I know all mystery shop companies struggle with finding good, dependable, professional shoppers.

Oftentimes the best shoppers come from referrals. What would make you want to refer someone to an MSC that you are signed up with?

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,

Andrew
Mystery Shop Department
Informa Research Services

Pure and simple: $$$

Money, honey.

I think of course $$ is the obvious answer, however, referring shoppers to you
may take my jobs away from me, and since L.A. has so many shoppers as is,
I stay away from doing this. I have been asked by newbies, and not knowing
if they will be good shoppers, or drop it because of low pay, I just don't
do it. I don't want to recommend shoppers that won't work out. None of my friends are fit for this.

Having an easy way to refer them - like a link that they can click. I don't know a lot of people's email addresses, or it just goes to spam unless it's from me, and I can't get them to remember to put my user ID in during signup, but I CAN send them a link to click on. It REALLY simplifies the process. And the incentive, of course, would be money. Be that a % of their fee, a flat rate, a bonus added to future shops, whatever - MONEY! I have TOLD a lot of people about mystery shopping, but have yet to find a company that makes it EASY for me to refer them!

I have to agree with Irene.

I would NOT refer someone in my locale though. Across the country such as a relative? Oh, absolutely, they aren't around to take the limited supply of jobs!

$$ of course would be one factor to send referrals, but for me the MAIN reason I would refer someone is only if I "knew" them (as well as knowing someone on a forum can be).

If I see someone come on a forum with only a few posts, can't spell worth isht, doesn't know how to use punctuation, type in all caps or lower case - Nope. No way, no how, come hell-o or high water - I won't refer them. To me that just indicates they will be sloppy with their reports! Yes, I realize that isn't necessarily true, but, quite frankly, if someone doesn't want to write correctly and professionally even on a forum - I have my doubts they will act professionally in the field. I don't want my hard work sullied by someone who takes a job just to make a quick buck.

On the other hand, if I see, say Irene or Lisa, Flash, Jersey - any number of the long time posters who have given well-thought advice and write well on the forums, then I wouldn't hesitate to refer them. (And for anyone I missed, sorry! There's a bunch of folks I would refer!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2012 12:50AM by r@inyDayZ3.

This was said. Why would I refer someone in my area that might take my shops?

And why would I refer anyone to a company where the scenarios lead to shopper identification much too easily?

In addition to taking jobs from me, I really don't tell anyone that I am a Mystery Shopper. You never know who people tell.

The last time I referred someone's daughter and tried to help her get started, she swooped in and took my favorite jobs. I would gladly refer someone who was out of my area and knew how to write/spell correctly.

For me, I would refer another mystery shopper that I know. Lucky for me, the nearest one that I know is about 1000 miles away from me.

I would refer if I liked how the MSC treated me and the jobs available. That being said, I did refer someone to my favorite MSC, he took 10 jobs, did 4 was going to do the others the next day, got a snarky email from the MSC and then he flaked on the rest. I was mad because I put my name on the line for him. But I got a similar snarky email from them in the beginning and chose to think this person was having a bad day. They became my favorite MSC but because this person sent the same nasty email, they lost a potential great mystery shopper and got 6 desperate jobs flaked on.

Oh well....to each his own, but money talks and how people are treated talks louder.

I referred a friend from Seattle and advised him to start slow and see how he liked it. He took about 20 jobs his first couple of days, all on islands he had to travel to so they were bonused, even tho i said to try one or two first. He burned out like a flash.
Another friend begged me to help her start up. I told her (and the above person) to only take jobs from MSPA companies and to call me for advice before going. She ended up answering a craigslist scam about check cashing instead of listening to my advice and would have lost $$ except when she got to the bank with the money order the bank told her it was a scam.
Both of these people had been people I thought would be good shoppers.
And then of course I had to listen to their endless complaints about mystery shopping after that for a few weeks. So I am out of the referral business.

