Shop #1:  Mattress Store – evaluate service at mattress store – $15, with possible $7 bonus

Shop #2:  Auto Dealer – test drive a car and evaluate service – $17 with possible $3 bonus

Shop #3:  Auto Dealer – test drive a car and evaluate service – $20 with possible $3 bonus

Shop #4:  Paint Store – shop in a paint store and evaluate service – $13 with possible $3 bonus

I can easily do all these shops in one day.  Estimating one hour for each shop which is longer than I think they would take and including travel time, these four shops could be done in half a day.  The auto test drive shops would probably take longer.  I generally prefer shops where I can get in and out fast.  Bank shops are very fast.  I found a couple of shops paying more than the ones listed above.  I found one shop paying $30 and one paying $54.

While I am working from home on the Internet, I want to make the best use of my time.  I look for mystery shops that are quick, easy and pay a substantial sum.   This is what you can make on a part-time basis.  If you were doing this as a full time job, you could double the money you can make.

Using the Internet, you can search shops on several mystery shopping sites in a matter of minutes.  Then you can pick the best shops based on time, pay and effort.  As you can see the four shops above pay a total of $65 with a possible $16 bonus for a total of $81.

Working at home on the Internet can open up a whole new world of opportunity.

It has been said and written over and over but I will state it again – never, never pay to shop. You should never pay to a membership fee to a mystery shopping company or pay to “join” a company as a shopper. These companies need the mystery shopper and they are paying the mystery shopper to provide valuable market research information.

There are organizations and “networks” out there trying to get you to join to get access to mystery shopping companies. They may even promise that you will get the highest paying mystery shopping if you are member. I have seen no evidence that there is any truth to these statements.

Some mystery shopping sites will encourage you to purchase manuals or how-to book or obtain certification. None of this is necessary to be successful as a mystery shopper. None of this is necessary to find mystery shopping jobs.

While it may be a stretch to call these enterprising “offers” a scam, it is important to note that you should stay away from offers. Instead, search for boards and forums where mystery shoppers are networking and offering free information.

There are serious and real scams out there. You can find details on most scams with a simple Internet search.  You should always be cautious of any offer of an unusually high payout. Use common sense and ask yourself why a company would pay so much for shopper information or market research.

Be concerned if you are approached by a secret shopper company that you have never heard of or if you receive a packet by mail from a mystery shopper company, you have not contacted.  Never participate in any activity which requires you to wire money or accept money into your own checking or savings accounts for future use.

There is a common scam where a company will send you a fake certified check and ask you to wire an amount of money and keep the remaining balance as a fee. This is a scam.

For more information on mystery shopping scams, visit snopes.com at this link.

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/employment/shopper.asp

Flexibility is what we all want.  But flexibility does go both ways.  This weekend, I decided I was going to sign up for a few grocery shops and get somewhere between $24 and $8 in free groceries.  One problem, when I went on the site to book my mystery shop, the company didn’t have any shops listed for this weekend.

If you need a regular income from your shopping or merchandising business, you can’t expect to always find shops to do when you want or need the money.  You have to plan to make your income by choosing the times you want to shop from the jobs posted.  To keep a regular income, you have to consistently book mystery shops.

So, are you willing to do what it takes to maintain the “flexible” work schedule?  You should start by checking the secret shopping sites on a regular schedule.  Decide the times you want to work and fit as many jobs as you can into those times.  Make a determination about the amount you need to earn and book enough mystery shops to meet your goal.

As I have pointed out before, it always helps if you are flexible when you are contacted directly by a mystery shopping company.  If you can make yourself available to book a last minute mystery shop when the company is in a crunch, they are likely to contact you again about a last minute shop.  This will help you start your mystery shopping business and will show that you are a professional shopper.  When the company contacts you about last minute shops, they usually offer a bonus.

Mystery shopping and secret shopping companies offer jobs that can provide a flexible work schedule.  The skills you must focus on to be successful at mystery shopping are consistency, organization, scheduling and producing quality reports.

Unusual Mystery Shops

There is a growing trend of mystery shoppers being used by government agencies and non-profit organizations. These are service oriented organizations and they want to be sure the public is getting appropriate and comprehensive service.  In addition, they wan to make sure the public is getting helpful information.  Some government agencies are even using mystery shoppers to evaluate their online presence and test usability of their websites.

Recently the American Medical Association released a recommendation for mystery shoppers to evaluate physicians as a way of promoting quality improvement. Within the mystery shopping system is a built in control of having “patients” who are trained to evaluate the same office or physician to make sure service is consistent, questions answered and that the accurate care is given.

