Search Results for: mystery shopping

Would Mystery Shopping Work for Your Family?

Through mystery shopping, you and your family can enjoy free restaurants, shopping outings, movies, bowling, and more. Plus, you often get paid for the privilege as well! Here is what you need to know about mystery shopping and how to determine if it is the right fit for your family. 1. Understand mystery shopping Understanding what mystery shopping is all about is important before you embark on this adventure. Basically, you pose as a customer for the company and will need to fill out a report of your experience. The different shops have different requirements. You may be asked to … Continue reading →

Demystifying Mystery Shopping

When you work from home, you have the freedom to decide how many businesses you have and how many hours you devote to them. Sometimes it makes sense to have only one business, especially if you can find enough work to keep your schedule full. Other times, it makes sense to have a second business or a business that is sort of a sideline. One sideline that can fit well with a home – based professional lifestyle is mystery shopping. Companies want to know what it is like to be a customer in their business locations. How long do patrons … Continue reading →

Scam Alert: All Mystery Shopping Opportunities Are Not Created Equal

In my quest to learn more about the different home-based business scams that are out there, I came across yet another scam that lures people in by appearing to be something that it is not. This scam involves “mystery shoppers” or “secret shoppers”. It is important to note that people can and do work as secret shoppers, performing important quality-control work for the businesses that they are hired to shop at, dine at, or otherwise patronize. The mystery shopping scam starts out just like you are applying to a legitimate mystery shopping job. You see or hear an advertisement and … Continue reading →

Dove-Tailing Jobs Together: Research and Mystery Shopping

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This is a mini-series on becoming a courthouse researcher that I started quite some time ago and through different random happenings, was not able to finish until now. If you haven’t heard of courthouse research before, or if you missed the first part of this series, make sure to start reading here. Otherwise, read on! In this blog, I talked about how courthouse research is not a full-time job, except in rare cases. In this blog, I talked about it may still be worth your time to do it anyway. There are some ways to make each trip more profitable; … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: The Tax-Man Cometh!

Disclaimer: Julie is not a tax professional. As a matter of fact, she did so poorly in Accounting that it didn’t even count toward her college degree. Please check with your tax professional about your finance. This blog is for informational purposes only. I’m doing my taxes using TurboTax and crying in my… well, green tea, but you get the point. Mystery shopping can be good money. But you’re an independent contractor. That means that you pay your own taxes. Generally, when you’re an employee, a company is matching what you’re putting into Social Security and Medicare taxes. That terrible … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: The Ten-Foot Pole List

Pay has steadily declined in mystery shopping. The good shops are still out there. But so are the bad ones! Some companies apparently don’t have a clue about what it takes to do a shop. Or they do, but shoppers are selling themselves short so they continue to underbid and underpay. In an effort to help you dodge these shops (especially when you’re first starting), here’s my personal “Top Ten Wouldn’t Touch it with a Ten-Foot Pole” list. Please note that if you do accept one of these shops, you need to complete it no matter how much it isn’t … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: Cruises and Resorts

So, you want to shop a cruise or a resort. You’re thinking it would be a great vacation for you and/or your family. Wrong. Cruises and resorts are two of the most detailed shops there are. They do pay very well in many cases, but they require a lot. You won’t be relaxing, you’ll be working. Like the amusement park shops, some of them may allow you to bring your family, so you’ll essentially be working so that they can enjoy themselves. Do not ever schedule a shop like this on a vacation. It’s simply not doable. Mystery shopping is … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: What to Bring with You on a Shop

You’re all ready to go! You’ve checked the instructions, taken the needed exam, made sure there’s gas in the car, and your cell phone is charged. What else? I carry a Mystery Shopping Kit in my car. It’s full of stuff that isn’t really necessary for a shop, but sure makes it easier! Here’s what’s in mine (you’ll need to tailor yours to whatever kind of shops you do): A box of pens. Not just one or two. A box. Otherwise, it’ll be the time when I have two dozen details in my head that are about to be lost … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: Sassie, a Scheduling Software System

SASSIE stands for Scheduler And Shopper Survey Internet Engine. Okay, so it’s not the easiest thing to roll off the tongue. Nobody refers to it that way, though. It’s Sassie. Sassie is quickly becoming the software of choice for many mystery shopping companies. It’s very easy for the end user (us!) to use, and automatically keeps records of your shops. Many companies have gone to self-assign on the Sassie boards. That means they simply post a shop there and it’s first come-first serve. Others require that you express interest and a scheduler gets back to you. I like Sassie because … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: What to Expect on a Restaurant Shop

Food and I have a long-standing love affair! It’s why I decided against that million dollar modeling contract. Well, that and the fact that nobody offered me one. Seriously, though, I’m really appreciative when someone goes the extra mile to make a meal hearty, tasty, and beautifully presented. So restaurant shops are a natural fit for me. We’re doing two today. Oops. I scheduled both for the same day. And both for the lunch hour. There goes the diet! Or maybe not. One of the reasons I love restaurant shops is because it gives me a chance for some one-on-one … Continue reading →