InformaMysteryShops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What would make you want to refer someone to an
> MSC that you are signed up with?
>

My answer is nothing. There is nothing that could be offered to me to refer people. Sure, money's nice but my reputation is worth more than a small reference fee. I won't refer people locally because they'll take my shops. I won't refer someone remote because I don't know them. I won't refer someone from a forum for the same reason. Just because someone has a lot to say and can construct a sentence doesn't mean they'll be a good shopper. I'm totally unwilling to jeopardize my position/rating/shops/history for anyone. This is my job, my only job. If I lose this for any reason, I'm SOL.

Andrew,

I would not hesitate to refer anyone to your company, and if fact I have!

Your company is certainly one of the best - easy to work with, and you have great paying shops.

However, most people think they are interested, but once I even begin to tell them how to get started, the eyes just glaze over...they are not prepared for the "work" of getting on the web and signing up everywhere, let alone taking the job and writing (what!? writing is involved?) the report.

Unlike other shoppers, I would not hesitate to recommend anyone in my area. Shop rotations being what they are, there's enough to go around.

Competition is good for every industry...and if a company finds they can't find good qualified shoppers in a certain area, perhaps the just pull out of the area all together!

I look at referrals in a different light. As long as the referral policy is striaght forward, not complicated, and stated up front, referral from me is not a problem.

AS long as my referrals is not reflecting on me I don't care. According to the "referral law", the referred, only have to do is sign up and complete one shop and I will get my referral bonus. And techincally that is all I am agreeing to. But if the referred signs up for 20 shops does 6 and flakes on the rest. That should have no baring on me. And the MSC should or could not hold me responsible.

When a MSC signs up a newbie/referred AND in the first six months let him sign up for more than 20 shops in 90 days. then they (MSC) are responsible for the flakes.

If a postor across the country wants to be referred. I will refer them but you best believe I want something in return b4 the name of a MSC. In that moment is the only TRUST I am sending out. You do the first company and refer me so I get paid and the rest of the shops are on them. I will even "walk" them through the first shop.

By know means should the referred person be any type of influence to my shops and rapport with the MSC. If the reverse is found to be true then the intergity of the MSC is shaky, and I would have to question my own relationship with the MSC.

I am not signed up with your MSC. but I have been to your website. I am on the fence. but your reputation should speak for you. I would not refer anyone to a MSC that has trouble making its pay cycle on time.

Money and a good company to work with- and good schedulers like you

I also don't tell people in general that I mystery shop. I've only told two ladies at work that I trust, two really good friends and my family. One of the ladies with whom I work has talked about trying it too but doesn't have the time right now. I told her it takes a lot of research and hours of signing up with many companies. I just hope she never asks me to tell her which companies shop in our area... like others said, it's more competition for me and there are not a ton of shops in my area.

$$$, the companies reputation, and the referral being dependable and also residing out of my general area.

I personally don't like referring someone to a particular MSC...However, I have no problems referring people to Mystery Shopping in general as a way to supplement their income...I will even give them my personal contact info and offer to assist them in getting started... Instead of referring to a particular MSC...I refer them to this Forum and advise them to research the companies listed on this forum...I also encourage them to read this forum like the bible before they start...

I should correct myself...I do mention 2 MSCs as a good place to start...and I do ask where they live as to determine if we will be in competition...I also advise them not to tell friends what they are doing until they have some experience with it and to beware of people who live in the same area as them...

I would refer someone if:
- I thought they were suited for MS'ing
- I thought the company deserved a referral
- I wasn't worried about the MSer becoming my competition.

I had someone ask me... that I worked with....

Yeah right, I am going to tell you all the companies I work for, so you can sign up and take my jobs away...

Okay...NOT!

I would need to feel like they could do a good job at it and not be in competition with me for jobs. I'd also not want this person calling me on how to do a certain job or what to expect.

FYI I just signed up with Informa with no referral LOL For some reason I never signed up with you!

I generally do not refer people for two reasons.

