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.