Getting an Extenstion

I had three shops that I was supposed to do today that are an hour away. There was supposed to be ice this morning, and thankfully that did not happen, however it was bitterly cold. There was a possibility of ice on bridges and overpasses too, so I decided I was not going to chance it. Thankfully, the company called me and extended my shops to Wednesday. I can't do them tomorrow, because Jacob is having his Senior pictures taken in the morning.

Just wanted to let y'all know, that most companies will let you extend out your shop due to the weather. I was able to get my shop done last night!

Be Safe!

Here in the Dallas area, we are expecting ice tonight. I have three shops out in East Texas tomorrow that are $20 each plus some free gas. I have already emailed the company to inform them that I may not be able to do them tomorrow. It isn't worth the money to risk my life! The companies I deal with have always been good about giving extensions during bad weather. I have a shop tonight that is only about 10 minutes away. My partner and I will get a free dinner tonight, UNLESS the weather gets bad. I emailed that company yesterday and asked them what happens if I can't do the shop due to the weather. They emailed me back and said to contact them and they will be happy to reschedule the shops for me.

Another company even sent out an email informing shoppers NOT to cancel shops, but to contact the shopper needs to reschedule due to the weather! It's nice to know that there is commons sense with these companies when it comes to the weather.

Out of Practice

As I posted earlier, I have slowed down on the shops a great deal. However, I am now a month ahead in both classes and working on projects that aren't due for another few weeks, so I have been taking a few more shops. It doesn't hurt that many of the gas stations shops are back! I had six shops yesterday, and I feel SO out of practice. It took 2 1/2 hours to complete the shops(drive time included) and then another 2 hours to complete all of the input. I haven't done that many shops since August, and I was mentally tired at the end of it all! It's not that the shops are hard to do, but all of the driving and then input takes a lot of time!

I plan on continuing to do shops. Child support may stop for a few weeks due to ex being between jobs, so I feel like I have to keep it up on the weekends so I have the money to pay the bills!

Slowing Down!

I just went back to work this past week as a teacher! I am also starting graduate school online on Monday! With all of this going on, I have decided to SLOW down on mystery shopping. I have signed up for some gas stations for September and October, but I generally about 60 of these and this time I am only doing 28. These just pay too well and I get free gas!

I am going to ONLY sign up for shops that pay really well OR are in town. Once graduate school gets going, I will have a better idea of how much I can handle. I am hoping to put this money away for Christmas!

It hasn't been easy to give up mystery shopping. The "hunt" for shops can almost become an addiction. However, I think I will have plenty to do with my partner,  kids, grad school, my full time job and LIFE!

Keep That Paperwork

It is very important that you keep your mystery shopping paperwork for several months after you have finished a shop. You need to keep the questionnaire and the receipt! Just yesterday, I had two inquiries on two different shops I had completed. One had been done over this past weekend. I found the paperwork and answered the follow up questions they sent me. The other one had been done back in early July, and again, I found the paperwork and answered the questions. This doesn't happen to often, but when it does, you want to have that paperwork. I do way too many shops, to keep all of that information in my head!

It's Hot!

As I said in my previous post, summer is one of the busiest times for me. Unfortunately, it is also HOT here in Texas. I had four shops yesterday and they should have all been quick shops. However, one of the shops that usually takes twenty minutes, took an hour instead. I won't go into the details, but the restaurant was shorthanded and busy. Another restaurant had computers that were down and this made for a longer ordering process. It also took longer to get my food. All of this put me out in the heat longer than I intended to be. My car also heated up nicely while I was in the restaurant. It turned into a four hour outing instead of a two hour outing. Traffic didn't help either.

I had three shops today and they were all five minutes shops, however I couldn't start them until 4:00 pm. This is a HOT part of the day. Even with my AC on HIGH it was still hot in the car. I always make sure I pack water to have in the car and I try not to be out in the hottest part of the day, but that isn't always easy. At least the gas stations are done and I won't be walking around stations trying to take pictures.

I only have two shops tomorrow and they are both fast food shops. One of them is paying over triple the regular fee! I have no shops on Saturday and only one on Sunday. Maybe I can take the boys swimming, if the water in the pool is cool enough!

Summer is a Busy Time!

The summer is one of the busiest times for me as a mystery shopper. I am a school teacher, so during the school year I usually only shop on the weekends. I get the occasional dinner shop during the week, but other than that it is all weekend shopping. I also keep busy during the holidays during the school year, but summer is my busiest time.

I spent the first week that I had off doing two gas shops a night for five nights in a row. I also spent two days in East Texas doing gas stations. Right now, I am getting phone calls offering me incentives to do fast food shops. Jacob has finally grown tired of fast food! I did go out of town for six days, so no shops during that time period, but I came home to more night time shops. I still have two more night time gas stations to do in the next few days.

I have printed me a calendar for this month and next month, and actually blocked out several days that I WON'T work. I would actually like to spend some time with the boys and maybe get in a few movies. I also think my honey would like me to spend some time with her!

I am hoping to try a few new companies if possible. One company I work for has had a huge decrease in shops. I am not sure why, but there just aren't that many shops with them. Hopefully things will pick up and before you know it, I'll be back in school!

Hot Spots

A few months ago I signed up for a Hot Spot on my iPhone. I figured if it was avaiable, why not get it and use it. We could then connect our iPads to the internet using the hot spot. I have used it with my iPad a lot, when we are out and about, but it is never really been NEEDED. Well, yesterday our electricity went out and when it came back on, our FIOS TV and internet would not connect. I called Verizon and talked to a really nice guy who walked me through some trouble shooting ideas. Nothing worked and a technician is coming some time today.

Meanwhile, I had one shop to input and three more shops to do. I rescheduled one of them but still had two more to do. Before leaving, I turned on that hot spot and made sure it would connect my comoputer to the internet. I could not get it to connect to my desk top computer, but it would connect to my laptop. I went and did my two shops and then came home and was able to do the input. It is a bit of a hassle, because I scanned my receipts on my desk top computer and then saved the scans to a USB thumb drive and then moved them to the laptop. I can deal with that hassle as long as I can input my shops.

I am now sitting at home waiting for a technician who will come some time today before 9PM! Elijah is watching CARS 2 on the DVD player and maybe I will get some housekeeping done! I am keeping my phone handy though so I don't miss that technician's phone call!

Sometimes Companies Call Too Many Times

I wrote a blog a while back about answering the phone even if you don't know who is calling, because it might just be a mystery shopping company offering an incentive. I still believe in this, BUT sometimes these companies call a little too much. There is one company that I really like, but they have called me four times in the last two days about a specific kind of shop. It would require me to be out late at night and I won't do them during the work week. I remind them that I have signed up for several of these shops over the next few weeks, but will only do them on a Friday or Saturday night. Once school is out, I can do more, but these shops end the week after I get out of school.

This company doesn't even offer an incentive to do these late night shops. Well they do, they are $2.00 more than the day time shops, but if they are that desperate then offer a bit more! Another company I work for starts offering incentives within two weeks of the shop being posted. I do have this company on my caller ID and I sometimes don't answer and see what kind of message they leave me. I also can't believe that they can't put something in the notes of my shopper page stating they have already called me and DON'T need to call me again for at LEAST a few days or even a few weeks!

Right now, I have more work than I need. I am working it hard on the weekends and don't need ANY more shops at this point!

It Really is a Job!

A family member in another city just started mystery shopping. I had helped her choose a printer and suggested a few companies to start with. She finally signed up with two companies and got started. My partner and I had suggested she start slowly and sign up for only one shop!

I had talked to her the night before her first shop and she said, "this really is a job." She had to pass a quiz before she could do the shop and that took two tries. She then had to print the shop and study how to do it. She called me and I gave her several tips and answered her questions. She then called during the shop and clarified a few things and I gave her some hints on completing the shop. Later, she called me to help with the input, uploading the receipt and electronically signing off on the shop. She then signed up for her second shop!

I am glad she has gotten started. Helping her reminded me of how nervous I was doing my first Shop! Now, after two and a half years I can do most of my shops easily. New scenarios are a small challenge, but they don't make me nervous.  I am sure I'll get a few phone calls today on her new shop, but as she does each one it will get easier.

You Don't Have to Take Every Shop!

I have been mystery shopping for a bit over two years now. I work for seven different mystery shopping companies. When I first started, I took just about any shop I could get. Since the, I have learned to pick and choose. I don't do bank shops any more. They are boring and tedious. They can also take up a lot of my time on a weekend, and that keeps me from doing other shops.

I like doing the food shops, especially at the restaurants that I really like. In fact, I am getting three times the pay to go to one of my favorite places to eat tomorrow night, plus my meal is paid for. I have learned to read the fine print before taking a shop. Sometimes the pay just isn't very good or there is no reimbursement. Sometimes the shop is just too far away.

We are going out of town in a few weeks, so I just blocked off my calendar for no shops on that weekend. That is the best thing about mystery shopping....I can work as much or as little as I want. The second best thing is I get to pick and choose the shops I want.

Answer the Phone

I have learned that sometimes I just have to answer my cell phone, even if I don't know who is calling. It just may be a scheduler at the other end of the phone ready to offer you an incentive to do a shop! Just this morning, I was getting out of the shower when my cell phone rang. I didn't know the number, and I figured it was a mystery shopping company! I almost didn't answer it, because I wasn't sure I wanted more shops, but I thought "YOU can always say no!" I am glad I answered it, because it was from one of the new companies I signed up for. The scheduler offered me three retail shops that are $10 each, with no purchase requirements. I had signed up for them about a week ago, but hadn't been assigned them. I gladly took them and she put them on my schedule board!

I got another phone call today from another company I work for, and got another gas station for next week and was cleared to try some other shops that they have. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance and answer the phone! You never know who might be on the other end!

Searching for Shops

There are a few times a year when it seems that shops just SLOW down. By slow down, I mean, there just aren't that many shops. I have been pretty busy for the first part of this month, but have just a handful of shops after the 15th. It seems to be this way with all of the mystery shopping companies I work for. I am hoping that the gas station shops show up again at the end of this month, but you just never know. I have been off of work this week because of Spring Break, and wanted to work a bit less, but a few more shops would have been nice! Just remember, with mystery shopping, you can only get shops when they are there. There are times when the shops just aren't there!

Incentives!

An incentive in mystery shopping, is when extra money is offered to complete a shop. One company I work for, offers these on a regular basis and it can be as little as $2.00 extra to do a shop to $40 to do the shop.

Several things can impact the size of the incentive:

• The distance the shop is from your home.
• The time frame of the shop. If the company has a deadline, they want to get it done!
• The size of the city where the shop is located--if it a small town in the middle of no where, odds are that there are not too many shoppers in the area.

There is one large company that I work for that RARELY offers incentives and if they do, it is just a dollar or two. However, they sent an email out recently stating they NEEDED shops done and to give them a call. They were even offering incentives. Well, I looked and there were five shops within an hours drive from me, in an area that I know well. I called and asked about doing them and asked about the incentive. The associate asked me how much I wanted for each shop and I said $5.00 extra. She put me on hold and came back that they would give me $5.00 extra for each shop. This meant a total of $25 in incentive. The actual shop pays $10 plus around $9 in reimbursement. Just the incentive and fee alone are $75! Needless to say, I took the shops!

I once got $35 in incentive to do ONE fast food shop that was 45 minutes away. I took it and found a few more shops to do along the way! Once you sign up with a company, start looking to see if they offer incentives. They can really add to your paycheck.

Observe and Report

The majority of the shops that I complete are unrevealed. This means that when I enter the shop the employees DON'T know that I am mystery shopping. This means that I cannot take my input forms in with me to write down what I see and hear. I have to observe, remember and report what I see. Sometimes I take notes in my phone, especially at restaurant shops where I have to time each section of the meal(how long for drinks, to get the meal, etc....), but most of the time I just make a point of remembering names and descriptions. When I get to my car after the shop, I answer the questions and write the notes down that I need.

Since many shops are at gas stations, I have found that I am always observing even when I am not doing a shop. I notice if the windshield washing equipment is present, if the pump is clean and if the credit card applications are at the pump. I also notice name tags wherever I go. I also notice if menu boards are dirty, if bathrooms are stocked, and if the store/restaurant is clean!

When I first started mystery shopping, I really worried if I could remember everything, but now I don't. I do make a point of repeating someones name in my head when I have to remember it for later. I also take mental notes of everything I see and a description of the person. After a while, it just become habit and you don't have to work as hard to remember the details.

Calendar--Keeping Track of Shops

I keep track of all of my shops using a calendar on my computer. I color code each shop based on which company I have scheduled with. This ensures I don't overbook myself for certain companies that restrict the number of shops you can do in one day. It also keeps me from overbooking myself. I also keep a paper calendar in my car, so if I am out and about and shops come out, I can schedule the shops I want.

You never know when shops will come out. There is usually a pattern to the month on when shops are released, but you just never know. I checked shops early today and then within an hour checked again and some grocery shops were out. I picked up four shops for next month. I was out with the boys getting hair cuts  yesterday when I checked shops on my iPhone and there were Internet shops that were out. Scheduling shops can become a full time job! I also have to make sure I don't schedule too many fast food shops for the same day or for the same time period!

I have completed one shop with one of the new companies and found it easy to do the input. The shops has been cleared to be paid and I should get paid for it next month. I have signed up for my first shop with the second new company, but I won't do a shop for them until next month! I am trying NOT to overbook myself for the week of Spring Break! This is another important reason to keep a calendar. If I have meetings or other things that come up on a weekend, I make sure I block those dates out so I don't schedule any shops!

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have a way to keep track of your shops.

Two New Companies

I signed up with two new mystery shopping companies this weekend. I have one shop tomorrow with one of them and am looking forward to it. It is always interesting to start with a new company and figure out how things work. I have not found anything that I can do with the other company, due to date and time restrictions. However, I did discover that they mystery shop MY TOTALLY favorite doughnut shop! OH MY OH MY. Anyone who really knows me will know what doughnut shop this is. I grew up on these in Mobile, AL!

I can't wait to do one of these shops. Right now, the only opportunity is a Monday-Friday morning shop that I can't do because of work. I'll just have to be patient and wait until another opportunity presents itself!

Where to Start?

So, how do you get started in mystery shopping? I had a friend who was a shopper and she got me started. It is really important to find a legitimate company. Here is a link to a list of mystery shopping companies. http://volition.com/mystery.html  There is a lot of other good information here.

Whenever I start with a new company, I start off slow. I do two to three shops and then wait to be paid. I have only had one bad experience with a company that did not pay me. After several emails, I finally got paid, but I decided I would NOT work with that company any more. It is also a good idea to start slowly with shops, so you don't overbook yourself. Most companies will let you book as many shops as you want, but a few have rules about shops. One company I work for only allows you to do four shops a day. Another company only allows you to do two shops a day, but if you call they may assign you a few more shops.

It is important to know how you will get paid. I work for five different companies and am paid in three different ways. The company either sends me a check, does a direct deposit, or pays by PayPal. Some companies only pay once a month, others every two weeks and then other twice a month.

I just signed up with a new company and am hoping to find some variety in the shops, but I may not find anything I like. Right now I don't see any shops that interest me, but I'll keep checking and see what happens!

Double Dinner

I had two shops to do this evening and the boys went with me. I needed Jacob for one of the shops. He had to see if he would be asked for ID when buying something. We finished that and headed to a fast food shop. I had to go through the drive thru and order something inside. Elijah and I didn't like the choices so I let Jacob choose two things, to which he replied "Double Dinner!" He was so excited.

I have to say, he eats a great deal of what I buy! Now that I am trying to lose weight, I am glad he does!

Keep Your Paperwork

Most the of mystery shopping that I do requires some kind of purchase. I always staple the receipt to the input paperwork and keep it stacked up near my desk. This way, I can look back and find what I need IF there is an issue. For example, I got an email today that there was a question about a shop I completed this past weekend. The email stated that the time on the receipt did not match the times I said I was there. I found the paperwork and the receipt. Sure enough, the time was off by an hour. I replied that the time I had inputted was correct and the receipt was wrong! I keep all of my paperwork for at least a month. If there is an issue, it arises within a few days of inputting the information.


The main thing, is make sure you have a system and KEEP THOSE RECEIPTS. I also have a copy of the receipts on file in my computer on the hard drive. I have a folder for each company in MY DOCUMENTS and then within that company folder, I have a folder for each month. I back these up to my external hard drive and keep them for about six months, then delete them.

Dieting and Mystery Shopping

I decided to go on a diet a few weeks ago and it hasn't been easy. I have still taken several fast food shops, but I have to NOT eat what I buy. I usually don't eat everything I buy at the fast food shop, but it is hard when you are hungry. I have been checking calories online to make sure I know what I am getting into when I go to a shop. Thankfully, these shops fall on the weekends, because I don't do them during the week. Sometimes I bring the food home for Jacob to eat...he is a teen and he eats ALL the time! I have lost weight every week, so I guess I am doing a good job. I may need to try to find another company to work for that doesn't have so many fast food shops.



