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Joining The Mystery Shopper NetworkBy Staff on June 30, 2008 | No Comments
The mystery shopper network can be joined by anyone who is above the age of eighteen. If you are above eighteen and are willing to choose a career as a shopper getting paid for shopping then you can join any of the networks of undercover shoppers. You may live in any country, be of any sex and follow any religion nothing matters as long as you do the job the way the network wants you to do.
Before joining you may first want to know what the benefits of joining the mystery shopper network are. Well, the most attractive thing is that the income from this job will be in addition to any other income you have and it can be done in the spare time that you have in your daily schedule. It is ideally suited for the housewives because they can contribute to the family income from their spare time. The best part is that the working hours are to be decided by yourself according to your convenience,
You may now want to know where to look for the mystery shopper network and why is it paying you for the job. Why not search the internet? There are a plenty of networks willing to take you into their team and offer you assignments within a very short time. Not only is joining the network free, even the training programs needed for the orientation to the job is free and there are a host of facilities that are aimed at making you into an expert undercover shopper. The payment system varies from agency to agency. Some reimburse all the expenses you incur towards doing your job. Some reimburse up to a certain amount though this amount hardly falls short of what you spend. Some pay on regular pay-per-job basis. Then there are others who do not pay you at all. Instead they let you keep the product or use the service you evaluate for free. When paying they pay anything between 20 and 50 dollars depending on the difficulty and urgency of the job, and also the level of expertise needed for it. The payment is not bad for a part time job.
For the job of the undercover shopper the mystery shopper network will provide you with a set of instructions and a questionnaire. You will need to visit the shop and buy the product and then complete a questionnaire where you will be asked to record your observations, give your opinion and also rate certain things as per your experience. The questionnaire will have some simple queries about how helpful the staff of the store were, were you helped in finding the product and were you guided in doing so. It is important to know about the knowledge of the staff about the products of the store, along with the comfort level of shopping at the store, the pricing factors, post sell service like returning or replacing the material purchased and even questions about the store hours and how convenient were they to you.
Sometimes it happens that the mystery shopper network is not a single company but actually a conglomerate of many networks involved in undercover shopping and the net can spread worldwide. Their job is not to register shoppers but to look after the needs of the clients by providing a list of agencies who undertake undercover shopping. You can easily use the list to find out a suitable company to register yourself.
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Client Problems In Real Estate ManagementBy Staff on June 30, 2008 | No Comments
The property business is one of the most profitable businesses of the present times and hence there are many investors who want to employ the services of real estate management companies to manage their properties, increase their values and get them huge returns once they decide to sell them. Even otherwise these days, the owner of a property does not have the time to be involved in the issues of his property very deeply. Moreover, he may be lacking the necessary skills also. But at the same time there is an increase in the number of people who want to hire or buy a property and the owner needs to maintain his property in great shape and hire out or sell the property at the maximum profit possible. A professional who mainly is involved in managing different properties is surely an answer to all these issues.
Real estate management companies offer some standard services like maintenance and cleaning, repairing and other tasks like finding a suitable buyer or tenant for the property. Apart from these typical services these specialized companies also offer other services specific to the company and the client. The companies provide services to both commercial and residential property holders. But this is just an ideal situation. It is not that every company offers genuine and committed services. The owner of a property should make some intelligent searches in locating a firm offering good quality assets management at a reasonable rate.
The real estate management companies should be assessed by the owner of the property via personal interviews. Many times these companies work well during the initial stages of their business agreements but afterwards they do not provide very efficient services. In all cases it is better to get a written agreement done between the owner and the managing firm of the property. If there is any discrepancy in services then the managing firm can be challenged by the owner of the property in a legal forum. A very common complaint is that of their not maintaining proper communication with the owners of the property.They do not respond to any phone calls or dodge queries.
Some real estate management companies do not do any satisfactory work when it comes to repairs and maintenance tasks. The owner should be cautious of any deceptive activities that the manager can practice. Many times when it comes to repair work the on-site manager can show some expensive methodology to go about a repair work when actually the cost of such a repair can be quite reasonable. It is always advisable for the owner of the property to maintain a first hand rapport with the laborers and construction material suppliers to know the actual rates of the resources and labor charges.
