» Mystery Shopping
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Welcome To The Mystery ShopBy admin on July 25, 2008 | No Comments
Hello and Welcome! Come on in and make yourself at home! What brings you to the Mystery Shop today? Oh? You say that your retail sales are dropping at the soup and sandwich deli that you own, and your loyal customers have been leaving negative feedback with the managers and even phoning in with their complaints? Well, then, you have come to the right place. We can absolutely help you with that. You see, here at the Mystery Shop , we specialize in the use and application of highly skilled and properly trained observers who will sniff out the discrepancies in your employees customer service skills like a golden retriever on a pheasants scent. Our observers can work from a checklist of your specifications to make sure that we are looking at the things that you are most concerned with, whether it is food quality, time from order to table, friendliness of wait staff, or all of the above. We offer a wide range of flexible options to guarantee your satisfaction with the information that we provide.
What? You have a feeling that some of your employees are not living up to the mission statement that your company stands for, and you would like to retrain them? That is a great idea. Many businesses notice that over time their employees become complacent and their customer service skills wane. It is often just a matter of re-educating and reminding them of the high standards that you want to portray to your customers. Part of our service here at the Mystery Shop is to provide richly detailed accounts of our experiences in your establishment, perhaps on a regular basis. We all have bad days, and we would not want to prematurely jump to conclusions based on only a single observation. That is why we offer a regular visit to your establishment, to compare and contrast the service that we receive from one visit to the next. This can assist you in re-evaluating the old training methods and making the changes necessary to get your employees fired up and feeling fresh. After all, happy employees beget happy patrons, would you agree?
Here at the Mystery Shop , we can even assist you in creating new employee rewards programs. How? Well, you see, when one of our associates notices a superstar among your employees, someone who is friendly, courteous, and doing their job to the utmost of their capabilities, we will inform you of that persons excellent performance. With this kind of expert information, you can create an incentive program for your employees, and perhaps reward their positive marks with a bonus check. Employees sure do love bonus checks. And for those who deserve it by displaying superior service, they are well earned.
Oh, you are ready to get started? Super! We are sure that you will love our program. Before you know it, your customers will be leaving bigger tips for the wait staff, leaving positive feedback on the comment cards and at the door on their way out, and leaving with big smiles on their faces because of the excellent experience that they had at your establishment. We know that you will be happy with the results you receive from our Mystery Shop associates. We have trained them to be the best in their field. We will get you started right away. Thanks for coming! Have a wonderful day! -
Undercover Mystery ShoppingBy admin on July 23, 2008 | No Comments
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People may assume that mystery shoppers have it easy. Eating free meals, bowling for free, purchasing items from department stores for free, and then getting paid for it. And while some of the assumptions may be true, the part about the job being easy is not always the case for everyone. There are several reasons why some might find the job a bit challenging.
Not everyone has the ability or the personality to go undercover so to speak. There is a certain amount of secrecy and anonymity that shoppers need to uphold. If their cover is blown during an assignment, then not only do they not get paid, but they have wasted their time. Mystery shoppers have to know how to act natural in situations that they would not ordinarily be involved in.
For example, imagine that you are asked to go into a fast food restaurant and ask the cashier about the caloric information of french fries. Not many people ask about the caloric intake of anything in any restaurant, and especially a fast food place. Yet, if this is part of your assignment, you will be expected to complete the task and to report what happened. If you are nervous or if you seem uncomfortable at all in your query, then it is possible that you might be discovered.
One of the best ways to be successful in this line of work seems to be to incorporate some of these quirky habits and behaviors into your regular routine, even when you are not on assignment. Be social, ask curious questions, be friendly, write things down, like lists at the grocery store. Make it a point to ask one odd question to each retail cashier that you come across, and make a game out of it. Sure, the girl at the counter might think you are a little weird if you ask her what her favorite color is, but the more comfortable you are asking unusual things of people that you do not know, the easier your assignments will be.
