Undercover Mystery Shopping
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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 .
Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.
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