What a nice treat it is, when I get pampered at the hair salon. What an even nicer treat, when I don't have to pay to get my hair done. With Secret Shopper employment, I can get my hair cut and even colored, and get reimbursed for the service.

This salon, with locations all over the world, is a beautiful place that uses high performance, botanically based products that are better for people and the environment. Even before I got into secret shopping, I would go to this salon. This place isn't the most affordable, but it's definitely not the most expensive either. It's what the middle-class can afford. However, if I can get a free service, without doing too much work, I'm all over it.

So, I requested the shop from the secret shopping agency I work with. The next thing I knew, I was booked for the shop. I then called the salon to request a booking to get my hair done. Obviously, making my role as a Secret Shopper discreet. I chose to get a hair cut, as I don't get my hair colored these days. However, I had a choice. For the secret shopping report, I was asked to evaluate how the booking conversation went. I took notes right after I got off the phone call with the salon receptionist, so I wouldn't forget what she said and what I asked.

The day of the hair cut, I looked over the secret shopping questions. This allowed me to memorize what I would have to look out for in the salon. The report asked about the salon greeting, the experience with the hair stylist, and even the salon cleanliness. It also asked you to obtain the names of others who also assisted you and what that was like. During the appointment, I focused on details to be able to capture everything for the report. My hair stylist did a great job, but regardless I always fill out a fair and objective report. I was able to tip decently, as I will get reimbursed for the total cost of the hair cut, by the secret shopping company.

There are many different types of assignments I enjoy doing as a Secret Shopper. But I do have to say getting my hair done for free is one of the best ones. The only downfall is that I have to wait 6 months, before doing another secret shop for the salon. This is understandable, as going more frequently may tip off the salon staff that you are the Secret Shopper. They know from their management that the company gets Secret Shoppers to come in, but they just don't know when. Perhaps the feedback from the manager, upon review of the report, will provide the employee(s) with memory of the person 'disguised' as the Secret Shopper. Thus, I look forward to going in again in a few months. Besides, I don't need my hair cut any more frequently than that.

What do you think, would you rather get your hair cut or colored for free?

-Kat

It's no joke. If you become a Secret Shopper, you CAN get a cheap flight.

And I did it in the summer. I flew from North America to Europe as a Secret Shopper and I got HALF off my plane ticket.

I also received HALF off my return ticket as well. So, for my whole flight, I only paid half of the advertised price. And it wasn't that difficult to get a cheap flight. Let me share with you how YOU can take advantage of a great opportunity like this as well.

I had been a Secret Shopper for a few years and knew that flight discounts were available. When I planned my trip to Europe, I decided to do some prep work and check out the site of the secret shopping company I'm affiliated with. On their website they showed their airline partner and the dates and cities of the available cheap flights.

There were a number of options for dates that you can book in advance. There were also a bunch of cities in different countries the airline flies to. I found the perfect schedule available for me and told the secret shopping company I was interested in that assignment. It was really just a click of a button.

I don't know how much it mattered that I had previous work experience with them as a Secret Shopper. With the number of assignments that are available, they would definitely take on a NEW Shopper. This is great for someone just getting started with secret shopping. The important thing is that you have to book your ticket through the secret shopping company.

I was selected to partake in the evaluation of the flight and was provided with the list of questions ahead of time. In fact, these questions were even available to me, including the expectations for the assignment, and the pay, BEFORE I even applied for the position.

On my flight, I was able to have the list of questions in front of me (I actually printed out the pages they had on the website and used this as reference). I then evaluated the customer service of the flight crew and the overall experience on the flight, and was able to circle my answers and jot down notes during the flight.

