Why do people mystery shop?

Some people do it as a hobby, others do it to supplement their earnings.

For completing mystery shopping assignments, shoppers are generally paid for their time and effort through the following methods:

1. Payments
2. Reimbursements
3. Both

Example of some perks that mystery shoppers get include:

• Payment for walking into a store and enquiring about a specific items
• Payment for calling the customer service line and asking for assistance
• Reimbursements for their meals
• Reimbursements for their purchase
• Reimbursements for their accommodation

The amount of payments and/or reimbursements offered depend on the nature of the job. The more difficult or time consuming the task is, the more shoppers are rewarded.

However, mystery shopping is not just about fun, it is also very serious. The survey questionnaires that shoppers complete are transformed into a report that is sent to the client to review and assess important factors within their business such as customer service, store layout and signage, and keeping tabs on the sales process. The detailed reporting that the mystery shopping company provide to the client is only as good as the information supplied by the shopper. So as a shopper, you must provide accurate and detailed information.

People mystery shop because:

1. They enjoy completing the assignments
2. They do it to earn a bit of extra money
3. They enjoy receiving freebies or discounts for their purchases
4. They want to help improve the customer service standards in Australia

Which categories do you see yourself in?

Next topic: What types of businesses get mystery shopped?