Want to Become a Secret Shopper? - This Will Help You Decide
Secret Shopping began back in the 1940’s when it was used as a mechanism to measure employee integrity and although the processes have changed out of all recognition over the years, the basic principles still remain the same today.
Secret Shopper or Mystery Shopper programs as they are sometimes called, have been used for decades by some of the world’s largest corporations and franchises and shoppers can earn a good part-time income of anything from $10 to $40 per hour. Some even manage to work on a full-time basis and can potentially earn up to $50,000 or more per year.
Secret shoppers are just ordinary people doing what might seem to be an extraordinary job. You have to act just like you were a regular customer, whether it is in a department store, a hotel, a restaurant, or even on a weekend away…yes, you will even get the chance to take a vacation at someone else’s expense. What you then have to do is to provide an accurate and unbiased report to the secret shopping company detailing the good and the bad things about the service you have received.
As a Secret Shopper you will be encouraged to be objective and be able to present both negative and positive opinions based on industry standards. For example, a shopper may be asked to purchase a specific product, such as a hamburger from a fast food restaurant, and then fill out a detailed form concerning the experience. Don’t be disheartened though, your next assignment may be to spend an evening or even weekend at a luxury hotel.
It is very straightforward to become a secret shopper. First of all, you have to find yourself a secret shopping agency. There are many on the internet, take a look at as many as you can and start off by selecting one that you feel comfortable with. You can sign up with others later. Once you have supplied your details, you will be notified of assignments in your area. Pay for shopping jobs can range from as little as $8 to $10 for fairly simple assignments, buying a hot-dog for example up to $50 or even $100 for really complex jobs.
It is important that you have the ability to be able to write up a detailed and objective account of you shopping experience. The more time you spend on this activity, particularly in the early days, the more interesting and better paid assignments will follow. Agencies put great store in having a reliable shopper and if you start to build a name for yourself as reliable, thorough and flexible the greater will be your shopping opportunites in the long term.
The sort of tools you need to use can range from completing simple questionnaires to making complete audio and video recordings of your experience. Many companies are now completely administered through the Internet, allowing potential shoppers to easily register for participation, find jobs and, most importantly, receive payment.
Companies all around the world now recognise the tremendous benefits in terms of improved customer service by utilising shopper experience measuring methodologies such as secret shopping. The fact is that that there are now very few organisations who do not employ agencies to provide this type of service. Airlines, Hotels, Retail Chains all provide us with the opportunity for money making assignments.
Becoming a secret shopper is not a way to get rich quick, although it is rewarding, can provide plenty of perks and will provide the opportunity to make money. Aside from the pay and flexibility, it can provide a fun and fulfilling career with loads of variety.