I’m still very new to mystery shopping, but I have noticed I’m more willing to miss out on shops than I am to go out and face the heat. Does this happen to you all? Would you say that shops are easier to do when the temperatures come down? Also wondering if there is more shop availability when the kids go back to school. Do some people only shop during the summer? Thanks for the input!

My problem is the opposite end of the calendar. I don't mind shopping this time of year at all. I don't shop much when the temperatures dip or when the snows come.

Heat doesn't bother me so much. I am a very early riser. I am at my first door before the minute that I am allowed to begin. I get mine done before it gets too hot.

I passed on a $60 job in July, due to the company's refusal to allow the shop that day; the high was in the 70s. For the weekend, when they wanted the work completed, it was forecast for the mid to high 90s. It was a car counting shop, with the only possible position facing the afternoon Western sun. This would have been my sixth visit; all others were in the A.M.

I agree with you shopperbob. I would have passed on it too because I dislike being in the heat and sweating. I’m always bummed when they want the shop done in a specific time frame (later in the day) because it is a shop I want, but don’t want to do it during the hottest part of the day.
@barefoot
I totally get not shopping during the snow season. We get a lot of rain on the west coast and are lucky to not see much snow.

There's only 2 things that would affect my shops:

1) Am I getting paid?
2) Am I dead?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2025 10:49PM by kisekinecro.

@kisekinecro wrote:

There's only 2 things that would affect my shops:

1) Am I getting paid?
2) Am I dead?

Hahahaha love it !!

Only when doing gas stations. I still pick up the same number of stations, but I do them as early in the morning or late in the evening as possible. I'm in South Florida, and the middle of the day is brutal in summertime.

I don't see a difference in availability once school is in session.

I do have huge issues with the heat, and bright sunlight. I get dizzy and I have trouble breathing, especially when it's really humid and the air won't move. So naturally, I left California and moved to Alabama..

When it's hot I work at night as much as possible, and get my son's help when I can't avoid working during the day. It's starting to cool off a little, I'm sure it'll be hot again intermittently when the tornados start. In the winter the only thing that keeps me home is frozen roads. I don't work less, but there does seem to be fewer shops in the winter.

And September starts this week, it's a new quarter, so there will be fewer shops, and fewer good paying shops. It's always slower at the beginning of the quarter. And it's even slower at the beginning of the year.

I left CA because it was too hot, too much. We never had a good winter, we had 2 days that the temperatures dropped into the low 30's at night and the rest of the time it was never under 50 degrees at night or mid 60's during the day. I wanted to be where there are 4 seasons, and my 2 oldest sons have moved here and settled down. So now it actually freezes here, and sometimes it snows, but it's only stayed on the roads maybe twice since I've been here. It's cooler here for a LOT more of the year. There are more than 4 seasons here, Winter, false Spring, Tornado Spring, real Spring, Hotter than hell, Stagnation, Fall, Tornado Fall, Christmas, Frozen January.. and then we start again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2025 05:45AM by Morledzep.

I do not go far from home when there is threat of a winter ice storm or tornado/high winds. The heat does not bother me. I have found schedulers to be very understanding in the event of a storm warning.

I might have to factor in additional gas if I'm cranking the a/c in my car, but otherwise, the heat doesn't impact my shops too much.

In some parts of the country, we shop without driving. We walk to stores, or take subways, trains, and buses. So we're out in the elements, at least part of the time, without benefit of a car with air conditioning.

So when there is high heat, I don't shop, and I'll reschedule to earlier or slightly later dates when the heat wave is over. Cold weather is not as bad for me, since it's possible for me to add as many layers as I need to keep warm. But I might have to reschedule for cold weather or heavy rain, to avoid consequences of infrastructure breakdown.

@Jgann

Where are you shopping that heat is an issue? I get doing a shop outdoors, but most shops are inside (exception of the Terminatoro's car counting example.).

Are you the Palm Springs araa of CA where it's over !00? Are you in Vegas where it's over !00? Ar you in Phoenix where it's 110 or more?

It's really not that bad with AC. You just have to avoid mid day shopping times. I don't have winter issues anywhere I have ever lived.

If you are loading up with 15 plus shops on a hot day, by the time the AC starts to cool you down, you are at the next shop.

That's why a small investment like this would definitely help with this situation.

[www.amazon.com]