The parts of the flight you are evaluating are broken up into 5 sections:

1. Boarding and Pre-Departure
2. Cabin Service
3. Cabin Crew
4. Cabin Environment
5. When Things Go Wrong (i.e. delay)
6. Descent and Arrival
7. Overall Experience

A sample of questions from those categories above include:

1. Did the cabin crew greet customers in English and the route language?
2. Was a meal choice offered?
3. Were cabin crew wearing their jackets during boarding?
4. Were the lavatories clean, tidy, and well stocked?
5. Did cabin crew react professionally to customer complaints or issues?
6. Were seat belts, seat backs, and baggage items checked to ensure they were properly
    secured?
7. Please provide an overall rating for the cabin crew.

Once you land to your destination, you have 3 days in which to submit your report online which includes 'Yes' and 'No' type questions and also sections for 'Notes' which provides a summary of your experience.

You obviously want to have an accurate portrayal of the flight for your evaluation, thus it is important to remain attentive during boarding, upon arrival, and throughout the flight. You can sleep on your flight, as long as you capture all the sections that are required. You can also bring a travel partner with you.

Depending upon the flight and the level of service booked, you could save up to $5000 off your travel bill! I had a great experience evaluating the flights and can't wait to do my next assignment and get another cheap flight.

-Kat

One of the things I love about secret shopping is that you get to pick and choose the shops you want to do.

For instance, there will be a variety of shops available with the secret shopping company you are signed up with. In turn, you get to scroll through and see what particular shops are of interest to you.

If something doesn't interest you, then you are not obligated to apply for the shop in question. However, be mindful that if you say you are interested and available in doing a shop that you are then agreeing to have a quality shop and report done on time.

Before you agree to doing a particular shop, always keep these 5 pointers in mind.

1. Do I like this secret shopping company that is offering this shop?

If you have already done work for a certain secret shopping company, then you already have a sense of how they work. You have experience of what they expect on their reports and if they pay in a timely manner. Some secret shopping companies have more elaborate systems where they have a user-friendly database in place where you can easily look at and request shops. In contrast, I've had some companies call me up to offer me a shop, but I didn't have the details right in front of me. I like having as much information as possible on a shop, before requesting it.

2. Is the location of the shop convenient for me?

Because secret shopping companies may not just have jobs available in your immediate area, but rather in different cities and even countries, you want to consider just how far you are willing to travel to do a shop. Don't assume your travel expenses to go to a shop will be covered, as most often they are not. You will want to check this out in advance. The nice thing about working with a secret shopping company who covers more geographical ground is that you can even do shops on your travels. What a great way to save money on hotels and restaurants!

3. When is the deadline for the shop and the report?

Some shops offer more flexible time frames in which to work in. For example, the assignment will say you can do the shop anytime between June 13 to June 20. Thus, you want to check what fits with your schedule. You will have to know if there are any days that you are not allowed to do the shop, based on shop requirements. You will also have to determine if the shop needs to be completed during specific hours. All because a shop may be open from 9 to 5, perhaps the assignment will ask that you not shop during 12 to 1, for example. You will also have to see how much time is allowed after a shop to get the report submitted. It makes a big difference if you have a 3 hour deadline versus a 3 day deadline.

4. What type of assignment is it?

Perhaps you have no interest in evaluating a movie theater, but you love clothing shops. So you will want to select a shop where you have a natural interest. You will want to consider what is required of you during the assignment. Is it an assignment in which you are required to make a return? If you're not interested in doing that then there is no point in accepting the shop, since this is a requirement. Is it a shop, such as a car dealership, where you are required to negotiate? Perhaps that makes you feel uncomfortable, so the shop wouldn't be a good fit for you. The better the shop suits your personality, the more you will enjoy doing it.

5. How much does the shop pay?

You will have to see if the shop is well worth your time and effort investment. If the shop doesn't pay money, but instead offers a reimbursement or other perks this is totally fine, if it's something you want and/or need. If a shop pays a measly $10, for instance, but a lot is required in terms of the shop or report, then it's not worth your energy. However, if you are trying to get a secret shopping company to get to know you, it may be worth accepting these shops to begin with. After all, just like with any job, if the company trusts your work then they are likely to offer you more work.