The real estate management companies can also delay issuing bills in a timely manner to the owners of the property. This might result in some difficulties in the property related calculations of the owner. It is simply very difficult for the owner of the property to keep money handy with him all the time and pay the managing firm whenever they demand. They may also neglect maintaining the external premises of a building like the gardens and lawns. These are some of the everyday and real-time problems faced by clients of the management companies. There can be a lot of complicated issues dealing with ownership of the property and the owner should be never be a passive partner in the property related jobs. He should always be cautious and intelligent enough to sense any abnormal practices.
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Legitimate Mystery Shopper FAQsBy Staff on June 28, 2008 | No Comments
A lot of students need extra money while in college. One way to make some is to do some shopper jobs. But finding a legitimate mystery shopper job takes a little research. We will answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
How does a student find legitimate mystery shopper jobs?
Use online search engines to find companies hiring students and others. Fill out online applications and research companies offering jobs. Visit shopping forums for companies hiring shoppers. Experienced shoppers are more than willing to give newbies advice and support in their job search. Forums are also a great way to get answers to any questions on how to get started in the marketing and shopping field.
How much can a student realistically expect to earn?
Pay for a legitimate mystery shopper varies considerably upon many things. The type of industry offering the job, how difficult the assignment is and the amount of detail the shopper needs to get all affect the pay. Typically a shop will pay from 5 dollars to 20 dollars while a complex assignment may pay as much as 75 dollars. Most shoppers must sign a confidentiality agreement with the provider and the client. They are not allowed to disclose how much they make per assignment.
Can any student be a shopper?
Almost any man or woman of any age and background can be a shopper. College students and stay at home moms can earn a little money on the side. The person must be reliable, able to recall observations with attention to detail, have good follow through on their commitments and possess good grammar and writing ability.
What types of companies hire shopper services?
Many types of companies hire shoppers to do marketing research for them. Some of the more popular are restaurants and retail shops, hotels and banks. Other industries include resorts, hospital and physician offices and apartment leasing services. You might get an assignment from automotive service facilities, convenience stores or grocery stores. Mobile communications companies, luxury products retailers and self storage facilities are among the many others who hire legitimate mystery shopper jobs.
What jobs can a student be expected to perform as a shopper?
Each job will be different and require different tasks. One assignment might ask the shopper to look for a certain product or observe a certain sales staff member. You might be required to ask certain questions while evaluating the customer service you receive. Before going on an assignment, the shopper is given detailed instructions on what the client is looking for and what questions should be asked. The shopper fills out a detailed report after the shop assignment is completed. Some questions on the evaluation might include some of the following.
Were you greeted by an associate when you entered the store?
What was your wait time to be served?
Were you offered upgrades or extended warranties on your product purchase?
Was the sales staff helpful and friendly?Does it cost the student to be a legitimate mystery shopper ?
No. A company will not charge a fee to apply. Common scams include being charged a fee to find jobs or receiving an unsolicited cashiers check and asked to wire money to an off shore account. Like any other job, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You should be skeptical of companies who advertise in the help wanted ads in newspapers and through email.
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10 Ingredients Of A Property Management AgreementBy Staff on June 28, 2008 | No Comments
The wise investor has a legal real estate management agreement written to cover all the areas that may cause disputes. The investor and the management company should negotiate any areas they feel problems might arise. Commercial properties will have different points that need to be considered from a residential property. Each agreement will list the key points important to each party.
A management team can be any number of services provided by the manager. The owner needs to have all the necessary services included in the managers compensation. If they are not listed in the agreement the manager will often charge these as additional services. The reputation of the manager and their ability to perform are key elements when the investor selects a manager.
There are several key points that should be included and negotiated in your real estate management agreement .
