A friend of mine who lives around the corner from me has listened to my MS stories for the last couple of years, laughing, nodding and shaking her head. She's long retired and well off, but volunteers and takes as much as the law allows from her income tax as far as gas and other tax deductions are concerned for her volunteer work. More than once, she has remarked, "I would NEVER work for the peanuts you do mystery shopping! It sounds to me like, after you subtract gas, time spent actually doing the shops and inputting them into the computer, you probably are making a buck an hour." Since I have never actually sat down and done the math, she might be right. Recently, I mentioned the easy bank visit that paid $125. She sat up straight, pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and, stupefied, said, "Wait a second! Did they send you to ROB a bank? Since when does mystery shopping pay $125?" To which I replied, "Wait a second! Not every MS job pays chump change, you know!" She doesn't want to do it herself, but is far more respectful of what I do now. I guess it's true for some people--it's all about the Benjamins. --Proudly--and gleefully--shopping

Well KR - you will not get many jobs if you cannot spell. (Or you will get the first jobs but you won't be recruited to do more for those companies. Grammar and spelling are just as important as your observational skills. You titled your post "Were about to get lots of new shoopers." Your first error is "Were" - that is the wrong word. You should have used "We are" or "We're" if you wanted to use the contraction. AND The word is "shoppers" not "shoopers."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2015 07:49PM by res820.

@res820 wrote:

Well KR - you will not get many jobs if you cannot spell. (Or you will get the first jobs but you won't be recruited to do more for those companies. Grammar and spelling are just as important as your observational skills. You titled your post "Were about to get lots of new shoopers." Your first error is "Were" - that is the wrong word. You should have used "We are" or "We're" if you wanted to use the contraction. AND The word is "shoppers" not "shoopers."

Ouch! [Rubbing butt where it was chewed....]

Thank you for taking the time to point out the errors. I often read this forum on an old iPad and write my posts using the virtual keypad. At work, some of the "kids" laughingly call it fat finger syndrome -- where you go to press one key, but another gets pressed by mistake.

Rest assured that I always type my shopping reports on a regular pc with a REAL keyboard. The report is written in MS Word, and proofed before it is submitted.

I wish you a pleasant weekend.

Did my first shop last night, so I'm smiling as I read all of this.

I hope your first shop went off without a hitch. I was sweating bullets during my first shop.

@touchshopper wrote:

Did my first shop last night, so I'm smiling as I read all of this.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

The only thing that's better -- is when you get your first pay.

Nor for cockeyed optimists. However, hard nosed realists seem to thrive here.

@prince wrote:

I hope your first shop went off without a hitch. I was sweating bullets during my first shop.

Well... I wouldn't say that, exactly. lol At least now I know it's official. I'm human.

Hey, at least it would sound like you are still laughing! That is a good sign for a quick recovery

@Kr wrote:

@touchshopper wrote:

Did my first shop last night, so I'm smiling as I read all of this.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

The only thing that's better -- is when you get your first pay.

My husband is extremely suspicious that it will never happen. lol Frankly, if it doesn't, I'll chalk it up to being part of earning my stripes. Certainly you have to expect some bumps and bruises along the way, no?

@touchshopper wrote:

@Kr wrote:

@touchshopper wrote:

Did my first shop last night, so I'm smiling as I read all of this.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

The only thing that's better -- is when you get your first pay.

My husband is extremely suspicious that it will never happen. lol Frankly, if it doesn't, I'll chalk it up to being part of earning my stripes. Certainly you have to expect some bumps and bruises along the way, no?

I have a feeling your going to be an awesome shopper. Congratulations on finishing the first one. It is definitely the scariest.

I won't allow MSC to post on my page or like their pages.. That is a dead give away.
.

Or how about: "Just tell me the ones that pay good? I want to work for your companies." Yeah right

Mystery shopping, field auditing, business inspections, etc. are not easy jobs anyone can perform. I am sure lots of people try and soon give up because they lack proper grammar skills and don't see it as being worth their while.

I agree with so many of your posts.