It is important to keep these factors in mind before requesting a secret shopping assignment. After all, it's a lot easier to determine this up front, then to then turn down an assignment once you are expected to have it completed. Changing your mind about getting an assignment done will reflect poorly on you. And the more you do this, the more negative your reliability will look as a Secret Shopper to your Recruiters. Of course, things come up where you have to cancel a shop for legitimate reasons, but this should be few and far between.

-Kat

Thought about becoming a Secret Shopper? Have you moved past the stage of knowing that it is indeed real work and not a scam? Here are 5 steps on being that much closer to your fun job.

1. Treat your secret shopping job just as you would any other job in which you get paid.
An employer is relying on you to do a job and to do it well. You have a boss and they have a client. This means you take your work seriously. You need to be trustworthy, reliable, and dependable. You conduct yourself professionally at all times, in your spoken and written communication.

2. Fill out all applications thoroughly and be detailed
How you go about filling out Secret Shopper applications will be associated to how you also do your secret shopping assignments. If you don't answer all the questions completely, or even leave out some answers, this will highlight to the employer the type of employee you would be. No employer wants to pay someone for putting in half the amount of effort, so show you care about the quality of your work by taking your time doing a great application. This means no spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Proofread.

3. If you say you're going to do an assignment, do it.
The nice thing about secret shopping is that you can choose the hours you want to work and the assignments that best fit your schedule, and interest. However, if you tell the Scheduler that you will do an assignment, then commit to it. If you ultimately can't do the assignment by the due date, then provide enough notice for the Scheduler to re-assign to someone else. Late assignments do not look good on the secret shopping company to their client.

4. Be prepared in advance for your assignment
You will be provided with the guidelines on how to go about conducting the evaluation for each shop. Don't wait until the last minute scanning your paper as you're running out the door. Set enough time to know what's expected of you. This way if you have any questions or concerns, you can contact the Scheduler ahead of time. If you do not follow the shopping guidelines, your shop will not get accepted and you won't get paid. Also, do not pretend to understand something if you don't. Always be up front with your communication. The same goes if you made a mistake.

5. Submit quality reports on time
No matter how much or how little you are getting paid for a shop, you will want to do each report thoroughly and with care. The better prepared you are in advance of the shop, the easier it will be to write up your report.

Knowing these 5 key steps to being a great Secret Shopper will help you stand out to the Schedulers when they need to book secret shopping assignments.

-Kat

It is possible to become a Mystery Shopper for free. After all, like any other job, you should not be paying someone to hire you. This practice is often illegal. Unlike many other jobs, however, you don't see ads seeking out Mystery Shoppers. How ironic then that finding out how to get started in mystery shopping is, well, a mystery.

Discovering how to get work as a Mystery Shopper, otherwise known as secret shopping, is about doing your research. If that word brings on thoughts of endless time and energy spent looking for work, as opposed to doing the work, then you're right.

The trick to looking for mystery shopping work is to tap into the right sources of information, advice, and tips. Because you happened to stumble upon this site thoroughly dedicated to starting out in mystery shopping, then the research battle is half way over. Really.

You will become a Mystery Shopper for free, because legitimate mystery shopping companies won't charge you a dime for your services. If anybody asks you for money in exchange for doing a job, then you're right to worry.

However, do not mix up paying someone for a job, and paying a researcher for their time and energy. You can get caught up spending hours and hours on the Internet browsing and gathering up bits and pieces of free information here and there. But just think..you could have shopped as a Mystery Shopper during that time!

It's up to you if you want to drain yourself obtaining information from various websites, and exhaust yourself in the process of determining if this information is indeed legitimate. But like yourself, I know that there is an easier way. And just like when looking for any job in the world of work, it's often not what you know, but who you know.

But in this case, you know me now, and I will give you what you need to know to become a Mystery Shopper. I'll connect you with other Mystery Shoppers who have done tons of mystery shopping work, and continue to do so. They are the best in their league, and have done the research for you.

