Becoming a Secret Shopper or Mystery Shopper

Ever wondered about being a secret shopper and how it works? Here's how I got started...

I found a company that claimed for a fee they would give you access to legitimate companies that conduct secret shops. I paid the $25 annual fee with my credit card knowing that if it was a scam or I thought the service was bogus I could cancel my card. The $25 turned out to be a good investment.

Several hundred companies were listed on the website. No information was available on who their clients were, meaning where would I be secret shopping. The only way to get that information was to apply with each company and then look to see what geographic areas they covered and what companies they serviced.

Since then I found this website http://mysteryshop.org/member-companies. When you click this link, you can see all of the companies that are registered with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association or MSPA. They are basically certifiying that the companies listed are not a scam. This link http://mspa.jobslinger.com/exec/sfs/jobboard let's you put in your zip code and a time period (I would start with a week), to see what shops are listed on the job board. That does not include all jobs, but just the jobs that have been posted with MSPA.  This is a great way to get started because you know that the company has shops in your area.

The application process typically intails providing your information and completing several paragraphs about why you would like to be a secret shopper. What they are actually looking for is can you type in complete sentences using spellcheck. They do not want to have to go through your report fixing gramatical errors. Because they are mostly the same questions, if I needed to type a long response I typed and saved in it a word document and tweeked it for my next application.

When you first start with a company, it is more time consuming because you need to be sure that you do things the specific way they want it done. After you have conducted shops for them, you become comfortable with their procedures and you are able to spend less time.

All require the ability to either scan or upload pictures. At the minimum a receipt and at the most pictures of the building.

Most of the time you come and go without anyone knowing that you are a secret shopper and with specific instructions not disclose who you are. Only once was I asked if I would be comfortable saying I was a secret shopper.

The rates paid vary. The companies will email when they have a shop available.  If the due date is getting close and they are desperate to get a spot filled, sometimes they will call and offer a bonus. The bonus is usually between $5 to $10.

I do not schedule shops outside of my normal geographic area.  I look at how much I get paid an hour. You have to read the material before you shop, conduct the shop, and debrief (fill out the paperwork online). As a result, I am not willing to add drive time to my time.

Do not get too involved. Meaning, sometimes I would either talk too much or let the sales clerk talk too much. I would leave frustrated because it took a lot longer than they suggest the shop should take. I have now learned that I need to get in and get out. I may lead with, "I have a lot of errands to run today, but I thought I'd stop by and quickly...(whatever)." Always be honest, but let them know you don't have all day in a kind way.

Secret shop for things you are already doing or would like to do. For example, I secret shop for restaurants because then I can take my family out to dinner for the cost of a tip. I had not been getting my eyes checked and one of the secret shops was for a LensCrafters eye exam. If I would like to make a trip to the Outlet Mall near us,  I will go online and check to see if there is a shop I can do to offset my gas there and back.

Maybe you want to save for a family vacation, have some extra spending money, or just get out of the house! Secret shopping is not lucrative, but if you know what your purpose is and use it that way you will have a very positive experience.

If you want to get started, I recommend that you pick a company and apply. Applying with multiple companies at the same time can be a little confusing.

Here are the companies that I currently use and a brief description of what I did.

Maritz Mystery Shopping:

Chase Bank: Call and ask for information on a credit card. They mail you information. Then I visit the location and ask the same thing. Scan or take pictures of the materials they give you and complete the questionaire on the visit. This shop paid $12.

BP Gas: Get gas and buy something in the store. I was reimbursed for $3 in gas and up to $2 in the store. Then I was required to tell her that I was a shopper and take pictures of the interior and exterior of the building. This shop paid $8.

US Post Office: I was sent a package in the mail. I mailed that package and answered the questions on the service I recieved. I was reimbursed for the receipt I uploaded, and I was paid $8.50.

SecretShopper:

Bennigans: I am asked to take at least one other adult with me, but not more than six in my party. We need to order two different entrees. We are asked to know the timing of the meal, including, when we are greeted, served drinks, order, served food, and leave. I am reimbursed up to $20 for lunch and up to $25 for dinner. No other compensation apart from what is spent at the restaurant.

Beyond Hello: Birch Run Premium Outlets

Outlet shops are farily uniform. You go in and look around. They have some specific things they are looking for their employees to do. You report on those and make a purchase.  They ask you to wait at least thirty minutes before you return the item you bought if you want to return it. The pay is around $8.

LeCruest, Tommy Hilfiger, Columbia Outlet

Happy Shopping!! ~Julia

Garage Sale Tips

Garage sale season is here!

We've been doing garage sales every year, for as long as I can remember. They are A LOT of work, but our sales usually bring in an average of $500 to $1,000 - which isn't bad and is kind of rewarding for a number of reasons. Reason? Let me tell you: apart from the fact that you are, in a sense, creating money from random stuff lying around your house - you are also de-cluttering, cleaning out, making room and blessing others with some great deals off stuff you consider trash - but they may consider a treasure! Collect items all year long, so at the time of the sale, you'll have enough to attract shoppers and enough stuff to make a considerable profit. Keep a box in a closet or beneath the stairs that you fill with items throughout the year, whenever you are in the mood to de-clutter. When the box is full, label it and store it in the basement or garage. Yay! Getting rid of stuff feels so good! ~Sarah  Click on the link below to continue:

Sarah's Tip: Timing is Everything!

