There are so many businesses that use mystery shoppers today. Bowling alleys, movie theaters, clothing stores, and gas stations are just a few. These businesses are willing to pay to have someone anonymously shop their establishments on a daily basis. Businesses turn to mystery shopping companies for help with this.

So how can you make a career out of mystery shopping? Well first, you have to find reputable mystery shopping companies to sign up with. This is very easy to do. You can research companies on the website of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. This a large forum site that provides all the information you would ever need to make wise choices in regards to which companies pay on time, have the best assignments, and the best overall reputation. Also stay tuned to my future postings as I will be arranging a summary list of the best mystery shopping companies to sign up with.

Secondly, each company you sign up with will have a database of assignments. You must opt in to receive emails from whatever company you choose. This is how you will be notified of available assignments in your chosen areas, but some companies may require you to login to their website every day to check for assignments. Either way, you must review the available assignments and choose which ones you want to sign up for.

Your third step is to complete whatever assignments you sign up for. This is very important because mystery shopping companies are sticklers about dependability when it comes to the mystery shoppers that work for them. If you start accepting assignments that you don’t follow through on, then you will be removed from a companies’ shopper database. This means that you will no longer receive any assignments from that company.

Your last step is to submit your online reports and wait for your check. Compensation varies according to each assignment. Your earning potential will greatly depend on your time and effort.

If you have ever been extremely broke with no help for paying bills in sight, you start to invent ways to make extra money. So you become a cash creator. I have found tons of ways to “create” extra money for myself in hard times. Some of the ways I have explored can potentially be full time work for yourself jobs. Find out the best survey sites, the best mystery shopping companies, and the best work at home jobs by subscribing to my daily blog.

Check out my blog for tips for earning extra cash, such as mystery shopping, taking surveys, blogging, etc. http://www.createdcash.com

Author: Katina Blue
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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1. Any promise of large amounts of money to complete mystery shopping assignments is a major indication of a scam. This line of work is profitable, but most assignments do not pay large sums of money. Being a mystery shopper can be hard work. So if any company makes it seem too easy and offers large payments for assignments, do extra research on the company and proceed with caution.

2. Never pay money to register with a company promising you mystery shopping jobs. There is a wealth of information on the web that will help you find reputable companies. I am registered with over 40 companies, and I have never had to pay a dime to sign up. Mystery shopping is a real job. When is the last time you paid an employer to hire you? I would assume most of you would say never. Most of the websites that you find charging a fee, are just people like yourself who have created a list of reputable companies and are charging you for the information.

3. If a company sends you a large check or money order in advance for upcoming assignments, do not cash it. This is one of the biggest mystery shopping scams on the web. Mystery shopping companies rarely send advance payment for assignments. I am always paid after I complete an assignment, and usually it takes a month to receive payment. Some reputable companies may offer upfront payment for certain assignments that have numerable expenses. Mostly mystery shoppers who have established a good reputation with a company will be paid this way. This is not the norm. If you receive and cash a large check or money order, the scammers will have instant access to your bank account. They will use this information to remove any funds you have, and there will be no way to recover those funds.

Be smart and remain aware when signing up for mystery shopping companies. Do your research. An informed mystery shopper will be a prosperous mystery shopper.

If you have ever been extremely broke with no help for paying bills in sight, you start to invent ways to make extra money. So you become a cash creator. I have found tons of ways to “create” extra money for myself in hard times. Some of the ways I have explored can potentially be full time work for yourself jobs. Find out the best survey sites, the best mystery shopping companies, and the best work at home jobs by subscribing to my daily blog.

Check out my blog for tips for earning extra cash, such as mystery shopping, taking surveys, blogging, etc. http://www.createdcash.com

Author: Katina Blue
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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For those of you in that same position, there are still lots of ways to stay home and earn money. One of those ways is by doing Mystery Shopping work. Mystery Shopping is a fun job that is flexible enough to work around your day job if you need to or you can earn a part or full-time income, depending on how much money you need to support your monthly expenses. People who live in large cities, like Los Angeles or New York, have more Mystery Shopping Provider companies to choose from, so there is lots more work (and earnings!) available. In the big cities, it is possible to earn between $800 to $1200 per month. If you live in a smaller city, your earnings will probably be significantly less, unless you are willing and have the capacity to travel regularly to a bigger city.

Once you begin to look for Mystery Shopping work, be careful not to get taken in by the many scams out there that will take your money and give you information which you could have gotten for free with a little internet research. Rest assured, there are many Mystery Shopping Provider companies that will pay you on a regular basis for ongoing work as a Secret Shopper but you do NOT have to pay a dime to get assigned to shops. Take a look at the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association for helpful tips and resources to get started as well as a list of legitimate Mystery Shopping companies.

