enough about money, let's talk about fun...

I just accepted and assignment to shop the [in]humane society! So happy to give those little furballs a play date! Nice little excuse to stop and have fun for a few moments.

What's some of the most fun yall have had on a shop?

Just lost trying to find a fire pit in a concrete jungle wishing it was a wooded glen...

if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all

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Oh I am not sure I could do that without taking someone home with me. I have a pet-free home after my dog died (16 years ago). I haven't been able to get another pet since. I hope you like it, but I would want to bring them all home

I shopped concessions at an amusement park this summer and got to reveal myself as a secret shopper and award prizes for passing.. It was fun!

(I first posted that "I got to reveal myself"... and after re-reading it realized I should clarify... haha)

I don't guess you'd get to stay long in the amusement park if you truly revealed yourself hahaha. Though it might make for a more amusing experience for some, wink wink.

Fun in mystery shopping exists at two points only -- scheduling the shops and getting paid for them.

Mystery shopping is not fun. Neither is shopping outside of mystery shopping. There are only two reasons to go to any merchant - to obtain something ( be it good or service) that one needs and to secure fee payments. In other words, shopping is but a necessary evil.

My very favorite jobs are the onsite inspections. I've met the most interesting people and learned about all sorts of businesses. Today I inspected the office of a female bounty hunter. I've done a couple repo companies, photographed and measured a wire factory, done car lots. I find it all fascinating.

Not completely true. I've done some really fun shops. I just did a 2-day bed and breakfast shop that was a blast. I've done several casino shops that I loved. I've done some fabulous fine dining restaurant shops that were all about the great food and made me so happy. Most of the time I'm good with what I am doing. I have had some mediocre and some crapoy experiences, but I enjoy this work overall.

@Rousseau wrote:

Fun in mystery shopping exists at two points only -- scheduling the shops and getting paid for them.

Mystery shopping is not fun. Neither is shopping outside of mystery shopping. There are only two reasons to go to any merchant - to obtain something ( be it good or service) that one needs and to secure fee payments. In other words, shopping is but a necessary evil.

Shopping can be a lot of fun. When I was younger, my siblings and I would window shop those stores that Irene now mystery shops ;-). And walking around Frys is like being in a playground. Ditto for Toys R Us in NYC. Shopping in the right places can be great exercise for body and mind.

Now scheduling travel shops for the day after Christmas through mid-January.

@Rousseau wrote:

Fun in mystery shopping exists at two points only -- scheduling the shops and getting paid for them.

Mystery shopping is not fun. Neither is shopping outside of mystery shopping. There are only two reasons to go to any merchant - to obtain something ( be it good or service) that one needs and to secure fee payments. In other words, shopping is but a necessary evil.

For me, it's really rewarding if I really nail a shop and do a really good job, even if it isn't a shop that I would consider conventionally "fun."

Favorite movie theater visits. We look forward to Friday nights!

Friday night I did a fabulous fine dining...$.175.00 and I really loved it (right in my town). Piano player, great Bartender,Martini, great food, relaxing, and yes, I do rich well. Report not bad compared to another fine dining with 201 questions and narritive's up the kazoo....really had a ball. Class wins every time!!! Haven't done anything fun for awhile, so did appreciate this.

Live consciously....

@Rousseau wrote:

Fun in mystery shopping exists at two points only -- scheduling the shops and getting paid for them.

Mystery shopping is not fun. Neither is shopping outside of mystery shopping. There are only two reasons to go to any merchant - to obtain something ( be it good or service) that one needs and to secure fee payments. In other words, shopping is but a necessary evil.

I actually do not like to shop, myself. I guess that's why I prefer revealed audits to mystery shops. Although, some mystery shops are so rewarding, they become fun.

A few weeks ago, I did a shop for a museum with several gift shops and two restaurants. I was reimbursed for the tickets to the museum (just 2 but could have up to 4), $10 or $15 reimbursement for each gift shop as well as parking and lunch. It was $150 day that cost me $00!! This was in my home town and I had just never visited the location. To ensure I wasn't overwhelmed with the report, I took the time needed after each interaction to input the majority of the info directly into the report. It made the day a little longer, but once I got home, I only needed 30 minutes to clean up the report and get it entered. I was scared to death because I heard this MSC was really tough on scoring, but I only had one question asked (for sure I would only get a 9 now) and still received a 10 on the report (unheard of!!).

I do the Ripley's attraction shops- mini golf, aquarium, moving theater, etc. Those are lots of fun! The reports are not that bad at all. The observations and interactions are simple. At the aquarium you have to hold a horseshoe crab or pet a stingray. There are 7 attractions near me and every one of them has been fun. I do one or two every month.