Do you know what day of the week is the prime garage sale day where you live? Our day here in this city is Thursday. I have lived in more rural areas where the day was "any day" or all weekend. Here, you might as well plan on Thursday being your big money making day, and Friday put everything half off or free, just to get rid of it! Another tip is plan your sale early on - as soon as the weather is nice. By the end of the Summer, most people  are "garage saled out" and wont be as likely to stop. Start early in the day to attract serious shoppers. But be prepared! We usually advertise opening at 9am, but once we begin setting up at 7:30, the shoppers start rolling in and will dig through boxes before I've had the chance to personally open them. This can be a bit stressful, but should be expected! Check into what other local events are taking place. Does your subdivision or neighborhood have a designated weekend for garage sales? If so, take advantage of these times. Don't schedule your sale at a time that will conflict with another big event - unless of course the traffic from that event will help your sale! Be sure to check into your city's garage sale policies, whether a permit is required and if there are certain days you are not allowed to hold sales.

Julia's Tip: Organization and Presentation

People will buy more when they can find what they are looking for. Sarah took two long boards and used twine to tie them together and then to the ceiling of the garage. Once the clothes were hung and separated by age and gender I took large, index cards and wrote sizes on both sides of them (front and back). I cut a section out of the card that was the same size of the board. Then I taped the section I cut out across the bottom so card would stay on the board.

Sarah's Tip: Advertising

It makes a HUGE difference when I've advertised on craigslist. Around here, that is where most people check for garage sale listings. Maybe near you, it's the newspaper or another local on-line message board. Be specific, list specific items, sizes, quantity, prices, etc. I would say 90% of the people that stopped at our most resent sale, saw our listing on craigslist. Many came with my advertisement in hand, to look for specific items I had noted. Many traveled from up to an hour away, just because I had posted pictures of how well organized everything was! Also, be sure to clearly mark your sale with signs. Make them easy to read and eye catching. We found some very nice signs and foam, poster boards at the Dollar Tree. We also put balloons with the sign on the road, and balloons in our front yard.

Julia's Tip: Bake Sale

Keep it Simple!! I made 2 batches of chocolate chip cookie bars, brownies, and banana chocolate chip bread. I used 9x13 pans and cut them into 9 large pieces. I bagged them in sandwich bags the night before and put those in rubbermaid containers. That way I didn't have the added expense of ziplock bags, but also had fresh baked goods. I priced everything at a dollar except the banana bread. I made mini loaves and sold those for $3. Bottled water with ice in a cooler is also a great addition for $1 each. I sold out of the banana bread and brownies. Those were the two easiest things for me to make. And the water is a no brainer.  We asked shoppers if they wanted a brownie or a water when they were making their purchases. If older guests came and said, "There isn't anything here for me." We would say, except brownies or cookies. Sometimes people would buy and sometimes they wouldn't. But that is sales. You can't be afraid of rejection.  After expenses I made, approximately $30 of which I gave $7 to Natalie (the amount she stayed around to collect) and the rest paid for gas down to visit Jay and Sarah :) All leftovers were gladly eaten by all of us.

Sarah's Tip: Pricing

The key to a successful garage sale is knowing how to price things. I always think about what I would be willing to pay for each item. What would be considered a really good deal, based on the quality of the item. I want to price things as high as possible, but low enough to be considered a good deal. I ultimately want to sell stuff and get rid of things, rather than have an item picked up 20 times yet never bought. Sometimes, a low price that almost makes you cringe is ultimately the best, in the long run, if that's what it takes to sell. Bundle things together and price them as a set/package deal. If things are clean and organized, you can ask a higher price. Be prepared to make deals and bargain with people. Determine ahead of time how low you are willing to go on certain items - otherwise you may panic when someone throws an offer at you. People will be fairly understanding of your unwillingness to bargain if it's early on, the first day. But later in the day or on the second day, make getting rid of stuff your primary goal and drop your prices as low as possible to make a sale!

Kids clothes: I price really nice stuff individually, others I list on a poster (shorts $.25, t-shirts $.25, long sleeves $.50, dresses/rompers $1, pants $1, etc). Baby gear I list at around $10/each. Sometimes individual items can be sold at a higher price on Amazon or craigslist - I'll price these higher and if they don't sell, I'll list them later on. 

A $.25 kids toy area is a great thing for one main reason - it will keep kids of every age pretty entertained while their parents shop! Also, if possible, don't price things at 75 cents. This was an afterthought for me when I realized how much more complicated it is to add in the cost of 75 cent items. When you have a line of people waiting to pay and a women with a pile of children's clothes in her arms, you want to add things up very quickly. 

Julia's Tip: Location, Location

You can do all the planning in the world, but if you don't have traffic you will be discouraged. Have you seen the signs on the corner only to find you turning down several roads before you get to the house.  This seems like a no brainer, but if the location is up for debate always choose the house closest to the busiest road.  Your results will be much better.

 

Sarah's Tip: Team-Up!

Garage sales are much more bearable and almost enjoyable when doing them with a friend! This year, Julia and her family showed up bright and early on the first day, just as things were beginning to get crazy. I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, when Julia swooped in and helped pick up the pieces. She quickly began pricing things that had yet to be priced, organizing things that had been thrown about haphazardly, set up a check-out station and started making signs. When a friend or family member is involved, you can also advertise a "multi-family sale" which attracts extra attention because it means more items and greater variety at your sale. Mark each item with initials and keep track of them at check-out by running a tally in a notebook - or set up your sale like a flea market and allow individuals to man their own tables.