New to mystery shopping. Done about 12 shops trying to get a variety to find which types I like best. I saw a request for hotel parking lots audits and am wondering what that entails and is it worth the effort?

I've never done it because it seems like a risky situation to put myself in and the pay is paltry, as well as not guaranteed! But I'm sure it can be great for the right person.

I wish I could find the parking garage shops. They moved or went somewhere else in my area. I loved stacking other downtown shops that would not be worth it if I had to pay parking.

There ARE parking lot/garage/valet shops that pay well. But they are done by a small cadre of shoppers for a little know, and VERY fast growing MSC. If they are not in your nearest city now, they probably will be within the next 12 months as they have a huge contract that will start rolling in locations across the nation that is about to begin. These are cash integrity shops and not just "Did the attendant smile and thank you" shops. In major city centers shoppers may do from 2-40 shops per month, every month. (No problem if you want fewer, or even no, shops in a month, btw.)

I am an IC, but am recruiting and screening shoppers for this MSC. Even if you are signed up with them, I would be your first contact to set up paperwork and assess how best to fit you into the team. This is an unusual opportunity with an MSC where even the CEO does shops every month and you will have a job coach's cell number for any questions or feedback on short notice.

So, if you are interested, please PM me. If you have doubts about revealing your identity and contact info to me, please check with long time Forum members, many of whom know me quite well.

Also, I am a female and have had zero issues with personal safety on these jobs. These are typically garages where business people park near big offices (like the White House in my case!) BUT, if you ever arrive at a site where you feel uneasy, just leave and call in and there would be zero problem. Shopper comfort and safety come FIRST with this whole organization.

Still it's not for everyone; just for those who really enjoy "the hunt," for things that will improve the client industry! If that's you, you will become addicted to these assignments!

Interested but would like to know a typical scenario before I fully commit. What exactly is involved in a parking lot audit?

Would this company also do some restaurants? Is the owner a certified private investigator?

I am signed up with a company that offers a ton of parking audit shops and a handful of restaurants. I've done one of the restaurants shops and while the reimbursement was great, the pay for low considering the report took me 2 hours.

Sanluci,
The answers to your questions will all be available when you sign in and accept the ICA. No MSC is going to publish such details to someone who has not done that, at leat.

I can tell you that the shops are simple and the report is easy.

cali,
As far as I know they only do one restaurant in the DC area; no others in any location.

@walesmaven wrote:

I can tell you that the shops are simple and the report is easy.

Susanluci, I have done a few of these parking lot shops for the company walesmaven turned me on to. While straight up parking shops aren't on my list of favs, I do enjoy them when I can package a route together like scanman described above to cover the parking aspect of the route. I agree with walesmaven in that the shops were easy to conduct and report and the pay was above the industry norm for similar shops.

An added bonus to one of the D.C garages I shopped was it was located just a few blocks from Pennsylvania Ave and the White House. So while I was killing time to complete the shop, I strolled around outside the White House on a gorgeous Spring evening. Truly an unexpected bonus to the shop.

Unfortunately for me, the shops aren't really posted to a job board with any regularity as the core group of shoppers does the majority of the shops. I would love to pick up a handful a month that fit with other shops and parking needs, but haven't figured out a way to work this out yet. Maybe the MSC will begin using their job board more consistently in the future and allow shoppers like myself to pick up a handful when needed. Maybe this will be the next generation of the project as the core shoppers start to tire of doing so many straight parking gigs.

Well, you probably can join the core of shoppers since all it takes is saying, late in month A, that you would like "x" shops in month B. Please PM me and I can arrange it, assuming that you are who I think you are! There is still time to ask for September shops!
I like to get my parking shops first, and, since I have the whole month to schedule them as I please, then build those other shops around them. To me, that is way more efficinet than finding other shops, accepting them, and hoping to find matching parking shops.

There are no plans to open a shop board for self-assignment. The clients LOVE that shoppers gain so much experience with catching subtle attendant behavior that can indicate a red flag for cash integrity. That just does not come without some practice. And, once a shopper has learned to spot these, looking for them becomes addictive, like a treasure hunt. So, many of us are a long, long way from getting bored! In addition, there are also more complex and much better paid "advanced" shops, chances to travel to locations where there are shops that start near $70 (I grab a hotel shop in NYC and make a very profitable route of up to 5 such shops per day around that, even without any travel bonuses! But, I am lazy; ambitious shoppers often do 8-10 of those in a long day. And the NYC reports are very, very short.), even more complex and better paid "special order shops" and very lucrative complete facility audits. (An audit like you have never seen in retail, believe me!)

Becasue this MSC was founded by and is run by folks with tons of parking industry experience (and who continue to shop every month) any shopper who wishes to contemplate the more complex and advanced assignments need only ask to ride along with a coach to learn many of the secrets needed to detect the subtle ways in which 20-40 percent of the fees collected in cash never reach the till across the entire industry. There are also plans afoot to produce a training video...showing video of what to look for when we "follow the money." A new shopper (otherwise experienced, but new to this sort of shopp) just did 15 video shops in one city for a brand new cient. Fourteen of the 15 showed proof of cash diversion to the point where the management company went into total shock and then signed a big contract for heavy shopping activity at all of their locations, every month. (Video equipment provided by the MSC and much easier to use than the button cams, which are not suited to capturing what we need to see.) And btw, the video shops pay at least 1.5 times as much as the non-video ones. Base fees vary by locality, and are well above industry standard in all locations that I am aware of.

Gotta run! Hotel valet shops in DC await and the month is nearly over!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2016 11:56AM by walesmaven.

susanluci,
If you are thinking about the open/unattended parking lots that are free or low cost at most non-urban hotels, or at suburban shopping areas, I would agree with you. However, we are talking about lots and garages with gated entry, staff , and tons of security.

Never mind, my updates were slow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2016 08:23PM by ShopSouthTexas.

calicakes,
Do you have a NV work card?

The owner is not a licensed PI but the expansion will have them doing a lot of NV shops. They are negotiating with a NV licensed MSC to handle those, of course. However, I will be recruiting and screening.

No. I'm in California. I only visit NV about 2x a year. I was offered the opportunity to work under A closer Look's license, but I'm not really interested. Lots of effort for me when I'm only in Vegas 2x a year.

@walesmaven wrote:

calicakes,
Do you have a NV work card?

The owner is not a licensed PI but the expansion will have them doing a lot of NV shops. They are negotiating with a NV licensed MSC to handle those, of course. However, I will be recruiting and screening.

Wow, I was only inquiring about hotel parking lots since that's what comes in my emails. Sounds like you folks are talking more complex scenarios...not quite ready for those yet. Thanks for all the info though.

I do the parking lot shops when I need to go downtown. The reports are quick and easy. I find a spot in the hotel and fill out the first 1/2 of the report then go to my bank and pick up car when I come out. Just be sure to take pics of the claim check!

I would love more information on signing up for parking lot/garage/valet shops

@walesmaven, when does this MSC pay? How soon after completion?

Fee depends on both location and the complexity of the scenario. The video ones are very lucrative. The traditional ones still pay at least 1.5 to 2 time what other MSCs pay. ALL shops are done by a small cadre of shoppers who will have work every month. You will not find these on any Job Board.

Right now they are not recruiting, but that will almost certainly change in early 2017.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2016 02:02AM by walesmaven.