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Should I tell a friend what companies I get jobs from?

October 23, 2024 01:12PM
A friend asked what companis I get jobs from. Should I tell her, because she is very close in distance from me, and might take the jobs I want?
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October 23, 2024 01:23PM
NOOOOOOOO.

Direct competition!! If she is serious, she will take your jobs. I have other shoppers in my area and the competition is fierce. I mean I am sure she can google a bit and figure it out but don't make it easy for her.
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October 23, 2024 02:44PM
Thanx for answering...I really agree with you that she would be direct competition...but how do I not tell her in a nice manner?
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October 23, 2024 03:15PM
Pick an MSC you use the least and tell her to try some of the jobs from them. Maybe that will keep her busy enough. People have asked me and I said no way, and I tell them point blank they will be my competition. I do have a friend that I helped but he lives in another county and I don't go out there much unless I see some bonused stuff. He actually tells me if there is a good shop because he doesn't do it as much as I do.

Is it possible to have a discussion about boundaries?
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October 23, 2024 03:31PM
That is a hard question.I have stopped even telling people the details of what I do, for this reason. I usually say things like they are not hiring, or it requires me to travel overnight sometimes and pay for my own room. If they really persist, I just say something like I don't remember off the top of my head, just look in up on the internet. And if that doesn't work, you will have to decide just how valuable she is as a friend to you.
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October 23, 2024 03:57PM
Just be honest. Say that competition is fierce, and you feel like being "personal" competitors could interfere with your friendship. If you could google and find MSCs, your friend will be able to as well.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
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October 23, 2024 04:23PM
This is one of those "it just depends" situations. How deep is your pocket and how close is the friend. In my situation, I freely share, BUT, I can afford to be candid.
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October 23, 2024 04:27PM
I would tell her that its really something she should research and find out if she wants to do it herself. Frankly, if people can't be bothered to find out how to sign up for companies on their own, they're probably not going to cut it as a shopper.
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October 23, 2024 05:02PM
That would be a "no" for me. NONE of my friends know that I mystery shop. The only people who know are my immediate family. I work in education in my full time job and have a Master's degree in counseling. My husband and children understand and respect the confidentialty we must maintain in our home. My son now works in higher education and my daughter is in nursing school. We all just know to practice confidentiality at all times. There is a bonused motorcycle shop that I would love to do now and my neighbors have motorcycles (I could refer or take one of them) but I am not. I would rather lose the opportunity to earn $300 than to have to explain.
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October 23, 2024 05:48PM
I have discovered that when I tell people about the work involved in reporting, they quickly decide not to be mystery shoppers. I believe some people see it as simple or enjoyable entertainment and are unaware of the level of detail required or the time it takes to complete reports.
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October 23, 2024 06:36PM
@Datagirl wrote:

NOOOOOOOO.

Direct competition!!
You are so right...I don't think I should have mentioned it in the first place.
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October 23, 2024 06:52PM
@jewel1233 wrote:

I have discovered that when I tell people about the work involved in reporting, they quickly decide not to be mystery shoppers. I believe some people see it as simple or enjoyable entertainment and are unaware of the level of detail required or the time it takes to complete reports.

THIS!!! I have a close friend that knows about it and I told her right out that she doesn't have the organization skills to track her jobs, the payments and deal with all of the detail required in the report. Sounds harsh but it is true. She agreed with me. Then my daughter who I try to encourage, wants nothing to do with it because she sees how much I put into it. This and a full time job, plus being a mom, she doesn't know how I do it.
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October 23, 2024 06:56PM
No. I have told friends….they did a couple of shops…they failed miserably and then thought I was crazy for shopping. If someone wants to shop let them investigate companies not your responsibility! No one gave me any tips why should you?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2024 06:57PM by OldmanJames.
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October 23, 2024 08:08PM
I've never shopped for Coyle but that's the direction I would point someone in because, from what I've read, they want A LOT of narrative and would possibly intimidate a new shopper. If they can get through it, they've earned their place in my neighborhood as far as I'm concerned. Plus, I don't do upscale anyway.
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October 23, 2024 08:16PM
@jewel1233 wrote:

I have discovered that when I tell people about the work involved in reporting, they quickly decide not to be mystery shoppers. I believe some people see it as simple or enjoyable entertainment and are unaware of the level of detail required or the time it takes to complete reports.

