Most people love shopping. As long as they’re spending their own money and they get to buy what they love, shopping can be fun.
More companies are also trying to find innovative ways of understanding consumer behaviour and trends. They are working even harder to find out what customers typically love. This is how some people get paid to shop.
So how does mystery shopping work?
Companies hire people to visit their stores, pretend to be an average customer and report back on the overall experience. The overall aim is to find ways to improve the shopping experience for customers.
If you want to become a mystery shopper, there are few tips to keep in mind:
Avoid making the mistake of applying to every “mystery shopper” job available. Rather look through the listings and apply to the top 3 that you think you are fit for.
Keep in mind that mystery shopping can be tough to get into. The higher paying shops are usually reserved for those with experience. More people are looking to get paid to shop, so you’ll be competing with quite a number of people out there.
In some cases, you may need to spend money. It also takes between 30 and 90 days to get reimbursed by the company.
You need to have an eye for detail. You’ll need to keep tabs on the names of every person you come in contact with in the store. Some shops require more work than others.
Payment depends on your performance. So the more you shop, the more you’ll earn. You also need to be very detail-oriented and able to provide as much information as possible.
The best strategy is to shop close, and to only take shops that reimburse in full.