variable. There are some, albeit a limited number, who do this full time. Most do this on a part time basis and it will depend a lot on what sort of shops you do. I'm limited to doing evening and weekend shops, and usually prefer no more than five to ten hours per week (though I have done twenty or thirty during peak times). Typically, shops won't be even throughout the month, but on a monthly basis as a relatively new shopper it's not difficult to make $500 per month with an average time investment of ten hours per week in looking for shops, applying, and actually completing them.

You'll find out awfully fast which shops are and aren't worth doing. There are a lot of problematic shops out there that, frankly, are a waste of your time and resources. I typically expect a return of at least $15 to $20 per hour (including time entering reports). I do a lot of ten minute shops, with short forms, for around $10 and think that's fair. A 45 minute to an hour shop, with a long form, for $5 -- not worth it! Don't hesitate to do one or two low paying shops to get in with a company, but after that, be skeptical.

And, yes, by all means, don't pay to join a particular provider! It is almost never worth it and most companies that charge fees are just middlemen who give information about where to get shops. Typically, this is not cost effective; you're better off learning the trade from free resources.

Best of luck and keep shopping!