The Pros and Cons of Phone Shops

In this week's issue of Mystery Shopper Magazine @James Bond 00.7 discusses the pros and cons of phone shops. His conclusions just might surprise you.

Read the article here:

[www.mysteryshoppermagazine.com]

Discuss!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2015 09:32PM by JacobJ.

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I find the phone shops really easy, although I don't like the funeral shops, nor the new car inquiries. It's an easy way to improve my "bottom line."
Added time to read and understand the instructions makes only one call less valuable. A few calls makes better sense.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut
Vlade, you're correct and I didn't make myself completely clear. I should have specified making multiple calls of the same type. For example, when I was on jury duty, I was doing all medical practice shops. the calls were virtually identical as far as information to gather, I just had different symptoms or a different question at each shop.

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Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)

"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei
You had different symptoms or questions for each call? I wonder what anyone overhearing those calls was thinking. smiling smiley


Seriously, there are times when only one call is offered. I tend to pass over those in favor of multiple calls - as to spread out the unpaid, but necessary, cost of reading the instructions.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2015 08:27PM by vlade5394.
That I'm a hypochondriac...

One of the employees in the coffee shop where I usually do my reporting or calls thinks I'm really a spy.

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Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)

"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor

"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei
I was getting around $60-90 a month doing phone shops for one company. Easy, no report because they were recorded. The only problem was they had to be spread out during the month. On good days I would do 3 a day. Usually just one if any. I would have preferred to do them all in one sitting but that's not how the client wanted it.

Kim
I love phone shops, I used to be nervous about the recorded ones but now they are a breeze. What I don't like are targeted phone shops. There is a company that keeps sending me emails to do some targeted for them but I have never worked for them before. They say that the shop is easy (that always sends me running in the opposite direction) but when I looked on the site it stated that there are 34 questions! What's easy about that?

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Motivation increases when we assume large responsibilities with a short deadline.
I have seen these but didn't really know what they were. It would be great for cold miserable days. I think I'll give it a try. Any tips on which ones are best to get started with?
I would be in the forum's debt if someone would point me in the right direction for more phone shops. I only know of 2 and they restrict the calls 90 days apart. I had spine surgery 2 weeks ago and all I can do is look at all the lovely shops I can't do till I am allowed to sit up for more than 30 minutes at a time.
I have never accepted phone shops without a follow up visit. After this thread, I am raring to get my hands on a number of them as the bad weather is really getting to me. I got a lot of them in my emails and I just automatically deleted them. Thanks 007.5.
Just like with traditional mystery shops, there are phone shops which I like, and ones which I detest. I have read that some people like the funeral shops. I tried them, and I don't like them. Same with the payday loans. But calling banks for just about any reason? Send them my way. Cal the YMCA about membership - I wish there were more banches for me to call. I liked calling Orkin, but their phone system can identify you even if you use *67 (you are calling their toll-free number, so this makes sense in retrospect). Storage rental units are fun.

No snow, no ice, no hurricanes, but you should be sure to know the weather if you live in California and are calling Pierre, SD (for instance). I also choose only to call areas where my accent reasonably matches their accent, but I make exceptions for banks.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
I want to thank every one that gave names of MSC's that do phone shops. I am greatful.
I justed started doing phone shops. I would like to pick up more phone assignments. Please help!!!
My personal opinion is that the phone shops are not hateful, but they are generally low paying. I know that there are those that will argue "better than nothing", but keep in mind the report. This is my biggest issue with phone shops. A five minute phone call for two bucks is fine, but if I need to transcribe those five minutes for the report, and then I need to deconstruct the call down to the last molecule, the half hour or more for $2.00 is not worth it for me. Keep in mind that you will want to try one or two of any specific type of phone shop before accepting a bunch. If you accept 10, expecting them to be done in an hour, and they take you all afternoon to complete,then you will be kicking yourself!
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