Yep, this is spot on. They think it is like they can go on a glamorous fully paid shopping spree or something.
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October 23, 2024 11:38PM
Over the years, several friends and acquaintances have asked direction and assistance with shopping. After spending a great deal of my time trying to help some of them, the only one who was successful was my daughter-in-law. She is a go-getter. After introducing/passing her name to a few companies, she no longer needed me and took off with it. She enjoyed shops that I didn't and vice/versa. We had some fun times shopping restaurants around town and hotels and touristy stuff in NYC when she lived nearby. The rest either gave up or never even started. Now, I ask if they are good with the computer. I tell them there's a lot of writing involved with grammar and good composition skills being important...they lose interest quickly. I used to send folks to Volition...now you could just send them here and tell them everything they need to know they can find here...done

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain
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October 24, 2024 02:12AM
I've told many family and friends that I mystery shop. Some have shown some interest. I've referred them to this forum. Not one has checked it out.

When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
Alexander Den Heijer
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October 24, 2024 02:46AM
Keep in mind the person who helped a friend who lived far enough away to not be competition. Except that friend told another person who did become competition.
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October 24, 2024 02:52AM
The only people that know I mystery shop are my wife and my two kids

In fact, my wife has helped me on several shops where I have to bring an adult.
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October 24, 2024 03:05AM
I am absolutely not a territorial IC. I have mentioned names of merchandising companies to people who, it seemed to me, would complete the work as requested and please the MSC's and clients. Someone told me about a big company, and I appreciated that. But to each their own.

My garden in England is full of eating-out places, for heat waves, warm September evenings, or lunch on a chilly Christmas morning. (Mary Quant)
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October 24, 2024 08:42AM
When my son wanted to tell someone local about mystery shopping I told him not to give them any information at all. Or if he thinks he has a chance with the girl, just give her enough information to get her started with a company that we don't work with. Like Trendsource, Cirrus or Coyle.. I've told him multiple times not to create any more competition for jobs than we already have.
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October 24, 2024 12:04PM
I helped a friend in another market get started and it was just a headache. She didn't really have the mindset to be an independent contractor and couldn't truly commit to the jobs time-wise. She got frustrated at me when it came to searching for jobs. Overall, it was a small nightmare.

She would continually say how "lucky" I was when it came to landing good jobs but didn't really understand that it was a lot of work searching for jobs, scheduling them, tracking them and the associated mileage and payment. Of course there's a small element of luck but work created most of my "luck."

I have other friends and family who have expressed interest, also in different areas, and I have written up tons of info and none of them have acted on it.

I think most people have the view of mystery shopping like the romantic way it's portrayed - eat for free, shop for free, etc. and don't understand the work involved in it.

All of that to say - I agree with throwing the friend a bone with a company that you don't work much with and see if they go anywhere with it. And as others have said, you likely didn't have anyone helping you, I know I didn't. It's the kind of thing you need to be a bit of a self starter on. If one doesn't have that characteristic, they probably won't make it anyway.
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October 24, 2024 06:21PM
I have only had a few occasions where a friend has asked specifically about mystery shopping. Most of my close friends know I mystery shop. To be truthful I do not think the majority of them would be successful in this due to a variety of personality traits such as little patience, not good at attention to detail, not a good time budgeter etc. so I have stressed the parts of the jobs that require these things with targeted examples. For a few I have told them if they are serious they should talk to me before starting out so I can explain the pitfalls and warn them not to accept any jobs they see on places like Craigslist. I mention scam companies etc. but still two people have actually answered some of those ads. Fortunately they told me the specifics before accepting the offers. But that has scared them away.
For those who still seem interested I tell them to sign up for one specific company that does lower pay but easy jobs so they can try it out. No one has yet. Since bonuses here are few and far between I have little to lose and a friend to compare notes with if they become a mystery shopper.
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October 24, 2024 10:01PM
A friend of a friend was telling me about how they just got a mystery shopping offer that came with a big check for them to use to buy gift cards. I told them that it was definitely a scam. They asked how I was so sure. I told them I was a full-time mystery shopper, and that was not how it worked. They looked at me like I said I was from Mars, and said I was obviously wrong because the check came by Federal Express, and they intended to go through with it. I just let it go, being pretty sure they didn't have a bank account and no one was going to cash the check for them.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2024 10:05PM by mystery2me.
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October 26, 2024 03:27AM
My sister knows someone who takes my TXRH and 5G shops "just for fun" at I'm guessing base.. I cant tell her to tell her friend to stop. Right?
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