Mystery shoppers are asked to do many different things during an assignment. Some are as easy as simply getting an itemized receipt. Others may be more detailed, such as ordering food and then returning it. There are well thought out reasons behind each of the assignments guidelines. Being calm and being yourself is the best way to go. If you walk into a restaurant pretending to be someone else, than chances are your social awkwardness will come through loud and clear. Worse yet, you will be so preoccupied with not being found out that you will fail to meet the assignment guidelines.
Mystery shoppers abound in every state now, and in larger cities, the competition is getting tougher. Companies want to hire mystery shoppers who have experience and who have never been reported as being discovered by the businesses they are assigned to. For this reason it is always in your best interest to be comfortable in your own skin, not just to do the best job that you can, but also because people who are genuinely happy with themselves and with what they are doing have no reason to emit that unconscious fear of being discovered.
It all boils down to a mental attitude of comfort and ease. If you have fears of being discovered, then you are unconsciously emitting that vibe, and you will likely give off clues as to your true identity. If you are comfortable, and you feel at ease in any situation that you are assigned to, then your job duties will be performed successfully. Mystery shoppers have an interesting role to fulfill, and a relaxed and calm attitude is the most effective way to get there., director of operation at ( a subsidiary of ) will be interviewed by on 7/23/2008 6:00 PM. The topics of discussion will include , , , and .
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Know Mystery Shopping BetterBy admin on July 19, 2008 | No Comments
A closer look mystery shopping is an ideal way to know more about the kind of job that is required by a shopper who is hired by different companies. People usually know about the job, but remain unsure about the entire process involved in such a shopping. If you analyze the task of a shopper, you will know that it does not require much to become such a shopper in disguise. You also come to know about the different myths that are associated with the profession, which is most of the time false.
This kind of shopping existed since many years, but in the recent times the popularity of such a business has increased. In case you are interested and desire to take this up as a full time profession, it is best you do some kind of research before you take the plunge. It is always good to know more and gather much information about the trade, before you decide to be a part of it. Once you have a closer look mystery shopping , you will first of all come to know about these different companies that provide the services and pay the shoppers in disguise. It is important that you know much more about the companies with whom you desire to work.
Researchers on a closer look mystery shopping have always warned individuals to gather information about different companies and agencies, before you start working with them. Today, you shall come across several advertisements in newspapers, where companies offer their services. Reports reveal that many people are duped by these companies, and often end up paying a lot of money to these agencies. Genuine companies will never charge you any amount. The usual process is of filling up the desired form and submitting it to the different agencies. The companies usually call back and contact you when there is an opportunity for you or in your preferred location. Therefore, it becomes very important for individuals to be aware of some companies that can dupe then. Some of these are
1. Companies that shall guarantee you a job as a hired shopper.
2. Companies that usually ask for some kind of fees for availing the opportunities.
3. Companies that sell directories that consist of names of such providers.
4. Companies that sell their certification, revealing that they are certified.If you keep some of these factors in mind, you shall never be cheated by the companies. The best place to know more about these opportunities is the internet. Here you shall come across several companies that provide these services. Many people take this as a full time job, but a closer look mystery shopping , reveals that it is actually a part time employment. The companies may not provide you work always, but usually the assignments keep flowing at regular intervals of time. This is ideal for housewives and students who desire to make an addition to their family income.
Steady researches are always on to know more about the profession. To have an edge over their competitors corporate houses, involved in client service are using this as an important marketing tool to develop their business. A closer look mystery shopping reveals that this is the most important tool to know more about customer view points. Due to this fact, the importance of the service is increasing and so are the opportunities for those who want to make a career in this field.
, director of operation at ( a subsidiary of StorageMart ) will be interviewed by on 7/23/2008 6:00 PM. The topics of discussion will include , , , and .
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Joining Mystery Shopper CompaniesBy admin on July 17, 2008 | No Comments
You have heard your friends talking about it and now you want to plunge into this opportunity which pays you for marketing. Thanks to the numerous advertisements in various medias, there are just a few people who have not heard about these free purchasing opportunities and the mystery shopper companies that provide you with those jobs. After all, it makes no sense in refusing a job where you are paid for eating out, shopping, watching movies and even staying in hotels. Hence, it is not surprising to see the number of people who visit such organizations and enroll themselves for such a job.