With this said, if you are excited to become a Mystery Shopper for free, I recommend the following resources:

-Kat

What are the legit Mystery Shopper jobs anyway? You hear all this talk about getting paid to shop, yet you are still left wondering...Okay, where?

You hear of going mystery shopping and know it has to do with some kind of evaluation of some kind of store. But what store? or stores? Which restaurant? Is a Movie Theater included?

If you don't even know the types of place you will be evaluating, then naturally your enthusiasm just wanes. When you are a Mystery Shopper are you ACTUALLY shopping, or are you PRETENDING to shop? This is a great question. And the answer is both.

You see, some assignments (which is often the term used for the places you will be evaluating) will require you to just have a look around and chat with the staff, while others will require you to purchase something, and for some you will want to see how the refund process goes.

Logging in to a mystery shopping service I'm a member of, I want to share with you the list of assignments they currently have. They are a worldwide company, so I first pick which country I would like to perform my shops in. Heck, if I'm traveling, they would take me on in other countries. Why not? Especially if I've developed rapport with the quality work I have submitted.

I choose the city I live in, and the adjacent areas, and take a look at what is available. Obviously, the better I can get around, the wider my choice of assignments. You don't need a vehicle, you just need to be able to get there!

I will list the types of places needing Mystery Shoppers, if a purchase is required, and I will even list the PAY rate which is not an easy thing to find. You usually see a range that mystery shopping pays, but of course, it's always great to know EXACTLY how much you will actually be getting, to see if it's worth your time!

*
Popular brand electronics store, No purchase required, $15 pay

Department store, fashion jewelery department, $10 purchase, $30 pay

University cafe, $10 meal purchase, $30 pay

Flight to London England, No purchase required, 50% off flight purchase

Community center, No purchase required, $20 pay

Athletic shoe store, $25 item purchase, $39 pay

Beauty retail store, $20 item purchase, $20 pay

Young adult clothing store, No purchase required, Place an item on hold, $15 pay

Resort, Overnight hotel purchase plus 2 meals, $400+ pay

Restaurant, Meal for 2 purchase, $50 pay

Hair salon, Hair cut and style purchase, $40+ pay

Men's clothing store, Item purchase, $50 pay
​
*

These are some of the CURRENTLY available legit Mystery Shopper jobs available with this ONE company. If you are signed up with more than one company, you then have more variety and a higher quantity of shops to choose from.

As you can see, sometimes a shop requires a purchase to which you will always get reimbursed. Other shops don't require a purchase. Some ask you to place an item on hold. If you have to pay for something yourself, you will get reimbursed for what you spent PLUS you most often will get a shopper fee on top of that!

Also, if Schedulers are desperate and need to get a shop completed, they will up the fee as an incentive for someone to take it. Same goes if the shop is in an inconvenient location for most Mystery Shoppers. And, if you don't fit the demographic for a shop, say it's a men's clothing store and you're required to try something on, you can bring someone with you to do it!

Those legit Mystery Shopper jobs are great. Who wouldn't want a FREE flight overseas to London, Hong Kong, or wherever else? Same goes with getting your hair cut and even colored, with a style change for FREE. Need to get away? How about a FREE overnight stay at a beautiful resort, with breakfast and dinner included, and even parking!

When you take your friends out for dinner, or on a weekend getaway, think of how impressed they will be with the LITTLE "work" you have to do (they won't see you writing up the quick report when you get home) that you get PAID to do.

Mystery shopping is great indeed.

-Kat

Mystery shopping, aka secret shopping, is a division of market research. Market research seeks to gather information about markets, defined as the playing field for business and customers, in other words, buyers and sellers.

Market research, and within that, mystery shopping, is a great business strategy. It is how businesses thrive, and how they can get advantage over the competition. Obtaining a customer's opinion is very valuable, and you may have heard of 'focus groups', which is yet another form of market research.

Interestingly, mystery shopping first began as a loss-prevention program, where shoppers were hired to try and steal things from a company. Nowadays, technology does that. Mystery shopping then evolved into a customer-service evaluation program.