Fun dining restaurant. My daughter and I had a great meal and good time. I did a movie theatre once (would love to do it again) and really had a good time. Lunch and a movie on someone else. And get paid to do it. It was not hard either.

Fun without shopping, today meeting my seniors (we don't wear depends or diapers as one calls them) We don't have dentures, wrong on all counts. We have time, are retired with hobbies or not, you have to wait until a certain age to get your benefits for retirement to do what you want...retirement without $$$$, no fun!!
No I'm not an old dog or have Dementia, don't get lost, have younger men ask me out...aging is not a bad thing. I'm having fun today and tomorrow I'll have more fun when I hear my party wins....

Live consciously....

Most of the time, I accept shops that I think will be fun. Of course when I sign up for a new MSC, I accept the first shop that I can whether it's going to be enjoyable or not. But mostly, I do this for the experiences. My husband and I have whittled our entertainment budget to practically zero while dining at really great, fancy restaurants; going to the theater and the symphony; happy hours at cool lounges. I have even taken him to amusement parks. My sister, grown daughter and mom are now "Ladies who Lunch" with me at 4 star places. Husband and I have been having staycations at hotels in our beautiful city. Occasionally, I'll go for a massage. Sure, there is some work involved. But I calculate it based on how many hours I'd have to work at my regular job in order to pay for comparable evenings, and it is DEFINITELY worth my while to do it this way. A night at the symphony with drinks and snacks would take me at least a week of work to afford, while this requires a one hour report.

I really liked evaluating the indoor shooting range earlier this summer. Got to cross shooting a pistol off my bucket list.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

I would love to find an indoor range on my shop list, I have to get some practice time in to keep my skills up.
My fin is a revealed shop when they do the job right and I get to tell them you passed.

@sbobgal wrote:

Favorite movie theater visits. We look forward to Friday nights!

I would love to do this. It's reimbursement, rather than cash pay? I prefer reimbursement shops...and love going to the movies. I need to sign up for more companies!

I get to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore on the food company's dime a couple times a month, and the National Zoo on occasion to. Love those...except when the lines are crazy. @

The movie theaters shops can be fun to, line issues again aside.

@Jtack wrote:

(I first posted that "I got to reveal myself"... and after re-reading it realized I should clarify... haha)

I don't know, I thought it was kind of funny that you got to "reveal" yourself at an "amusement" park!

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

Gosh, I do SOOOOO many fun shops! I get paid to take my family to Top Golf, have a blast, and eat a feast. I get paid to take my mom/hubby/sis/kids to nice restaurants on a frequent basis. This type of one-on-one time is simply priceless, but it's still nice that someone else foots the bill. I got to take my mom on an all expense paid trip to visit her brother in another state. I get to "shop" for home improvement ideas when I shop new homes. I've put some of them in my home. The list could go on. Fact is that I find fun in most of my shops. Maybe it is because I tend to find fun, humor, and good in most things I do.

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

I know my Tesla dealership Saturday will be informative and I hope fun....has anyone done this shop?

Live consciously....

I doubt I would be mystery shopping this long if I didn't find majority of the shops I have completed were fun. I just completed an aquarium shop; three upscale jewellery shops where I checked out the diamonds; two shops about named-brand watches and two fine dining restaurants. Even the simple retail shops were fun. My niece enjoyed the Disney store and I had fun buying her some stuff. I have had some shops which I did not find fun but I am very choosy with what I commit to so they are actually very few.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I know my Tesla dealership Saturday will be informative and I hope fun....has anyone done this shop?

Yes. The car ride will be fun. Those are amazing vehicles. Amazingly expensive, but amazing none the less.

I only take shops that I think will be fun! Once in awhile I take a bank or something equally unappealing but I truly enjoy my meals, hotel nights, movie theaters, and retail experiences on someone else's dime!

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

I am pretty sure that having fun and reporting on it is like kiss and tell.

My goal is to do the shops that bring in some money and fit into my truly strange schedule so that I can do a few fun things with no strings-- well, timings, reports, and descriptions-- attached.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

@CureMS wrote:

@Jtack wrote:

(I first posted that "I got to reveal myself"... and after re-reading it realized I should clarify... haha)

I don't know, I thought it was kind of funny that you got to "reveal" yourself at an "amusement" park!

Revealing yourself in an amusement park could lead to sex offender registry, LOL.

Sounds great! Wish I could find shops like that!!

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