Hello Denise - Sometimes we take jobs that don't turn out as expected. Of course, the pay is always set. In many cases, we will know in advance the minimum amount of time we have to be in the business. This is only the minimum, and sometimes it will take longer to get all the information required by the shop. Even if we print out and study the report, we can underestimate how long it will take to answer all the questions and write all the narratives. We also have to consider driving time.

I start with driving time, either to and from home, or to and from the previous shop on a route. If there is a minimum time, I add that plus 1/2 of the minimum time. For reporting time, I figure 15 minutes for a short Q&A, 20 minutes for a long Q&A. I add 5 minutes for each short narrative and 10 to 15 minutes if they want a longer wrap up at the end. This never works out right, but it's closer than no idea at all. As you go along, you'll get more experienced at estimating report time.

After you've done one shop of a particular client for a company, you don't have to reinvent the wheel each time you repeat it. The first one is always the unknown and the hardest. I'll bet if you did that shop again, it would be a lot smoother and you'd be off that report sooner.

I enjoy your post very much.

As I do a shop I do not so much think of the time needed to accomplish it, but of the amount of money I can make in a day. If I can make 75 in a day, and with the mileage the IRS allows, the costs of doing it (space in the house) and etc... I have done ok.
Have a scanner, a lap top and you are in business even on the road. If you need to record audio shops it is easy to capture the sound from a recording device and transfer it to your computer. The tools needed are easy.

You need a power system from the car plug in to your computer, and to your scanner. Then scan and put it all in your computer, then drive to a wifi spot, I prefer Office Depot, take your computer inside then send receive everything that you put into your inbox. thirty seconds...ok, maybe a minute,and all your information is sent in. Keep track of it by using the send folder in your email. I love gmail because it can be searched if you need to send or find something. You become a mobile office and so much more productive. Schedule a shopper lunch in your day, ...its free fod they pay you to eat!!!

I recently shopped the Buffet at the Excalibur, they scored well and I got paid for it without a hitch because I double checked all the informatin before I sent it in.

Mystery Shopping is easy when done well and correctly. I wish everyone the very best!

Don in Las Vegas





MDAVISNOWELL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello Denise - Sometimes we take jobs that don't
> turn out as expected. Of course, the pay is
> always set. In many cases, we will know in advance
> the minimum amount of time we have to be in the
> business. This is only the minimum, and sometimes
> it will take longer to get all the information
> required by the shop. Even if we print out and
> study the report, we can underestimate how long it
> will take to answer all the questions and write
> all the narratives. We also have to consider
> driving time.
>
> I start with driving time, either to and from
> home, or to and from the previous shop on a route.
> If there is a minimum time, I add that plus 1/2
> of the minimum time. For reporting time, I figure
> 15 minutes for a short Q&A, 20 minutes for a long
> Q&A. I add 5 minutes for each short narrative and
> 10 to 15 minutes if they want a longer wrap up at
> the end. This never works out right, but it's
> closer than no idea at all. As you go along,
> you'll get more experienced at estimating report
> time.
>
> After you've done one shop of a particular client
> for a company, you don't have to reinvent the
> wheel each time you repeat it. The first one is
> always the unknown and the hardest. I'll bet if
> you did that shop again, it would be a lot
> smoother and you'd be off that report sooner.

hi!! you know which companies makes mystery shopping for BP petrol station in europe?thanks

We are not allowed to share this kind of info on this site, however it would be very interesting to me to hear about what goes on in Europe re Mystery Shopping. Hoping to hear back.
cynb

I do BP shops in the UK. I found them through signing up with MSCs I found from a list of UK MSCs that someone had posted up on a website. It shouldn't be hard to find it on a google search. If I can find it anyone can so that's all I'm saying on the matter.

From what I gather from reading this forum many of the shops are of a similar nature but the jobs are either self allocated or allocated by employees of MSC. It's obviously on a much smaller scale than in the USA. I don't think we have many if any freelance schedulers. Some of the MSC are worldwide concerns like GAP, TNS or Bare but they either have a local office or staff who work during times that would be appropriate for contacting shoppers in the UK.

