Secret Shopper Review

Interested in Becoming A Secret Shopper? 

Hundreds of retail stores, restaurants, hotels, fast food franchises, and many other businesses around the world rely on mystery shoppers to tell them how their business is operating and how customers are being treated when they aren’t around. They get impartial opinions on what is really happening, and they can use this input to make changes to better their business.

Your job as a secret shopper would be to go undercover and pose as a customer, perform a relevant action such as make a purchase or eat a meal, and then report on your experience. This job is great for anyone who requires a flexible schedule. You work as much or as little as you want, and choose only the job assignments you want to accept.

There has been a sharp growth in the secret shopper industry over the past decade, and it continues to grow at about 11 – 12 percent each year. Recent estimates place the US mystery shopping industry at approximately $800 Million. Secret shoppers are beginning to find jobs in a wider range of venues, from spas and ski resorts to zoos and theme parks.
For more information on becoming a secret shopper, you may want to check out some of the articles listed on the right. When you’re ready, be sure to check out some of our top rated secret shopper networks.

A “Secret Shopper Network” is a database of companies who regularly seek and recruit secret shoppers. As a member of a network, you’ll have access to hundreds of companies who are willing to pay you to shop, eat out, watch movies, etc. Although you don’t have to join a network to become a secret shopper, it’s a fast and easy way to start receiving secret shopper jobs from hundreds of companies.

Become a secret shopper today…

Some individual stores may hire secret shoppers directly. Retail stores usually have a centralized department running from their main office. One way to obtain secret shopper jobs would be to contact these companies directly and let them know you are interested in becoming a secret shopper.

A much easier way to obtain many jobs is to sign up with a reputable secret shopper network. These networks typically have relationships with thousands of companies who require mystery shopper services. There is a small fee required to sign up with these companies (around $25) but you’ll more than make this up on your first assignment. This fee is charged by the network to give you direct access to all of the companies in their database. There are two key advantages to joining a network

1) Access thousands of companies looking for secret shoppers. Get more assignments that you can accept.

2) All companies in the network have been tested to ensure protection against fraud.

If you are serious about becoming a secret shopper, joining a network is a worthy and necessary investment. Before joining any network however, be sure to read our review on the top secret shopper networks out there.

If you are currently part of a network which you would recommend to others, or have any comments on any networks or experiences you have had in the past, please comment and share your opinions. Thank you.

Become a secret shopper today…

So you’ve decided you want to become a secret shopper. You’ve searched online and found the company that you want to join (check out the top secret shopper network reviews for more options), and now all you have to do is fill out the application. This post will help you in your application process.

Becoming a secret shopper will require an application likely made up of two parts- your personal information and work history, and a simple test (the companies want to make sure they hire competent people). The test usually involves basic skills tests, ethics and integrity tests, and maybe some reading comprehension tests, so be prepared, but don’t worry too much, it’s easy! Part of your job as a secret shopper will be to read information and instructions sent to you by your employer, and to then provide a quality assessment of your experience during your “assignment “.

One part of the application will talk about the importance of remaining anonymous- so that no one will actually know that you are a secret shopper (which will allow you to get a proper analysis of the site). If the employees suspect that you are a mystery shopper, they will change their normal behavior to try and impress you and get a good review, which basically defeats the purpose of the assignment. You should never bring your paperwork with you to a site, as this can alert the employees and can raise suspicions.

When you receive an assignment, you are expected to complete it by the specified date and time, and turn in all reports promptly. If you regularly have problems completing and turning in reports on time, you might be relieved of your position, or you just won’t get any new assignments. If you sign up with a secret shopper network, this might not bother you since you have access to hundreds of companies for which you can work, but you should try to maintain a good work ethic anyway. Life isn’t always a bed of roses however, and should you encounter any problems, you should contact your employer as soon as possible, just like any other job.

You must answer all given questions, and not leave anything blank. Un-clear answers or unanswered questions may result in you not getting paid, or losing future jobs.

You should maintain all your contact information and make sure it is up to date at all times. This simply ensures that you are receiving jobs, and getting paid for jobs completed. Most employers will communicate with you via email.

Different companies process payments differently, but it is usually on a monthly basis. Most companies will pay you by check, however some companies may now pay you via PayPal if you prefer.

Become a secret shopper today…

Becoming a secret shopper is fairly simple. Most of the people who take the job seriously are successful and earn a good supplement (or part time) income.

Mystery shopping is an excellent job for college & university students, and stay at home moms. One of the main advantages of working in this field is having the freedom to chose when you want (or don’t want) to work. For stay at home moms, this job is great because it allows them to take their kids with them to work!

Your job as a secret shopper is to go undercover and pose as a customer. While on site (could be a restaurant, shop, theatre…) your job is to inspect certain aspects of the business, the employees, customer service, cleanliness, product quality, etc. and remember this information. Once you leave the site, you are responsible for writing up a report on your findings and submitting it to your employer. These reports get passed on to the respective clients, who use the information gathered by you to make changes in the facility and better the overall service/product quality.

You would probably be surprised to find out the number of companies that actually use the services of secret shoppers. In your experience as a mystery shopper you will likely be sent to restaurants, retail stores, hotels, banks, gas stations, movie theatres, and even the grocery store.

Some assignments may require you to purchase a product and review the buying experience as well as the product itself. In these cases you would get reimbursed for the full purchase as well as get to keep the product. Although mystery shopping is a lot of fun and has many benefits, you must remember that it is a job, and you must take it seriously.

The next article discusses the application process involved in becoming a secret shopper and is meant to guide you smoothly through the process, as well as provide some on the job tips.

Become a secret shopper today…