I've read numerous posts in this forum. It is a great exchange platform for diverse ideas and opinions. It could be a great vehicle for change within the industry as well. Mystery shoppers are uniquely trapped in a field that works against each individual because of its inherent secrecy. As IC's we independently negotiate our acceptable rate of pay. Some of us are willing to take the lowest of pay to make up a route or fill in a gap of time. Others are holding the line for $15 or $25 per shop. We don't have a collective voice and we need one, and we all need to hold the line on what is acceptable pay.
Everyone should value their time in a simple calculation. Are you worth more than minimum wage (there is a large national push to make the minimum $15/hr.) Calculate your prep time, your travel time to and from, your shop time, your input time, and add your materials (print costs, tolls, etc.) and then measure the shop payment against those costs. If you aren't making above minimum wage the Schedulers aren't paying you enough for your time.
In any normal industry when pay is too low workers migrate to other higher paying jobs in other industries. A lack of competent workers usually means wage rates go up to bring in more workers. In our industry which is kept in the shadows and controlled by hundreds of Schedulers we fight amongst ourselves to take payments that are below poverty level. I really encourage the 1.5 million shoppers out there to reevaluate your belief system on pay and hold out for more. Get united against low paying jobs, share the same message with schedulers and bring a higher standard to acceptable pay.
Think of your expenses and time in terms of real money not as tax writeoffs for your in-home business. Insurance costs continually rise, fuel costs go up, inflation, taxes, car repairs, everything seems to rise except our wages. You can do something to change this. Let's get united against low paying shops, reject them, and demand higher base rates.

You mention 1.5 million shoppers. Less than 1 percent are members or visit this forum.

Collectively we cannot place an equal value on our time no matter how simple your calculation might be. My print costs are nothing for the average shop while other shoppers print everything, including emails. Some shoppers pour over everything in the guidelines, others can do most shops in their sleep so prep time is minimal at best. The biggest variable is travel time. Are there shoppers who actually leave home to go to one shop and return? If I leave the house to only perform one shop you can bet there are some personal errands included in that trip which makes travel time moot.

This comes up every few months, and like LisaSTL already said our costs are greatly different, so one price does not fit all. In addition to that, here are other reasons it will never work:

1. Mystery shopping services are only worth what an end client will pay for them. There aren't any MSCs making millions upon millions of dollars with huge profit margins. Banding together and forcing prices up will very likely result in less work for all of us.

2. Not all of us work below poverty level. This is the second full time business I have run, but in my most recent standard employment I was an IT Admin making just about what I make now.

3. The shoppers most able to affect overall wage increases are the very ones that are the least likely to be interested in it. The people who make the most money in this business are the ones who work smarter, work harder, are better negotiators, provide better service, or provide something else that others are not able to. The reason I'm able to get $70 for a Sonic shops is because of 1, 3, and 5. I have determined what the shop is worth to the client by learning about and understanding their requirements. I have successfully negotiated that rate. And I'm providing the service in an area that is grossly underserved. They are willing and able to pay me that $70 because in many places that are random people who happen to like Sonic, eat there anyway, and don't mind the 5 minute report for what amounts to a free meal plus $5. What incentive do I have to share my advantages with that person so that they make more and I make less?

4. It is more productive of my time to figure out ways to do this personally than it is to find ways to raise everyone else's rates.

Two excellent responses.

None of us work for poverty wages, your misrepresenting the facts. The MSCs are not working in secret anymore than any other business. Matter of fact, the nature of our business lends to more openess as exhibited by annual conferences.

If you want better pay, educate yourself and gain the necessary experience to perform the better paying opportunities. Invest in your business. Stop asking to be paid the same for a basic food service observation as for an apartment shop.

I just wish I could do a Sonic report in 5 minutes! It takes that long just for my single photo of the entree to go through the website...if the pages would just load faster, I MIGHT get the report submitted in less than 20 minutes, LOL!!! But I'll just keep on taking the $50-$80 for my Sonic shops, and figure I'm still making adequate $$$ per hour.

I like your style, bg!!!

I personally cheer on the shoppers who are happy with their "free meal" and minimal payment. It leaves the bonus $$$ for those of us who...well, can I say it? Know better, and have to travel to get to any shops.

