Five Ways to get more Assignments

If you are new to the mystery shopping industry, you might be wondering how to land more mystery shopper assignments. There are many ways to find shops but it takes due diligence and effort. A good way to start is to first read all you can about mystery shopping or secret shopping. Both terms are used to describe this type of work.

1. Sign up to at least 100 companies. You read that correctly! To increase your options of finding work within your defined area of 20 miles, or 50 miles or 100 miles or more, choose many mystery shopping companies because many shops are available on a rotation wheel. Companies can be found by joining MSPA, which means Mystery Shopping Providers Association. There are approximately 500 companies listed on their website so you will have plenty to choose from in your search.

Find them at this url: http://mysteryshop.org/

Jane will be discussing some of these companies later on.

2. Find blogs by mystery shoppers to help you gain an understanding from the stories of their experiences. Don't worry, Jane will be exploring some of those blogs with you.

3. Join mystery shopper discussion groups and get into the conversation. Mystery Shopping Providers, Shoppers and Schedulers all get involved in these groups so it is a great place to learn, to share and to discuss any problems you may encounter.

4. Be willing to travel at least 50 miles in any direction from your home base. That will greatly increase your chances of finding enough work in your area. Route shoppers are in high demand so even if you are not prepared to travel far on a regular basis, at least consider fitting some work into your vacation time as you travel to and from your destination.

5. Remain available to the schedulers, who are the ones that match the assignments with the shopper. Have a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, an audio and video recorder. Be ready to accept emails and to check your email every day or two to three times per day. Be willing to accept text messages from schedulers. Also sign up for the text shop notifiers that you will find most companies have joined. The software is available for free download on any smartphone.

Now this is only a beginning. Set this good foundation for your secret shopping business. You will learn many ways to help improve your business as you gain experience.Meanwhile, I will be thinking about what tips to give in my next post.

Have fun at your work!

A Typical Day in the Life of a Mystery Shopper

I started to share the details of a typical day in my life as a mystery shopper. The day began as I packed my camera, loaded the SUV, bought gas, ate breakfast at a fast food drive through then stopped off at a local park to eat breakfast and feed the ducks. Refresh your memory at I have my camera so I'm all set then come back here to read the rest of the story. (seems to me that I have heard that expression some place before...hmmmmm)

The ducks loved the wild bird food that I brought along for them. I took advantage of this short relaxation time to review my notes for the next stop. My day planner is also on my smart phone, so I double checked the rest of today's line up. Next up was another gas station with the same instructions as the first. It was on the route to a bank assignment which was ten miles away in the next town. The gas stop will only take ten minutes. Then we can enjoy the ten mile drive on the back highway. Flowers are in bloom as spring breaks, so this will be a pleasant drive.

Getting to the bank assignment, it's a little more complex. The pay is awesome as I am pretending to be a wealthy investor. I better read the instructions one more time for this. I scheduled an appointment for this shop so the investment adviser is expecting me in one hour. I'll stop at the Starbucks on the way to grab a coffee for both of us. That's where I'll change my clothes. I need to look really upscale for this shop. The suitcase in my trunk has a dress suit in there that was set aside just for these types of assignments. I even packed an elegant watch, a necklace, dress shoes and a wig to match the look I want to present. You might think this is a lot of trouble to go to for one assignment. Well, if you consider that it is paying one hundred dollars for an hour of my time and I'm being reimbursed for travel expenses at $25.00, how could I complain about having to change my clothes?

I Get Paid to Sample Wine

Are you a wine connoisseur ? Do you fancy yourself becoming one? What if I told you that you can get paid to drink wine for free? It's true! I get paid to sample wine! And the wine tastings are fun, educational and adventurous. The scenery is remarkable. The atmosphere is pleasant, vibrant and relaxing, too. Often, you learn more about wine than you imagined possible or relevant.

Wine tastings aren't just about drinking wine. It's also about getting an education about the wine, the process, and the winery history. Many wineries are rich in the history that formed the towns where they are located. Communities really get involved in these wineries and schedule a lot of public events surrounding the tours themselves.

Mystery shopping opened the door to Napa Valley for me. I had never visited before I took my first wine tasting shopping tour. The assignment included four wineries within a fifty mile radius. I had two days to complete them so there was no problem with time parameters. When the scheduler assigned the shops to me, I made up my mind that I would be part time tourist and totally drink in whatever this famous wine making valley had to offer me.

Gas stops, lunch, ice cream and a movie

 That is a sample work day for me. You have to love it! And it is all work but I sure do have fun at it. Along the way, I make sure to route my trip so I can take in some sights or enjoy a scenic peaceful drive. With all the gas I buy and get reimbursed for, I can afford to take some scenic drives as part of my weekly routine. And I don't have to wait for the weekend! Am I convincing you yet that my line of work might be worth giving a try? Well, email me and I'll send you a referral. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that secret shoppers get bonuses for making referrals. It's just another perk in this fun lifestyle.

From James Bond to Covert Affairs, I'm hooked

When it comes to spy movies filled with espionage and adventure, I am a huge fan. In my early years, I watched all the old spy movies on television. Today is no different. The shows just evolved more and have modern story lines with great special effects. I evolved, too. From James Bond to Covert Affairs, I'm hooked.Since I like suspense, mystery and the element of surprise, this type of work is perfect for me!

In the beginning, I had a lot of questions..as I'm sure you do as well. I wondered if secret shopping was anything at all like private investigating, solving mysteries or if it resembled spying in any way at all. The answers I found are a yes in part to all three types of work. In fact, some secret shoppers become private investigators. The skills that you learn in this profession sharpen the abilities it takes to perform investigations to solve mysteries such as helping search for missing children or tap into an unsolved case of any kind. It would even help in treasure hunts for artifacts or quests for gold hunting because you learn to assimilate large amounts of information rapidly. Observation skills become very keen. Memory becomes extremely enhanced because it is vital to a mystery shopper to remember every minute detail. Note taking and problem solving are also important skills to have that can be improved simply by working as secret shopper.

As for the covert affairs aspect, it is a definite element in every shop that you perform because most of the time you must be absolutely discreet and remain anonymous. Being stealth is an asset to this profession and being able to do it without standing out from the crowd is crucial. Use this work as a training ground for advancement into other more in depth provocative covert affairs work!

Ancient Mysteries are one of my passions

Ever since I can remember, mysteries of all sorts have intrigued me. The more ancient the mystery, the more I crave to find out the truth. I have many passions that drive me in life. I am a writer, a poet, a child advocate who supports any one who helps children. I am driven to post information about missing children. It is my private prayer every day that each child that vanishes be found quickly, safe and alive.

Treat your Palette to some Fine Cuisine

Mystery shopping is a professional skilled career that offers many rewards and diverse experiences. Your talents and skills will be tested in multiple areas so if you are a multi tasker who loves travel, new experiences and a sense of adventure, then I recommend this career choice to you. It isn't all work and no play however. Though you're paying attention to every detail and making critical observations for every assignment, there is time to enjoy that experience very much. After some practice, the shops become second nature and you will be able to go through them with ease. One of my favorite types of assignments that gives me great pleasure is fine dining.

Did you ever think that becoming a mystery shopper would allow you to treat your palette to some fine cuisine?

Well, today's restaurant isn't just upscale, it is among the finest in the city! And we are going to be the "Guests of Honor" today because the owners are picking up the tab.