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How do you guys explain mystery shopping as your job to family and friends?

April 20, 2019 03:28AM
I am a recent college grad who is mystery shopping for money as I am still looking for full time work. I am also working on a certification which should get me a job in my field. Between this and a couple other things my student loans get paid every month. My parents are ok with this (I live with them) and enjoy having the spoils of them (aka free food or groceries).

I am visiting college friends soon and I know they want to know what I have been up to since I graduate.

I know we are supposed to remain secret about this. The only people that know about this are those who have been on certain jobs. A buffet style restaurant is where I took my grandma for her birthday. The $35 food allowance lasted us a week as we ordered quarts of soup to get the bill to $35.

But how or what do you tell your family and friends about your profession or side hobby? Same goes for job interviews (Make up a job description?)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 12:47AM by dailydog.
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April 20, 2019 03:37AM
A title like Marketing Consultant usually suffices ... then quickly change the subject!
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April 20, 2019 03:54AM
Be careful with friends in your area. They might become your competition!
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April 20, 2019 04:03AM
@dailydog wrote:

I am a recent college grad who is mystery shopping for money as I am still looking for full time work. Between this and a couple other things my student loans get paid every month. My parents are ok with this (I live with them) and enjoy having the spoils of them (aka free food or groceries).

I am visiting college friends soon and I know they want to know what I have been up to since I graduate.

I know we are supposed to remain secret about this. The only people that know about this are those who have been on certain jobs. A buffet style restaurant is where I took my grandma for her birthday. The $35 food allowance lasted us a week as we ordered quarts of soup to get the bill to $35.

But how or what do you tell your family and friends about your profession or side hobby? Same goes for job interviews (Make up a job description?)

You're not working for the CIA, NSA or FBI. You don't have to keep it a secret from family and friends.
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April 20, 2019 07:34AM
Even though it doesn’t have to be CIA secret, it’s still good to be discreet. You never know when you’ll run into someone during a shop who can then mention it publicly.

It also doesn’t read as a “real” job. It invites snark or an expectation that you’ll have a hook up. Marketing Consultant and “dull reports” is fine as a description. It doesn’t invite interest but it establishes that you have a job.
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April 20, 2019 09:15AM
I tell people I do some part time auditing or corporate inspections. And for shops that want to know my occupation, I say bookkeeping. smiling smiley

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2019 09:16AM by sbobgal.
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April 20, 2019 09:20AM
I have found that the "mystery shopping" answer starts too many questions and suddenly everyone wants you to educate them and sign them up lol.
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April 20, 2019 01:35PM
Customer service assessment, or similar term, emphasizing dull reports.

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.
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April 20, 2019 01:52PM
@dailydog wrote:


But how or what do you tell your family and friends about your profession or side hobby? Same goes for job interviews (Make up a job description?)

I have been doing this for about 8 years and I have never told my brother or my sister or my mother or 95% of my friends. I keep it strictly inner circle. I keep it on the down low for only one very good reason. Its embarrassing! You don't want to necessarily run around advertising that you are broke. If you are young and you got a fresh degree and still live at home then skip that $10 dollar mystery shop and a free burger and go apply for a real job. Don't end up like me. You won't like it if you end up like me.
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April 20, 2019 03:14PM
Hahahahaha.
I do this professionally and make basically what I made when I worked for IBM with much more time off and much less stress.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
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April 20, 2019 04:40PM
I tell people I eat for a living. I get paid to eat.
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April 20, 2019 04:43PM
My mom tells people I lie for a living

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
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April 20, 2019 08:59PM
I tell people I get paid to travel, notice things, and write about them. If they know me, they know that's a perfect fit for me and we don't need to get into specifics.
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April 20, 2019 09:25PM
@bgriffin wrote:

My mom tells people I lie for a living

LOL
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April 20, 2019 09:27PM
@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

@dailydog wrote:


But how or what do you tell your family and friends about your profession or side hobby? Same goes for job interviews (Make up a job description?)

I have been doing this for about 8 years and I have never told my brother or my sister or my mother or 95% of my friends. I keep it strictly inner circle. I keep it on the down low for only one very good reason. Its embarrassing! You don't want to necessarily run around advertising that you are broke. If you are young and you got a fresh degree and still live at home then skip that $10 dollar mystery shop and a free burger and go apply for a real job. Don't end up like me. You won't like it if you end up like me.

It shouldn't be embarrassing. I'm proud to do this. I'm doing many companies a service. It's my job.
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April 21, 2019 12:16AM
I tell people I am a Frontline customer service evaluator generally or a Service Efficiency Evaluator, whatever sounds more important LOL! Most job titles are B.S and made up. If someone gets nosey I say I'm a private investigator for retail companies.
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April 21, 2019 12:27AM
@Mysteriousways wrote:

I tell people I am a Frontline customer service evaluator generally or a Service Efficiency Evaluator, whatever sounds more important LOL! Most job titles are B.S and made up. If someone gets nosey I say I'm a private investigator for retail companies.

