Getting Invited to Better Shops: Build a Reputation Schedulers Remember
When I first started mystery shopping, I spent a lot of time searching job boards and applying for assignments. After a few assignments, something interesting happened.
The assignments started coming to me.
Mystery shopping companies rely on dependable shoppers. If you complete a few assignments correctly and meet your deadlines, schedulers will remember and call on you again. I've worked with companies that contact me again and again because they know what kind of work they'll receive.
That's one of the secrets to getting invited to better shops.
Want more help getting started? My book, Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, walks you through finding assignments, completing shops, writing reports, and avoiding many of the mistakes new shoppers make.
Getting Invited to Better Shops Starts With Your Reputation
A scheduler has a problem to solve. There may be 50 locations that need to be completed before the end of the month. The scheduler doesn't want to worry about whether a shopper will cancel, misunderstand the instructions, or submit an unusable report.
If you've already demonstrated that you're dependable, you make that person's job easier.
I've been receiving requests for car wash assignments. These shops take me through several steps as I evaluate different parts of the customer experience. I may need to get the names of employees from their name tags. If I can't get a name, I'll need to provide an accurate description of the person.
Details matter.
If you repeatedly submit complete reports that don't require the scheduler or editor to chase you for missing information, you become someone they can trust.
Repeat Assignments Make You Faster
I also receive a lot of requests for apartment and new home shops.
Your first apartment shop may seem overwhelming. Some reports contain a lot of narrative, and you have to remember numerous details about the leasing agent, apartment, property, and sales presentation.
After you've completed several, you know what to expect.
You become better at observing the details you'll need later. You also learn how to organize your notes and write the narrative more efficiently. When several apartment assignments become available in your area, you can have a very busy—and profitable—month.
Video mystery shopping can make these assignments even more interesting. Video shops often pay more because you're providing the client with a recording of the actual interaction. Depending on the assignment, there may also be less narrative to write because the video documents much of what happened.
New Home Shops Require Organization
New home mystery shops can pay well, but they have their own challenges.
I've had assignments requiring me to use a different name, telephone number, and email address. You need to keep track of the identity you're using and make sure you don't accidentally give the salesperson information that conflicts with your scenario.
When you're completing several of these shops, organization becomes extremely important.
Don't assume you'll remember which name you used three days ago. Keep whatever records are permitted by the mystery shopping company so you can remain consistent throughout the assignment.
Build Rapport with Schedulers
Your relationship with schedulers can have a major impact on getting invited to better shops.
Schedulers remember people who help them.
Answer their messages. If you accept an assignment, complete it. If something goes wrong, communicate with them instead of disappearing. When they have a difficult location or an assignment with a short deadline, they may contact the shoppers they trust first.
Make a scheduler happy, and there's a good chance you'll hear from that person again.
That doesn't mean accepting every assignment you're offered. You still have to determine whether the pay, travel, reimbursement, and reporting requirements make sense.
A good relationship works both ways.
Package Deals Can Be Excellent Opportunities
Some of my favorite offers have involved multiple locations.
Instead of accepting one retail shop, I might be offered a package of five or more stores. These can be excellent assignments because you can organize a route and complete several shops during the same trip.
I once took that idea to an extreme.
I traveled approximately 700 miles in one day while completing six mystery shops in five different cities. Travel expenses were added to the assignments, and my total payday was almost $1,000.
It was a long day. The package was supposed to be for two days. Part of the package included a hotel stay. However, I was feeling great, and I decided to make a full day out of it.
I wouldn't recommend driving 700 miles just because six shops happen to be available. The numbers have to make sense. In my case, the combination of shop fees and travel compensation made the trip worthwhile.
When you're offered a route, calculate everything before saying yes. Consider mileage, gasoline, meals, travel time, shop time, and the reports you'll have to complete.
Remember that six shops don't end when you finish the sixth visit. You may still have six reports waiting for you.
Don't Sacrifice Quality for Quantity
Once schedulers begin offering you more work, there's a temptation to accept everything.
Be careful.
Getting invited to better shops won't help if you become overloaded and your report quality suffers.
Your reputation doesn't have to take long to build. However, you don't want to accept eight assignments and struggle to meet the deadlines. Don't damage it by taking on more than you can reasonably handle.
The best assignments aren't necessarily the ones with the highest individual fee, either. A group of shops along the same route may be more profitable than one high-paying assignment requiring a long drive.
Make Yourself the Easy Choice
You don't need special connections to become a preferred shopper.
Do good work.
You have to read the instructions carefully and arrive during the required window. Once you submit a few accurate reports, schedulers will keep calling. If you make a mistake, own it and correct it when possible.
Over time, something changes.
Instead of constantly asking mystery shopping companies for work, they may start asking you.
That's when getting invited to better shops becomes one of the most rewarding advantages of building a good reputation in the mystery shopping business.
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don, and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, and new home builders.
I created this website to help people avoid the mistakes I've seen—and to show new shoppers how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
My book Take That Job And Mystery Shop It! lists over 150 mystery shopping companies to contact. I offer beginner-friendly tips and honest guidance without hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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