When to Say No to a
Mystery Shopping Assignment
When to say no to a mystery shopping assignment is something I learned through experience. When you're new, it's tempting to accept almost everything that appears on a job board. You want to make money, build your reputation, and prove that you're dependable.
But not every assignment is worth taking.
I've completed thousands of mystery shops over the years, and one thing I've learned is to look at more than the fee. How much time will I spend at the location? How far do I have to drive? How complicated are the instructions? Most importantly, what does the report look like?
I learned that last one the hard way.
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.
The $21 Assignment I Should Have Turned Down
I used to perform business verification assignments. A business verification is an audit used to confirm that a business actually exists and that certain information about the operation is accurate. Mystery shopping companies sometimes conduct these assignments for clients that need an independent person to visit the location and document what is there.
Most of the business verifications I performed were easy.
I might answer about a dozen multiple-choice questions and take nine or ten photographs. I would photograph things such as the outside of the building, signage, office space, equipment, or other items required by the client.
I could usually complete the visit in 10 to 15 minutes. The report might take another 20 or 30 minutes, and I was generally paid around $20.
That wasn't bad, particularly when the location was nearby.
Then I accepted one that looked like another ordinary business verification.
It paid $21.
What I failed to notice was the report.
Instead of a dozen questions, this assignment had approximately 80 questions. I also had to take about two dozen photographs.
I spent around 45 minutes at the business gathering all the information and taking pictures. Then I spent another 90 minutes completing the report.
For $21.
I finished it because I had accepted the assignment and wanted to honor my commitment. But when I was finally done, I made myself another commitment:
I'm not doing one of those again.
Apartment Shops Taught Me the Same Lesson
Apartment mystery shops taught me another lesson about looking at the entire assignment instead of just the fee.
I've done apartment shops that paid around $25. The visit itself wasn't necessarily the problem. It was what came afterward. Some of the reports had a lot of questions and required detailed narratives describing the leasing agent, the apartment tour, what was discussed, and everything that happened during the visit.
I could easily spend more than an hour writing the report.
Eventually, I became much more selective about the apartment assignments I accepted. The apartment shops I do now are usually video mystery shops that pay $50 or more and require very little writing. I've also watched apartment assignments sit on the job board and increase in price when the mystery shopping company couldn't find someone to take them. I've eventually been paid as much as $200 for an apartment shop.
That doesn't mean you should wait around expecting every $25 assignment to become a $200 assignment. Most won't. But experience teaches you what an assignment is worth to you.
A $25 shop with an hour-long report may not interest me. A $50 video shop with minimal reporting might. That's why I always consider the amount of work involved before deciding whether an assignment is worth accepting.
When to Say No to a Mystery Shopping Assignment Before Accepting It
That experience changed the way I evaluated assignments.
Don't look only at the dollar amount on the job board. Open the assignment and find out exactly what you're agreeing to do.
If possible, look at the report before accepting the shop.
An assignment paying $25 isn't necessarily better than one paying $15. The $15 assignment might take 20 minutes from beginning to end. The $25 assignment could consume two hours.
I want to know how much work is involved before I click the accept button.
Consider the entire assignment:
- How far do you have to drive?
- How long will you be at the location?
- How many observations are required?
- How many photographs do you need?
- Is there a long narrative?
- Does the report contain 10 questions or 80?
- Is the reimbursement enough to cover a required purchase?
Those questions will tell you much more than the advertised fee.
Some Assignments Aren't Worth the Trouble
I've turned down plenty of legitimate assignments because the numbers didn't make sense.
That doesn't mean the mystery shopping company was doing anything wrong. The company offered an assignment at a particular price, and I was free to accept it or leave it for someone else.
That's how the business works.
You will also find that assignments sometimes become more attractive when nobody takes them. A scheduler may add a bonus because the deadline is approaching. A $15 shop might eventually become a $25 or $30 shop.
I've accepted assignments after the bonus made them worthwhile.
But don't assume that will happen. Someone else may grab the assignment first.
Learn What Your Time Is Worth
When you're beginning, you probably won't know immediately which assignments are worth taking. That's something you learn.
After you've completed several shops, you'll start recognizing which assignments are worth your time, and which ones only look good on the job board.
You'll also discover which types of shops you enjoy.
I didn't regret doing that $21 business verification. It taught me something valuable.
I learned to read the report before accepting the assignment.
Knowing when to say no to a mystery shopping assignment doesn't mean you're lazy or difficult. It means you've learned that your time has value.
Sometimes the best assignment on the job board is the one you leave there.
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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