Newbie with lots of questions

I know very little (OK nothing) about mystery shopping.

My son does it in SLC UT. and claims success. It sounds like something I could do,,, & a little extra income would be very nice.

I am retired,, my wife has cancer so we are in Huntsville TX every Tue. for her chemo treatments.

I could see,,, I could run do a couple of assignments on that day.

Now,,,, how do I find the right assignment for that day in a small town like Huntsville TX.?

I am a retired photographer, with an engineers kind of mind. Very detailed oriented,,, so I think I would do well in this type of work.

What are my first steps? Any ideas.

Many thanks.............

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First step is probably to sign up with Jobslinger.com and see what jobs are available in Huntsville TX. While the jobs you see are probably gone already, it will be an indicator to you of what companies have clients in Huntsville.

Some basic information is available to you in the New Mystery Shopper area and of course your son can probably help coach you as needed. Beyond that, read, read, read. The forum will give you some notion of companies that folks feel comfortable working with as well as those that are annoying at best and are not paying according to contract at worst.

There are some companies that are reasonable to start with as they have nationwide clients, handle a lot of new shoppers and have pretty decent instructions to get you going. These are Corporate Research International and Market Force (the Blue Portal). Clients with these companies include major fast food places and gas shops. These are not the be-all end-all shops and the pay is low, but so are the amounts you are out of pocket to do the job in case you mess up and the shop is rejected.

There is a list of companies in the first post of the first thread in the section Mystery Shopping Company Discussion.

To be honest, if I'd signed up with either of the above companies to start with I never would have continued. When you see the starting prices you'll understand what I am talking about. One of these companies actually pays 3.00 for a shop with photos. The prices rise as the month progresses with both companies but there are much better places to start. It is entirely possible to make perfectly good money with these companies but it requires being able to maneuver the system. Look at the list of mystery shopping companies and start signing up with them. Be sure to check feedback from other shoppers about any company you sign with before taking assignments from them. There are several mystery shopping forums and for information some are better than others. Also be sure to form a good working relationship with your schedulers. They can guide you through the process from beginning to end. Follow the instructions for the shop and you should have no problems. I have completed thousands of shops and have never had a shop rejected so you shouldn't worry too much about that as long as you are conscientious. Also your son should be able to provide you with a wealth of information. Good luck.

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Newbie with lots of questions

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Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

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