If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!


Having learned about what is mystery shopping and what does it involve the natural question would be- what is the qualification required to become a mystery shopper?

Can I become a mystery shopper? Do I have in me, which is required to be a successful mystery shopper?

The answer to all these questions is, yes! You can do it. You can avail mystery shopping opportunities if you have some extra time and are willing to make some additional money while having fun and enjoying your favorite pastime like shopping, eating out, going to movies or playing a game of golf at your favorite golf course.

This moneymaking opportunity is available to you at your own convenience, and you can work and make money whenever you have spare time.

The mystery shopping opportunities is good for students, homemakers, retirees, senior citizens, employment seekers and start up entrepreneurs who would like to add an extra stream of income to their purse. This career option is also available to part timers, freelancers and creative persons like musicians, artists and writers.

You have the freedom and opportunity to take your kids and family members along with you for the mystery shopping assignments. This makes it easier for sit home dads and moms to take up the shop assignments. Even assignments like crèches, day care centers, toy stores and play groups it is a requirement to take them along with you.

Going with your spouse, kids or family adds the credibility to your mystery shopping assignment because in that case you look like a genuine customer for that restaurant or business establishment. However, you should ensure that your kids are well behaved.

You must always keep in mind that the objective of your visit is observation and presence of your family or kids should not distract your attention from the assignment.

In majority of cases, the persons taking up mystery shopping assignments should be above 18 years of age, however in case of certain establishment where the mandatory age limits are higher you should match that minimum age requirement. This may be the case with shop assignments where a purchase of liquor may be involved.

It is helpful albeit not mandatory to have a valid driving license or a document to prove your age. The mystery shopping assignments allow you the flexibility to decide your time schedule yet you should have sufficient amount of spare time to complete the assignments within a stipulated period.

Qualifications of Mystery shoppers

There is no specific academic qualification required to become a mystery shopper. Persons from all lifestyles, occupations and with all levels of academic qualifications can take up mystery shopping assignments. The people opting for mystery shopping assignments should have reasonably fair oral and written communication skills.

Mystery shoppers should be observant and should have an eye for detail. They should have good imagination and should be reliable. The mystery shoppers need to have a reasonably fair memory and retention power to remember their observations and report the same accurately after the shopping is over. They should have an unbiased attitude and good personal integrity.

Since most of the mystery shopping assignments are available on the Internet, the basic ability to browse the Internet sites and operating e-mail functions are necessary for those seeking online shop assignments. The reporting requires basic knowledge of PC, word processing and spreadsheet skills.

You may need to create spreadsheets but your job is limited to entering the necessary data in the pre-designed spreadsheets. Neat writing and documentation skills are necessary when you have to file a handwritten report at the end of the mystery shopping assignment.

Experiences and Skills for a Mystery Shopper

There is no preset experience parameter required to take up mystery shopping assignments. The person should have good written and verbal communication skills. The oral communication skills are necessary because you have to interact with the employees at the business establishment.

It is helpful if you have some background information and experience in customer care. Persons with an exposure to business areas like retail, leasing and finance, education, travel and hospitality have an edge over others while seeking the mystery shopping jobs. A prior exposure to market research and experience in market surveys and focus groups is a definite help to those seeking mystery-shopping assignments.

Good memory, an eye for detail and ability to accomplish objective observation are the key skill requirements for mystery shoppers. Another factor that is vital for your mystery-shopping job is your reliability and impartiality.

The assignment requires you to report the facts “as it is” and not your personal preferences; therefore, it is necessary that you do not let your personal bias to interfere with your objectivity while taking up mystery shopping assignments.

No specific training is required for taking up mystery shopping assignments. However, if there is a specific assignment that requires training, the mystery shopping companies provide you the necessary training. The companies also provide the background information and observation parameters before commencement of each assignment.

How to become a successful Mystery Shopper:

Every profession has its own do’s and don’ts and there are certain factors that determine your success in that vocation, and mystery shopping is no exception to that doctrine. You have learnt that mystery shopping is fun and it involves a great amount of leisure and flexibility, however, you should remember that this is also a serious business.

The business owner uses the inputs provided by mystery shoppers to decide on the business strategies and business plans. Therefore, you should be careful and attentive and take the assignment seriously, because carelessness would not only affect your prospects for getting future assignments but also may affect the client’s business.

You should never reveal your identity during the shop process, because any such eventuality would be detrimental to the very basic objective of mystery shopping. Once you reach the establishment, employees should think of you as a potential client, who is there for buying grocery, lunch, leasing an apartment, or opening a bank account.

You should not be carrying notebooks or paper for making notes publicly. If you forget something that you need to observe, you should avoid taking out the questionnaire in public, because doing so may expose your identity. You can make use of checkbooks, grocery lists or newspapers to make notes at a store or a restaurant. If you are required to note the time taken for a particular service, you should use your watch or cellular phone instead of using a stopwatch.

You should be careful to observe and report all the details including the minute things and should not forget to observe whatever you are directed at the time of assigning you the shop.

It is helpful that you go prepared when go for the shop assignment. You should evaluate and clearly understand what all you need to observe. You should follow the guidelines and be objective with your study. You should also prepare the questions you need to ask from the employees. You should also carry a buying list if you are on a store shop assignment. If you have the basic understanding of customer service, it would enable you to make comparisons and observe the pitfalls.

The successful mystery shoppers are the ones who make the mystery shopping company feel that they themselves have done the assignment in person. You should also be careful to keep a record of all your receipts and mileages and submit them in the required format.

Your attitude should be that of a person interested in improving the service quality of the place he is visiting. You should be careful about timely submission of the reports because it may determine your chances of getting future assignments.

Mystery shopping is an attractive career option and a serious opportunity for making money. However, it is not a scheme for making fast money. You should take it up as a serious business and not a joke if you really want to become a successful mystery shopper.

To Your Immediate and Lasting Mystery Shopping Success,

Kenney Jr.
Blog-n-Butter
Director

P.S. Discover How You Can Get Paid $10 To $125 Or More Just To Go To Your Favorite Mall To Shop, Eat At Your Favorite Restaurant, Golf At Your Favorite Course:

Get Paid For Shopping & Eating Out


Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Popularity: 100% [?]