MS is not for the faint of heart. But gosh I love it. I work a full time corporate job and MS in my free time. When I started years ago I questioned whether it was right for me because of the low pay for the jobs I was doing at that time. I stuck it out because quite frankly I like to write and the little money here and there was fun to receive, even 60 days later.

Now I travel, stay in nice hotels, eat at some fabulous restaurants and have some amazing experiences. While it's true that some of those experiences may have occurred without mystery shopping, it's safe to say they wouldn't have been as interesting and I'm sure the charges would not have been reversed.

I don't tell people that I mystery shop, but I have had conversations with people about mystery shopping. Generally I find they think it's not really a job, it's just something people do for fun. Or, alternatively they have checked into it and don't want to do "all that writing." To each his own. The two people in my life who know what I do are my husband and my best friend and that's simply because they are the only two people I use as a +1 when a shop requires two.

I applaud new mystery shoppers who see beyond trying to make a quick buck and hang in there long enough to see their hard work and dedication rewarded. Whether it's with that shop they applied for 100 times and thought they would never get; or hearing a scheduler say "Yes, I'll pay you that."

This is a great job, but it IS a job. I love how I've improved my attention to detail over the years; how my writing has improved; and how I've built some solid relationships with schedulers. It's all priceless and I love it.

I believe there is plenty of room in this business for others, but I also believe the people reading about how to make money quickly are not necessarily ready for THIS.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2015 04:37AM by Travisli.

I wonder: msc's are actively recruiting. All shoppers can be trained for video at any point in their careers. New shoppers can quickly be trained for video. Some newbies might easily afford video before their first shops.

Is it possible that new shoppers can reach higher earnings sooner than those who entered the business in a different era of shopping?

There are many different possibilities. Video pays more than traditional mystery shopping and there are a number of things that pay better than either and aren't associated at all with mystery shopping. If my understanding is correct, becoming a Walmart associate pays better than mystery shopping and certainly more steadily than video shopping.

@Flash wrote:

This is not a competitive sport. Having the highest number of shops per day/week/month or the highest top line or bottom line to your business is not the point. Doing what you comfortably can within the unique set of parameters with which you are working should be your business' goal.

I am a person that has helped (mentored) people since I started my first business when I was 12 years old (that business lasted over 50 years and had a huge influence on my life). Because the concept was new I did not want "copy cats" trying and failing to perform to my standards I gave lessons and started a network. If I was booked I called someone I trusted to offer their services. Those people would call me when they were offered work they could not perform because it clashed with their calendar.

You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. Zig Zigler should have added you must be cheerful, knowledgeable and perform with integrity. no one wants to be abused, cheated, or mislead. I knew that long before I heard of Zig Zigler.I heard it from several mentors who were entrepreneurs. This forum offers the opportunity to share.common sense people should have had before they stepped in it.

I know wages are different across the nation but here in Texas mystery shopping pays much better than Walmart at the entry level. Our minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Walmart assigns hours at a limited level to avoid paying benefits. Thirty hours per week at minimum wage is $11,310 annually. I may be off some in my numbers but not much. Another issue is that when working for Walmart you have to be available 24/7 for whatever hours they choose to assign and usually employees do not have a fixed schedule. It would be difficult to have a second job.

Walmart is just an example, MDavisnowell. [money.cnn.com] was pretty groundbreaking because even their lowest paid employees have gotten a boost and there will be more personal control over scheduling. And of course what they earn entails few offsetting expenses such as buying video equipment or driving the heck out of their car. And I am not advocating going to work for Walmart but just mentioning that there are perhaps less stressful ways of earning a living than mystery shopping. Most of those who can/could turn mystery shopping into a profitable business have skills that should warrant better jobs in the work force than working at a retailer.

I am a potential newbie in the realm of video shopping. I have experience in traditional mystery shopping. I hope someone can spare a moment to enlighten me in one point of comparison/contrast:

How many non-bonused, non-video 'handful of fellows' shops (easy to verify) will equal the non-bonused compensation of some non-bonused video shop which you can compare/contrast and which you will have to decribe to me?

Thanks in advance.

