Hi there! I’m still pretty new to this, so I am confused by some phone shops I’ve been looking at. It says that you need to create an alias for each call you make, including name, email, and phone number. With caller ID, how would you do this? And how many email accounts do I really want to create?

Thoughts?

@jblair2000 wrote:

Hi there! I’m still pretty new to this, so I am confused by some phone shops I’ve been looking at. It says that you need to create an alias for each call you make, including name, email, and phone number. With caller ID, how would you do this? And how many email accounts do I really want to create?

Thoughts?

Not certain what the concern is with having many e-mail accounts. You can set each one to forward to your primary shopping e-mail so that you never miss incoming messages. So, it really is easy to manage a few dozen email accounts.

Block caller ID and use burner-phone numbers. Google Voice and Text Now are free and easy.

How much do those shops pay? I'm not spending the time to create emails, phone numbers unless it's substantial.

Well, I hate phone shops so pay would have to be very high!

@jblair2000 wrote:

Hi there! I’m still pretty new to this, so I am confused by some phone shops I’ve been looking at. It says that you need to create an alias for each call you make, including name, email, and phone number. With caller ID, how would you do this? And how many email accounts do I really want to create?

Thoughts?

Hi JBlair:::: Welcome to the wonderful world of mystery shopping.

If you're keeping track of whom you call and whom you work for (as you should in a diary of some sort), you really don't have to create that many unless you're doing this on a monthly basis. At that point, the MSCs would probably deny you the shops via rotation limits.

What I recommend you do is this; for e-mails and names.

*If you use Google as your primary account, create accounts on Yahoo or vice versa.
*Take a cast of a movie, sports team, or some other roster. If you wish, mix the names up. So using the movie *Armageddon for example, I will say my name is Owen Willis or Bruce Wilson (Owen Wilson and Bruce Willis were in the movie). I used to be a big Detroit Red Wings fan so I have been Darren McCarty in about 20 different cities. You don't want to use Peyton Manning or someone universally popular.
*Pick a 2 digit number (or if you're using a sports team--you can pick the jersey number). Lets say 18.
*Pick a middle initial...lets say "A".
So I create a Yahoo e-mail account...OAW18@Yahoo.com. It takes about 5 minutes once you get the hang of it.

As for phone numbers, often times the MSCs will have you call a drop number...1-866-XXX-XXXX. An automated device answers. You then enter a account and a code from your shop guidelines. Usually 8 numbers followed by 5 numbers when prompted. This gives the caller ID a different number than the device you're using. If you're just calling directly, *67 works pretty well in masking your numbers.

I often make about 30 calls a month for about $5 each. Pay very close attention to the times and dates to call.

@metro25782 wrote:

@jblair2000 wrote:

Hi there! I’m still pretty new to this, so I am confused by some phone shops I’ve been looking at. It says that you need to create an alias for each call you make, including name, email, and phone number. With caller ID, how would you do this? And how many email accounts do I really want to create?

Thoughts?

As for phone numbers, often times the MSCs will have you call a drop number...1-866-XXX-XXXX. An automated device answers. You then enter a account and a code from your shop guidelines. Usually 8 numbers followed by 5 numbers when prompted. This gives the caller ID a different number than the device you're using. If you're just calling directly, *67 works pretty well in masking your numbers.

If it is the 800 number I am thinking, unfortunately it does not mask your real number automatically, at least not always. I've had many car dealerships ask, "Are you calling from ***-***-****?"

If I am calling a larger city, I don't worry about having a different area code. I have many friends who have moved years, even a decade ago, they still have their number that is local to here. In larger cities, nobody thinks twice about someone calling from a different area code. If it is a small town, you have to be careful. I'm either someone that recently moved there or I am about to move there, depending on what the shop requires. You have to watch accents, too. Strong accents can be a dead giveaway.

The Burner app used to be good when you could have one free number. Now, they charge.

I keep a couple of pseudonym e-mails on hand and that I use over and over again. You don't need an endless supply of e-mail accounts. There are a couple of shops where, if you do more than one, you have to have a different e-mail address because your e-mail could be logged in a company-wide system. I avoid those shops -- too much work and as big of a risk for getting confused, and messing up multiple shops. That costs time and money, no, thank you.

When I do phone shops, I pull the business up on Google Maps street view, so I know what other businesses are in the area. If the rep asks if I know where they are located, which oftentimes that's a key item to look out for as a shopper, I always say no. This way they can give me directions or describe the area. Then, to make the call appear more real, I'll say something like, "Oh, is that near the Wendy's?" or whatever other familiar business might be nearby.

I also pull up Zillow, type in the zip code for the business, and select a lovely house to be my fake address, should I be asked.

Some phone shops are move involved than others. I won't do ones below $5.00. There are a few that I'll do for $5.00 as long as I can do a handful of them. I'm not interested in just one $5.00 phone shop. It takes more effort to do one, than to do 5 or 10. I can go on autopilot, get in a rhythm, and knock 5 or 10 out in an hour or two, including report time.

Edit: Forgot to add, here is a cool fake name generator: [www.fakenamegenerator.com] Sometimes I use it, sometimes I use it, or I combine the names of friends.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2023 05:13AM by ServiceAward.

In addition to the fake name generator: I used to start with A-names and work my way to Z-names. So if I were starting out, I would use Abigail, work my way through Bea, Carol, Diana, Elaine, etc. and end up with Xena, Yolanda and Zelda. That's 26 names.

And for surnames I'd simply use my maiden name, grandma's maiden name, or the maiden names of my friends and married sisters. I do the latter to help me remember my fake name, but that's me... And I kept a list of these names so I would know which one I used for which company, and so I knew which would be the next name to use.

I do not do phone shops. The pay is not sufficient. Phone calls are like a box of chocolates; You never know what you are going to get until you get into the call.

I do use many aliases, names, emails, and phone numbers. I need them when I do new home or apartment shops. I often use Facebook names and mix them up. You ladies have it easy since you can always use your maiden name as a reason why your last name is different on your ID. Unfortunately, we guys have to make up nicknames to use. I finally had my middle name removed from my ID. Now I can go by any name and say that it is middle name that I go by

Yes, I do keep track of my aliases so that I do not use them more than once for the same company.

Talkatone is a great (FREE) app that lets me keep a number or change it whenever I want. I put it on my old phone and set it to voice mail. Area codes are no longer a big deal now that you can choose the area code you want from a list.

*67 does not block your caller ID on all phones, and neither does the block caller ID setting in Android. Some apartment communities will not accept calls from callers with blocked IDs.

I’ve never heard of Talkatone, but I just looked at it and it looks awesome! Even if I don’t do these phone shops, this is a great tool to have! Thanks!

@ServiceAward wrote:

If it is the 800 number I am thinking, unfortunately it does not mask your real number automatically, at least not always. I've had many car dealerships ask, "Are you calling from ***-***-****?"

True. Lot of people don't understand...WATS lines are available for either intra or inter LATA/State inbound calls that a business picks up the call for long distance. They're paying for that call...not the caller.

For emails try mail.com. You can choose one master email and then add up to 9 or 10 alias emails. That way you can have them all feed into one inbox and add and subtract emails all the time.