Low Effort High Payoff Shops: Mystery Shopping Assignments Worth Considering
Not every mystery shopping assignment has to take hours of preparation and leave you with a lengthy report afterward. Some of the best opportunities are low effort high payoff shops that pay reasonably well without requiring a shopper to remember dozens of details.
The trick is knowing what to look for.
Some assignments appear easy until you read the instructions. A new home builder shop is a good example. These assignments can pay well, but shoppers may have to remember an assumed name, phone number, email address, income level, family situation, price range, and other details. You have to keep your story straight while talking with a salesperson for 30 minutes or longer.
If you enjoy that type of assignment, the money may be worth it. However, there are easier shops available.
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.
Finding Low Effort High Payoff Shops
One of my favorites is an automobile test-drive assignment.
A shopper visits a dealership, expresses interest in a vehicle, talks with the salesperson, and usually takes a test drive. You may be asked whether the salesperson introduced themselves, asked about your needs, explained important features, and attempted to close the sale.
These assignments can pay more than a simple retail shop because they require a greater time commitment. However, the report is often fairly straightforward.
You still need a believable reason for shopping. Don't walk into a luxury dealership claiming you want to buy an $80,000 vehicle when your story doesn't make sense. Read the instructions and prepare before you arrive.
Apartment shops can also be good opportunities. You pose as someone interested in renting an apartment and ask to see an available unit. Many assignments involve a telephone call followed by an onsite visit.
The shopper evaluates the leasing agent's professionalism, knowledge, and sales presentation. Apartment shops can take longer than retail assignments, but they sometimes offer considerably better pay.
I don't normally suggest apartments for your first assignment. The instructions are lengthy and there are a number of items to remember on a first try. However, I've had special requests to do a video assignment that paid $200 or more. Afterward, I uploaded the video and submitted the report. Sometimes, it would only take me an hour to do that. That makes for a pretty good day.
Listen to my interview with Mystery Phil, who works mystery shopping full-time.
Storage facility shops are another possibility. These assignments usually involve asking about renting a storage unit, touring the property, and evaluating how well the employee explains pricing, security, and available options. The interaction may last only 15 or 20 minutes.
Bank and credit union shops can also fall into the low-effort category. You might inquire about opening a checking account, certificate of deposit, or other financial product. These shops often involve sitting at a desk and asking a few required questions.
Be careful about assignments that require actually opening an account or allowing a credit inquiry. Make sure you understand exactly what is required before accepting the shop.
Wireless phone stores are another good option. A shopper might ask about upgrading a phone, switching carriers, or comparing plans. The employee usually does most of the talking. Your job is to remember whether certain features, prices, and promotions were discussed.
Some shoppers enjoy mattress and furniture stores for the same reason. You're already expected to browse, ask questions, and take your time. That makes the mystery shopping interaction feel natural.
Video assignments can offer an even higher payoff.
A video mystery shop records the interaction for the client, so the written report may be shorter than a traditional mystery shop. The video provides much of the evidence.
Video shops are not necessarily easier for beginners. You need dependable equipment, proper positioning, and the ability to behave naturally while recording the interaction. Once you're comfortable with the process, though, certain video assignments can become excellent low effort high payoff shops.
New home sales shops are frequently available in video mystery shopping. The pay can be attractive because the client receives the entire sales presentation. The challenge is maintaining your assumed identity and remembering your buying scenario.
Automobile dealerships, apartments, storage facilities, and other sales environments may also use video shoppers.
Restaurant reimbursement shops can sometimes offer a different type of payoff. The cash payment may be small, but if the assignment reimburses a meal you would have purchased anyway, it can still be worthwhile. A $15 fee plus a $60 dinner reimbursement may be more appealing than a $30 assignment requiring an hour of driving.
Always calculate your true return.
An assignment that is 40 miles away and pays $50 may not be better than a $25 assignment five minutes from your house. Consider gasoline, mileage, tolls, parking, report time, and how much preparation is involved.
That's why experienced shoppers don't simply look at the advertised payment.
They look at the entire assignment.
Some of the best mystery shops are ones you can easily combine with something you're already doing. A dealership near your workplace, a restaurant near another assignment, or a bank shop close to home can turn an average-paying assignment into a profitable one.
The best low effort high payoff shops aren't necessarily the assignments with the biggest dollar amount. They're the shops that give you the best return for the amount of time, preparation, travel, and reporting required.
Read the instructions carefully, know your scenario before you arrive, and learn which types of assignments fit your personality.
Once you do that, you'll get better at recognizing the shops that are truly worth your time.
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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