Advice for breaking into video shops

I have been shopping on and off for 12 years and over the last couple of months have started doing a lot of shops on a part time basis. I'm trying to work 1-2 days per week and would like to bring in $1000+ per month. Currently, I am confident I can bring in $100-$200 per week once school is back in session just doing regular shops. I would like to increase my potential and break into video shops.

Where do I start? I haven't had a lot of luck finding a list of companies that are great sources of video mystery shops and would like some information on which companies would be worth looking into. I live in Southern Wisconsin, but can shop a route in Northern IL as well.

Thanks for any assistance, and feel free to PM me.

Jessica

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More About Video Mystery Shopping

Jes - right below your post is a blue link that says: "More About Video Mystery Shopping".

There's so much information, and so much of it has been repeated over and over - (I'd bet some video shoppers on here are tired of reposting! LOL) - that if you go to that link, you'll find an amazing array of threads to check out!

I think some of those video threads also have additional websites and information for "classes/training" on Video Shopping!

Good luck, I'm still on the fence over it. I could make more yes, but with a FT job, I cannot go on the long routes that many video shoppers do.

PS: I average about $1100 per month just on Mystery Shopping.

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Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom

Good point about the long routes and right now many video shops can only be completed during "normal" business hours Monday through Friday. With different industries coming on board there is no doubt that will change. We just ain't there yet

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Here's the funny thing though Lisa...

I actually could give it a try - even with my FT job! Telecommuting has it's advantages - except, for one small thing:

I need to be signed into ICQ for a specific # of hours per day. Doesn't matter if it's at midnight until 8am, or 9pm til 5am - but I still need to show up on our ICQ/IM just in case one of the owners pops in!

The only other potential problem for me would be that I review videos - and my very inexpensive laptop is not powerful enough for all of the videos I'd need to review when I'm on a huge deadline! Oh well - Video Shopping will always be an option in the future - would just be nice to "break into" it now while it's still young!

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good point about the long routes and right now
> many video shops can only be completed during
> "normal" business hours Monday through Friday.
> With different industries coming on board there is
> no doubt that will change. We just ain't there
> yet

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Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom

r@ainy,
You can review the videos from your shops right on the screen of the unit, so no need to run them on your computer.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2012 08:45PM by walesmaven.

Wales - for the Video shops, right.

That was reference to my FT job. If I happened to be on the road with a Video Shop route, and my "FT Job/Boss" needed me to review some of our newest videos getting uploaded to one of our libraries - my laptop is not powerful enough to view them (without a lot of buffering).

My FT Job - I actually review video clips and then write a 3-5 sentence description for video clips. Love my job, but at times it gets tedious.

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> r@ainy,
> You can review the videos from your shops right on
> the screen of the unit, so no need to run them on
> your computer.

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Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom

If your job solely entails reviewing videos, I'd definitely look into getting a new laptop. They're much less expensive than they used to be and, of course, it'd be a tax write off. If you catch when the electronic/office stores have computers on sale, you can get a heck of a deal! I love my Vaio and I got it for what I could've gotten some lesser quality laptops.

Of course, I'd love it even more if I hadn't broken the screen but at least the warranty will fix it.

rainy,
I think that your employer needs to provide you with a better computer for your job!

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

*big cheesy grin*

They bought me my very nice desktop and large-screen monitor!

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rainy,
> I think that your employer needs to provide you
> with a better computer for your job!

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Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom

r@inyDayZ3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > My FT Job - I actually review video clips and then
> write a 3-5 sentence description for video clips.
> Love my job, but at times it gets tedious.

Sounds interesting! How did you get that job?

I started out in 2000 by "knowing someone who knew someone who needed a website creator"....

From there it morphed into being an "Advice Columnist for 'Entertainment Purposes Only'". I got along great with my boss - even though we never in 12 years have met. In August 2006, I was laid off from that company (yes, even as a contract/1099 worker, still laid off!). Sorta dropped off the map for about 2 years, then in 2008 out of the blue my old boss called me and asked me if I wanted a job back online.

I was working 50+ hours a week at a convenience store in PA (Turkey Hill, best Ice Tea in the world) - and they couldn't compete with the kind of $$ I could make.

I don't only do those Video Descriptions either. Many times I have to audit our company websites and videos - there's over 5,000 of them; or I go into our database and do fixes.

BTW - I'm NOT "technically inclined" nor am I a programmer or website/graphics designer.

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Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom

Don't tell people that you are involved in video shopping or any mystery shopping...Why...??? Because there are already too many people doing it...think about it

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2012 01:18AM by vince.

jack,
In the video area, we need to recruit and mentor MORE experienced shoppers. MSCs are so short of capable video shoppers that they have a difficult time marketing video to their clients.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Ah yes, I believe in that wholeheartedly. Sometimes it is hard when video shopping begins to resemble construction in St. Louis. They get all the new office buildings and retail stores completed (read new video shoppers) and the supporting infrastructure (read new video jobs) then takes forever to catch up, lol!

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Advice for breaking into video shops

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