Mystery Shopping isn't Worth the Hassle!!!!

I am getting so sick and tired of these companies with BIG promises and NOT delivering! What they don't tell you until you learn for yourself is that that "$15 an hour" that you're going to make will cause you the biggest headaches and you can't make a living doing it! It's not worth it. They want you to print out 10 pages of stuff to memorize and then they want you to go in with a stop watch and remember names, exact times down to the second, descriptions, etc but won't let you refer to any notes or let you write anything down. It's a JOKE!

Then you get home after driving to the location, spending probably 20-30 min at the store, driving home only to have to spend anywhere from 30-60 minutes filling out page after page of questions and uploading information. And for what? A free sandwhich? $10? NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!! These companies are making a killing and paying us peanuts for what we have to do. And they love nothing better to reject your report over the dumbest stuff that 99% of the time was not your fault and 99% of the time they don't even tell you that it was rejected! They just hope either you'll forget about it or that you won't take the time to keep track of them!

MYSTERY SHOPPING SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

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I"ve never seen a shop like that...most aren't..you can usually write things down...

Just $15 an hour? Unless i'm doing a favor or a shop for the first time my combination pay/reimbursement will be $30 an hour or I stay home.

When I first started...i was lucky to get 50$ a day haha.

CEO The Mystery Shoppers Depot
US Wide route shopper with 12k+ shops completed over 48 states and 6 countries.
Airbnb host based in Chicago and 10% discount if you mention this forum

@kiki125 wrote:

MYSTERY SHOPPING SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't let the forum door hit you on your azz.

I use my phone for anything like that. I use a stopwatch app to track timings, scanner app that can export in PDF or JPG, and any particular notes that I need to make sure I am aware of. Nobody will question you for checking your smartphone. Last weekend, I was able to confirm I got my order within 2 minutes and nobody even noticed.

We get it. You don't like mystery shopping.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

Kiki, for the most part you are hollering out at people that make mystery shopping work for them, and integrate it into their lifestyle in some fashion that works. If you need help, ask a specific question...... or stop doing this thing that makes you so upset...life is to short!

If mystery shopping doesn't work for you, find a different way to make money. We all choose what we do.

That's fine. It leaves all the more money on the table for me to take

You're absolutely right. Mystery shopping is a terrible job and you shouldn't be doing it.

I agree. Everyone needs to quit mystery shopping right now, except me.

But the nice thing is incompetent people with no work ethic aren't much of a threat. It's the smart ones who do good work that you really have to worry about.

Print out and memorize 10 pages? For 99% of my jobs, the notes I need fit on a post it note. My cellphone keeps track of the timings for me.

kiki125 mystery shopping isn't for everyone. My husband did a few and decided no more for him. For me, many jobs are no hassle. Today I had a leisurly lunch at a Fast Food restaurant. I had to sit there for 15 minutes and read a magazine after using my cell phone to take the timings - to the second. The report is easy peasy. I will be reimbursed my lunch which has minimul value to me, and I will be paid $12 direct deposit to my bank. I have to remember to notice basic things like cleanliness, tidy uniforms, and whether there is a BUS in the parking lot. lol But I was in Walmart anyway today so the job was like finding $12 on the ground.

On the other hand my husband ate at another restaurant across the parking lot. He likes eating there, and he won't even sign up with the mystery shopping company that does those shops. He wants to eat there, pay and not write a report. He was smart, he had a job that provides him with a company pension.

I hope you find what works for you.

it does indeed take a special breed
some get what we want others get what they need
some do it in plaid some do it in Tweed
if you don't like it go get a job fast
And I'll evaluate you after I pump my gas

I like mystery shopping

When you learn, teach, when you get, give. Maya Angelou

It's still a good part time job once you learn how to do it well. I enjoy eating at Red Robin Burger Works, for example, and getting the cost reimbursed.

When I first started I would take the $10 shops. The only problem is that those $10 shops from 2009 are the same$10 for 2015, those companies have not increased their rates but gas has gone up..so don't complain, just don't take them. $15 has to close to home, $10 has to be very close or on the way somewhere and I have to have another $10 shop nearby. I only really take $20 shops or more these days. I have a tape recorder and for those companies that have ten pages of instructions, I would not take. Some like GFK has 10 pages, but it is not all instructions. If you don't like it, don't do it, it is your choice. Or get familiar with a few companies that do the same jobs over and over again to familiar yourself more with it.

I love mystery shopping

for what I need right now (help with my income) it is perfect. But like others have said it is not for everyone.

www.Facebook.com/oatsandgrins

I love my job. But it isn't always easy.

Billy Bryan in Carthage and his/her myriad of other names is b-a-a-c-k!

Today I had three shops in a row after a dry spell of several days. It was weird--almost like a junkie--yes--I have shops!! I think I am addicted to mystery shopping.

I'm the opposite, I have one on the other side of town tomorrow and can't score any others nearby there. I hope there is something on my phone apps tomorrow.

