Do onsite inspections pay enough?

I am new to Mystery Shopping, and I chose to begin as a Certified Onsite Inspector. I realized, however, that when I computed hours and $ invested in an inspection, my hourly pay ended up around $5. This isn't even minimum wage! I enjoy doing this, but I would really like to make more money doing so. Anyone have any suggestions / ideas / comments about this? I would appreciate your input. What do experienced people in this biz consider to be the most profitable jobs to do?

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Do what a lot of us do....hold out for higher pay...

Good luck on a bonus- those are time sensitive... If the company does not find a rep in time they lose the contract pretty fast.

nanabelle Wrote:
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> Do what a lot of us do....hold out for higher
> pay...

Doing an on site pays about the same as doing a cellphone shop in my neck of the woods. It takes me about 20 min. at the location. I'd rather do an on site for $17-$25 than do a cellphone shop for $15. With an on site you make an appointment with the contact and you are in and out right away. I've done cellphone shops where I've had to wait for 20 min. just to talk to a rep.

I would do nothing but on site projects but there are not that many available. You will need to do other shops and fit them in with your trips out to the location you are inspecting.

Listen to plmccut.
The fees for onsites has gone down over the years. I remember the good old days when $40 was the norm from some companies! Now I won't travel far for just one job. I will only fit the far ones into a route.

*********************
I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!

I do all I can, and request travel pay for the remote ones. Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don't. In general I prefer revealed work when I can get it. I have less stress about remembering stuff, can use my real name, don't have to remember a scenario. I'll do a 20 minute site audit for less money than I will a cell phone shop that could stretch into a half hour or more because they are so cut and dried and don't require an investment of any emotional energy psyching myself up for a role play.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

dspeakes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do all I can, and request travel pay for the
> remote ones. Sometimes I get it and sometimes I
> don't. In general I prefer revealed work when I
> can get it. I have less stress about remembering
> stuff, can use my real name, don't have to
> remember a scenario. I'll do a 20 minute site
> audit for less money than I will a cell phone shop
> that could stretch into a half hour or more
> because they are so cut and dried and don't
> require an investment of any emotional energy
> psyching myself up for a role play.

Plus, you are much less likely to have an inspection rejected. I prefer audits as well.

*********************
I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!

Me, too.

I'd do business inspections all day long if there were enough of them to go around. The hard part of those gigs is actually getting them. In my town they're hard to land. I like everything else about them. Wish the pay was a bit higher, but they beat mystery shopping by a mile for me.

I've seen a bunch of business inspections but was always afraid to sign up. I thought it would take 1+ hr to complete the inspection. I've done gas station audits and i actually enjoy them.

Rick, in response to your question, I specialize in gas stations (convenience stores). Many of them can be scheduled into the following month and most of them have a long day window, such as typical station opening times to typical closing times. Others will be specified, such as 7 am to 5 pm or some such window. Some will call for daylight, some must be done after dark. I also do tire centers and banks. That's about it. Very little in casual or fast food, because it interferes with my day by demanding a tight time frame. I don't really do a meal when I'm working; I take my food from home or pick up something from a grocery store or station to eat on the run. I want jobs I can do throughout the day and early evening and I want to be able to schedule in advance and fill up the day. Many shops pay more than gas stations, but you can schedule more gas stations. My system is work hard, not smart, and do a lot of it. That doesn't work for everyone. Keep checking out what's available and you'll find what you like best.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

No, onsite inspections do not pay enough and the timing is bad. You have to call almost immediately and make the appointment in the next day or so. My schedule is always mostly full at any given present time and I do not take work by appointment which would interfere with my plans.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

Most inspections take about an half hour. Then of course you have to figure travel time and time entering the data, which adds another 30-45 minutes with the copy and the photos.

So, the pay for your effort isn't great.

And they are hard to work into a busy schedule because they are so unpredictable. For me, however, since I only do about 10-12 shops a week, they work out.

Plus, the fact is I just like doing them. They're my favorite assignment.

RickS -
I take an opposite tact from MD above - I never do shops at the base price unless I need to prove myself to a new company or if the shop provides an excuse to savor a fresh baked cinnamon sugar pretzel with only ten minutes of reporting as dietary penance.
So far in 2014 I've done 8 on site inspections/business verifications with an average price of $39.75.
Keep in mind that there are many different levels of on site inspections... unscheduled three photo quickies without stepping foot on the property, scheduled business verifications, scheduled on site inspections with exterior footprint measurements, and scheduled inspections with complete interior blueprint measurements and drawings.
Try them all and set your own price. If it's the base price, then good for you, and take as many as you can. If you find that you require a bonus, then diversify and try other gigs with other companies while you wait for your favorite audits to get bonused.
Just stay away from my pretzels while you're diversifying.

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