There is no better job than what I'm doing. There may be some better paying jobs, but there are no better jobs.

@MDavisnowell wrote:

There is no better job than what I'm doing. There may be some better paying jobs, but there are no better jobs.

Yes. Perfect. *applause*

Most are fly by nigh

Reasons:
up front money (I have never fronted over $20 for one shop)
HOMEWORK
computer, printer (or access to one) and cell phone
Good writing skills
honesty
recount names
memorization
comprehention
following instructions
dependable vehicle
work ethic
meet reporting schedules
be able to compare apples to oranges

All the above and more. Plus, you are at the disgression of editors who decide if your report meets the score.
I do not make the 'big-time' shops like others say they do, mostly because I live in a remote area where there is barely a McDonalds and Hardies. We don't even have a 'Myrtle Norman' (courtesy of my ten year old grandaugher). ha!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2015 10:24PM by 5842meg.

,,,

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2015 09:15PM by 5842meg.

My plan is, I will keep doing MS, until I win the lotto. I have been at it for a year. Well, I need the flexibility, although I find myself, contemplating whether to just do a 9 to 5 job and be done for the day. Yeah, do a route of shops, since I live in a big metropolitan area. Driving for 4 hours or more for route of shops, then bombarded with reports at night or the following day catch up.
So, do I deal with a boss, and office politic, not ready yet. Maybe in time, if a good job comes along. For now I go back to my original plan. Do MS job until I win the lotto.

Agreed, it ain't for the faint of heart. Gotta Hustle!!!!!!!! So when friends ask about it, I tell them, but from experience, I referred one and she lasted with 2 shops, and that was that. So, I do not bother explaining further to others. They think it's a walk in the park.

I've thought about why I mystery shop. It is not so much the money, as I could survive without it. What if I stopped mshopping? No! I cannot even think about it for a minute. I read some people's comments that if they did not need the money, they won't mshop. If I won a million, I don't think I would completely give it up. It's in my blood. People who have not had that experience won't be interested because it is too much work, too much energy involved, etc. There is a way out. Be selective of what you do and who you work for.

The reason some are hesitant to take a leap is because it has not gotten into their blood. They think of all the work involved and the measly compensation as the final fruit of that labour. It is easier to make a speedy retreat. But it is not the best way to map a future.

As ICs, when we want to relax, we can do it, on our own terms. When we want to challenge ourselves, we go ahead and face more hurdles. We are the authors of our destiny. This is just too much for some new recruit to handle. It is the mystery of being an IC. It is hard to stomach for a newbie who is used to being taken care of by the family, the society, the company, the government, etc.

@Flash wrote:

Walmart is just an example, MDavisnowell. [money.cnn.com] was pretty groundbreaking because even their lowest paid employees have gotten a boost and there will be more personal control over scheduling.

Sorry but even according to that article I still make more than a WalMart employee. Also if you notice that only included full time workers when a majority of their store associates are held to the maximum number of hours they can give them without making them full time.

@risinghorizon wrote:

As ICs, when we want to relax, we can do it, on our own terms. When we want to challenge ourselves, we go ahead and face more hurdles. We are the authors of our destiny. This is just too much for some new recruit to handle. It is the mystery of being an IC. It is hard to stomach for a newbie who is used to being taken care of by the family, the society, the company, the government, etc.

That was very well said. I hadn't been able to figure out yet why the very thought of giving it up sends me into a panic. Even when I'm exhausted and still have an hour of reports left to do I compulsively check the boards, sometimes. It's the challenges. It's the possibility of something completely new that I am able to just ask for and get and then go and complete it, butterflies and all. No one hanging over my shoulder. Just me, myself, and I. It's pretty heady stuff, at times.

The local Walmart posted a sign their starting pay is now $9.00 an hour. So if I go to work there and work 30 hours a week as a part timer that's $270.00 a week. Let's see now, what do I do that I like the least? Aha! sHells. How many sHells is that, counting the gas and inside reimbursement? Aha! 15 1/2 sHell stations equal one whole week part time at Walmart. No, thanks Walmart. I'm on my way to sHell.