And once you begin working, be sure to keep in mind that, as a Mystery Shopper, you are an independent contractor and therefore, essentially in business for yourself. You need to keep careful track of your earnings for tax purposes as well as a record of your shops in case the companies you work for ever have any questions about a job you did.

Mystery Shopping is a great way to earn hundreds of extra dollars per month that can help with the family income, provide extra money to fund your small business or even allow you to splurge on special purchases for yourself and your loved ones.

If the idea of a fun, flexible job where you get paid to shop is appealing to you, then Mystery Shopping is definitely the way to go!

For step-by-step instructions on how and where to get hired so you can start working right away, visit my Squidoo Lens at www.squidoo.com/bizmommy.

You are free to reprint this article on your blog, website or other marketing materials as long as you include ALL of the following information:

Tisha Berg is a Mom, Hypnotherapist and Marketing Coach who enjoys writing articles on health, wellness and how to make small businesses profitable. She also blogs about Mystery Shopper work and other ways to earn money while working from home. She provides FREE videos, tips and resources for moms on her blog, BizMommy.com.

Author: Tisha Berg
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Mystery shopping is used by restaurants, retail/grocery stores, automotive industries, services, hotels etc. Generally, anyone can apply to become a mystery shopper. They then have to undergo training and complete certification to qualify for mystery shopping. During the training process, the shopper would be taught what to observe at the store or restaurant, how to interact with the staff and how to report their findings. The shopper would need to report their exact findings without giving way to their own personal prejudices.

Generally, mystery shoppers can decide what places they want to visit and report. They will be given detailed instructions as to what they need to buy at the store, what they need to observe for and how the store employees react to certain situations. They will shop or dine like regular shoppers and then need to report their experience to the company which hired them in a prescribed format provided to them. After they complete their report they will be compensated for their work. Generally, this work may take up about an hour and compensation differs from company to company.

Mystery shopping can be fun and rewarding as you get to shop or eat for free and offer your unbiased opinions which will help in improving customer service. But you need to be aware of some scams in mystery shopping where you may be asked to wire money by moneygram or where you spend your own money at the store but then are not refunded after you submit the report. So, always research about the company before accepting to take up an assignment. Even though you could search for such companies online, surveyscout.com gives a compiled list of many such mystery shopping companies. For a small fee, you could get not only list of mystery shopping companies but also survey opportunities. You could earn back this small fee within no time.

Gnana Ramanathan is an internet marketer who works from home. She does affiliate marketing and writes articles and blogs about making money using the computer. She is also an internet entrepreneur, specialising in home decor.

Author: Gnana Ramanathan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The American Association of Museums published a 2006 Museum Financial Information survey which indicated that the average cost of serving a visitor is $23.35. With an average admission of $6.00 and additional spending of approximately $2.36 for gift shop and food items, the amount guests are spending contributes minimally to the amount it costs for them to visit. Museums must rely on government funding as well as private contributions, which are a large part of their annual budget.

Another challenge museums face is the need for volunteers versus employed staff. To keep costs down, museums rely on those who will volunteer their services in the gift shop, concession areas, and informational services.

The question as to how a museum can affordably evaluate customer service levels and ensure that volunteers are providing excellent customer service remains consistent. Employing a mystery shopping program, in which mystery shoppers pose as typical guests, is a solution to this challenge.

Mystery shoppers are trained through a mystery shopping provider, which serves as a third party source for providing feedback. The shoppers will visit the museum as a typical customer does and evaluate key areas, including the ticket purchase, exhibits, signage, cleanliness, and staff interactions. Afterwards, the mystery shopper will complete a written report in which details of the experience are documented. The reports generated provide a wealth of information and allows staff to view the museum from a customer’s perspective.

Mystery shopping can be affordable in that it gives you information you cannot gather using other methods- it can bring to light issues that you were not aware of, and this information will help you improve your facility. For example, you may learn that the gift shop is not easily located by signage or other information. If customers can’t easily find the gift shop, they will not visit and spend money there.

As an added benefit to the mystery shopping program, many museum facilities will incorporate some marketing questions into their program. This will allow you to gather helpful information about your customers. Questions such as “Are you aware of our upcoming events?” will give you valuable insight as well. For example, if you are finding that mystery shoppers are not aware of any upcoming events, you will need to find a way to promote these more effectively so your marketing efforts are paying off.