Your first task is to find one of these mystery shopper companies . This is quite easy and a simple search on the internet will provide you with a number of addresses and phone numbers of such organizations. Quite a number of these companies have joined together and formed an association and you might as well search for that organization too. The advantage of visiting the web page of the association is that you are likely to find countless organizations listed alphabetically by name or by location. You will also find details of the contact persons along with their phone number in the website of the association. Therefore you need not browse through dozens of different sites.
Once you have selected one of these mystery shopper companies , the next task is to fill up their online application form. You might be required to give information like your age along with your marital status and income etc. You might be asked about your race and languages known too. Though these queries might sound a bit personal, they are vital for the organization and will assist them to associate you with an appropriate assignment. There might be an assignment which requires the agent to visit shops in a predominantly Spanish speaking locality. In such an assignment, it is understood that the person undertaking the task of spying has a good knowledge of the Spanish language.
While you are applying online, it makes sense to send your application to several mystery shopper companies . It is not necessary that your application will be accepted by the first organization you have applied to, and also, there are chances that a different organization might pay you a bit more for the same task. While filling up the online application form, you might have to provide your email identity and input a password of your choice. Once you have been short-listed by these organizations, you will receive an email along with link and it is required that you click the link and then enter your password on the page you are redirected to.
On that site you will find a questionnaire which will be used by the mystery shopper companies to assess your skills. Just complete the same honestly (do not use search engines for the answers, as you will be cheating yourself), and be patient for their reply. If you have the skills, and they are not too much, you can be rest assured that in a day or two, you shall receive a confirmation email that you have been selected for the task. Now go ahead and enjoy that latest blockbuster for free. If you are fortunate enough you might as well get a chance to visit the restaurant for dinner after the show.
, director of operation at ( a subsidiary of ) will be interviewed by on 7/23/2008 6:00 PM. The topics of discussion will include , , , and .
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How Mystery Shoppers Can Help Your Business GrowBy admin on July 14, 2008 | No Comments
Free mystery shoppers play a large part in the smooth running of many establishments like shops, malls, movie halls, hotels and other commercial establishments. You have walked into the shop about 30 minutes back and are amazed at the way things are running over here. For quite a long period of time a lady has been arguing with the salesperson. She wants the person behind the counter to show her a few more bottles of perfume. Most shoppers want to see a few varieties of a product, especially if they are available in various makes like perfumes.
The salesperson is not paying any attention to her and is more intent chatting away on his cell phone. This is not a reassuring sight and there is not an iota of doubt that the shop is on the verge of loosing a customer. If the owner of this organization had spent some money to employ free mystery shoppers , this situation could have been avoided and the problem nipped in the bud.
These free mystery shoppers are engaged by the owners of establishments to visit their establishments in the guise of customers. There are many industries that employ these observers, ranging from fast food outlets to auto dealers. These observers mingle with the other clientele of the organization and to others they look just like another client. While they do shop and purchase goods too, their main task is to keep an eye on the staff and see if they are working as they are supposed to. With the number of commercial establishments growing every year, few organizations can bear the loss of a valuable client. To make sure that their patrons are getting the attention and services due to them, these business houses employ these spies to keep an eye out on their commercial premises.
While free mystery shoppers do purchase goods from the establishments in their beat, the amount spent by them for purchasing the goods are reimbursed by the organizations that hire them. This is one of the advantages of being a silent observer. Not only do they get a weekly stipend, they also get cash to spend for purchasing a limited amount of goods. At times they can just purchase a particular good as specified by the organization that has hired their services. If an organization has released a product and wants to see how it is being promoted, then they might ask the agent to ask for and purchase that particular product and see whether the salesman is actively pushing the same. Though nobody can prove it, there are some organizations who might offer the salesperson a special incentive if they promote their brand to clients who have visited the supermarket to purchase another brand. This affects the credibility and sales target of the latter brand.
