I'm literally blown away by some of you on here. How long did it take you to hone down this skill?
How many different type of shops do you do?

What makes someone an 'expert' mystery shopper? Being able to execute difficult shops and meet strict guidelines and turnaround times?

Or is that next step as an 'expert' mystery shopper borderlines being an actual consultant, where you actually provide not only the data from a shop, but analysis, feedback, recommendations to the client, manage the actual projects with the client (budget, schedule, scope, etc.)?

Still working on that, lol.

I always thought an expert was someone under extreme pressure so that they spurt out of whatever they are doing. Actually to become an expert at something you have to spend a thousand or is it ten thousand hours doing something.
I have been doing this for 5 years or so but have slowed down lately to only 3 days a week get too tired too easily. I don't think I'll ever be an expert but I will be damned good at it.

I appreciate your question, and I think you meant the experienced shoppers who have plenty of insights, hints, and tips for earning big or better bucks, managing time well, and utilizing age, technology, or whatever resources they can bring to their work. There might be some experts according to the amount of time spent. There certainly are experts in terms of how they work the work and get great results. I am not an expert, unless you count knowing that I am not an expert.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2020 10:30PM by Shop-et-al.

I've been at it about 15 years and am far from being an "expert."

Over 10 years.

I am so far from expert in certain categories (tech!) that it's embarrassing. I AM expert at being professional and polite.

I cannot do recorded phone calls. I just freeze up.

So find the aspect(s) you enjoy, and get really good at those.

I am considered, by schedulers and MSCs, a "seasoned shopper".

LOL.

I became an expert in double checking guidelines the day I did a Five Guys shop as dine-in and then went home, started to fill out the report, and realized it was a phone ahead shop.

Part perhaps a large part of success in MS comes from trying out a wide variety of shops figuring out what you enjoy and/or excel at and what you hate and/or just seem to be less than "good enough" at. And also realizing that doing a particular job poorly one time does not necessarily mean that you are not going to GET good at it if you learn from your errors.

I discovered early that I HATED split-second timing. So fast food shops are on my 10 ft pole list. I liked almost any sort of interaction at a bank or credit union so I sought out all of the MSCs that had those shops. I was fascinated by the many ways that cash can disappear from a business so began to grab every cash integrity shop I could find. I hate hard sells so I tend to only do new and used car shops at "no haggle" chains. I love rail travel so grabbed every such shop I could in the years that Amtrak was very actively shopped.

You may see a trend here that points in one direction; most of us are best at what we really enjoy. Enjoyment as well as $$$ motivates investing the time and energy in learning guidelines checking for completeness before hitting the "send" button, etc. Finally, it never hurts to share a funny thing or some good news with schedulers. Even if they do not have the time to reply, they mostly get news of bad stuff, or no attention at all unless someone is angry. So, just saying please and thank you and some good news, and being very reliable, actually make you memorable.

Sounds like the time I started my "dine in" report then read "How many cars ahead of you?" oops.

@NinS wrote:

I became an expert in double checking guidelines the day I did a Five Guys shop as dine-in and then went home, started to fill out the report, and realized it was a phone ahead shop.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I am considered, by schedulers and MSCs, a "seasoned shopper".

I like that much better. I've been doing this since we mailed in our reports, but wouldn't consider myself an 'expert.' Maybe an expert at particular shops, but not in general. As previously mentioned, we each become expert at the shops we enjoy. Look at each person's posts. I probably wouldn't ask Steve for advice on a reveal gas station shop, but definitely would for a high-end overseas shop. That's the beauty of MSing -- we are all good at different things.

"Expert..." is anyone else laughing as hard as I am?

I started in 2013 in Phoenix and have done most any shop to get started. I do not do narratives for I am not a creative writer nor speller. I have since moved to the 4 Corners area and found and shopped only they companies listed on Pesto Jobslinger and Gspot for (they are the only companies that shop your area) for the shops in UT AZ NM CO. I have found that by taking the out of the way shops I can get incentive pay. Generally in the last half of the month or quarter. I have tried to use a technique that incorporates all pictures that I need for any shop. (Gas stations ALL Pumps not just the one i need). READ ALL the questions asked before I shop to make sure that I have the pictures and specific questions to ask someone or needed. (Lights and rewards programs). Make sure YOU are comfortable in doing that shop or the reveal part of the shop and TAKE YOUR TIME as not to forget that picture of the counter, bathroom or display. Nothing worse than traveling 60 miles to do a shop and finding you forgot something, for most times you can't go back. I am still learning how to do a shop properly and quick and most importantly GET PAID the most I can for that shop or at least the mileage cost (Government says $.57 per mile) to cover your repairs needed on your car and the new one you will have to buy.

Marketforce has dozens of shops in the four corners area -- many in NM, most seem to be in CO.

I wouldn't care much for the driving, though -- mountains are hard on my car and on my nerves!