Is Secret Shopping For You?

Secret shopping or mystery shopping is a solid business but that does not mean it is right for everyone.  Before you begin, you really do need to consider if it is it right for you?  You will understand this more so as you read through this website, but it helps to know up front what is required as well as what to expect from a business before stepping into it. 

Are You Qualified?

The first thing that needs to be considered is if you are qualified to be a secret shopper.  Let’s face it.  Not everyone has what it takes to do the jobs that a shopper will need to do.  While every assignment is different, and it is sure to need different characteristics then the next shop, there are some qualifications that extend to just about every type of shop that you are likely to perform. 

Here are some of those qualifications to determine if you have and can provide to build a successful shopping business.

1. Detail Oriented.   One of the foundations in is the ability to provide a great deal of detail about the shopping experience.  You will need to remember things such as the color of the employee’s hair, the clothing that they were wearing, where the debris is located in the parking lot and more.  On top of that, you will need to be able to notice these things without being told to do so.  You’ll have to look at the area and be able to remember it when entering your details of your assignment online.

2. Solid Writing Skills.   This is also important. You will need to be able to communicate all that happened during that shop including all of the details that you have found through writing up a report.  Some reports are in a question and answer format that you will need to go through.  Others are more paragraph form in which you will need to provide details.  In all forms, you will need to have skills that will allow for detailed, concise, grammatically correct and spelling error free writing.

3. Capable Of Staying Under Cover.  We will give you more tips about this later on in the site but what you need to know is that you will need to stay under cover during your assignment.  If they have any idea that you are operating as a secret shopper, It is unlikely you will be paid for your shop.

4. Capable Of Conversing.   Many shopping assignments will be conducted in such a way as you will need to relate to the sales person.  You will need to go in, talk to them, ask them questions and get to the point where they are asking you for the sale of the item.  You will need to be able to naturally talk to these individuals to ensure that you are able to do this as a customer would.

5. Responsible And Trustworthy .  Most secret shops have a specific day and time that they need to be carried out.  If you say that you will perform the shop at that time, you will need to do so.  Otherwise, the shop can not be performed as the company requests and the end result is that the company does not get what they want and therefore will not pay for it.  If you take on a job, do it as directed.  It is unlikely that shopping companies will  assign more shops to those that do not do as they say they will.

Things To Think About

There are a number of things that you should take into consideration when thinking of starting a secret shopping business.  For example, can you afford to put out money for shops and handle not being paid for them for a couple of months?  Now, most companies will pay monthly, but some do longer than this.

Do you have the time necessary to carry out assignments?  You will need to be as flexible as possible with your business.  As mentioned, shops have to happen at specific times and days.  If you are to accept them, you must have the time available to do so.  This includes time to drive to the shop, complete it, drive home and input details of the shop into the system.

Do you have children?  Some shops will allow and even encourage parents to bring children along for it.  Others, on the other hand, forbid it.  If you have kids, you will need this to be met.

Of course, shopping requirements will differ from one company to the next.  Some companies offer a bit more flexibility than others do.  You will be able to learn what the requirements for any shop are long before you decide to take it on, though.

Making Your Job Better

If you are to start a secret shopping business, you will want to insure that it is something that you like to do.  Do you like to shop?  If you enjoy shopping in such a way as you are willing to learn about the company as well as about the employee, it may work.  If you hate to eat out, then you may be restricted here.  If you hate to talk to people in a sales situation (i.e. you hate salesmen) this is not the job for you.

In addition, you should realize that you are simply carrying out a shopping assignment to determine if in fact they are doing what the company requires.  You will answer questions about what was provided and to be blunt, your opinion is not as important as the actual facts.  You won’t be changing the company noticeably by doing secret shops, but you will be helping them to move their business in the right direction.

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