Hey guys

I'm a 19-year-old university student who's considering working as a mystery shopper here in Toronto. I actually currently have a part-time job as a sales associate but I've been getting basically no hours at work for quite a while now. Also, I'm pretty tired of the typical part-time jobs, which lead me to seeking other, less common ways of earning money.

I actually heard about this opportunity to do mystery shopping as a job through my school's job search website, which I'm thankful they have. On the site, I found an advertisement for a mystery shopping company called "Premier Service Inc." and they're looking for 19-23 year olds. The company and the job itself sounds good and quite interesting. However, I want to avoid being too naive, especially since I am so new to mystery shopping.

My main question is... Is mystery shopping an ideal way to earn money for university students? University can be quite busy and hectic and I can't offer too many hours to mystery shopping. I don't look to earning a ton of money since my main focus is on school but, I'm willing to dedicate time and effort during the week to earning money.

While that is my main question, I have many other questions and to make your lives easier, I decided to organize a list of questions that I have about this job. Hopefully, some of you will be able to answer some of these questions

1) What is a typical day/shift like as a mystery shopper? What are some of the tasks involved? (Is it just going to the store, taking note of things, asking questions, taking pictures and then writing a lengthy review online before the deadline.. or is there more?)

2) What is the time frame of the tasks of a mystery shopper? To be more specific, how long do you spend at the store, how much time are you given to write your review and how long does it take to write the review?

3) What is the pay like? Mystery shopping seems like a lot of work and I'm wondering... is it worth the pay?

4) Would you recommend a mystery shopping job over, let's say, a 10 to 20-hour part-time job? Is it better than a regular part-time job (in your opinion)?

5) Do you get tired of mystery shopping? Do you get tired of writing a lot or do you find yourself getting bored?

6) Is getting an MPSA certification necessary?

7) Is Premier Service Inc. a good mystery shopping company to work with? Are there better options out there that pay more or are just better for other reasons? Which ones do you recommend (especially for here in Toronto)?

8) How exceptional of a writer must one be to be a great mystery shopper? Do you get more/better shops based on writing quality?

9) How slow is the process of getting more shop options... after signing up, does it take a while to get your first store? Does it take a while to get more stores or to get higher paying tasks?

Phew! Sorry if that was a lot to get through. But, I really appreciate your help and feedback! I want to make sure this job is worth it and I don't waste any time. Thanks so much

Welcome! You have a lot of great questions. I think mystery shopping is great for anyone who needs to schedule work around their life. You basically get to choose your own schedule every day. I'll try to answer some of your other questions by number.

1. Basically correct. You also need to prepare for the shop and maybe print out some paperwork. And not all reports require lengthy narratives. Some are actually very quick and easy - like 3 minutes.

2. For me, 90% of stores can be completed in about 20 minutes. There are other things that can change that time frame, like doing shops on a busy Saturday, or waiting for the only associate present who is assisting another customer, etc. There are shops that can last hours, but you can usually get an idea about that before accepting the shop. Do a search for 10 foot pole shops (i.e. shops we wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole).

3. When you first start out, shops often don't pay much. But as you get more experienced, it's much easier to get bonused shops. It isn't unusual to make double or more the initial pay offer when the shop is bonused.

4. For me, mystery shopping is much better than working a part-time job. I get to make my own hours and choose my hourly rate. But initially, you have to work hard to register with enough companies and pay your dues to even get enough work.

5. I really enjoy this work, but like any other job, some days I just don't feel like it. And just like any other job, I suck it up and do it anyways. I don't usually get bored because I do a wide array of jobs.

6. I'm not certified and don't believe it has affected my amount of work or pay. Other shoppers may feel otherwise.

7. I don't know about that company or which ones are good in your area. There is a list of companies at the bottom of this page and I just recommend that you start applying to many of them. The more companies you are registered with, the more money you can earn.