Jobs for Mystery Shoppers will have you evaluate such things as what information the staff provided you, how helpful they were, and the cleanliness of the store. You will also need to provide details such as what the employees looked like, what time you entered and exited the shop, and how many customers were present.

The reports provided to companies that seek out mystery shopping services allow them to monitor staff compliance, store operations, and customer service. When a staff has done a good job, based on the merits of a mystery shopping report, they are recognized with bonuses, rewards, and other incentives.

Mystery shopping helps a business build stronger customer service relations, employee satisfaction, and improved productivity in the workforce. It is less about trying to get a staff member fired, and more to do with gaining an upper-hand from their competition.

So how do you get these jobs as a Mystery Shopper then? You will want to get set up with a mystery shopping company, or a mystery shopping agency (deals with multiple mystery shopping companies).

There is no point contacting a store, such as a retail or grocery store, to ask for jobs for Mystery Shoppers. They do not hire Mystery Shoppers directly. And they do NOT want to know who potential Mystery Shoppers will be, as this would defeat the whole purpose of the mystery shop.

Instead, a mystery shopping company or agency will deal with the businesses instead. They work as the middle-man between the companies who need mystery shopping services, and you, the shoppers. Think of a mystery shopping company or agency helping a business outsource a little of their human resources department.

All companies do their own form of market research, as they all need to stay ahead of their competition. Actually, if a company does not analyze their market, they are at great risk of shutting down shop. As long as businesses exist, market research will prevail. This means there are tons of Mystery Shopper positions just waiting for you to get a hold of.

There are great reasons to be a Mystery Shopper, including earning extra income, working for yourself, working from home, making your own schedule, and a flexible availability.

-Kat

Many people question the authenticity of mystery shopping. They wonder if mystery shopping is indeed legitimate work, or just a scam. This is definitely a valid question, and if you weren't cautious, I would have concern for you. Mystery shopping, aka secret shopping, is definitely legitimate employment you can do from home. So then what is with all those scams you read about?

Scammers are there to get your money. They are in business for themselves. This is true in mystery shopping, as it is in financial, insurance, and health services..and so forth. There are definitely Mystery Shoppers, aka Secret Shoppers, scams to avoid. 'Buyer beware' should always be at the forefront of your mind, before dishing out your money, and you should be conscientious as to what it is you are actually doing.

However, if you think that all mystery shopping opportunities are fake, then you are doing yourself a real disservice. The fact is there are legitimate mystery shopping agencies, that require Mystery Shoppers to perform the market research of mystery shopping. The work of a Mystery Shopper provides employers with valuable information they can use to improve the success of their business. As a Mystery Shopper, you get paid to help businesses, and you can do this from the comfort of your own home (except when you're out doing the shop evaluations, naturally). By believing that the field of mystery shopping is nothing but a scam, you are missing out on a job for yourself!

Another common falsity is that people warn you not to pay a company to become a Mystery Shopper. I want to clarify this statement. While it is illegal to pay someone to GIVE you a JOB. It is NOT illegal to pay a company for their RESEARCH. If a company is providing you with valuable advice and links on HOW and WHERE to go to get the mystery shopping jobs, then they are providing you with a beneficial SERVICE. This is not the same as paying a company for a job.

You do not pay a company to get hired on, but you can pay a company for their expertise. Some of the stuff you can find on the Internet, it's up to you. If you don't mind spending a little money to save your time and frustration, then go with a mystery shopping service. If you enjoy searching around on the Internet, until you gather all the tidbits of free information you need, then hop to it.

Another thing to keep in mind, and what I have touted before, is that mystery shopping will nowhere get you rich. If anything, it will provide you with part-time work. This is important to keep in mind when analyzing an opportunity for its legitimacy. If you see any offering of the opportunity to get rich off of mystery shopping, run in the opposite direction, or in your case, hit the 'back' button.