Good Luck with that! LOL!
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April 21, 2019 01:24AM
Since we're making up job titles, how about VP of Customer Service for corporate America.

I'm just a consultant.
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April 21, 2019 01:25AM
You don't!!!!!! Much easier that way!
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April 21, 2019 01:45AM
"I do some merchandising."

Pronoun, schmonoun. I am a female human.
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April 21, 2019 02:02AM
Family has known for 20ish years what I do. Friends? I have three, all in different faraway states. They have known for years, too. One is in zone five so regularly receives boxes of rocks in the mail. That's a real friend! If I am on a shop and asked what I do - house cleaning. They never want to know more details.
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April 21, 2019 02:31AM
When I mystery shopped full-time (my only job), I just told people what I did. The only time I would change it (usually to "customer service evaluator" ) would be if someone was present who I knew worked at one of the places I shopped. That didn't happen often, since I lived in smaller cities that didn't have many shopped places, and most of my friends were self-employed or worked for local places that weren't shopped. Now, I just answer with my other job (transcription) unless it comes up some other way.

Saying that you MS does invite questions. I personally don't feel that's always a bad thing, although it's not always something I'm in the mood for either LOL. Most of the people who express interest (which is NOT everyone by any means) don't follow through anyway. They see it as a fun thing rather than work, and when they learn the amount of work it involves or how little some of the easier/"beginner" shops pay, they decide it's not for them before they even start. Plus, even if they followed through, thanks to rotation, I couldn't have every shop every month at the local locations anyway.

I don't really understand being embarrassed by it, but everyone is different. I think it's cool! That's why people are so interested when we bring it up! winking smiley

Happily shopping the Pacific Northwest. Shopping since 2013 smiling smiley


Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 02:35AM by RedRose22.
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April 21, 2019 04:07AM
Do what you feel like seems natural and best for you. I don’t mention it to anyone that lives near me minus my parents. I have had a few family members ask me about It that live in a different area of the state than me because my mom mentioned it to them in passing. I explained they had to do a report and was honest about the time involved in routing, planning, emails etc and then decided immediately it wasn’t for them lol.
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April 21, 2019 11:33AM
@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

I keep it on the down low for only one very good reason. Its embarrassing!

Right!!??
I’m super embarrassed that I only make $60/hr and that my 17 year old makes $30/hr.
Where did I go wrong in life???

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
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April 21, 2019 12:55PM
I don't often get that question.
Only my close family knows that I do something referred to as "Mystery Shopping".
I've found, like others, that when I say "Mystery Shopping", it invariably leads to lengthy questions and even pay rates, etc.
Its not worth it.
However, if I'm asked, I just say that on occasion for extra money, I'm an "Auditor" and a "Business Consultant".
If they ask further, "Who do you work with?"
"Well," I say. "I work as an independent contractor and audit banks and also do some consulting for oil companies.
I especially keep quiet about the "Auditor" explanation around tax time.
Too many IRS questions (of which my knowledge extends to TurboTax).
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April 21, 2019 12:59PM
@Hoju wrote:

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

I keep it on the down low for only one very good reason. Its embarrassing!

Right!!??
I’m super embarrassed that I only make $60/hr and that my 17 year old makes $30/hr.
Where did I go wrong in life???

If you are telling that outrageous lie in real life then you are making an absolute fool out of yourself and then you are doubling down on that lie by dragging your kid into it. I would say you can't go much wronger then that!.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 01:00PM by Sobrokeigot2dothis.
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April 21, 2019 01:21PM
Maybe you should stop feeling sorry for yourself and actually put some effort into building a business out of this. If you're taking everything at face value and not negotiating your fees then you're terrible at this and should be embarassed and should just go bag groceries somewhere. I'm not the only one here making really good money, albeit part time (If I did this full time my hourly would go way down).

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.


Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 01:23PM by Hoju.
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April 21, 2019 02:12PM
@Hoju wrote:

Maybe you should stop feeling sorry for yourself and actually put some effort into building a business out of this. If you're taking everything at face value and not negotiating your fees then you're terrible at this and should be embarassed and should just go bag groceries somewhere. I'm not the only one here making really good money, albeit part time (If I did this full time my hourly would go way down).

What if some innocent stranger is reading your lie here and actually is foolish enough to believe it? I know you don't really care about strangers or the innocent so what about yourself. The biggest danger of telling any lie over and over again is you can start to believe it yourself. At that point you are in big trouble.
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April 21, 2019 02:26PM
What I find embarrsing about saying "Mystery shopper" is all of the scams and get-rich-quick schemes associated with it. Remember those TV and radio commercials touting the millions (?) you could make by leisurely planning your day at home in your underwear then hopping off to fun places and getting paid? So frickin embarrasing!
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April 21, 2019 02:34PM
Compliance auditor. I learned a long time ago to keep what I do quiet.
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