First, I don't tell most people I mystery shop. The only people who know are my close friends and family. I just don't feel like explaining it to people AND

2. It's hard enough to find assignments. I don't need to create more competition!

I have an article up on my blog about mystery shopping (Find it here: [brokestudentguide.blogspot.com]) and I would LOVE to put up a bunch of referral links to mystery shopping companies that I like. Unfortunately most of the time you can only refer someone by having their email or by having them input your shopper ID, and people are a lot more likely to just click a link than give me their email and wait bla bla bla. I make a lot of money on other sites by referring people, and I'd love to add that to my mystery shopping income. I wouldn't mind shoppers in my area, either. There's more than enough to go around.

InformaMysteryShops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know all mystery shop companies struggle with
> finding good, dependable, professional shoppers.
>
> Oftentimes the best shoppers come from referrals.
> What would make you want to refer someone to an
> MSC that you are signed up with?
>
> We'd love to hear your thoughts.
>
> Thanks,

It would take successful shops that would not embarass me if I suggested my friend or relative to perform the shops.

Some companies expect a shopper to read for an hour and perform for at least a half hour at the location, come home and spend an hour or more on a report.

With the price of gas the fee does not cover the expense of driving to the location.

The fees keep me from doing a lot of shops as the clients do know it would take their employee time to learn the scenario,visit the location and make the reoprt but does not offer that equvalent to the shopper.

The Client can not send and employee as the report would be tainted by bias. Mystery shopping should be recognized as a business expense and if the information has value is it worth the expense of paying a professional to gather the information.

Some companies do offer reasonable compensation for the effort made. I would not refer my friends or relatives to companies that would take advantage of my friends and relatives time and desperation to work for less than minimun wage and not be paid expenses. Gas costs $3.60 to over $4.00 a gallon. The fees Informa Research Services offered do not support the effort.

If I will not do the shops I would not refer the shops to friends or relitives.

> Andrew
> Mystery Shop Department
> Informa Research Services

The last person I referred took a look and decided that mystery shopping was not for her. Now I am trying to convince my adult children whom I help support to do it. One is waiting for me to buy her a laptop. The second one feels that his wife should stay home and take care of the baby. I still think she could mystery shop.

ISpyForYou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This was said. Why would I refer someone in my
> area that might take my shops?

With rotation there are plenty of opportunities. You can give away shops with three and six month rotations. If you compete monthly and the shops are plentiful you can give those away also. I live in New Jersey where shops are plentiful if they pay $10 or less. Those I can give away without thought. If you do a lot on them in a route you may make money. I prefer shops that offer more and if there is a $10 shop I can pick up like a $10 bill that is found I the street, I will bend over and pick it up.

I learned a principle from a very successful entrepreneur who was related to me and mentored me like I was his son. Years later I heard similar logic on an Earl Nightingale recording, “The Strangest Secret” and Zig Ziglar’s speech when I saw him at a business conference.

You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want if you help them cheerfully and with integrity. No one likes to be cheated or abused. The happiest people are those who serve others. Those you serve will admire you, trust you and refer other opportunities to you.

I have foster children, so I am well aware of serving others.

A lot of my favorite shops have 30 day rotations and I already compete with other shoppers in my area. What I do have going for me is that I am awesome and the schedulers will secretly contact me to pick up certain shops or redo ones other shoppers messed up. I am just not going to refer anyone because a) they will take my shops! and, b) they could never live up to my reputation!

Ironically, schedulers refer me to other schedulers for other companies all the time! I just got invited to join another MSC yesterday! Maybe the question should be posed to recruiters instead?

I would happily refer someone who I think is reasonably able to do this type of work as long as they are not local. There isn't so much work in my area that I want to keep adding competitors to make jobs even harder to get. There's also the issue of many new shoppers grabbing jobs at insanely low fees and thus driving fees down for everyone... definitely don't need that. However I would refer someone outside my area. (I would also talk to them about some basic tips like not picking up $4 jobs.) A cash bonus would of course be very motivating.