I made that decision years ago. When I was a new shopper, I accepted the fact that I would have to accept some low paying jobs to get the number of jobs I wanted. I hadn't "paid my dues" and not many MSC's knew me or the work I do. That time has changed. Fifteen years later, I shop full time. Because I operate a shopping business, it's important that I receive fair compensation for the time and effort it takes for me to do a job. Some, not most of the companies I worked with back when I started still seem to think that mystery shoppers are out there doing this job as kind of a "hobby" and don't need to be respected by being paid a fair rate for their work. Once my shopping business stopped being a hobby, I made several changes to the assignments I apply for and will accept. These include:
1. I do very few, if any, restaurant shops. I have discovered that MSC's offering these opportunities are usually looking for someone who wants a free meal, not a professional who will provide high quality information to their client in a timely manner. Many of these MSC's offer these jobs with just reimbursement of the cost of the meal and no compensation for the time and effort it takes to do these jobs. If they do pay a fee, it is usually embarrassingly low and does not take in to account the time the shopper needs to invest to complete the job correctly.
2. I select jobs based on educated estimates of the amount of time it will take to complete the assignment--both the visit and report preparation. If the fee (minus any reimbursement of expenses) doesn't net me at least $25/hr, I don't apply for the job. I used to think that this practice might hurt, rather than help, my bottom line. But, I've discovered that MSC's who are realistic and respectful about the shopper's cost of doing business are out there, and they are looking for people who can work to a higher standard. MSC's talk to each other and refer top shoppers to other companies. I've had calls from companies who pay a fair rate for my services and were seeking people who were capable of providing the kind of service they needed. My income hovers in the $40-$50 per hour range now, and I'd rather work at cultivating relationships with these MSC's rather than trying to do a glut of jobs for the other companies in order to make a decent income. You are probably at a point now that you might want to evaluate and see if it is a good time for you to "fire" some of the MSC's who do not pay a fair rate for your services.
3. When I decided to make the leap, I had MSC's (the low paying ones) calling me to find out why I wasn't applying for work with them any more. I was honest with them. I told them that the pay they offered didn't cover my cost of doing the assignment. I explained that, rather than shopping for fun and a hobby, I was building a business. I would tell them that, as did their business, my business had to make a profit and the shops they offered were not profitable. I always said I would be happy to work for them again, but that their current standard of shopper compensation would not allow me to do business with them. I told them I really liked working for them, so if their standard of compensation changed to a level that would allow me to make a profit, I would love to shop for them again. If they asked, I told them that I would be willing to apply for a light shopping job (a total of 30 minutes or less to do shop and report), that paid at least $15 over and above any reimbursement. I've had companies get back in touch with me when they could meet my standard, and I've started doing shops for them again. There were some, who can't seem to understand English, that still try to sell me on the below $10 jobs. I don't even read their emails. I just delete them summarily.
Because I demand a higher fee, and usually get it, I am bound to make sure I give the MSC the service that they need. I have had to learn to plan my schedule very carefully so that I have enough time to do the reports that pay $50 - $100, but can take an hour to do. My observation skills have had to improve immensely as well. The companies that I work for pay a lot better than the average MSC, but they also require better work from me than do those other companies. Taking some community college courses in business management and technical writing provided good additional training that has helped me land repeat work with these companies. I have also specialized in the types of shops I do. I work primarily with financial institutions, rental property management, home sales companies, educational institutions, high end fashion and cosmetics, electronics shops, medical shops, and audits. I also have done merchandising route jobs and focus groups.
I would like to hear what others do to be paid fairly.