What is the coolest job you have done as a ms?

I got to do a couple of those vet shops when I first started mystery shopping. I loved them, but they disappeared pretty quickly, sorry to say. I enjoy all the food shops, both the fancier ones (which usually involve a looooooong bunch of narratives and timings) and the more casual ones (not Four or Six Guys), and hubby and I enjoy the free movies. I have many cans of nice paint which will be used on three of the rooms in my house (when we get around to it) from all my hardware store shops, as well as several wonderful tools, drain cleaners and other items that all come in handy. And I'm about to try my very first Golden Arches shops, God help me, and I hope I can handle them and do them correctly so I get paid for them! I'm so nervous about getting them right!

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No coolest job for me. Every month is different for me. What's cool is that I can vary this work and mix up all kinds of assignments and end up with a small route or a schedule.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
@Richard94611 wrote:

My coolest job, which I have done four times, is one in which I and a partner sit at the entrance to two different parking lots that are filling with cars before a major league sports game. Our job is simply to count the cars and turn our numbers in after about 5 hours, when the gates to the parking lots are closed. For this each of us is paid $100.

I did a similar gig twice. I went to a local college and counted the number of students going through the main entrance to class, library, tutoring, etc (very small school, just one bldg). I also had to ask the nature of the visit, but they had been advised in advance of my purpose there and were always forthcoming. Not many students came by, so I mostly chatted with admins and personnel. Paid about $15 / hr., worked five hours per shift. Not terribly thrilling, but very easy and the folks there were nice.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks
The Coke reveal shops were a lot of fun. I took several of them at the same resort, all highly bonused. Spent a few hours gorging myself at different food venues, presenting awards, and changing appearance. >15 minute report per venue plus I used the reimbursement in the smaller shops to purchase the unlimited cups -- which I then got credit for a few months later when I shopped the resort.
Quite by accident, I took a tour and wound up in an audio booth doing demon noises for an upcoming TV series.
I've had some really odd shops but theone that amused me alot was when I had to waddle through a Babies R Us playing the part of a pregnant over-40 female. I'd just come from a motorcycle shop so I looked like an old preggers biker chick.

Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain
Believe it or not, the best time I had was performing a mattress shop. The sales person had a great sense of humor and was so funny, entertaining and nice. Not my greatest paying job but it sure put a smile on my face. Now get your minds out of the gutter. It was not like that at all, LOL. He was just so funny.
One of my favorites is a shop that pays me quarterly for doing nothing. I have an account set up through a financial service (two actually) and they set it up for auto login constantly. When there's a problem with the log in, I call in and get extra money for the call. Otherwise, I just wait for the check to come In every few months. It's not a crazy amount of money, but it honestly takes little to no effort on my end. I wish I could sign up for more phony accounts!!

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do smiling smiley
Haven't done many yet, but I really enjoyed a Dunkin shop in a very inner-city location that I did, where the associate passed. He was so thrilled that he passed, and the manager was screaming praise (there was only one other customer in there who seemed like a regular). As I got back in my car, I saw them taking pictures of him holding the certificate. Given the area, it made me feel good to pass a restaurant that probably isn't high on DD's list based on how excited they were. (It also ended up being the only DD of my five that day that did pass).
@tcurione wrote:

Haven't done many yet, but I really enjoyed a Dunkin shop in a very inner-city location that I did, where the associate passed. He was so thrilled that he passed, and the manager was screaming praise (there was only one other customer in there who seemed like a regular). As I got back in my car, I saw them taking pictures of him holding the certificate. Given the area, it made me feel good to pass a restaurant that probably isn't high on DD's list based on how excited they were. (It also ended up being the only DD of my five that day that did pass).

Oh that's super cool. Back when we did the reveal rewards at Target ($50 gift card right then), I made more than one cashier cry at Christmas time (because they were successful).
@SoCalMama wrote:

Oh that's super cool. Back when we did the reveal rewards at Target ($50 gift card right then), I made more than one cashier cry at Christmas time (because they were successful).
When possible, I tried to pick the cashiers who looked like they could use it (shoes are usually the giveaway.)
@MrEToomey wrote:

@SoCalMama wrote:

Oh that's super cool. Back when we did the reveal rewards at Target ($50 gift card right then), I made more than one cashier cry at Christmas time (because they were successful).
When possible, I tried to pick the cashiers who looked like they could use it (shoes are usually the giveaway.)

Me too!
I really enjoyed the recent Dunkin reward shops where I got to present prizes to worthy employees. They were SO HAPPY, I felt like a fairy godmother sometimes. Given that we are often smacking businesses and their employees on the nose for poor service, it was gratifying to be rewarding employees (and their supervisors!) with attaboys/girls for doing a good job. It was nice to walk out of a store smiling and being thanked for a change.
I got to shop at the downtown mall. Not the stores, the mall itself. The grounds, the food court, the bathrooms, security and guest services.
@Madetoshop wrote:

Believe it or not, the best time I had was performing a mattress shop. The sales person had a great sense of humor and was so funny, entertaining and nice. Not my greatest paying job but it sure put a smile on my face. Now get your minds out of the gutter. It was not like that at all, LOL. He was just so funny.

I did a similar shop which also involved massage chairs & devices. The products were fun to try and I received some much-needed information regarding healthy sleeping positions. The dude I spoke with is incredibly knowledgeable.

