The Mystery Shopping World

When you become a part of the mystery shopping world there are several things you will have to do to maintain your status as a mystery shopper. One of the most important things in mystery shopping is note taking. You will be required by the company that you are shopping for to take detailed notes about the establishment you have visited. It is wise to make sure you take these notes immediately upon returning to your car. This will enable you to have the information and details fresh within your mind still, if you wait until you get home, you could have forgotten various information that was needed by the company.
Another thing to keep in mind, is you should not ever attempt to take notes while you are shopping. This could be cause for someone to spot you and you will “get caught”, many companies will refuse to pay any mystery shopper that has been caught mystery shopping. Once you have taken notes, you should always make sure you keep a copy of them in a safe place. Occasionally, the mystery shopping company will return to you to ask you other questions about your experience, the notes will allow you to look at your notes and answer them accurately.
Mystery shopping can earn you good money, the amount will be determined by the particular job, where you live, and the type of shop you will be visiting. Sometimes your mystery shopping experience will be paid for (expenses), other times reimbursement will be less than other types of mystery shopping jobs. Typically a retail store job will pay you anywhere from $10 to $30 a shop, depending upon the type of store you are visiting. A fast food job, will pay anywhere between $5 to $15 with a meal allowance of around $5. For a casual dining job, you will typically receive somewhere between $15 and $30, depending on the establishment with meal allowance being $15 to $20. Grocery stores can earn you somewhere between $15 and $30 with an allowance of around $5 to $8. The grocery store jobs will likely have a shopping list that is specific on what you should get during the mystery shopping experience.