Copyright UnknownShopper.com 2004
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do I have to do as a secret shopper? As a secret shopper you are simply responsible for visiting various businesses as any other normal customer would, and as you have surely done many times yourself. You will order meals, shop for clothing, etc. as normal. However, companies will rely on you to be particularly observant and to provide them with detailed information on your experiences (usually very soon after the shop) as they pertain to the level of service that you received from their staff, the quality of their products, etc. Obviously, though you are shopping as a normal consumer, the fact that you are working as a secret shopper must remain completely confidential. Who does secret shopping? Truly a wide variety of people throughout the US are mystery shoppers. Both men and women, younger and older are regularly needed. Employment seekers, career changers, stay-at-home moms and dads, entrepreneurs looking for an additional income stream, college students, and creative professionals (actors, musicians, etc.) make up the vast community of secret shoppers. Mystery shopping provides a good income opportunity, along with the flexibility and freedom to work whenever and how ever much a person chooses to work. Am I required to have experience? No. You are not required to have any specific experience to be a mystery shopper. However, personal qualities such as being observant, an ability to meet deadlines in reporting after shops, and strong e-mail skills and basic word processing skills are important (as much of the communication between Shoppers and companies is handled via on-line and e-mail communication after shops). Additionally, it is necessary that you have good communication skills - both in writing and in person (writing - simply to report your experiences, in person- to carry on basic conversations as necessary with the employees of the businesses you are visiting). Though not required, any prior experience in the retail, financial services, hospitality, apartment leasing fields or customer service will serve as a helpful aid in your role as a Secret Shopper (as many shops fall into these categories). Nevertheless, if you don't have prior experience in these areas, don't worry. It won't keep you from being a mystery shopper if you possess the other qualities mentioned above. How and when will I be paid? As we have compiled an exhaustive list of companies that are currently seeking Secret Shoppers it is likely that you will have opportunities to work for a number of different companies. Each company has their own individual pay schedule and general pay practices. However, in general you will usually be paid within a two week cycle. Some companies pay sooner and some pay later (the longest time usually being within a month of a completed shop). Depending upon the company you may be paid via check or direct deposit. Additionally, you will be paid as an independent contractor via the companies Accounts payable dept. and not as an employee. How much will I be paid? Depending on the type of shop that you complete you can generally expect to be paid $10-$40 per shop. Pretty good for something that you usually do anyway for free. This is an average range for a typical retail shopping excursion and about 15 minutes of time at the establishment and a completed survey or document on your experience. Additionally, in most cases you will be reimbursed for the cost of an item that you may choose to purchase while on the shop (ultimately, in essence allowing you to also purchase an item at no charge to you). Typical restaurant shops are paid at $15-$50 per shop plus or reimbursement for the cost of the meal. There are opportunities to visit hotels, amusement parks, etc. as a Secret Shopper as well. Again, these are typical examples but individual details will vary with each shop. How much can I realistically expect to make overall as a Secret Shopper? The amount of money you earn as a Secret Shopper is shearly up to you via how many companies you sign up with and how much you are willing to go to shops as they are presented to you. Many stay at home moms and dads, students, and part time workers make between $400-$500 per week on a part time basis in their spare time. Secret shopping is a great way to earn extra money to help with bills, commitments etc. on a part time basis. However, many others have committed to secret shopping on a full time basis and earn $40,000-$50,000 a year doing so. How Does The Money Back Guarantee Work? Again, based upon the exhaustive list of hundreds of companies that we have compiled throughout the US that are currently seeking and regularly use secret shoppers, we feel absolutely certain that you will have shopping opportunities available to you. In fact we are so certain of that feeling, that we are willing to offer a 30 day money back guarantee. Nonetheless, in the very unlikely event that you receive no offers for shops by the conclusion of a period of 28 days we will gladly refund your money on the 30th day. Requests for refunds however, will be subject to verification to help reduce attempts at abuse of this policy. Can I do secret shopping if I have a baby or small children? Absolutely! One of the great things about secret shopping for stay at home parents is that in many cases you can often bring along your children (provided that they are able to reasonably behave). There are certainly some shops where it may not be appropriate to bring children, but there are many others where companies will allow it and depending upon the type of shop in fact even encourage it (i.e., day care centers, toy stores, etc.) where appropriate. Remember, that for every assignment you will be provided with specific dates and times for completion and thus you are able to determine whether or not you will be able to accept the shop. Are secret shopping jobs available in my area? As we have compiled an exhaustive list of hundreds of secret shopping companies throughout the United States, it is quite likely that you will be able to find shops available in your area or a very close surrounding area. Am I guaranteed shopping jobs? Again, based upon the exhaustive list of hundreds of companies that we have compiled throughout the US that are currently seeking and regularly use secret shoppers, we feel absolutely certain that you will have shopping opportunities available to you. In fact we are so certain of that feeling, that we are willing to offer a 30 day money back guarantee. How soon can I expect to begin working? We are aware of several people who received offers to complete shopping assignments within 2-5 days of signing up with companies. However, it is realistic to expect to receive assignments within 2-3 weeks of signing up with a number of the companies available to you on the list that we provide. Generally it only takes about 2-3 minutes to apply or sign up with a company. It is usually a very simple process. Why am I paying the $24.95 fee? Secret shopping is obviously a great job, that many people would enjoy and do enjoy doing, as has been reported on ABC News and in several national newspapers. The only problem for most people is figuring out where to go and who to contact to find these jobs. It can be quite difficult to determine and or find companies that regularly utilize secret shoppers, in order to have enough opportunity to ensure your success. We have expended a tremendous amount of time, effort, and research to compile one of the best and most comprehensive lists of those companies and their contact information for your on line use. There are no further fees, charges, or hidden costs of any kind. Can I be certain that my payment information will be secure? We utilize Pay Pal one of the safest and most respected payment processing companies on the internet. Please see their statement below concerning data security and encryption: Data Security and Encryption The security of your information, transactions, and money is the core of our business and our top priority at PayPal. PayPal automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available). Before you even register or log in to our site, our server checks that you're using an approved browser - one that uses SSL 3.0 or higher. Once your information reaches us, it resides on a server that is heavily guarded both physically and electronically. Our servers sit behind an electronic firewall and are not directly connected to the Internet, so your private information is available only to authorized computers.