8. Your writing is just fine.

9. Some companies are harder to get work with than others. When I newly register with a company that keeps giving work to other shoppers, then I wait for them to beg for a shopper via email and I respond. I basically tell them that although I may be a new shopper for them, I am experienced, qualified, and reliable. You could use your own language. To give an example, I signed up with a new company in September. I took 3 jobs that pay around $14 (below my pay grade). Now I only take bonused shops from them and the scheduler calls me 2-3 times per week to offer me bonused offers at least twice the initial price. So getting higher pay can happen pretty quickly.

Hope my info has helped. Good luck making a decision.

1) What is a typical day/shift like as a mystery shopper? What are some of the tasks involved? (Is it just going to the store, taking note of things, asking questions, taking pictures and then writing a lengthy review online before the deadline.. or is there more?)

Each shopper is different. Based on your goals and work in your area you will have a different outlook. For me personally, I mystery shop weekly. It's part time income for me and sometimes is more than my full time income. I basically take a note of the guidelines and have them on my smartphone in case I need to run it over. Considering your age, you're ideal for compliance shops like tobacco and alcohol. I don't know what area of Toronto you're in but I would think that if you're near a metropolitan city, you would have loads of opportunities.


2) What is the time frame of the tasks of a mystery shopper? To be more specific, how long do you spend at the store, how much time are you given to write your review and how long does it take to write the review?

Based on the client expectations. Mostly fifteen to twenty minutes. My reviews take thirty minutes to three hours for detailed hotel shops.

3) What is the pay like? Mystery shopping seems like a lot of work and I'm wondering... is it worth the pay?

Pay varies. I've decided to take no less than $15 per hour. It's worth it if you're doing a route like say five gas stations at 15 minutes each with two hours reporting time for $75 and one video shop for $50. It's less than an eight hour day and it's more than I would make in eight hours

4) Would you recommend a mystery shopping job over, let's say, a 10 to 20-hour part-time job? Is it better than a regular part-time job (in your opinion)?

Nope. Mystery shopping is based on what is available. You can never know what will happen a week from today or what projects may or may not be available. There are other shoppers competing just like you and who know's if you'll get the job. I personally think it is like a part time job in my opinion. I work it like my own business...but I don't feel confident enough to walk away from my paltry part time job.


5) Do you get tired of mystery shopping? Do you get tired of writing a lot or do you find yourself getting bored?

Honestly, I think I'm addicted to MSing. It's like great for me because I'm an online student and I write reports all day. I've gotten really good at bullsh!tting to be quite frank.
Sometimes, I get burned out and I take a break. It can get frustrating when you get a rejected report or you have reports with queries. I try hard to never get those.


6) Is getting an MPSA certification necessary?

I am Gold Certified and a member of the IMSC. I got the Gold when I was 23 and it really helped me with video shops. I'm really not sure. Everyone has a different opinion on the value of the certs.

7) Is Premier Service Inc. a good mystery shopping company to work with? Are there better options out there that pay more or are just better for other reasons? Which ones do you recommend (especially for here in Toronto)?

Great company. I only worked with them once. Beware there is a scam out there using their name.

8) How exceptional of a writer must one be to be a great mystery shopper? Do you get more/better shops based on writing quality?

The quality of your question displays that you are a good writer. You will get better as you do more shops. Yes the better your writing, the better your work, the better the jobs...and so on...

9) How slow is the process of getting more shop options... after signing up, does it take a while to get your first store? Does it take a while to get more stores or to get higher paying tasks?

Try doing a few low paying shops first, retail shops are tedious and time consuming in my opinion. If you're just starting out, it's a good place to learn the ropes. In the beginning, its a bit frustrating to go through the reports, but as you get the hang of it, it's all butter baby.

Hi,

It's clear from your well thought out questions that you have already done what would be my first advice. Read the forum. Start in the New Mystery Shopper section and read the 'stickys."

I'll answer your main question first. Yes, any job where you set accept the jobs during the time you are available is ideal for a student that has variable times free. For example, I do this part-time around a full-time job. I do 10-35 shops a month. Some times are slow, some are busy. It varies with how much I am available, how much I look for jobs, and what is made available. I can go a week or two without working, or I can pick up a shop at lunch or after work. I can do a long involved shop at a museum, or pick up 10 or so shorter shops for a Saturday.