Hi Sarahdan,
Apply with Performalogics. They are based out of Calgary and have a good selection of shops in Vancouver and the lower mainland.

Hi MysteryShopForum,

Pinnacle Financial Strategies' Mystery Shopping Services (Pinnacle Mystery Shopping for short) has been in the industry for a long time, yet the company has not made it into your lists. We'd love to be added! Pinnacle focuses its mystery shopping efforts on banks and credit unions with a variety of great shops. Our sign-up link is www.sassieshop.com/2proreview. We're registered with the MSPA, NARMS and are accredited with the BBB. Please advise if we can be added to your ranks of great companies to shop with.

Thank you,
Cherry Stowe
Account Manager
Pinnacle Financial Strategies
800 741 7758 or 772 410 4145
Cherry.Stowe@pinnstrat.com

Like us at www.facebook.com/pinnaclemysteryshopping
Follow us at twitter.com/pinnaclemysshop
Read us at www.tinyurl.com/shopperbytes
Get to know us at www.pinnaclefinancialstrategies.com

I have worked for pinnacle for some years. Highly reccomend.

Welcome!

how do i get stared ? today ?

Sassie shops area great. Do not- repeat Do not do Franchise Compliance - they don't pay and the jobs are expensive. They owe me $85 and it is going on 90 days.

kooljoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> how do i get stared ? today ?


What exactly are you asking? w/Pinnacle or in general?
cyn

Some marketing company wants to come to my house and is offering 250 to talk with us about our viewing habits for 2-3 hours. Does anyone know about this?

Some marketing company wants to come to my house and is offering 250 to talk with us about our viewing habits for 2-3 hours. Does anyone know about this?

Nope. I would suggest you investigate them on the internet before you agree to any such deal. You are in essence inviting strangers into your home and you do want to know about their bona fides. Any website you find or are referred to for them should probably have a copyright date prior to 2011 or a registration of their URL prior to 2011 (you can check the URL on whois.net. Google the phone number they provide you as well as the one on the website. A cell phone will show up usually as unidentifiable while a business number should show up without needing to purchase information about it. Google the company address and see if it shows up in business directories or just on its own website.

lrk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "hear"...not "here"
>
> Seems you need some help yourself!


Get over yourself dude! Some people need help. They don't need to be bashed by the likes of you. So if you can't help people instead of making fun of them you can go somewhere else because it looks like no one likes your attitude.

Has anyone done any work for mysteryshopperservices.com ?
thank you

newbie9618 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some marketing company wants to come to my house
> and is offering 250 to talk with us about our
> viewing habits for 2-3 hours. Does anyone know
> about this?


BIG RED FLAG!

Promise me you will not invite anyone (you don't know ) into your home. It's likely not going to turn out too pretty....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2011 09:57PM by SunnyDays2.

looks like im not the only 1 with "the list" problem on this forum.. i tried asking for details and got made fun of, however im going to thank that person because I got to learn where the scams are (at least 7 in that list on the first page) and I'm only on my 1st week as a shopper.. I think we should do a forum and post possible scam sites, and maybe even the ones that turn out to be just surveys.......


tink_cnw Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> lrk Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "hear"...not "here"
> >
> > Seems you need some help yourself!
>
>
> Get over yourself dude! Some people need help.
> They don't need to be bashed by the likes of you.
> So if you can't help people instead of making fun
> of them you can go somewhere else because it looks
> like no one likes your attitude.

I'm confused, what is "the list" problem? I went back and read some of the posts and there was one which was less than helpful, but that person actually said they were joking. Most of the time when people ask questions veteran shoppers try to help. And even someone pointing out grammar and spelling in a post could be construed as constructive criticism. They are things which will weigh heavily in your mystery shopping career.