The best example I have is that there is a mall located in downtown Indianapolis that is barely a mile from my work. There are many shops in that mall and most shoppers do not want to brave downtown traffic, have to find a parking spot and pay to park (and during events, the paying to park can get VERY expensive). Due to this, the shops for the mall will sit and bonus until the parking gets covered through the bonus. I, however, can easily go in and scoop them up. I just park in my work parking lot for free and walk to the mall. I make some money and get a healthy walk at the same time (helps to work off extra calories if the shop is a food shop).

@ceasesmith wrote:

I just wish I could do a Sonic report in 5 minutes! It takes that long just for my single photo of the entree to go through the website...if the pages would just load faster, I MIGHT get the report submitted in less than 20 minutes, LOL!!! But I'll just keep on taking the $50-$80 for my Sonic shops, and figure I'm still making adequate $$$ per hour.

I like your style, bg!!!

I personally cheer on the shoppers who are happy with their "free meal" and minimal payment. It leaves the bonus $$$ for those of us who...well, can I say it? Know better, and have to travel to get to any shops.

How do you get $50-80 for a sonic shop ? Is that to park outdoors, get served, and wait for them to come back later ? The ones I see are reimbursement for $8 and fee of $5.

$50 - 80 for Sonic? Where!

@7star wrote:

How do you get $50-80 for a sonic shop ? Is that to park outdoors, get served, and wait for them to come back later ? The ones I see are reimbursement for $8 and fee of $5.

You ask for it.
The problem is knowing when and why and where to ask.
All you have to do is really look at the shops, what's out there, and figure it out.
Like I said, it's all about working smarter and doing your homework and having something they need.

@bgriffin wrote:

@7star wrote:

How do you get $50-80 for a sonic shop ? Is that to park outdoors, get served, and wait for them to come back later ? The ones I see are reimbursement for $8 and fee of $5.

You ask for it.
The problem is knowing when and why and where to ask.
All you have to do is really look at the shops, what's out there, and figure it out.
Like I said, it's all about working smarter and doing your homework and having something they need.

I'm all for learning from the more experienced.
The question I have is, how do I go from a $5 fee to $50 ? What is reasonable to ask for ?

Best way to get them is to take the lower paying ones and do good on them to show you know the guidelines. Then wait for them to call you.

Warning: The higher paying ones will be the ones that no one else wants. Typically, those will be out in the middle of nowhere.

@lbw1000 wrote:

Best way to get them is to take the lower paying ones and do good on them to show you know the guidelines. Then wait for them to call you.

Warning: The higher paying ones will be the ones that no one else wants. Typically, those will be out in the middle of nowhere.

That is not at all the best way to do it. Take them for $5 and they will always expect you to take them for $5.

@7star wrote:

I'm all for learning from the more experienced.
The question I have is, how do I go from a $5 fee to $50 ? What is reasonable to ask for ?

There are several factors in deciding on what to ask for.
Perhaps try experimenting and see what works and what doesn't.
And then note the differences in what works and what doesn't.
Once you do that it's quite easy to take a look at their job board and figure out what they're worth.

At least that's how I did it. Not by asking someone to hand me the information.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2017 08:18PM by bgriffin.

Asking what is reasonable is like asking what is a reasonable amount for a painter to charge in Chicago and Miami and Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The answer will not be the same and won't do you a damn bit of good. Part of running a business is determining your rate, one that doesn't price you out of the market while allowing you to turn the profit you need.

Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.
- Jim Rohn

@7star wrote:

@ceasesmith wrote:

How do you get $50-80 for a sonic shop ? Is that to park outdoors, get served, and wait for them to come back later ? The ones I see are reimbursement for $8 and fee of $5.

Those of us who get $50-$80 have negotiated shops with schedulers. As bgriffin stated, we have figured out what the shop is worth both to us and the client. I just returned from doing a $50 shop. Granted, travel was involved, time to travel, wear on my vehicle etc. That being said, I agreed to a fee, which I negotiated for in the past for the same shop. I need to add here that, we are not getting those fees up the street, as someone else stated, we tend to travel. So again, it is based on what we need to accomplish a shop.