It is with the aim of resolving problems like this one that free mystery shoppers are employed by departmental stores. These spies might visit a salesperson and ask for a particular brand of a product that has just been launched and has been widely publicized in the media. If the salesperson shows that particular product to the client, there is no problem. However, if the salesperson tries to impress the spy with another brand of the same product, the spy will pass on the details to their employers who can then take necessary action against the erring salesperson.
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Mystery Shopping Forums – A United FrontBy admin on July 9, 2008 | 23 Comments
Being in business for yourself is a worthwhile endeavor, especially if you have young children in the home to care for. The freedom that working as an independent contractor of some sort brings is very liberating. It frees you from the nine to five hours and allows you to set your own schedule. This is priceless for many individuals who choose to work part time from home to pick up some much needed cash. To that end, the Internet is a great place to find others of like interest and like community to give you not only a support system but to also build your own social network. While working from home has its many benefits, social stimulation is not always one of them.
There are more than one mystery shopper forum designed especially for those in this line of work to be able to communicate, ask questions and share stories of their assignments and experiences. A mystery shopper forum is a place where individuals of different back grounds, age groups and nationalities can come together and bond over their shared experiences, good and bad, to talk about and enthuse over this amazing new independent industry.
A mystery shopper forum is set up so that you can start new threads, or topics, if you do not see what you are looking for. Or you can post to old topics, reply to other members that have responded to you, or respond to someone else who had an inquiry or comment. Generally there is a frequently asked questions thread, where you can go if you have specific questions regarding procedure, assignments or reports.
A General Discussion thread is also a common thread on a mystery shopper forum . These discussion topics range from the mundane to the intense. Someone may be interested in going over the details of the spectacular lunch assignment that they had the previous afternoon, while another person may be expressing their discontent that gas prices have gone up another dime overnight. General discussion can be about anything.
A mystery shopper forum may also have new, upcoming events, or even new assignments or job information. If the guidelines or the industry rules or standards change, you can bet that you will be well informed if you are a member of one of these online communities. If you want to hear other people tell their stories about how they got into the business, or if you would like to tell your own story, the opportunity is there. If you have advice or tips that you feel could help others through a difficult time, they would greatly benefit from your experience.
It is even possible to increase your own productivity as well as assisting others to increase theirs, just by being a member of such an online community. By creating your own profile and posting regularly, you can get a true sense of the integrity and quality of people the other members are, and you can feel where they are coming from, because you have been there yourself.
You truly can make friends of the cyber variety. You LOL together, tell each other about the difficulties or exciting opportunities that you have had, and in short, find a community that understands just what you do all day. Working from home does not mean that you have to be isolated and lonely. You can find a community rich with ideals and personality at the click of your mouse.
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Mystery Shop Providers Tied To Business PracticesBy admin on July 5, 2008 | No Comments
Mystery shoppers providers are the agencies that provide shoppers to shop without getting identified for specific purposes. The purposes can vary from finding out whether the shop employees are behaving well with the customers and whether the store is adequately stored with the articles that the customers are looking for. They are also required to mention about the cleanliness and the service that a customer is getting. This includes even spying on the stores of a rival company to find out why they are getting popular. These shoppers are known by various names and we can even call them undercover shoppers for the nature of their work.
The mystery shoppers providers are getting more and more popular day by day. The companies that are involved in businesses where customer satisfaction is the prime objective are relying more and more on these agencies for evaluation of their shop-floor situation. They are using the findings of these agencies to rectify the flaws in their business attitudes and also taking correctional measures from relaying the stores to training their employees. The employees also benefit as the companies usually reward and even punish them depending on the reports of these findings. So any good performance on part of the employees does not go unnoticed by the shoppers provided by the agencies. On the whole the businesses are getting immensely benefited by the system.
Companies are going on to such an extent that they are requesting the mystery shoppers providers for experienced shoppers to nail rouge franchises. The observations of these shoppers are being accepted as legal evidence by the courts. It simply proves the reliability that the whole process has achieved. Even the financial journals are carrying studies on the method. In spite of criticisms from the statisticians the whole process of shopping in disguise has proved in reality to be one of the best methods of evaluating the real condition of the businesses at the customer end. The system is being treated as snapshots of daily happenings at the stores.
