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

re:your attitude, Sobroke...
Called it!

I did my bit as a friend to bring them along and made some side money, the rest was up to them. While every shop does not pay $60/hr, the minimum I work for is $30/hr. I pick and choose what shops will work for me, and hell yeah, I ask for shops to be bonused.
You don't ask, you don't get. If I get some flack, I just downplay it and say that's what will work for me, and I understand if it's not in the budget.
Next!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 06:10PM by reallycoolshopper.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Seriously? Nothing from the mods? Wow. Just wow.

Kim

I’ve got nothing left with this one. If she’s out there spreading her misinformation that this is all below-minimum-wage trash work, have fun with that. It’s just fewer people trying to negotiate higher fees which is a win for those of us who aren’t total failures in life.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 05:44PM by Hoju.

I just tell people I work as an independent contractor for a bunch of market research companies. I keep it vague and boring but still make it sound like I have a real job. Most people don't question me further.

@Hoju wrote:

I’ve got nothing left with this one. If she’s out there spreading her misinformation that this is all below-minimum-wage trash work, have fun with that. It’s just fewer people trying to negotiate higher fees which is a win for those of us who aren’t total failures in life.

You publicly stated on a forum for the world to see that you make 60 dollars an hour full time mystery shopping. That would be well over 100,000 dollars a year. That is a lie. That is just about impossible. That is misinformation! I am sorry for exposing your lie. Maybe if some more of your buddies come in here and back your lie up some poor unsuspecting innocent reader will quit their job making 20 dollars an hour since they can go mystery shop for 60 dollars an hour. Is that what you want? I fear you don't care about the innocent or being honest.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 06:22PM by Sobrokeigot2dothis.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis
Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

My husband says the same thing!!! I usually write Independent Contractor or Self Employed and then I get twenty questions. I guess Marketing Consultant is the best way to go.

People that are unwilling to admit when they’re wrong when faced with overwhelming evidence that they’re wrong are the single most damaging subset of our society at the moment.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 06:55PM by Hoju.

In my experience, I have to use discretion because people blab at the most inopportune time. At the moment, I'm using "Metrics Reporting", preceded with, "Now that I'm semi-retired, I do free lance work.".

I explain I'm a independent consultant. Inever divulge specifics. If they ask more questions I tell them briefly, similar to recruiting emails from companies, especially the confidentiality part which usually ends the conversation. If they say they'd like to try it, I give them a couple of the companies I like and trust to look into.

Boxes of rocks? Why not a can of peas? LOL

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 10:05PM by Flguy56.

What's @Sobrokeigot2dothis doing back anyway. I thought he got some super-duper oil field job and stopped mystery shopping. Or maybe it was cleaning up disaster sites. Something like that.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

My husband tells my I lie when I do this. It pisses me off. Especially since I work full-time and I'm doing this as supplemental income since he is unemployed. <eye roll>

Tarah why does he think you are lieing you are only reporting the facts of what happens on a shop while you were there. Beside it look like you could use the money , he should be happy you were willing to work so hard for your family

I learned this the hard way lol.

@sbobgal wrote:

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.

@Flguy56 wrote:

Boxes of rocks? Why not a can of peas? LOL

Rocks are free, peas cost money. But when my garden does well, I send real fruits & veggies that can handle the shipping abuse. So it's not only useless stuff!

Tell them you are a customer service evaluator. If, during a job interview, they ask more questions about exactly what you do, tell them you are an independent contractor and then describe exactly what you do without telling them for whom you work or who the clients are.

"Evolve thyself and lose all hate...." Orphaned Land

I wou,d never put this on a real job application. First, you are blowing your cover, and it also may not come across as a professional job, depending on what you are applying for. Best not to say anything, because as stated in another comment on here, you never know who you are revealing the information to. Personally, I may tell certain people I do a little undercover work, and leave it at that.