Merchandising and Assembly Job

You may be more interested in stocking or assembly jobs but want to choose them on a per job basis. Theaters are looking for shoppers to check and assemble cardboard movie displays.  Retailers are looking for merchandisers to straighten stock or restock. Most of these jobs are quick jobs taking less than an hour of your time. Some of these jobs are reoccurring jobs offering you the same job twice every month.

Mystery Shopping on Black Friday

I recently saw a shop posted for black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and one of the biggest shopping days of the year.  This shop, a merchandising job, is a five hour job, 7:00 AM-12:00 noon paying $8 per hour.  The shopper/merchandiser will work with a representative of Mattel to keep toys stocked and straightened on the shelves.  How easy is that? $40 and you will get a little exercise after the big Thanksgiving dinner.

As you see, there is a wide range of jobs offered by mystery shopping companies. All shoppers will not be interested in the same type of shops.  Being able to search for and choose the type of mystery shop you are interested in is one of the benefits of mystery shopping.  The flexibility and variety offered by mystery shopping is just another reason it is becoming one of the best job opportunities for flexibility.

There are many reasons companies want to hire mystery shoppers. The advantage to the company is the opportunity to gather quick information regarding the service offered at the various locations.  The data provided by the mystery shopper will help the company understand the impact of customer service offered and improvement needs.  Monitoring interaction with customers provides the tools companies need to take their business to the next level of success.

Mystery shopping companies are looking for shoppers to complete on-site mystery shops, telephone mystery shops, Internet mystery shops and web-based customer satisfaction surveys.

A simple search will direct you to multiple lists of mystery shopping companies or secret shopper companies.  There is no easy way to know which companies are best suited for a particular individual.  You will need to sign up with several to see the type of shops they offer and amounts they pay per shop.  You should never have to pay a fee to register or apply with mystery shopping or secret shopper companies.

As you go along, you will develop a preference for certain companies or shop types.  There is no limit on how many companies you can work for as you will be classified as an independent contractor.  You are really only limited by your ability to stay organized.

A good way to start is to have a folder or envelop for each company in order to maintain paperwork and receipts.  Another good tool is a large calendar or notebook where you can list jobs by date and time so you don’t miss or forget a job.

Mystery Shopping isn’t a way to get quick cash.  Most companies operate on a fifteen to sixty day payment schedule.  If you book a group of shops in the same seven to fourteen day period, you could get a sizeable check in two to three weeks.  Mystery and secret shopping companies usually pay on a two week period.  For instance, any shops you complete by the end of the month might be paid on the 20th of the following month.  Each company has its own payment schedule.  You should make sure you are familiar with the payment terms of all companies.

Check this site for coming information about specific mystery shopping companies.

Serious shoppers have expressed interest in obtaining education and training in order to take their mystery shopping business to the next level. Certification can provide an extra level of professionalism and experience shoppers can offer to placement companies.  There are no companies that state they only use shoppers with certification. Some secret shopping companies are not even aware that there is a certification process. Other companies, do not use the certification and do not even ask if you are certified.

You are always reading that you should never pay a fee to shop. You will have to pay a fee to become receive certification.  The companies that provide certification do not see this as a fee to shop. They are offering shoppers education and an opportunity to learn.

There are two levels of certification – silver and gold. Silver Certification can be obtained by taking a simple online test that will test your knowledge and understanding of the mystery shopping industry. There is a component that will test basic reading, writing and comprehension skills.  The test for Silver Certification can be taken online for a $15 fee.  Shoppers must obtain Silver Certification before they can advance to Gold Certification.

Until recently mystery, secret and shadow shoppers were required to attend a one day Shopper Education Conference to obtain Gold Certification. These conferences also provide networking opportunities for shoppers. Representatives from mystery shopping companies are in attendance at the Shopper Education Conferences. For those not interested in traveling to a Shopper Education Conference, a Gold Certification DVD is now available so that shoppers can become Gold Certified in their own home.  The at home certification is another aspect making the secret shopper opportunity a perfect work from home job. The Gold Certification DVD is $99 and there is a $5 shipping fee. Shopper Education Conferences are still offered if a shopper desires the conference experience.

Because you are an independent contractor, any and all expenses related to your business are tax deductible.  Conferences, fees for testing and educational materials including the Gold Certification DVD are tax deductible.

Market Force Information has five brands. You do have to register with each brand as each is an independent division.  You should never pay a fee for mystery shopping information.  There is no fee for registering with Market Force Information.  There is no fee to search the list of jobs the company has available.

Market Force Information is just one of the many companies I will be sharing that allow you to work from home on the internet and on a flexible part-time basis.

C M S – Certified Marketing Services is an umbrella for four different groups.  Under the CMS umbrella you will find Certified Reports Inc, Certified Merchanding Services, Certified Marketing Research Services Inc. and Certified Field Associates.  All of these groups are market research companies and are looking for mystery customers.  Through CMS, you will find opportunities for in-store merchandising, theater checks, theater promotional installations, surveys and mystery shopping.

