Is there a way to find out what kind of shops are available from a company without signing up for the company? For example, if I wanted to shop fast casual restaurants as opposed to fine dining ones, is there a way to find out that company A, B, and C does that? I know we are not allowed to talk about specific clients of an MSC, but is it OK to ask what KINDS of businesses that a mystery shop company services? I ask because I'd like to find certain types of shops. I have signed up for a bunch of companies, and am getting great assignments, but I'd like to branch out a bit. One of my companies does mostly car services, and I am not so interested in that. Is this an OK thing to discuss? (Happy to delete if it's not allowed!)

You're allowed. The problem is the MSC #1 might have shops in my area that aren't in your area. MSC #2 has shops in another state that aren't in mine or your area. And so on.

So what kind of shops are you looking for, without naming clients? For casual and fast dining, I would try MarketForce. For more casual dining, I would keep an eye on Presto Mobile app for anyone on the Sassie platform with restaurants, which typically won't be fine dining, maybe fast, maybe fast casual, maybe sit down. The hospitality companies really specialize in hotel, better dining, hotel bar etc. so I would avoid anything with "hospitality" in the name. Some companies are known for certain things, like Ath seems to do mostly financial, like banks, etc. Person 2 Person also has a lot of banks, at least in my area. But some companies do everything, like A Closer Look. With ACL you might be pumping gas at a convenience store on your way to a massage and hotel stay. So it is really hard, depends on your area like other poster said.

I find that applying for many many companies is the best way to know what they have and using the consolidation websites like iSecretShop, Presto, JobSlinger, GigSpot, MS Job Board, is the best way to search many at once. The Sassie are almost all identical to apply for and really easy. For others, Keep a few writing samples handy, a photo of your ID and your W-4 scanned and ready for applications. I keep a spreadsheet of each company, my user name and password and their website login link, as well as how they pay (method) because I probably belong to at least 90 companies and it is easy to get mixed up. As long as you dont say THIS company is shopped by THIS MSC, and stick to either one or the other in your post, you should be okay. Like I can say that Maritz pays great bonuses on HARDWARE / HOME GOODS Type shops but cant say which stores. AND likewise, I can say that Buffalo Wild Wings gets shopped a LOT, as does Five Guys, but can't say either of the companies who handle them.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2016 03:07AM by MavenMom.

No easy way out...gotta do the work, sign with many companies, and within that, you'll find the shops that please you. I'm doing this 10 years (shiver), and still can't find the one restaurant I want to do. Sign with schedulers as well, they have many different jobs they handle for the original companies.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2016 02:41PM by Irene_L.A..

Irene where do you live? Confero lately has had some really good places that I like,esp for taking my girlfriends to lunch, while kids are in school and not just one chain either several.

She lives in LA!!!

Not Louisiana, the other LA LOL.

Los Angeles, and Confero hardly has anything in my area......I have so many restaurants ,thanks to the few I've worked for over the years., very well fed. Jut signed for Larsen's Steak house right in my town....

I love Market Force. I have done a bunch of jobs for them. I don't mind doing the work, I just didn't know if there was a way to check it out first. So I am looking for fast casual restaurants, grocery stores, stores LIKE (but not specifically) Target, Kohl's, entertainment stuff. I have been reading various threads with jobs that people get, and I don't see a lot on my boards. So far I have signed with MarketForce, Intellishop Alta360, Northfork, BestMark, ath Power, Ann Michaels, and Customer Impact. Are there other good ones anyone would recommend? I am in MA. I am really happy with the jobs I am doing and will keep going on those. I am just branching out because you can't shop certain stores again, and I'd like the jobs to keep coming!

In MA Amusement advantage has some entertaining shops, bowling for example. I like the scheduler Erika easy to work with.
There is also ACloserlook they do restaurants.

The Source has grocery shops in my area. Also GFK. They both seem to have shops all over the map.

Most of us are signed up with 100 companies or more. Start with the list below. Sign up with 5 a day until you've gone through the list.

Volition's list tells who shops which types: [www.volition.com]

If you sign up for the Mystery Shopper Magazine sponsored by this site and look at the back issues several mystery shop companies were reviewed each issue for a long time. Those reviews talked about what types of jobs each msc had. Just scroll down to the bottom of this page and you will spot the sign up.

Great! Thanks!