Have you ever considered being a secret shopper?
Do you ever wonder how stores get their ratings, or who provides them?
WE THE CONSUMERS DO!
Mystery shopping, secret shopping, or audits are some of the ways that retailers find out exactly how knowledgeable their associates are and which departments need additional training (or replacements!). As a secret shopper myself I can mention these are wonderful to perform and are very simple! Pro Tip: Never be overwhelmed by the amount of input necessary for these! If you start small - 1 a day then you'll be able to make routes and perform many shops - part or full time!
Some shops require a purchase, while many do NOT!
Example: Some audits require you to sit down with a representative of a branch and discuss different seasonal programs, or you may be given a scenario in which you're looking to purchase a family plan and visit a local cell phone supplier - there are MANY MANY MANY opportunities out there!
Before jumping head first into Mystery Shopping - here are some tips:
1) Keep a smartphone AND a battery backup - especially if doing multiple shops!
You do NOT want to be out in the field and suffer from a dead device!
2) Read your scenario a minimum of 3 times - perform it in your house a minimum of one time!
Note: Soon you will be on a rotation and every 3 months you will revisit the same locations so if you've already completed the shop then you'll want to jump on these!
3) Pay attention to detail. Keep your phone available and always mark down the NAMES and DISCUSSED PRODUCTS with EVERY ASSOCIATE. This is highly important! They want to know EVERYTHING about the visit so they can properly assess the situation and figure out what needs fixed.
4) Stay in touch with your recruiters / upline! If you prove to be a super effective Mystery Shopper and communicate with the suppliers / supervisors directly this can greatly increase your chance of getting new shops. Often times you will receive PERSONAL offers with BONUSES because after you've shown you're an awesome shopper and finish your reports by the deadline - you will quickly become a highly sought after shopper. Many leaders have deadlines that must be met and they receive bonuses based on their performance, shops complete, and accuracy of the shops that are submitted.
5) Detail. Detail. Detail! Keep all receipts - ALWAYS! Some shops REQUIRE you to do a Return Scenario. And of course - ALWAYS submit your shop reports by the deadline. If you ever have to reschedule or cancel let your Shop Lead know immediately - this will help prevent receiving a 1/10 Star Review for your shop.
Now since you have made it this far I am going to give you the most powerful tool imaginable when it comes to being a shopper: JobSlinger.
JobSlinger has a HUGE directory of companies which have mystery shops available - and organizes them by your choice of pay, distance, type, etc! You are in total control of your Dashboard.
They offer a 30 Day Trial - And believe me you can make well over the price within the first few days. New shoppers need only to make requests, but once you're approved for a Specific Shop be sure to land 10 Solid Stars!
Lifeline California