There are scams going around that take on the name of an actual legit mystery shopping company to promote their scams. If you receive anything unsolicited by email, just know that it is a scam. Usually you are the one seeking out mystery shopping work. It doesn't just fall into your lap. Also, anything to do with check cashing, money orders, or wire transfers is something to be avoided at all costs.

You will not be cashing in checks as a Mystery Shopper. The US Federal Trade Commission has info. on their site pertaining to counterfeit check scams. Other countries should have something similar. Like other real employment, you will do your shop assignment, and then you will get paid. You will not get paid ahead of time, nor will you be asked to cash in any checks for an assignment.

When deciding if a mystery shopping service is legit, think about the REPUTABLE nature of such business. Is there anything negative about them in Google search? Also, who is promoting it? Do they have credibility themselves? Can they be trusted? For instance, Clickbank is a popular third party service that promotes a variety of businesses, including mystery shopping, on its site, however it has strict guidelines, including a mandatory 60-day money back guarantee given to all buyers. This is what you want to look for.

It's always good to get a REFERRAL to a good mystery shopping company or agency. This is done through word of mouth. If I am helping you to avoid scams to do with mystery shopping, which I am, and I provide a lot of valuable information on my site here, which I hope I have been, then you would be more inclined to believe that I will guide you in the right direction, which I will and do.

Mystery shopping is indeed legitimate work, and not simply classified as a scam. There are great reasons to be a Mystery Shopper, so don't avoid mystery shopping all together. I hope this post clarified some of the things you need to be mindful of.

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-Kat

So, if you get started doing jobs as a Mystery Shopper, how much can you expect to make anyway?

First, consider this one important thing you must know. There is no way, no how mystery shopping will get you rich. Anyone that says otherwise is just trying to take something from you - think your $.

Money is a great incentive to wanting those Mystery Shopper positions, but as discussed, there are also other great reasons why mystery shopping may be perfect for you.

Mystery shopping is a JOB, and like all jobs, work is required.

The neat thing about getting paid to shop is that it doesn't even feel like you are working - Discovering various jobs for mystery shoppers is so neat, such as getting your international flight reimbursed for the one-way you were required to secretly 'shop'.

The appeal of mystery shopping jobs is that it is not your typical 9-5 conundrum. You only take what shops you are interested in, based on your availability or interest. For instance, a shop may appeal to you 'cause you want to go out for a nice free dinner on a Saturday night, or you may want to take a shop further away 'cause it offers bonus $ (due to distance).

Jobs for Mystery Shoppers are best defined as flexible, part-time positions. The amount of hours you work per week, or month, varies based on how many mystery shopping companies or agencies you are connected with, and how many shops you request, and are thus scheduled.

So how much can you earn exactly from mystery shopping?

It all depends on the type of shop you are assigned to. Generally, the more time a shop takes to 'shop', the longer a report takes to complete, and the more nuances that are in place (such as 'urgency' or mileage), the more money you earn.

Generally, you can expect to earn around $15 for retail shops, $25 on apartment shops, and reimbursements on entertainment and restaurants shops. If you count the time it takes to travel to a shop, get the shop evaluated, and the report completed, you are looking at making $8 to $15 per hour.

The closer a shop gets to a deadline, meaning the client is expecting to hear feedback very soon, the more paranoid the mystery shopping Scheduler is to filling the assignment. Sometimes people back out last minute with a shop they have been assigned (you don't want to do this too often, as flaking out will stop you from getting offered any shops again in the future), so the assignments needs to be re-filled. What this means is that you get paid an additional bonus! The bonus goes up the more desperate the Scheduler is to fill the position. Don't be afraid to negotiate for more money, for 'going out of your way', or for 'gas money'. Always remain polite though! Perhaps wait until you have a few shops under your belt, so they know the quality of your work first.

The nice thing about working for yourself as a Mystery Shopper is that you are an Independent Contractor. Thus, no taxes will come off your checks. And don't forget you can claim for expense reimbursements come tax filing time. Remember that car mileage, gas, stationery, Internet, etc. costs amount and count for something.