1. Independent contractor status of the manager. The manager should not become an employee of the owner. As an independent contractor, the owner is not responsible for withholdings and tax obligations on the managers pay. The duties and responsibilities of the manager should be established from the beginning. The owner should interview prospective managers and get outlines of the services they offer.
2. The fee. Is the manager fee a percentage of rent collected or a flat fee? What is included in the normal services? What is charged an extra fee? Is there a fee for extra showings? Do evictions cost beyond the legal fees? How much is the fee? The fee should be clearly stated in the agreement and understood by both parties.
3. Employees of the manager. The real estate management agreement should clearly outline what employees the company will regularly employ. The contract will state if they will be full or part time and if the manager lives on site or off.
4. The contract should state who would actually be handling your property. One person should handle your property all the time.
5. How is the fee collected? The real estate management agreement should point out exactly how accounts are set up for the compensation of the manager and the employees.
6. Detailed information on how rents are collected and bills paid. Will money be put into a reserve account for the managers use? How are excess funds used? What about emergency repair costs? How will they be handled?
7. Outline the types of advertising the company will use. What is the role of the manager in the leasing effort? What forms of advertising do they use? What is the cost? Both parties should decide if they need advertising and how often. The owner will have final approval of all advertising including brochures. The manager is in charge of getting the advertising produced. All material should comply with truth in lending policies, fair housing, ADA and handicap access laws.
8. How will monthly reports be handled? What reports are sent?
9. Termination clause. A well drawn real estate management agreement provides the grounds for termination by either side and renewal rights of any party. The grounds for termination should be clearly stated.
10. Conflicts of interest. The owner should be alert for any deals the manager for his own purposes such as purchasing services through a related company. They should also note when the management accepts management or leasing on other projects that can compete with the owners. These can cause possible areas of conflict.
An investor should have a legal agreement made to outline all possible problems when hiring a manager.
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Get Your Tenants Involved In Property MaintenanceBy Staff on June 27, 2008 | No Comments
Like many aspects of property management rentals are a piece of the over all financial puzzle when it comes to making money from your investments. If you are in the business of property management rentals will be a huge and constant consideration not only in investment of time but also investment of money and the work involved in updating and maintaining the properties. Consideration should be made to ensure that the tenants of the property, be it a commercial property or a residential home or building, are satisfied with the appearance and the effectiveness of the upgrades and improvements that have been made and that you are responding to the needs of your customers as well as the structural and mechanical needs of the buildings themselves.
For the person who is in charge of property management rentals will require constant upkeep to keep the costs of maintenance down as low as possible. By properly maintaining the structure, inside and outside, and by doing preventative maintenance on a fairly regular basis, you may be able to side step costly repairs that come as a result of neglecting problems for too long.
For example, yearly inspections of the condition of the roofing and the shingles will eliminate having to have the entire roof replaced, since you will be able to spot problem areas and do minor repairs throughout the years. In this way, you can extend the life of the roof by preventing major damage.
The same holds true for basement foundations, pipes, duct work, perimeter fencing repairs and other internal and external aspects of a building.
Regular preventative check ups and maintenance is always best, even if it means that you have to spend additional time once every six months to a year. In the long run, you are saving yourself hefty sums of money. When your business revolves around property management rentals provide a majority of your income and the upkeep should be taken seriously for both you and the people who rent from you to benefit the most from your investment.
Renting to responsible tenants, fixer upper types who take responsibility for cleaning up and maintaining the property, sometimes at a reduced rate of rent, is another way to cut your maintenance costs. Unfortunately, there is no real way to know for certain whether or not they are holding up their end of the bargain, unless you keep tabs on their maintenance yourself. Regular inspections at lease renewal time might be your best bet.
It is easy for a tenant to commit to something in anticipation of lower rent and then neglect to do what they have committed to, be it cleaning the gutters or patching a leaky water pipe. By allowing your self and your renters to neglect the problems over a long period of time, you are most certainly going to have to pay more in the long run to have the problem fixed.
Under the umbrella of property management rentals take up quite a bit of space. Be proactive and manage your business by managing the small tasks regularly, and you will be less likely to be caught off guard with a major repair expense. It is your business, and ultimately your responsibility.