If you want to start a part time career in shopping in disguise then the mystery shoppers providers are the right people to approach. They register the willing persons and then make them pass through a simple test to determine their aptitude for the job. Once you get selected they hand down assignments that you need to complete within a usual period of twenty-four hours. This is not the only time-frame but can vary according to the nature of the assignment. The thing that might interest you is the flexibility of the system.
There are daily assignments given on the website of the mystery shoppers providers . All you need to do is to log on with your identification at your website, find the assignment that suits you best, choose it and then go on to do shopping for which you will be paid later. While doing the shopping you are to keep your eyes and ears open. You will need to observe in details the objects that you have been told to specially watch out for. Then when you return home, just fill up the questionnaire you have been given by your agency and mail it back. The whole process is done over the internet and after successful completion you will be paid through the system that you opted for.
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Finding Income In A RecessionBy admin on July 4, 2008 | No Comments
While the entire world is reeling due to financial crunches and business houses are looking towards means to reduce their expenses, there is one industry that is forging ahead by leaps and bounds. Over the past few years organizations that employ people to keep an eye on their businesses have become very popular with the masses. Many people are being lured into this industry which provides them with additional income along with the free stuff that is a part and parcel of the job. No doubt, there is tremendous competition for getting such a job opportunity, since it provides an avenue to earn extra money. While some people join this industry for a few weeks and then leave, there are some who are serious and take it up as a whole time job. For this a registration process is required and on completing the same one becomes a legitimate secret shopper .
If someone applies directly with the organization that deals with such jobs, they can get enrolled without paying application fees that are required to qualify as a legitimate secret shopper . Those who are interested in pursuing such a career should have good socializing capabilities along with excellent communication skills. There is no restriction on the type of person who can pursue such a career. Regardless of age and gender, anybody can join this industry. If you are a self employed person or businessman, if you are retired or a homemaker, it makes no difference. Socializing and communication skills are what the employers look for when they are recruiting people for this industry. Past experience is no big deal and you do not have to provide any special educational degrees in order to secure employment in this industry.
The application fees that are required to become a legitimate secret shopper can be bypassed if one gets themselves enrolled through organizations that offer legal surveyors to business houses. These organizations have a simple form on their website which requires a few minutes to fill up. Interested persons can visit these websites and fill up the form and get themselves employed. However one should be careful while filling up the form, since an incomplete form will lead to rejection. Apart from name, address and email id, the employer might also ask the applicant about their marital status, race and age along with some other personal details. Some of them also ask the applicant about the number of languages they are conversant with.
Once this process of registration is done with the legitimate secret shopper , he will be informed by his employer about the countless surveying jobs that are available. This information is sent via email. These organizations even help the applicants by training them for the job. If you think that there are some jobs that interests you, reply back via email immediately. It is important to know that these jobs are given to the applicants on first come first served basis. Hence the first person who applies for a particular job will bag the same.
Apart from the job which gives them the chance to interact with different kinds of people, the legitimate secret shopper also has the opportunity to purchase goods for free. Do not be surprised if you are provided cash to watch the latest movie and then enjoy dinner. Enjoy the treat but do not forget to mention the hospitality or lack of the same when you sit down to make the report.
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Mystery Shopper Reviews For NewcomersBy admin on July 3, 2008 | No Comments
Mystery shopper reviews are good for finding out about the job and all those things that the companies would never tell. Such reviews can be based on the experiences of the hired shoppers, experience of the clients as well as news matters involving the shopping industry. If you are planning to become a shopper in disguise or already have begun taking assignments, these reviews would be of much help.
