Mystery Shopper 101: How to Start, Grow, and Succeed in Mystery Shopping From A to Z

By HowExpert

● Mystery shopping is a unique industry that allows management to get an inside look at various aspects of their businesses.
● Mystery shops can evaluate customer service, store appearance, availability and placement of promotional signage, and so much more!
● Traditional mystery shops are covert and in-person, but non-traditional shops, such as revealed and remote shops, are becoming more popular.
● Video and mobile shops are competing for the fastest growing segment of the mystery shopping industry.
● Mystery shopping is extremely flexible, allowing you to only apply for shops that fit into your schedule.
● Confidentiality and maintaining anonymity are pillars of mystery shopping.
● Shop aggregators like Jobslinger and MS Job Board make searching for available shops in your location so easy!
● Other great ways to find available shops are through mystery shopping forums and social media.
● There are literally hundreds of mystery shopping companies out there, so registering with all of them can be a bit tedious, but this book gives some tips that will make the process less cumbersome.
● Submitting great reports is essential for a successful mystery shopper, and this book shows you exactly how to do so!
● Mystery shoppers own their own businesses, so researching laws in your city, county, and state about starting a business is crucial.
● Business taxes for mystery shopping can be complicated, but this book offers some basic advice on what is required and how to track income and expenses.

About the Expert
Mystery shopping since the early 2000’s, Penny Hodgin has seen and adapted to many changes in the mystery shopping industry. What began as a teenager’s side hustle to earn some extra cash and free meals has evolved into a passion for helping businesses treat their customers and employees with the respect they deserve by providing honest observations and factual reports. Brooks has shopped professionally in various industries including retail, financial, entertainment, real estate, food service, and more...and has truly enjoyed the experience gained from each and every shop!

Hodgin lives on the East US Coast with her husband, two children, and grandmother. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Human Services in 2010 and has worked full-time in the mental health and education fields. She plans to retire to the beach as soon as possible!

HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HowExpert
• Release date: Mar 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781950864218

HowExpert

HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.

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Mystery Shopper 101

How to Start, Grow, and Succeed in Mystery Shopping From A to Z

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Table of Contents

Recommended Resources

Chapter 1: Mystery Shopping: What It Is and What It’s Not

Types of Work

Covert vs. Revealed Shops

In-person vs. Remote Shops

Time Commitment and Flexibility

Avoiding Scams

Confidentiality

Chapter 1 Summary

Chapter 2: . Finding Shops & Registering with Companies

Shopping Platforms

Create a Mystery Shopping Email Address

Autofill Setup

Shop Aggregators

Sassie Companiesvia Jobslinger

Searching Jobslinger

Registering with Sassie Companies

Searching Sassie Company Job Boards

Shopmetrics Companies via MS Job Board

Search MS Job Board

Registering with Shopmetrics Companies

Searching Shopmetrics Company Job Boards

Prophet

MSPA

Shadowshopper

Mobile Apps

Gigspot

iSecretShop

PrestoMaps

Proprietary Apps

Forums

Volition

Mystery Shop Forum

Mystery Shopping Solutions

Facebook Groups

Proprietary Platforms

Avoid Searching for Companies using Internet Search

Chapter 2 Summary

Chapter 3: Monitoring Emails

Chapter 3 Summary

Chapter 4: What to Know: BEFORE Applying

Shop Purpose

Submission Requirements/Collateral

Deadlines

Payment

Testing/Certifications

Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter 5: What to Know: Before the Shop

Immediately Upon Assignment

Confirm Shop Details

Read ALL Shop Instructions/Guidelines

Read ENTIRE Shop Survey Form

Additional Instructions

Ask Questions Early

Double-Check Shop Details

Re-Read Everything

Download/Print Documents

Make a Game Plan

Chapter 5 Summary

Chapter 6: What to Know: During the Shop

Know the Plan

Avoid Distractions

Maintain Anonymity

Taking Notes

Chapter 6 Summary

Chapter 7: What to Know: After the Shop

Immediate Debriefing

Submitting a Top-Quality Report

Editor Requests

Getting Paid

Chapter 7 Summary

Chapter 8: Record-Keeping

Business Setup

Personal Shop Log

Tracking Mileage & Expenses

Tax Decisions

Chapter 8 Summary

Conclusion/Action Plan

Action Plan:

About the Expert

Recommended Resources

Chapter 1: Mystery Shopping: What It Is and What It’s Not

Types of Work

What do you envision when you think of the average day in the life of a mystery shopper? Do you see you and your friends enjoying a day out at the mall, laughing with bags of free merch in tow? Or maybe you and your partner lounging poolside at a 5-star luxury beach resort? How about you cruising down a scenic highway while test driving a high-end roadster? All of these scenarios are a possibility for mystery shoppers!

When you first start out mystery shopping your day will probably look more like you picking up some dinner in the drive-thru of a local fast food place or stopping by department store to inquire about a new appliance. It may not be as glamorous as you first thought but it makes up for it in flexibility and variety. You're guaranteed to have an ever-changing list of tasks and scenarios to complete with literally hundreds of different companies that provide mystery shopping services to clients. Those clients can be anything from mass merchants to specialty stores to financial institutions to car dealerships & beyond!

The jobs you will complete, known as shops in the mystery shopping industry, for these companies can be categorized as covert or revealed and in-person or remote.

Covert vs. Revealed Shops

Covert shops are shops in which you do not reveal yourself as a mystery shopper to anyone. This means you will make contact with a business location in person or via phone/web, complete your assigned scenario, make required observations as provided in your shop instructions, and report your observations back to the mystery shopping company. At no point during a covert shop should you reveal to store employees, management, or customers that you are anything other than a typical customer. Covert shops are by far the most common type of mystery shop...in fact, they are what puts the mystery in mystery shop!

Covert shops may also require you to assume an alternate identity. You may be required to give the employee at the shop location a fake name, fake job or financial information, fake address, etc. You will always be provided