What Is Secret Shopping And How To Get Started

Nothing is more exciting than shopping for your favorite items. It is fun and can relieve stress, making you happy. But shopping while earning money is a whole different level of fun. Yes! You can shop while earning at the same time. 

It’s a perfect job for people who like to shop or simply for college students. You get to try out services and shop at stores you might never shop on your own, and get paid to do it!

What is And How To Start Secret Shopping

Truly, shopping is a fun way to relieve stress. But, it is unhealthy for your bank account. Thankfully, there are available jobs to gain extra money, like mystery shopping jobs which we will tackle today. If you want to have fun while earning, this is the best job for you! 

​Let’s start!

What is Secret Shopping?

Secret shopping, also known as mystery shopping, is a market research strategy companies use to evaluate the customer experience. Businesses hire secret shoppers to experience specific things in the shopping experience and report back to the company on their experience.

The companies are looking for specific information and will give you all of that before you go in, such as how well-kept a facility is or how its staff treats customers, if the store is set up correctly, and a lot more. 

Start Secret Shopping in Five Steps

1. Have the Necessary Skills

To start a mystery shopping work, you must first have the necessary skills to carry out the line of work. You should have the following skills to be qualified for secret shopper jobs.

• Integrity – Be able to give honest opinions, regardless of their impact on the organization or a specific person.
• Good Communication Skills – The client may ask you to talk to many employees to obtain data.
• Be Able To Follow Directions Well – Be very precise about your client’s directions. 
• Discretion – You must appear as though you are just any other customer without tipping off the employees.

2. Apply to a Reputable Company

If you want to make money and have more mystery shopping opportunities, you might want to work with multiple companies at the same time. However, just be sure they are all legit companies. A legitimate mystery shopping company will NEVER ask YOU for money.

Look around on the internet and check out some secret shopper discussions, groups, and meetups to find the best mystery shopper companies.

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3. Be Prepared

You will also need to have the following to get the needed information for your mystery shopping gigs.

• Money (to purchase requested items, the company will reimburse you)
• Good Transportation (to get to where they need you to be)
• Good Computer and Internet Connection (to report your findings)
• Proper Attire (dress appropriately for the shop)
• Recording Equipment (may or may not be required)

4. Organize Your Work

Since you may be working on multiple tasks at the same time, it’s important to organize every task since every client has specific standards. If you’re taking notes, divide your assignments into several pads to avoid combining important details. 

In the past, when I have mystery shopped they asked me not to take notes in the store cause that could give them away. So, I kept a notepad in the car where I could record everything while it was fresh in my mind. I never wanted to forget any small details.

Keep everything organized by the company if you’re working for multiple companies as they all have different requirements for submitting your work.

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5. Complete Your Assignments Well

Once you’ve chosen a task, it’s important to be sure you complete it EXACTLY per the client’s instructions and shop contract.

Remember that clients may not pay you if they don’t like your work (not common, you’d have to be pretty negligent for this to happen with a reputable company). In terms of payment, your client will pay you either through cash payment or a wire transfer.

Enjoy Shopping While Earning Extra Income

Mystery or secret shopping jobs are best if you want easy money and a job without a start-up fee. After finishing a mystery shopping assignment, clients can offer an average pay or much more.

Follow the steps above to be one of the best full-time mystery shoppers!