Speedmark Information Services – Speedmark offers employee training and quality improvement based on information and responses obtained from mystery shoppers.

Shop‘nChek Worldwide – Shop’nCheck offers the easiest mystery shopping jobs for getting started.  This is where you will find grocery, bank and restaurant shops that you will be able to do as a beginner.

SG Marketing Group offers banking and financial services assignments.  At this time there are no jobs listed under this brand.

Go to these links to read more information about Market Force Information and becoming a mystery customer.

http://www.marketforce.com/

On-Line Application: http://www.applymarketforce.com
Information Packet On Line: http://www.becomeashopper.com
Information Packet via Email: ShopRecruit@marketforce.com
Questions: HelpDesk@marketforce.com

I will be highlighting and evaluating other mystery shopping, market research and merchandising companies.

Stay tuned.

The top priority for this type of company is service.  The success of their business is based on good service.  The best way to evaluate the service a customer is receiving is to ask the customer.  That is what mystery shopping companies do – they ask you!
Banks

You may go to a bank to evaluate the answers you receive when asking about a particular service they offer.  You may be asked to count the number of people waiting for service.  The bank may test for consistency by having you check the latest promotion or interest rates posted.  The mystery shopping company that you shop for will give you the exact scenario and questions to ask.  I’ve found some of these shops to be the quickest, easiest and best paying.

Fast Food

As a mystery shopper, you may place an order for a certain meal and record the time it takes to receive your order.   You may also evaluate your meal for taste and appearance. This helps the company maintain a particular standard throughout the chain.

Retail

Retail organizations might evaluate the customer service that their employees are offering by having you make a purchase and return the purchase a couple of days later for the purpose of evaluating the return process.  The company may ask you to record of how many employees are on the floor or ask if you are approached by someone offering assistance.

Apartment Complexes, Health Clubs and Automobile Dealers

These shops may take more time as you will need to listen to the details of renting, tour the health club or test drive a car.  These shops might also take a more extroverted personality as you will have to ask some questions and listen to the “sales pitch.” Those that have dreamed of acting, these are the shops for you, break a leg!

Grocery Chains

Grocery stores are another quick and easy shop.  The companies require you to evaluate several areas in the stores but they are not time consuming.  You might be required to ask a customer service question, purchase something from the deli or count the number of people in line at the pharmacy.

These are a few of my favorites. Try them yourself, you’ll find one or two you like then start signing up for them. Enjoy!

There are many reasons to look for a work from home job opportunity.   The reasons include corporate burnout, desire to stay at home with kids, tired of commuting, wanting to build a successful home based business.

Whatever the reason, mystery shopping can fill the need to work from home, earn extra money and help you build a work from home job opportunity.

The ability to access the internet is really all you need to get started.  The internet makes it easy to find mystery shopping companies.  Once you get started, you may need access to a fax or scanner.

Getting started is simple.   Locate and sign up with mystery shopping companies, search the job boards and sign up for mystery shops. Then you simply shop according to the terms of your shop, report findings and collect a fee.

Service shops are good shops to start. They require no purchase and the fees are usually a little higher.  Try to group several shops together to maximize your work from home income and be responsive to requests of the mystery shopping company.

Once you have tried a few shops, you will get comfortable and see how you can increase your income with this exciting work from home job opportunity.  In addition, once you do a few shops for a mystery shopping company, they will recognize you as someone they can call on for shops.

As you do more and more shopping, you will find good mystery shopping jobs that you simply can’t do due to scheduling conflicts.  Why not share those jobs with someone else who wants to get paid to shop.  If you are in a network, you will have contacts that you know are interested in these jobs.

Mystery shopper networks also provide a group to help with research insuring that you all know about the most profitable jobs helping everyone in the network have the most profitable secret shopper business possible.

There are online support groups and forums for mystery shoppers and information about how to form your own neighborhood mystery shopping network.  While mystery and shadow shoppers interact with the public regularly, they may feel isolated without a network to discuss issues of the job.  Because of its very nature, mystery and shadow shoppers are not likely to meet one another in a regular networking or public environment. It is important for mystery shoppers to interact in order to share information about scams and non-paying companies as well as sharing job leads and tips on how to shop smart.  By “shop smart”, I mean find easier and quicker shops and learn time saving tips to help you earn more money in less time.

Any secret shopper can start their own network of shoppers in their area. If you know of shops you are not able to perform, reach out to others you know who might be interested. If you are shopping restaurants, stores and dealerships in your neighborhood, it is likely your neighbors shop the same places. Reach out to share information and ask if anyone would like to get started with mystery shopping opportunities and form a neighborhood or area network.