Britain’s tourism office provides a similar service to measure customer service levels and “ongoing customer care” through the Visitor Attraction Quality Assessment Scheme. Based on a mystery shopping program, this scheme allows companies to evaluate their customer service easily and efficiently. Mystery shoppers evaluate the initial telephone interaction they experience when calling to get directions and schedules, the greeting when they arrive, the exhibits and interpretation where applicable, cleanliness of the facility, and layout and aesthetics. Key standards are evaluated to ensure guests are satisfied and have had pleasant experiences.

A historical museum in the suburbs of Chicago uses mystery shopping for a different perspective of their facility. They host several special events each year that bring people to the museum for the first time. In an attempt to increase membership levels, it is important for the volunteers to actively discuss and suggest membership as customers arrive for such events. This facility relies on memberships as part of their annual budget, and it is vital to ensure that membership information is being offered during these events. With multiple shoppers attending the event, the results can be tabulated by museum staff afterward to determine if volunteers adhered to required policy. If incorrect information was provided to the mystery shopper, this can also be addressed.

In summary, mystery shopping is an excellent solution to the challenges museums face with staffing and budgetary issues. Both affordable and self-sufficient, mystery shopping can provide insight that will help museums increase service standards, membership levels, and overall customer satisfaction.

Marianne Hynd is the General Manager at Ann Michaels & Associates, a market research firm specializing in mystery shopping, customer feedback, employee services, and social media monitoring. Ann Michaels & Associates’ website offers additional information about mystery shopping and market research services that are available to companies across North America.

Author: Marianne Hynd
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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1. What Is Mystery Shopping All About?

Some people think that it is only about getting paid to enjoy themselves while they go out shopping and eating, and then evaluating their experiences afterwards. Is that really true?

Well, it is true to some extent, but you also need to know how and why you are providing value to the companies in order to become a highly demanded mystery shopper.

2. Why Do Companies Hire Mystery Shoppers?

Many shoppers go out and actually have bad experiences while they are shopping and eating out. I’m sure that you may have felt like that before, for example, the service speed was really slow and you were in a hurry. Companies know that they need to provide customers with a good experience in order to keep them coming back.

The problem is, they have no real ways to collect feedback from unsatisfied customers, so they do not know what visitors think about their product/service, or how many visitors would revisit their shop again.

3. The True Value Of Mystery Shoppers

By hiring mystery shoppers, they are able to get a non-biased point of view regarding their shop service levels. As a mystery shopper, it is your duty to pay attention to the details that the company wants you to collect when you are on your shopping assignment.

4. So How Does Shop Until You Drop Help You?

Shop Until You Drop is a “get paid to shop” database site that I have joined a couple of months ago. It basically acts as a middleman between you and the companies that are looking for mystery shoppers. The site saves you time because you do not have to search for these companies yourself.

Resources are included in the download area that teaches skills to become a better mystery shopper. It is not possible to become very rich with this job, but I have been using the site to make some extra money on my spare time when I need to go out and relax.

5. Conclusion

Being a mystery shopper has been really fun for me, as all I have to do is go out and try these companies’ products, and then give them feedback about it and get paid for it.

Just remember to give back to the company what they want you to find out, and you can look forward to them giving you another shopping assignment again. If you really love shopping, you may want to give this job a try. Visit the website link below to find out how you can start receiving your shopping assignments.

Are you thinking of joining the Shop Until You Drop network? Don’t do it yet, and read the review of Shop Until You Drop at http://www.review-best.com/shopping/mystery-shopping-sites-exposed.htm to find out the truth about mystery shopping and her experience!

Author: Lenora Barth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Then just imagine how you would feel if you got $10 to $150 every time you went shopping. That is what mystery shopping can do for you – paying you for what you enjoy doing anyway!

Sounds unbelievable?

Then let me tell you that as you read this article you will find that mystery shopping is real and makes sound business sense.

Here’s mystery shopping at its most simplest…

So what’s mystery shopping? You do the shopping as you do everyday. What is different is that when mystery shopping you are something more than a normal customer.

While buying and paying for things, you are also sizing up the establishment. But you do it in such a way that the business staff doesn’t suspect that you are there to check upon them.

This is why it is called mystery shopping. Some call it secret or undercover shopping also.

But who would pay you for spying upon businesses? Surprisingly the businesses pay you for snooping on themselves. And for a good reason.

To understand why they do this, imagine you are running a business. Then as a smart businessman you know that if you want to make money you need customers. But you also know that people would come to you only if you treat them right.

Now if you are running a single store you can easily see if your customers are getting the right treatment. And you can readily take action where necessary.

But what if you have a big business with a number of retail outlets?