This weekend my partner and I are going to a nice Italian Restaurant for a mystery shop. We will be bringing leftovers home, that is for sure!

Scheduling Shops

My partner and I are always checking each companies web site to see if there are new shops. We text each other when we see new shops. After a while you begin to learn the rhythm of a company. We know that each month around the 20th one company comes out with all of its Fast Food shops for the next month. Notice, I said AROUND the 20th....because we just never know. We know another company releases its gas shops each quarter and we begin to start looking for them, but we never know the exact date they will come out.

We check each website at last 4-5 times daily. I can't always check them while I am at work, so she keeps an eye on them. We go days with no new releases. They always seem to come out in the later afternoon or early evening hours.  Sometimes I check a company's site and am shocked to see a LONG list of shops available!

Sometimes in my haste to get a shop, I sign up for one I didn't mean to just by clicking on the wrong shop. For one company, this is not a big issue. I can cancel it all on my own. I can also reschedule a shop with this company on my own. Other companies require that you email them to ask them to remove or reschedule a shop. This isn't usually a problem and they will do it, but is more of a hassle than just being able to do it yourself.

I can sign up for as many or as few shops as I want for a weekend. I tend to work more over the holidays when I have more time during the week. I like having the summer off, when I can really spread out the shops.

I am so glad that my partner was around to help me learn the skills I would need to become a good mystery shopper!

Dressing for Shops

We have had a real cold snap come through this area and I had several outside shops this weekend. Let's just say I got the pictures I needed and got back into my car to complete the paperwork. It is important to remember to have the correct clothing when completing a shop. Some shops require casual dress attire for inside office shops. Others require you to dress down because you are posing as someone who typically visits that kind of shop. Other shops don't give a dress code. For one of the gas shops I complete, I have to wear a safety vest! I also have to upload a picture of me in a safety vest!

I am keeping my gloves in the car at the moment, so I always have them when I am out and about and doing my shops. I also keep my vest out there. I keep an eye on the weather reports so that I can be prepared for the weather. Last week, I completed a few evening shops in the rain! Thankfully, it was just to run in and buy something. I didn't have to be standing in the rain!

Supplies You Will Need

I have written about the skills needed to be a mystery shopper, so now I am going to give you a list of supplies you may need to mystery shop.

• pens, pens and always another pen. I never seemed to have one in my car when I need one, so I bought a large box of pens and put them in my glove box.
• clipboard--truly a must have. When you are sitting in your car completing your input form you need it to write on. You also need it when walking around gas stations completing the form.
• pocket folder--it doesn't have to be a pocket folder, but something to keep all of your forms in for the day.
• something for receipts--I like to use a clear zip plastic envelope type thing. It's official name is a poly zip check envelope. Comes in handy!
• digital camera--truly a must have when doing audits. You can sometimes use your camera phone for small jobs, but you really need a camera for the larger ones.
• printer/scanner--again, a must have. I scan all of my receipts to send electronically in to verify my shops. I sometimes have to scan other forms. I got by with an ink jet printer for a while, but now use a laser jet printer for my shops.
• paper--well of course you need paper...duh! YOU NEED A LOT of paper! Take advantage of office supply stores that offer you rebates and/or rewards when buying paper.
• clips--paper clips to the large black clips that can hold a LARGE stack of paper...get clips.
• stapler--you need a good stapler and a LOT of staples. First you staple the input sheets together and then once you completed the shop you staple the receipt to your input sheets. This way if there is a problem you have the receipt and the input forms together.
• GPS--I wrote a whole blog on this, but I wanted to mention it again. A MUST HAVE!
• Stopwatch--most cell phones now have some kind of timing device or at least an app you can purchase to act as a stopwatch, but this is also a MUST HAVE.
• calendar--OK it doesn't have to be a calendar, but you better have some way of keeping up with your shops. I have shops scheduled through the middle of February right now. Before I even schedule a new shop, I look to see what is already on my calendar. I don't want to overbook myself, or be driving from one side of town to the other. I try to cluster my shops together by city when I can!
• Good computer--you need a good computer and good computer skills. Organize your documents on your hard drive into folders.
• File cabinet--again, it doesn't have to be a file cabinet. I use a drawer on my desk that holds files, but someway to organize the shops you have printed.

This should be a good start! I am sure something else will come to mind. Good luck, if you decide to become a mystery shopper. Keep a list of your expenses, you can write them off on your income taxes.