Also, we all got our feet wet. We did not get started making these fees. It has come with time, research,
and effort on our part. You have to shop a location for the lower fees, while out running errands, etc. Then, when a shop presents itself that you have done, but is a distance from you, you will get called, usually. Also, companies that are on a deadline are going to look for the experienced shoppers, when paying higher fees, because they need the shop done correct.

It is like this with most MS companies. Just like those shoppers who have been doing hotel shops, working their way through the ranks to get the Crusies. It takes time, but is worth it! The best thing to do is sign up with more MS companies, it makes establishing routes easier. Routes meanders more shops in the same general area. Granted, I live out here n the sticks, and shops and MS companies are very few, but I still have signed up with over 100 companies, you never know if they will get a client nearbye or on a route. It is all about how much skin ya want in the game too. I rarely make copies from home, I use the library when copies need to be made, and 10 cents is better than what home ink costs . You will learn a lot in this forum, do not be afraid to ask and also research. It has helped me a lot. And the folks here are great!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2017 10:24PM by dmp777.

Two excellent posts from Lisa and bg. Negotiating is an art and to be successful you have to have leverage. And leverage means you have to have more to offer than the MSC. How you come about that is up to you.

I don't know if 1.5 million shoppers is accurate but if it is there is no way to unite 1.5 million individuals who, for the most part do not know or have not met any of their compatriots. We are not, nor would I want to be, a union.

Glad we got a little discussion going. I can see this topic has some sharp viewpoints and a bit of newbie versus experience perspective.
I'm a bit of a rookie to the Mystery Shop world, being an IC and all that. But I've been in retail and sales, and my own business for a long time. I've been on the other side of the Mystery Shop and I appreciated competent experienced people evaluating me and my store's service. I applaud those who are experienced and have found a niche and are making good money doing good work. Why not think about making it better and more lucrative for all those willing to work hard like you?
Major chain restaurants and retailers have expanded their use of MSC's over the last 10+ years as a method to improve/measure service and quality. These companies are changing their internal payroll and management structures by taking the burden of mundane tasks like checking POP signing off the $100k District/Regional Manager and tossing it to the shared economy of the Mystery Shopper world. The retailers improve their bottom line by trimming payroll thru lowering headcount and moving the tasks to an environment that bids the value of the time to do that job downward by for example offering through Schedulers a $5 Sonic shop.
The shared economy is like what Uber started with sharing a ride. Mystery shopping while running errands has similar shared characteristics. I need lunch so I'll do a cheap Sonic shop. That makes the scheduler believe this shared economy actually works, but unless you're starving, a $5 Sonic shop by itself loses money for the Shopper. Sonic would have spent $100 to send a Regional Manager to travel and review that restaurant and its signage, why should we be offered $5 and a hamburger for the same report. I just don't think we help ourselves by accepting low paying shops.

Not to beat the painter analogy to death, but nobody ever asks them or any other small business owner that question.

Mystery shopping is virtually the only business I've ever seen where we must be small business owners while new shoppers expect us to treat them like a fellow employee. This forum is already a wealth of information provided by many veterans at no personal gain. Why ask for more?

@Shopkeeper wrote:

Why not think about making it better and more lucrative for all those willing to work hard like you?

I am a happy individualist. I like what I do. It varies according to the rest of life and when this business can fit in... and frequently it makes me so busy that I don't have time to negotiate. But that is changing soon and is not as important as this: Paying or receiving a boatload of money get a shop done may get a job done, but it won't necessarily improve the shopper or the client.

@Shopkeeper wrote:

Why not think about making it better and more lucrative for all those willing to work hard like you?

Are you familiar with the phrase zero-sum?
It's a situation where something gained by one side has to be lost by the other side such as a war between two countries over land. If one of them gains territory the other one has to have lost that same territory.

Then there are things that are close to zero-sum. For instance new car sales. Only a finite number of people are going to purchase a new car each year. Now, there may be instances where a particular car causes a few more people to purchase a car than would otherwise. But the number isn't statistically relevant.