Mystery shopper reviews by the hired shoppers are a good source of actual on the spot report as they write the reviews from their own experience. As a novice, you can gain a lot from these reviews. They often describe the whole process in detail and even mark the spots where they made mental notes of the happenings and what were the matters they made notes of. Sometimes the reports are exaggerated and the whole process seems a dream walk, though in reality it may be not be so. But these are there in all reviews. How many reviews are fair these days? Moreover, you will also find some descriptions of the job where a shopper goes on shopping for three or four stores at one go. It is not that it is impossible but better not try it out in your initial days. You must keep in mind that you must make a fair judgment and too much information may clutter your mind and may influence your report.
Sometimes the mystery shopper reviews are provided by independent agencies. Look out for them. These are the sites that give you the truth in some respect. Most often these sites have not much to do with the shopping business in particular but they actually review sites and services related to various jobs. Some truth that emerges from these sites is that in most of the cases the shopping sites that swarm the net are of very poor standard. They are either frauds or if they are at all doing business, they score very poorly in the fields of service towards the customers, site maintenance and do not provide any money back guarantee in case of dissatisfaction. But do not get disheartened. These sites also give you the reviews of the legitimate sites. They even rate them for your convenience and the ratings are done over various counts. You can also view detailed reports on these chosen sites for a deeper judgment.
When going through mystery shopper reviews , look out for the details that they provide. You can get answers to a number of your queries. While reviewing, they often mention the payment structures of various companies and you can get an idea of the range of payment that you can expect while doing the job of a shopper in disguise. You will also get to know that various large retail chains appoint disguised shoppers to review their outlets and identify the companies that generally bag the contracts. You can then try to get associated with these companies.
Mystery shopper reviews also help you to look out for the signs that help you identify a good shopping agency that hires shoppers. They often review point to point and check out if the sites are covering all of these points. Then they go on detailing how well these points are covered by the sites. So look out for these reviews because all these add up to a clear picture that you will surely want to get before registering with any service, that provides the services of hired shoppers.
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What Is Mystery Shopping?By admin on July 1, 2008 | No Comments
You must be wondering what is mystery shopping , that is making so much news in the recent times. This is actually a kind of shopping that you will do, without spending any thing from your own pocket. You may have seen the advertisements, both on the web and in newspapers, alluring you to earn a few dollars while shopping. This is basically the job of a shopper in disguise. What should be the reason that prompts the concerned organizations to spend so much to make you shop in disguise? These people hire some individuals to go to the shops in disguise. They shop very meticulously on their behalf and send their feedback to the people concerned about the services and products of the companies.
Shopping chain giants and retailer stores appoint agencies to send shoppers in disguise to their own shops for the evaluation of the quality services and products that the employees working in the location are offering to the customers. The shoppers are reimbursed for the shopping and also get paid for their trip to the shop. If the person desires, he can keep the product or the service with him. If you are still not clear and thinking what is mystery shopping , let us make an assumption. Suppose, XYZ is a restaurant owner and he appoints ABC agency for the shopping on a mission job. Now ABC hires you to go to the restaurant for one evening.
As a shopper in disguise, you go there with a friend. Your work demands that you make a correct observation about everything that includes the quality of the food they is being served along with hygiene and cleanliness of the place. Obviously your observation will be different than other diners because having food is not your aim when you are going there. Your job is to return and state your experiences of the evening to the authority concerned. Suppose you did not like a particular service and you complain about it. The authorities get the message. Now they are going to work over the phase for improvement. Working slowly with the process you will understand, what is mystery shopping .
Now when you think what is mystery shopping , you will know it can be a very good part time job opportunity. This is specially one of the best ways to earn some dollars for students and also for the homemakers. If you want to be a professional disguised shopper, you will find hundreds of opportunities available in the web. Usually market research companies or merchandising companies post these job openings. Generally they are online documents which you can fill and apply for the job. Get yourself registered with the site offering the secret job of shopping and enter the world of shopping in disguise.
But before taking any final decision, be sure that you have a thorough understanding about what is mystery shopping . The concept is very much popular in the United States. But these days it has spread to all over the world. It is just a crazy idea of the retail houses. For you it may sound a hoax. But for the business people, it is a powerful weapon to read the mind of their customers, which is otherwise a difficult task. The main aim of this shop with a mission drive is to increase the sales with better and improved service.