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Managing Your Mystery Shopping JobsBy Staff on June 27, 2008 | No Comments
If you have a life and a job that seem to leave you no room for anything extra, you might need some tips on time management. One of the first things to realize when managing your time is that, if you are supporting yourself or a family, you will need a job that is two things.
• One, it makes the money to support you
• Two, it is something that will work with you at least a little when you are managing the time in your life.Many people do not know where they could even begin to look for such a job, but mystery shopper programs offer just these types of jobs.
Benefits of Shopper Programs
• Mystery shopper programs allow you to set your own schedule.
• Mystery shopper programs allow you to pick and choose what jobs you will take and where.
• And lastly, mystery shopper programs have the potential to make part time or even full time pay if you are willing to put effort into them.If you decide that you want to go with a job through mystery shopper programs or any other company that works with you in this flexible way, you will have a very important step taken care of in your goal to time management.
Another thing you have to remember is that there will never be more than 24 hours in your day. So no matter how much you arrange and rearrange your agenda, you might just have to face the fact that there could be some things you possibly have to cut altogether. Make a list of the things that you need to do in any given day, week or month, and then number them in order or importance. Then, next to each item, put the amount of time that each of these would approximately take. After all of the items on the top part of your list are taken care of, is there still time for the less important ones? If so, good. If not, then these are the things you could have to eliminate from your schedule, even if temporarily.
Remember that it is very true that the small things matter. All of the little things during the day that you do not even think about, such as taking an extra long phone call when you need to be getting work done, or even something like doing that extra load of laundry when what you really wanted to do was spend some time with your child.
These are the things that add up at the end of the day and make a large portion of the wasted time that you sometimes cannot account for. A good idea to help you see where your time goes is to
• Take one or two days during the week or month and just list everything you do throughout the day.
• Put down what you are doing and the amount of time you do it.
• Then when the week or month is over, look over your list and see if there are any smaller things that you could have eliminated.This will show you more clearly than merely trying to think back and remember. And it will give you the opportunity to make changes in these areas.
Self control is the last important thing. If you make a plan, you have to remember that it will never work if you do not stick with it. The rules you make have every reason to be very effective, but only if you follow them!
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Real Estate Management FeesBy Staff on June 26, 2008 | No Comments
The property investor has decided to hire a management company to take care of their many properties. They interview several before making a decision on the company they will hire. There are many things they will be comparing, among them the real estate management fee the company charges. The investor needs to determine whether they want to pay a monthly percentage or a flat fee for the managers services.
Investors should look at more than the monthly fee they will be paying. Sometimes for a higher percentage you will receive more services. The cheaper rate of some managers does not include the extra fees charged. Find out if the advertising is included in the normal fee. Will they be charging each time they show the property to a potential client? Are their leasing fees on top of the management fees? The investor should read each companies contract to determine what is included in their real estate management fee .
A real estate management fee is charged based on a percentage of income collected with a minimum monthly base fee. Fees will often vary by the type and size of the property. Fees can be a flat rate for a single family home or 6 percent of the rental income for larger properties. Larger properties usually command a lower percentage rate (i.e., 2 percent) than a single family home that may be quoted up to10 percent. Fees are negotiated on a per property basis and depend on many factors including condition, location and size of the property, etc. Leasing and other auxiliary service fees are separate and in addition to the management fee.
The investor should ask what services cost extra. They should determine if evictions are an extra fee. The contract should state how and when the fee is collected. Will the investor be billed or is it deducted from your account? On a monthly or quarterly basis? Is there a cost to prepare the units for rent? And what is the typical cleaning fee on vacancies?
A management company performs many services for the investor. The company takes care of the daily activities of renting the property, collecting rents, accounting and monthly statements, hire contractors for services such as cleaning, groundskeepers and maintenance work as well as supervise any work. The real estate management fee the investor pays provides them with peace of mind.
The investor has interviewed several companies and found the fees are close in range with a few exceptions. They decide to further investigate each companys contract and references. By comparing all the services and getting good referrals, the investor can make an informed choice.