THAT is what mystery shopping is. If Shopkeeper Mystery Shopping has the Griffin's Widgets account, they have only a finite amount of money to pay shoppers. Go over this amount and they lose money. Sure there may be some weird occasions, but for the most part a good MSC will have a pretty good idea of how much the shops are gonna cost them when they write the contract. For instance, the already mentioned Sonic account. I would guess that MSC's cost per month for having shops performed account wide doesn't vary by more than 2-3% and it wouldn't shock me if it weren't 1%. So for the most part every single dollar that someone gets that's above base pay is a dollar that is no longer available for bonuses on other shops.

You're looking at is as if there's an infinite amount of $$ out there to pay shoppers with, and if there's not then they can just go back to the client and get more. They can't.

@Shopkeeper wrote:

I just don't think we help ourselves by accepting low paying shops.

Then don't accept low paying shops. I don't. Or do. Honestly I do not care. There are times that I have wanted to do a shop and the MSC did not agree to my request because they could get someone else to do the work cheaper. If they could, by all means they should! I had no hard feelings about the matter and they had no hard feelings about the request. I did not get angry about the shoppers that they could find to do the work cheaper. That's counter productive. I work as much as I want to. And sometimes I work more than I want to. Why should I care what someone else is making or not making or going broke on? I don't.

"No matter how big of a hammer you may use, You cannot pound common sense into stupid people".

I am not asking for anyone to offer up their secrets, or lower their earnings. I'm just voicing the thought that we may be keeping the value of our time depressed by accepting the low paying shops. I know there are not 1.5 million shoppers on this forum but I did read that our numbers around the globe are expanding. This is not a desire for socializing this economy, I'm firmly in the free enterprise camp, and I'm not asking for any kind of official union either. I am just trying to understand the math of how accepting a $5 or $6 fast food shop, or a $2.50 convenience store shop makes sense. This industry is worldwide, if the rates are working for you within driving distance that's great, but acceptance of low rates can cap the market for more than just your territory. MSC's talk and compare their rates which are not standardized. Trying to move the pay rates higher through education and believing together that creating a higher expectation of the value of our time benefits us all.
Here's to valuing our time above minimum wage.

Time... what a great concept! We are all unique. Depending upon our schedules, lives, weather, lead time, travel time, and other factors, we all might fulfill all requirements of the exact same job in a different amount of time. We all might have a unique trajectory toward a minimum wage equivalent.

And I'm trying to explain that by taking low paying shops the only people who are capping their earnings are the people taking low paying shops.

I'm not sure how to explain it any other way. Or perhaps you are not explaining your point in a way that my slow brain can understand.

Edited to add:

Perhaps you can explain to us what problem you are having better? Are you having problems finding enough shops to maintain a full load at a decent income? Perhaps you could tell us how you go about booking and performing shops so we could give you tips on that?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2017 01:55AM by bgriffin.

There may be a difference in need. Some shoppers do not "need" revenue from this business as much as they enjoy the tasks, perceived perks, or use of skills. Some people have done this work for years because it is interesting, uses a different skill set, provides a perk, or something that is not related to primary income. (Recently, I saw a successful salesperson doing a grocery store shop. They do not money. They need something to do, now that their kids are in college and they are more aware that don't like their spouse very much.)

All people do not not value this work only according to money and a need for at least minimum wage. Some have other revenue and can be in this industry for other reasons.

Must money be the only consideration for all shoppers?

I appreciate all the feedback on this topic and have learned quite a bit.
I understand there are many factors that go into the fee/reimbursement prices for a shop; located in populated areas or not, popular store/restaurant/retail place or not, etc.
With that in mind, I plan to be selective and take what makes sense to me.

I'm raising the concern about the pay rates, because they seem low given the time, travel, input and MSC's expectations of performance. I'm getting a variety of work, I'm being paid. I'm choosing which jobs I want. It's all on me and my decisions. The same goes for everybody, as we are free to choose what projects are available and suit our needs. I don't need a hammer to understand the concept.
However in a forum like this I wanted to voice and listen to the feedback. I don't think we get paid enough and I do think the Companies that contract with the MSC's can pay more. I think there are too many MSC's and the market is too fragmented, but that's a different discussion (although consolidation would probably lend more standardization to the process). Not sure why anyone would be opposed to increasing the pay rates, it is not a zero sum scenario. The variable is, do the contracting Companies take the profit to their bottom lines or pay Mystery Shoppers more. Unless I'm a stockholder in the example we've used like "Sonic" I vote for higher pay.

