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!