Interviewing the management company to determine the real estate management fee they charge is the first step to hiring a reliable company. The final cost the investor will pay the management company is determined by many things aside from the monthly fee. How well the company communicates with the investor and tenants, how they handle problems, their attention to detail in the leasing process and their ability to maintain the property in good condition all determine the investors final costs on each property.
Hiring a good management company helps the investor rent his property faster and provide preventative maintenance before problems become major repairs and expenses. The investor should look at more than the initial monthly fees when determining how much it will actually cost them if they go with the cheapest company.
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Investments In Education Bring The Best InterestBy Staff on June 26, 2008 | No Comments
Education and knowledge are two different things. We can receive and education and still not be knowledgeable. Think of high school students who read at a fourth grade level but manage to graduate anyway. Whether or not the education we receive becomes knowledge that we retain and use is up to each of us. That being said, most industries that are of a competitive nature agree that there needs to be some kind of standardization amongst the industry as a whole, so that individuals will be held accountable for at least a basic working knowledge of their duties. Trainings and certifications are often made available that will assist in that process.
The mystery shopper certification is one such offering. Though the industry itself is still in its early years, it is growing rapidly. Standards are being set that will propel this industry into its adulthood, so to speak. Companies want to be sure that they are hiring people that understand exactly what is expected of them. They want to be able to trust that they are doing business with reputable professionals. The mystery shopper certification is a measure of achievement in this regard.
People in the industry that have gone so far as to obtain their mystery shopper certification are proving themselves, in a sense. They have taken steps that are not even mandatory at this time. It is not required that one obtain a mystery shopper certification before they begin doing the work and accepting the shops. However, if an individual has taken the time and put forth the effort to learn as much about their profession as they can, and if they have obtained a written certificate to prove that, then it stands to reason that they see themselves as professionals and will behave like one.
In the future, once the industry has matured and the standards are universal, education and knowledge will become the norm. For now, though, obtaining a certificate means that you have gone the extra mile, rather than just glossed over the basics. Not having a certificate may not keep you from getting assignments, but if a company has to choose between an un-certified shopper or someone who has gone through extra training to insure that their knowledge of the work is complete, the odds will most likely fall in favor of the one who holds the mystery shopper certification .
It can also be said, though, that just because one holds a certificate does not mean that he or she has retained the knowledge that got them there in the first place. Remember our high school student who can not read well? Regardless of whether or not you have a certificate, doing your job to the best of your ability and obtaining glowing reports and references from the companies that you work for will be your crowning achievement in this industry.
Time and experience are truly the great teachers. As the industry grows and changes, the necessary information that we will be expected to know will change as well. Keeping up to date on all industry standards and working to insure that we are always a professional will raise the bar for others, too. The industry as a whole is keeping itself accountable by demanding that those in its employ work for the good of all. Mystery shopper certification is just one way that we can show our true colors in this growing and changing industry.
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Secret Shopper Services In Your CommunityBy Staff on June 25, 2008 | No Comments
There are many businesses out there getting money from the community. No matter what you are in need of, there is a company that takes care of that need. No one business can do it all and satisfy all the needs of the customer. Many companies are looking for any kind of input they can get that will catapult them into a successful future.
There are many companies calling around to different consulting companies looking for the key formula to improve their current state of business. Right now, the best thing you can do is ask the customers that you serve, get out there in the community and ask questions. That is one reason people are turning to secret shopper services in order to find out and get a realistic look on how their business is serving their clients. Let us take a detailed look at how secret shopper services work and how they can benefit any business.
First, the thing that most businesses have to do is figure out what part of the business do they want to get a realistic view on. Depending on the business type the basic secret shopper services might not work as well. For example, if your business is solely based online, then walking into the business or calling the business on the phone is not going to happen. Most likely the right service for that type of company is to test how long it takes to get their questions answered when there is a problem.
We will talk about two of the basic shops that your business can use. The report process will be the same but these are two different ways that your company can benefit from secret shopper services . Those two basic shop options are the walk in shop or the phone call shop.