You can’t go to every one of them everyday to see how your sales people are treating ustomers. The best you could do would be to drop in on one your outlets now and then. Now you can fairly expect your employees to act well with the customers while you are with them. But this may not be so when you are not around. If that is so you are losing customers and the profits

So how to know what’s happening behind your back? The best way is to get a mystery shopper. She visits your business as a normal customer, buys and pays for things. But at the same time she is mentally noting down what you asked her to find: Was everything neat and clean? Did she have to wait unnecessarily? Did she get the service with a smile? And so on.

Obviously this information tells what changes to make to improve customer satisfaction which means more money for you. So you are glad to pay the mystery shopper for the service she did for you.

After reading this far you know that mystery shopping is a useful business activity after all. So it follows that you can make money if you mystery shop for a business.

So where to find shopping jobs? The internet is the obvious choice. For one, search for shopping jobs on the net yourself.

The other – and maybe easier -option is the various membership mystery sites which list the most current jobs available. The good ones also give you helpful tips and advice for succeeding as a mystery shopper.

As such sites make your life easier, a little money spent on a good site is money well-spent.

With this newly learned knowledge you can certainly take action to make money every time you shop. Click here to start.

Author: Frank Grey
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable pressure cooker

Mystery Shopping is a great way to earn some extra cash, but there are some things that you should know before you decide to get into it.

Firstly, you need to have spare time and/or a flexible schedule if you want to earn an income from mystery or secret shopping. That is why a large number of mystery shoppers tend to be stay-at-home mums or students who have the time to perform the shops. This also means that you stand a good chance of being assigned shops that are ‘emergencies’ or ‘urgent’, especially when you first start out as a mystery shopper.

Seriously evaluate your skills when deciding to be a mystery shopper. Internet access is a must, as is access to a fax machine or digital scanner to send the receipts of your shops to the company you’re working for. In addition, you will be required to submit clearly written reports of your observations. These observations will have to be made without taking notes while conducting your shop. A key to being a good mystery shopper is the ability to blend in and look like the average customer. You need to be careful not to blow your cover.

Read all the postings and advertisements well. Nearly all of the shops you perform will require you to pay out of your own pocket and wait to be reimbursed for the expenses. If you’re required to purchase a big item and don’t have the cash to do it, don’t respond. There’s nothing that will hurt your chances of getting an assignment more than by being seen as unreliable. Reimbursements are usually paid out the following month and can take up to 45 days to reach you.

Once you do decide to become a mystery shopper, read all the ‘help’ that the company offers before you respond to an assignment. The better companies actually require online training that is usually a simulation of the types of assignments that you have to complete before you’re allowed to go on a shop.

Research the companies that you are interested in shopping for, and this information should be readily available on the Internet for free. One of the things that you will clearly need to understand is how to fill out the surveys or questionnaires properly. This is usually completed online in addition to the scanning of receipts and the input of notes. Be aware that if you don’t fill out the form correctly, your entire report can be rejected and you won’t get paid or reimbursed for the shop you did.

When you first begin your mystery shopping, don’t be sucked in by the hype. You have to be realistic about the amount of money you might potentially earn, especially if you live in a sparsely populated area. Depending on where you live and the company you work though, you might only get one or two assignments a month. So, persevere and stick with it and work your way up to performing several shops a day – the longer you work with a company and prove yourself to be reliable and articulate, the more money you will earn.

Once you get comfortable with mystery or secret shopping, it is a fun way of earning some extra cash, so start your Mystery Shopping career now.

Sheetal Shah is an Online Marketing Specialist with Gapbuster Worldwide. She has been working within the Mystery Shopping industry for some time now, and armed with a Masters in Communications, aims to spread the benefits of improving customer service through mystery shopping to companies and shoppers alike. http://www.gapbuster.com/en-us/aboutsecretshopping.asp

Author: Sheetal Shah
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In an article titled “Spies like us; Mystery shoppers keep eye on customer service” (The Washington Times, July 2004) we can learn that mystery shopping has become a “critical marketing tool” used by companies to develop customer loyalty:

“Consumers have more choices than ever before. The smart companies realize they can compete by creating an optimized customer experience.

More companies are relying on the shoppers’ anonymous feedback to determine how they can improve customer service, which plays an important role in business transactions.

‘If the customer has had a bad experience, they’re going to go somewhere else,’ said Jeff Marr, vice president of Walker Information, which provides research on customer loyalty.
‘When it comes to retailing, you’re only as good as your last interaction.’

The mystery shopping industry has grown over the past decade as more companies – from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies – have tried to focus more heavily on customer service, officials say. Companies such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Home Depot, Kinko’s and Giant Food are just a handful of the companies that use mystery shoppers.