Prior posters made some great responses to your questions, so I'll just add one or two thoughts.

Premier Service? I am not familiar with it, but I suggest you do what I would do if I were considering them. Go to the "Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies" and see what other shoppers say about it. From a quick glance there it seems a legitimate company.

Try In-Touch for shops in Canada. They are a fine company as I have worked with them.

Lastly, I have seen other potential shoppers do lots of reading and reach a point of diminishing returns with just reading. Sometimes you just have to jump in and do a shop or five to see if this is really for you. Please consider that point.

Good luck.

Thank you so much, guys! I really appreciate all your helpful answers. I feel like I have a better idea of mystery shopping now and I might just jump into it to give it a shot.

Of course, I'll continue to read the forums for additional information and I'll be wary of scams. I'll refer to the MPSA's list of member companies. [mysteryshop.org]
I didn't even know about the Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies on this site but, thanks for referring me to that. I will take a close look at that link as well.

But, thanks so much for answering my questions and being informative, you guys are the bomb dot com!

If anyone would like to add anything else, feel free.

There is a big advantage to using the list of mystery shopping companies on this site. Next to the names are links to discussions about the companies, giving you a chance to see if there are any issues with non-payment or slow pay prior to registering. Not all worthwhile, legitimate companies are even members of the MSPA. The MSPA is actually a trade organization created by the shopping companies. While they promote shopper education, their first responsibility is to their membership. When payment problems first arise with any company they will most likely continue to be a member, so long as their dues are paid. The MSPA is not a policing body who guarantees members honor contractual agreements with shoppers.

Thank you, Lisa. I'll definitely keep that in mind when signing up for different companies. I'll use the MSPA website to avoid being scammed but, I'll refer to the discussions on this forum to know which companies are really worth my time.

I'm so thankful for this forum because it helps make looking for good companies more transparent since people can share both their good and bad experiences. I'm looking for reliable companies that pay on time, give reasonable tasks/pay and treat their shoppers with respect.

I'll keep an eye on the different discussions to learn more.

I'm a university student and I find mystery shopping perfect while I'm at school. I have all the flexibility I need. I plan shops around school and I take no shops when I have final exams. I earn about $1500 a month, sometimes more doing this part-time. I'm in the US though so I don't know if there are as many jobs in Toronto.

Sorry to see your reply so late, jpgilham!
I think I will definitely take up mystery shopping as a way to earn money. I love how I can fit it around my schedule and be flexible with it. I can choose how much work load I want to take up, as well.

Crossing my fingers that there are enough jobs in Toronto! Thank you for your feedback.

nice info

I wish I would have found mystery shopping when I was in college because it is a great way to put some dollars in your pocket while you are in school. The hours are flexible, you can enter reports in between study times and fill up on fast food for free. I am fairly new also and have been signing up with new companies during down times. Finding and signing up with decent companies can be time consuming but it does pay off in the end. I did what others have suggested and read everything about a particular MSC on the forum before signing up. My personal preference is that I do not work for companies that pay in 90 days or have a reputation for being slow pay or making you chase them for your payments - that is just my personal preference. Really almost anything you need to know about mystery shopping is on this forum. It is an invaluable resource for myself and many others. Good luck with your schooling and I know that youngsters ( people under 27) are always needed for compliance shops.

Thanks, teriraia. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do much research on companies earlier this month due to finals but, I'm doing it now during winter break.

What draws me to it is the flexibility and the freedom of choice in terms of shop assignments. Especially with school, I can't always do mystery shopping, some weeks will be busier than other weeks. I don't think I will earn a lot but hey, atleast I'm earning something. I can only sell so many of my barely worn clothes & books.

Good attitude - anything that saves you $$ while you are in school is a plus. Earlier this year one MSC was practically begging mystery shoppers to go to campus bookstores and perform a quick mystery shop. The school bookstore where you are located might even be mystery shopped - that would be an easy shop for you.