When we talk about a walk in shop, it is exactly how it sounds. An agent walks in to your business and shops you. What are they looking for you might ask. Well they are looking for the things that you want them to look for. If you want them to judge how fast they were contacted, they will judge that and report back to you. Most people want to know how fast their associate contacts you, how they contact you and what they do after the initial contact. In most retail environments, well at least the good ones, they want the associate to ask the customer questions to determine their needs so they can satisfy those needs. Then after those needs are taken care of, can they close the sale? What was the body language of the associate telling the shopper? Were they paying attention to them or were they looking around at other things? This is why most companies like the walk in shops because there is more to evaluate than just what is said.
The same shop can be made on the phone for your company. The only difference is that you can not see the facial expressions or the body language. All you have to go off of is the tone and inflection in the voice of the associate.
After both these types of secret shopper services are completed, the agent gives a full detailed report on what they heard and observed. Some shopper companies go deep to give you almost work for word what was said or record the conversation. By doing that, they are giving you the exact wording as if you were there. You as a company can always coach and train about what was said and what should be said in the future.
The agent does great with going after the specifics that you were looking for and more. They were listening for key phrases that you want your associate to say and they make sure that the associate is not just giving away your products or services at a discounted rate that might not be approved through you. Usually after the shop is completed, they give you a summary of the call or walk in shop so you can get a quick snap shot of what they saw and heard. You will not always have the time to read each report word for word so the summary of the findings will help you tremendously.
Anyone who is a savvy business owner has some type of secret shopper services in place. It may not be call that, but there is some kind of checks and balances on how performance is tracked. Companies are built to grow. By not taking advantage of the different secret shopper services available to you, could hinder your roots from soaking up the nourishment they need to grow bigger.
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License Usage Issues In Property ManagementBy Staff on June 25, 2008 | No Comments
Real estate property management involves working with licensed property. The license gives the manager of the property the right to work upon the property. Essentially a license is mandatory for any person, who desires to use the property of another person. Easements and leases are given with similar purposes but the license is different from both. All the three forms of formal documents are basically agreements. Usually a license is an agreement made on verbal communication though sometimes it is drafted out in writing also. Unlike an easement it is not of a permanent nature. It also differs from a lease because unlike the latter, it cannot be set for a predefined period of time after which it becomes invalid.
Real estate property management is used to manage a tenement that is essentially a property that a person (other than the owner) with a license can use for a specific purpose. An easement also has provisions for the usage of tenements. In the case of an easement the owner of an adjacent property (called the dominant tenement) is benefited. It gives the owner of the adjacent property an additional right that comes due to the conveyance of that property. In the case of a license agreement the owner of an adjacent property cannot benefit from the dominant tenement phenomenon. This is because the license happens to be a personal possession.
Real estate property management can be the responsibility of the owner of the property or the owner of the adjacent property in the easement type of agreement. The license differs from an easement and a lease agreement, as it is a privilege given to a person rather than any right that is attached with a property that is applicable to future users of the property. It is a non transferable privilege. A lease and an easement on the other hand are appurtenant rights that can be transferred to the current users of a property. The person having the license to a property does not necessarily have to be an occupant of the property.
The real estate property management team may be the licensed users of a property. Their job is not to occupy a property but to use the premises of the property for specific purposes, for example its maintenance and construction of some new additions to the property. The holder of a license has only the right to use a property and does not have the right for possessing it exclusively. The licensee is given only the non-exclusive usage of a property. The license agreement is similar to the easement agreement in this respect but differs from the lease agreement where exclusive rights to possessions are granted.
The real estate property management professionals are the ones who hold licenses to use a property for performing their duties on the tasks. But they do not have any personal interest in any kind of ownership or occupancy issues of the property that is an essential feature of the easement and lease agreement deeds. The license can be regarded as a permission given by the owner of the property to a person or professional to conduct activities on the property to the interest of the owner. The owner has the right to withdraw the license whenever he wishes to, but it should be done on fair grounds.