#entitlementgeneration

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

You are valuable in that you are helping the company, by being the "eyes" for them, reporting back what you saw. If you were hungry and it was lunchtime and you picked up a sandwich shop, then you have just filled your stomach and gotten paid for it.

OP, have you ever went into a restaurant and gotten horrible service? Nobody gave a crap right? You left in a huff and told yourself that place was awful, you would never go back and maybe you posted how awful they were on a public site.

What did you get from your bad experience? Awful service and dissatisfaction as a customer. Being a mystery shopper you can HELP by reporting what you saw, so the company can make improvements. Your insight to the company is priceless.

You won't get rich from mystery shopping. You will gain knowledge and learn how to be the best mystery shopper you can

I perform only one mystery shop a day, seven days a week. I know that sounds wasteful and stupid to some of you pros out there, but with my mass of health problems, it's about all I can handle. I'm retired and getting a pension. These mystery shops, which I'm able to keep local most of the time, give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning, help me forget I'm in constant pain most of the time, and keep my writing skills honed with the narratives I write. I get a lot of free meals, oil changes, goodies at hardware stores and an opportunity to make positive changes in customer service where it is needed. Most days, I'm proud of what I do. I enjoy the intelligence and suggestions of you lovely folks here on this forum.

Sometimes, I do think we are woefully underpaid and wonder why I keep doing it. Most of the time, I'm very grateful I found this flexible, enjoyable, helpful way to pass my retirement years. If I want to take a cruise, I just don't schedule any shops for the week I'll be gone. Easy peasy. If mystery shopping becomes more work than fun, I'm out. So far, I'm four years in and having a great time. My retired husband had joined me and he loves it, too. Win-win.

Robinv

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2015 12:14PM by robinv.

@robinv wrote:

I perform only one mystery shop a day, seven days a week. I know that sounds wasteful and stupid to some of you pros out there, but with my mass of health problems, it's about all I can handle. I'm retired and getting a pension. These mystery shops, which I'm able to keep local most of the time, give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning, help me forget I'm in constant pain most of the time, and keep my writing skills honed with the narratives I write. I get a lot of free meals, oil changes, goodies at hardware stores and an opportunity to make positive changes in customer service where it is needed. Most days, I'm proud of what I do. I enjoy the intelligence and suggestions of you lovely folks here on this forum.

Sometimes, I do think we are woefully underpaid and wonder why I keep doing it. Most of the time, I'm very grateful I found this flexible, enjoyable, helpful way to pass my retirement years. If I want to take a cruise, I just don't schedule any shops for the week I'll be gone. Easy peasy. If mystery shopping becomes more work than fun, I'm out. So far, I'm four years in and having a great time. My retired husband had joined me and is loves it, too. Win-win.

Robinv

Robin, what an inspiring post!

It is important, whether you do 1 or 10 shops a day. You do what you can handle

When I first started out, I would do 1 every "other" day, to get my wings wet. Pretty soon, I was able to work the confidence of 1 every day. Then 2 a day and when I hit 5 shops, that is enough for me! I know others do 10, 12, 20 shops a day but I would pull my hair out

Lol @ "these companies are making a killing"

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

OP -
Congratulations!
4 separate rants posted in your first 26 minutes of being on the Forum may be a record!
Surely your ability to process and post so effiently should quickly translate into far faster reporting, and you'll be making a living at this in no time.

@robinv wrote:

I perform only one mystery shop a day, seven days a week. I know that sounds wasteful and stupid to some of you pros out there, but with my mass of health problems, it's about all I can handle. I'm retired and getting a pension. These mystery shops, which I'm able to keep local most of the time, give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning, help me forget I'm in constant pain most of the time, and keep my writing skills honed with the narratives I write. I get a lot of free meals, oil changes, goodies at hardware stores and an opportunity to make positive changes in customer service where it is needed. Most days, I'm proud of what I do. I enjoy the intelligence and suggestions of you lovely folks here on this forum.

Sometimes, I do think we are woefully underpaid and wonder why I keep doing it. Most of the time, I'm very grateful I found this flexible, enjoyable, helpful way to pass my retirement years. If I want to take a cruise, I just don't schedule any shops for the week I'll be gone. Easy peasy. If mystery shopping becomes more work than fun, I'm out. So far, I'm four years in and having a great time. My retired husband had joined me and is loves it, too. Win-win.

Robinv

ROBINV - I felt like I was reading my post!!!! We are so in sync! My husband plans to retire next year and already thinks he will be shopping. He is joining me at the conference in Las Vegas to check it out. I don't schedule shops the week before a cruise and for two weeks after. Takes that long for me to recover.
I had gotten away from the one-two shops a day and I don't think I was doing my best work. Thanks to reading your article and seeing that somebody else has the same scenario as I do, I'm cutting back to one or two shops, three to five days a week. I need more time to write my narratives and I don't shop on Sunday.
Thanks Robinv!

When you learn, teach, when you get, give. Maya Angelou

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Mystery Shopping isn't Worth the Hassle!!!!

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