Tips for a successful mystery shopper career

Mystery shopping is not just stress-bursting; it also means contributing to the economy. Fancy getting paid for shopping at your favorite store or receiving generous discounts? How would it be if you get a chance to enjoy the delicacies at an exotic restaurant you always dreamt of, for free? That sounds like a dream, isn’t it? Mystery shopping makes your dream come true. We cannot promise that you will get rich at once, but you are sure to make it to the intended goals. Aspiring for a mystery shopper career? Well, here are the attributes you need to know.

What is meant by Mystery shopping?

Mystery shopping is an approach of a hired shopper to visit retail enterprises, banks, theatres, apartment complexes, and dry cleaners to provide honest reviews about the services and products, exhibiting per excellence observational skills. This technique helps the enterprises at different locations to discover the sectors of their services that require improvement. Most companies have varied parameters that guarantee the best experience for a consumer. 

How to have a successful and legitimate mystery shopper career?

A mystery shopper’s career can be interesting if one can find legitimate sources. Enlisted below are a few guidelines that can help the aspirants of this career. 

Do not register with companies that show payments for hiring– Beware of the illicit companies showing job listings for mystery shopper vacancies. They usually ask you for a price to register, but legitimate businesses do not require you to pay at any level. 

Seek MSPA approved companies– While registering on mystery shopper vacancies, make sure to check if the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association (MSPA) has approved the enterprise on their website.

Do not send money or gift to check an employer– Refrain from transferring money, gift cheques, or products bought to your employer. If your employer asks for it, the business is illegitimate.

Check reviews before leaping– Reviews gauged by real-life employees determine the credibility of an enterprise. Therefore, going through the reviews is extremely necessary before registering.

Once sure about the legitimacy, all you need to do is register and earn the extra income to pay for your liabilities.

Read more: Discount strategy in retail to manifest e-commerce

Skills required to pursue a successful mystery shopper career

Now, it’s time to check if you have the skills of being a mystery shopper. 

How upfront are you? – As the name suggests, it is obligatory for the mystery shoppers to have a concealed identity to dig out the data from the salespersons of the retail shops. 

How good is your writing skill? – Writing effective reviews are an integral part of a mystery shopper career. After all, that is why you get paid.

Can you stay self-motivated? – The salary of a mystery shopper depends on the count of assignments agreed upon and the effectiveness of time management. So, staying self-motivated can help you earn a reliable income.

Are you attentive to minute details? – If you are interested in a mystery shopper career, it is a must to have good observational skills. For example 

• noticing how the salespersons greet or treat in a store, 

• whether the waiting time is exceeding the acceptable limit, 

• the count of displayed products;

Do you clearly understand customer experience? – It is easier for a mystery shopper to provide the company with a structured report if there is a clear understanding of how a good or bad a customer experience can be. 

Benefits earned by companies through mystery shopping

Now, this is for the business owners who are pondering on hiring a mystery shopper. Insight of customer experience is an important notion in a business. Here is how letting out mystery shopping vacancies can help earn benefits to increase profitability.

Many businesses are dependent on communication that exists between consumers and salespeople. It is here that the skill of a mystery shopper can come to play. A shopper would question the employees and check how well they know the brand and go to the extent of even making a purchase.

A mystery shopper can bring a brand to recognition by connecting to consumers on social media.

The analysis derived from a shopper can be employed to build training procedures for employees. It, in turn, would leave them an impression that their employer is also paying attention to the business and allowing them to grow.

Comparing products with that of competitors in a business is a smart move. Once the mystery shopper finishes your assignment, re-hire to check out and deliver insight into the competitor’s business.