I don't think there are any Russians / And there ain't no Yanks
Just corporate criminals\ / Playin' with tanks
It's really hard for me to pin down just one assignment that was my favorite. I'll name about four that really stand out:

1. When I was first starting, and only shopped for about five or so different MSCs. This particular MSC had IHOP as a client at the time, so I got to take a friend to an almost completely reimbursed dinner. He even helped me with the timings.
2. More recently, a fully comped facial at a beauty school, that even (at the time) paid $5 shopper pay on top of the reimbursement (they don't pay the $5 anymore for this one).
3. Back closer to when I was first starting, a haircut shop at Beauty Brands. I think this was reimbursement only but it was cool to get a haircut and get comped for it at the time.
4. This was actually a sequence of four shops; this MSC had four Papa John's shops in my area and gave them to me on a "name your bonus" type basis. They weren't that far out so I think they were all $10 or $15 bonuses, but it was cool getting a $100+ check the following month.
Most recently, I got to take my friend out on her birthday for a fine dining lunch.
Another one, the employee was so well-versed in her products I bought exactly what she recommended (one product, mind you) that ended up being more than my reimbursement and fee. I am still convinced that I needed the product so I was okay with it only being a discount shop.
Car shops in general and sports/luxury cars in particular. Top Gear here I come...

"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful." Edward R. Murrow

Thou shalt not steal. I mean defensively. On offense, indeed thou shall steal and thou must.--Branch Rickey
Concert shops....just finished one last night for a great headliner. I love the VIP access, close row seats, wonderful treatment and getting paid to drink and have fun!!!

But I also like just about any shop that pays me for stuff I need to do anyway (get gas, go grocery shopping, donate to gw, etc).
I LOVE the steak jobs and have always done a 10 job! Six Flags years ago was fun, free entry into the park smiling smiley I love making $$$$ on vacation and I will soon.. from the airports and then in that state.
@SoCalMama wrote:

@MrEToomey wrote:

@SoCalMama wrote:

Oh that's super cool. Back when we did the reveal rewards at Target ($50 gift card right then), I made more than one cashier cry at Christmas time (because they were successful).
When possible, I tried to pick the cashiers who looked like they could use it (shoes are usually the giveaway.)

Me too!

I remember picking a young man...it ended up he was developmentally disabled -- when he was given the award, he smiled, shrugged and said, "why am I am getting a prize for doing what I am supposed to do?" I told him to show it to his parents, that they would be very happy.
The Foundation Room at the House of Blues on several occasions, Fleming's Steakhouse, a few of the spas where I had to get massages, and the nicer hotels (Hyatt in Cleveland Ohio has the best room service I have ever had).
My favorite was the $150 HELOC shop. Very highly bonused. I had a fantastic interaction with the banker and the shop was straightforward to write up. Another set of shops that stands out was when I was able to take my best friend on a 4 night vacation to Flagstaff, AZ and I had hotels for all the shops and a couple of food shops.

Silver certified for 11 years and happily shopping Arizona!
I'd have to say my favorite are any type of prize shop where I get to give a gift card or prize to a successful employee. I love being able to make someone's day. I did one of these at an amusement park near me a few times and the reactions were great. I gave one girl $100 in Visa gift cards and she just couldn't believe it. She was screaming and going crazy. I loved that shop. Hopefully I can do it again next year.
Teach me young grasshoppers!!! I NEED to know about the carpet cleaning and concert shops!!! My favorite shop was at a bank! I received $90 to open up a savings account,it was SUPER easy. I've also enjoyed bowling, free liquor, amusement parks, and eating at my favorite restaurant!!!
I was still in college when I did my first evaluation. I found out from a friend of a friend (isn't that how it always start?) that an MSC was looking for shoppers for an airline program they just launched. As it turned out, the timing was perfect. After receiving the assignment, the schedular called me and said I was bumped to a complimentary business class seat! Imagine my excitement. There I was, a college kid hanging out at an airport lounge and enjoying the open bar, and when I got to my flight seat, was immediately offered champagne and served multi-course meals during the 15+ hours long flight. It was my first experience flying business class. Since then, I've been hooked on mystery shopping!
The first non-dining shop I ever did has also been the coolest. I did a shop at a welding-supply store, and loved doing it. The story I had to come up with was great fun, I enjoyed looking at all the equipment, and the salesperson who helped me was great. I did feel a little bad that he spent so much time with someone who had no real intention of buying, but he "passed" the shop with no more than one ding against him.

I'd like to do more of these, but I haven't seen them on the job board (at least for the company that had this one).

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
@JASFLALMT wrote:

The Foundation Room at the House of Blues on several occasions, Fleming's Steakhouse, a few of the spas where I had to get massages, and the nicer hotels (Hyatt in Cleveland Ohio has the best room service I have ever had).

The Foundation Room was also one of my favorite shops. Unfortunately I only did it once before they stopped offering them. My other fave was the Barnum and Baily Circus. I love the circus but my kids are grown up so this gave me the excuse to go without kids. What a great circus experience and really decent seats. They seemed to be "friends" with the animals and had far fewer animal acts and more people acrobatic etc acts than I recall. I bought all sorts of vendor items for the shop that became gifts later on.
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