So there you have some idea with this post on how much you can expect to earn as a Mystery Shopper. The wage depends on a few factors, as discussed. But when you have to do errands anyway, such as picking up something from the store, you might as well get paid for it. Not to mention the fun you have doing some shops, like getting a free night's stay at a quality hotel.

-Kat

In my last post on how to apply to be a Mystery Shopper, I discussed 3 things that you need to consider to get hired as a Mystery Shopper. As mentioned, every application from a mystery shopping company will look different. Some will be quick and easy to fill out, yet others will require more work. Do not skimp out on the details. Doing so will affect your chances of getting jobs as a Secret Shopper.

Here is a sample narrative I had to do for an application form. They wanted me to describe a recent shopping experience I had. First you will see the question they asked on their form, and then my typed response. I will then explain why I answered this question the way I did.

Providing a Sample Narrative:

Use the area below to submit a sample narrative report. Your submission will allow us to evaluate your reporting and grammar skills to ensure they meet our high standards. The quality of your submitted report will be taken into consideration in our decision to offer you Mystery Shopping assignments or not.

We’re not looking for the length of your narrative; rather, we’ll look for a detailed reporting style coupled with proper grammar and punctuation as well as an unbiased account of your experience.

Please provide an account of a recent shopping experience that you have had. The experience could have been an excellent encounter, or a less than satisfactory one. A sample narrative is required in order to complete your shopper registration.

When I walked into the clothing store at 10 am, I was greeted instantly by a Sales Associate. She was at the counter assisting a customer.

There was another Sales Associate on the floor helping a customer look for an item of clothing.

There were also two other customers together looking through the racks of clothes. As I looked around, I noticed unfolded clothes on the shelves.

I found a shirt to try on and went to the fitting room, where I was immediately assisted by the floor Sales Associate. She had finished with her customer. She wasn't smiling.

I came out of the fitting room and provided her with the shirt on the hanger and said that it was too small.

I asked her if there was a larger size and she asked me where I got it from, and again she wasn't smiling. I showed her the area where I found it.

She asked me if I looked at this other area also, and pointed to another section of the store. I said that I did, but that it was okay. She mumbled something.

I walked out of the store, near the counter, but wasn't acknowledged by the Sales Associate. She was looking down doing paperwork.

First of all, even though I was told I could recount either an excellent or a poor shopping experience, I opted to provide a more satisfactory one. You want to try and avoid sounding negative! Most of your shops that you do will turn out to be an overall positive or neutral experience anyway.

You will also notice that I sound factual, and am not putting any emotions into my response. This is very important. In real shopping reports, you are to state the facts objectively. What you may have thought was poor service would have been great service for someone else, and vice-versa.

For instance, I said that the Sales Associate wasn't smiling. I didn't say she was unfriendly. This was important to include, 'cause working with customers it is important she smile. But do notice that by saying she's unfriendly, I could be wrong. Maybe she wasn't feeling well. You just don't know. So you can't judge. Always remain objective.

I made sure that my spelling, grammar, and punctuation were up to par. They do state that they are looking for these skills, so it's even more important to be mindful of how you write.

The sample narrative sounds like a report with a story to it. What I mean is you can get a sense of time and place, with a beginning, middle, and end. This is important. You want to have a flow to your report. You want it to make sense.

Details are so important to notice when you are doing your secret shops, and you will definitely want to include them in your reports. Notice how I mention how many staff and how many customers were in the store. This is something that I noticed that all of my reports ask. I guess it gives the sense how busy the store is. If they asked, "Was it busy in there?", it would be based on your subjective opinion. This is why numbers and facts are so important to include.

This sample of a customer service experience I had was written in reporting fashion. You will have to do this type of thing every time you complete a report. Often, you will need longer answers than this. The quality of your reporting is key, and will determine if you get called back for more shops or not. Sometimes if a poor report is done, they don't have to pay you.

Hopefully, this post on how to apply to be a Mystery Shopper gives you more insight on how to get those jobs that pay you to shop and dine!

-Kat