When I started there was no forum that I knew of and it took a lot of research. Eventually I found Volition and it was useful in researching companies. The operative word here is research. This board is unique because at the beginning of useful sections are those sticky notes. By taking the time to read through those a new shopper can start out with so much more information than most of us had when we were beginning. The search function allows you to get information on particular companies. This forum is a great tool for all of us. As Flash posted on another thread, the ads are ads and no guarantee is involved about anything they promote. Stick with the forum itself and be grateful there is such an informative site with a wealth of information at your fingertips!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2011 08:38PM by LisaSTL.

I tried to stick to the list, and people here have helped a lot with that, however out of the 4 companies I applied to, only 1 didn't ask for money and they even gave me all the emerrgency information I might need on a job. one of the groups turned out to lik back to an ad and circled round and round.. just comenting

Are you talking about the companies on the "Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies" at the bottom of the page? I can't speak to every company on the list, but there are at least 60 of them that I either work for on a regular basis or have worked for at some time. If you click on the company name it will bring up all discussions related to that company. Read those before you apply. If the company hasn't already got a thread, feel free to start a new one here asking for any feedback. Most likely there will be people who have some experience with the company either here or on Volition.com. You can search and view postings on Volition without registering.

In the beginning I spent most of my days reading and registering. If you haven't been to Jobslinger.com or one of the other job boards yet, you may want to get registered with them. I used Jobslinger to find out who was posting in my area so I could focus on those companies first. It is free to register and search on JS. Be aware, they have a paid version which many are using and really like, but you don't need that if all you want to do is search for jobs.

Also, get registered with Market Force, Corporate Research International and Bare International to begin with. Each of those has a nationwide presence. The first two allow you to self-assign and Bare works by application.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2011 02:26PM by LisaSTL.

Bluebabygurl - If you haven't already applied to these companies, please do:
Corporate Research, Market Force, Maritz, and Bare. They are all nationwide and are all legitimate. All of them will pay for accepted work. They all provide some type of training that you will find helpful, even if it is just reading guidelines for the jobs. Corporate Research will start their jobs out really low, but they will increase in fee throughout the month until someone takes them. I am in Texas, and some of the other companies I shop for are ICCDS, Informa, Jancyn, Consumer Impressions, QAMS, Sinclair, Shoppers View, and New Image. Not all companies have work in all parts of the country.

There is lots of great information on this forum. Read as much as you can. Also, you can look up Cathy Stucker on the internet and she'll send you a free email course on mystery shopping that has some good ideas.

Does anyone know of a few companies that have lots of shops in the Pittsbugh, PA area? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Two posts above this is mine about job boards. Check out the second paragraph. Easiest way to find job postings in your are so you know which companies to start with. Also see both mine and the one following for a list of companies with a nationwide presence.

When you say "ask for money" are you talking about paying in advance for the meals or purchases where you shop? I've only run into one company on Jobslinger or this site that asked for a fee but even that was optional.

I think she is referring to companies asking for money to register. This leads me to suspect that she used the Google Ads at the top of the page rather than going to the list of companies at the bottom. Shadow Shopper or any other referral company will ask for money, but these are NOT mystery shopping companies but folks wanting to sell lists and should be avoided. There are a couple of companies that will sell you a 'premier' membership or whatever they may call it that supposedly entitles you to priority in shop assignment or payment. My reaction is 'forget it! You are supposed to be paying ME per our contract for work.'

I finally did my first shop. Had to spend like $1.50 but its remburst so its cool. I was so scarred but it was really easy once I got in the door. Already got like 3 more lined up!


bmac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you say "ask for money" are you talking about
> paying in advance for the meals or purchases where
> you shop? I've only run into one company on
> Jobslinger or this site that asked for a fee but
> even that was optional.

Good for you!

This is the way I got started-I registered with JobSlinger to see what companies are shopping in my area and registered with them.

You really do get a lot of good info from this forum, but you have to read and read and sort out what works for you. I know it sounds like a lot of trouble, but it is really worth it.

It is slow getting started, too. You almost have to look at this as a self employed situation-it's gonna take a while to get built up, but it can be worth it.

Good Luck!