Until you walk in everyone else's shoes you will not really know what other people's needs are. After reading this forum for a while you will discover that shoppers have a variety of different needs, wants, and reasons to shop. And they all live in different places. For instance, where I live there are no jobs in the middle of nowhere. There is no middle of nowhere anywhere near where I live ( I really wish there were) and the middle of nowheres there are happen to be nearer to a few other big cities. So why would they pay me extra to drive 250 miles to the middle of nowhere when there is a sizeable city just 50 miles away where the wages are much lower than in my big city and I expect shoppers there are willing to drive to those jobs for a lot less money than they would have to pay me. Bottom line, some of us do not see bonuses, do not get phone calls and the jobs that sit around on the board only go up in pay a small amt. I suspect there may be a certain percentage of jobs they absolutely have to fill for some clients and they can let those few just sit past the original deadline without any repercussions. I am not saying no one in my city gets bonuses or phone calls but it the exception to the rule rather than the rule.
Add to that the fact that minimum wage also varies a lot. The city my daughter lives in has relatively few "good" jobs. Minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and most of those people not only lack health insurance by their job but often get cancelled and short shifts of work. In my big city where wages are higher many people i know lost their good jobs in 2008-10 and have never been able to find a job like the one they had. Some of them are still scraping to get by and taking a few low paying mystery shops might just make the difference between a total food bank meal for dinner (canned corn and beans with dark meat tuna) and being able to buy some variety on their plate or simply be able to pay the utility bill. I am fortunate not to be in that position...sure those who take the lower paying jobs would love to get a few dollars more but some cannot afford to sacrifice months of jobs to get it perhaps futility waiting out a raise. And some mystery shoppers do not have the skills to do the jobs that pay higher....
As many have said our economy is based on what the market will bear and there are lots of reasons some shoppers take the lower paying jobs....that leaves more bonus money out of the pool available for those who can negotiate or wait out the fee going up. I know if I wait on my favorite jobs,they will not be there at all the next time I look sometimes even seconds later.

@Shopkeeper wrote:

I am just trying to understand the math of how accepting a $5 or $6 fast food shop, or a $2.50 convenience store shop makes sense.

Are you saying that you are failing to understand how someone can do a $6 food shop and still make more than minimum wage? I agree I don't understand a $2.50 convenience store shop. But only because I have never SEEN a $2.50 convenience store shop. I can certainly explain how someone can make money on a $6 food shop.

I'll give you my favorite $6 food shop example. Five Guys. I'm a big burger fan. Like. I love them. Burgers aren't my favorite food, that would be shrimp, but if someone held a gun to my head and said if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, I would choose burgers. And Five Guys has a decent (not great, but good for a chain) burger. So last year I was on a route that started in Southern Indiana. I do not live near Southern Indiana. In fact it took most of a day to get there from home. So the hotel I was in had some eating places nearby but not a huge amount. They did have a Five Guys. It was not QUITE visible from my hotel but it was almost. So like 2-3 minute drive. I'm out of town. I like Five Guys burgers. I have to eat something and I will have to pay for it. The Five Guys report takes 5 minutes. 5 minutes that would have otherwise been spent surfing the web in my hotel room. Truth be told I probably stretched it out to 10 minutes while I read threads on here. Maybe even 15 but I digress. Not taking available shops into consideration there was a pretty good chance that I would have gone to Five Guys for a burger. So, I'm already at Five Guys, I have free time, I have a need for a burger. Now granted I most likely would have gotten my burger to go, so you have to account for the 10 extra minutes I had to stay in the store. And you have to count for the 5 it took to do the report. So I am now out 15 minutes that I would not have been out. But. I am now in possession of a $16 payment that I otherwise would not have been. There are 4 15 minuteses in an hour. $16 x 4 is $68. $68 per hour is quite significantly above minimum wage. Even in places that have $15 minimum wages. Even if you're Bernie Sanders and want a $22 minimum wage.

So there. That's how occasionally a $6 food shop is quite profitable for me.