The industry has expanded from typical service-oriented clients – such as restaurants, retailers and hotels – to industries like banks, insurance companies, car dealerships, funeral homes and apartment buildings.

“This is a critical marketing tool,” said Jeff Hall, who is chief executive of a mystery shopping company in Michigan. “Companies need to connect with their customers – not just with a fake smile.”

“Mystery shopping is nothing more than receiving feedback from anonymous customers,” said Paige Hall, president and chief executive officer of a mystery shopping company in Atlanta.

It is estimated that between 600,000 to 700,000 active mystery shoppers – also known as secret shoppers – are in the United States.

In this same article we read the story of Max Jakeman, a secret shopper working at it in his spare time. His story can be yours:

“Max Jakeman is an undercover agent – for a pizza chain. He also has spied on fast-food chains, upscale restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys and golf courses.

The Alexandria resident is one of the thousands of mystery shoppers who get paid to give feedback on their overall customer experience…

Mr. Jakeman, who is in the Army, mystery shops between three and four times a week, usually on weekends and evenings. He calls his answering machine at home and leaves notes about his experience so he doesn’t forget details before he has to write the report.

Mr. Jakeman thinks his job helps make a difference.

“I’m a consumer and I’ve been places where I’ve been treated badly,” Mr. Jakeman said. “With mystery shopping you feel like you’re making an impact.”

The shoppers get paid different amounts for their work, depending on the industry and degree of difficulty. For instance, grocery stores pay $10 to $25, movie theaters pay $10 to $50 and florists pay $45 to $100 per assignment.

Mr. Jakeman brings home $300 to $400 a month in cash, in addition to about $1,000 in perks including free movies, free oil changes, free pizza and free rounds of golf.”

Industry experts say “a full-time mystery shopper who works 40 hours a week can make about $40,000 a year.”

The Washington Times, the Wall Street Journal (see the former issue of the Get Paid Coach) and other newspapers publish articles on mystery shopping because it’s a growing business and hundred of thousands of people make top dollars to shop and have fun.

Would you like to bring home $300 to $400 a month in cash, in addition to about $1,000 in perks just for shopping between three to four times a week like Max Jakeman?

Would you prefer to work at it full time and make $40,000 a year?

Mystery shoppers are needed all the time and there are jobs all over the US and Canada but also in Australia and UK.

The best way to go is to subscribe to a professional resource for secret shopper jobs. You will get a step-by-step guide on how to get started successfully (a must for new shoppers) AND you’ll have access to an extensive database of shopping jobs in your country and in your state.

Sam Parker is a managing partner at Maximum Paid Surveys, a premium database of paid online surveys and mystery shopping jobs. Maximum Paid Surveys brings superior value to registered members by delivering the most professional resource of paid opportunities on the Internet.

Author: Sam Parker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Smart cooker

Hotel mystery shopping involves the use of a professional evaluator who visits a hotel and offers feedback relating to the customer service, employee attitudes, room cleanliness, clean rating and availability of needed items. This may include an ample supply of towels, shampoo, soap, tissues, etc. At the end of the stay, the hotel mystery shopping evaluator completes a report and submits to the company who hired them.

Many hotel mystery shoppers are not even required to travel out of state, but may evaluate local accommodations. This allows for flexible hours, along with extra income. The majority of hotel mystery shopping professionals work part-time and still have many hours left in the day for other activities, such as a full time job, children, family or school.

For the most part, hotel owners are appreciative for the hotel mystery shopping industry. This method allows company leaders to know which areas need improvement without having to do the inspections themselves. By posing as regular hotel guests, hotel mystery shopping professionals are able to receive the same treatment as all other guests without otherwise being recognized. They are given an actual view of the business operations. For example, customer service is a very important part of the hotel industry. As such, hotel owners want to ensure that their employees are treating guests with great consideration. A hotel mystery shopping evaluator will receive their own experience with the staff and nobody will ever know that they are being evaluated. This provides for a realistic view of operations and staff behavior.

A large number of hotels use in-house hotel mystery shoppers, which allows them to maintain control over the various visits to different locations. However, not all hotel mystery shopping evaluators work in-house. In fact, there are independent companies who hire hotel mystery shopping evaluators. The shoppers are compensated for their work upon completion of an accepted findings report. These reports are generally brief and consist of several general questions relating to service and overall experience.

Hotel mystery shopping is a very large industry and can be competitive. If you are interested in seeking work as a mystery shopper, an internet search may provide results for your area. In addition, local marketing firms or radio commercials may reveal hotel mystery shopping opportunities in your local area.

Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.mystery-shopping-online.com an information resource for people who want to know more about Mystery Shopping.

Author: Terry Dunn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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