I have no intentions of ever applying for another job but I would have no hesitation putting this on my resume. A, it's better than trying to explain a 6 year hole in my resume and B, I make decent money doing this, there's no shame in that. I agree some people would have a lower opinion if you titled it "Mystery Shopper" but I ain't that stupid.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

@bgriffin wrote:

I have no intentions of ever applying for another job................

That is one thing you won't have too much problem getting your friends and family to believe.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2019 02:03PM by Sobrokeigot2dothis.

I haven't told anyone about it. I'm not embarrassed, I just don't feel like explaining it. Having said, that I may treat a few close co-workers to take out lunch once or twice a week now that the Z audit can be done 4 times a week! I'ma be sick of burritos and quesadillas but my grocery bill has plummeted. HA!

I am going to try to get my college-aged daughter to get into it over the summer and during the school year as her time allows. It appears there are a lot of tobacco audits in her college town.

I'll probably won't over make the big $$$$ some of you do but I am okay with that. I have a full-time+ job and do MS to earn travel and play money. I eventually want to get into doing some serious travel shops but I'm still a baby shopper with lots of dues to pay until I reach that level.

I put it on a resume once. Talking about it took up most of my interview. It's fascinating when you explain it properly and ultimately it got me the job.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

I tell people I do "auditing" for various companies.

@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???

SoBroke, here's the quote. Hojo did NOT say $60.00/hour full time. Hojo said $60.00/hour. YOU read 'full time' into the comment, so (as many others have tried to say), this mistake is on YOU and you alone. I also agree with Irene's and bgriffin's assessments.

Before calling other commenters liars and other names, please learn to read the comments as written, NOT as you think they were written. Successful mystery shoppers do not make assumptions; they read exactly what has been written.

And to the actual topic, my family members know what I do, and I do not discuss it with others. I have a six-figure income before mystery shopping. I do this to build credibility and relationships with many MSC's in anticipation of retirement opportunities in several years.

@RuralRunner wrote:

And to the actual topic, my family members know what I do, and I do not discuss it with others. I have a six-figure income before mystery shopping. I do this to build credibility and relationships with many MSC's in anticipation of retirement opportunities in several years.

I'm planning on this as a retirement gig also, it's perfect.

Is that where you got your name? LOL!!!! Which are you, the woman without a nickel or the man without a nickel? Many forum members live in nice homes, drive nice cars, have nice clothes...sorry things are so rough for you.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

I'm going to give you tall tale tellers another dose of reality too. We live in a society where there are double standards. A woman with not a nickle to her name claiming to make $60 dollars an hour is looked at somewhat with a smirk and a grin. A man with not a nickle to his name claiming to make $60 an hour will be looked at with scorn and disgust.

@Hoju wrote:

People that are unwilling to admit when they’re wrong when faced with overwhelming evidence that they’re wrong are the single most damaging subset of our society at the moment.

What you clearly are saying is that people claiming to make $60 dollars an hour mystery shopping must be telling the truth if it is on the internet. It has to be true if it is on the internet. The only evidence we have here is the posts of a few people who seem to be much more intent on selling their view point then supporting it with any hard facts.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2019 12:45AM by Sobrokeigot2dothis.

I'm doing an audit tomorrow that pays $100 and should only take me about 30 minutes to do. Granted, my other shops for tomorrow vary in price and length of time but I will come pretty close to that average of $60 per hour by the end of the day. Asking people to support their earnings with hard facts is a clever way to try to get people to divulge their best paying MSCs and shops, isn't it? I am not biting. You can figure it out on your own. If you were signed up with these companies you would know it was possible.

And video shoppers can make $60 an hour easily.

Keep digging your heels in, princess. Someone will eventually feel sorry enough for you to throw you a bone.
Until then you can just brood on and blame society for all of your failures in life.

PS: if Trump doesn’t have to show you his tax returns, then I certainly don’t have to either.
Hard facts...lol. What a loon.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2019 01:49AM by Hoju.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

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

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine