@MSF
I have only been doing this for three years. However, everything in the article and what both @MickeyB and @SoCalMama say rings very true to me. And, no, I do not know which MSC's offer such opportunities.
I have been called by small MSC's to do larger shops a few times - these are MSC's that do not have job board and do not advertise. They rely on a small group of reliable shoppers with whom they are familiar. When they need more shoppers, they reach out to their contacts in other MSC's and ask for recommendations. They then contact new shoppers independently. They do not want their contact information posted here as they do not want emails from a bunch of shoppers who want to do the shops. Overall, they do not like adding new shoppers to their roles: It means that they have to coach them heavily through their procedures and take the risk that the new shopper is a dud or flake. With the amount of money the shopper must lay out in order to do these shops, that risk is never taken lightly.
As a shopper, I value my contacts with these MSC's as they can be lucrative. I am not keen on sharing those contacts with the world as, it could frustrate the MSC (and make them less likely to recommend me to another) and it could lead to sharing some of these opportunities with more shoppers, taking away from my work. As a teacher, I can totally see how another teacher can take advantage of such opportunities, even while shopping part time. I know that some of the routes I am doing are unusual and that there are relatively few folks who will do them. (Week long trips out-of-state).If I were interested in resorts I would be able to do them, too. (If I were to make the contacts, that is...)
As I have learned about the mystery shopping world, I have read much of what @MickeyB and @SoCalMama wrote. I am yet to find something false in their statements. Over time, I have had experiences that verify much of what they say. When they post about their adventures, I find that my "take" is leaning just how expansive the mystery shopping world actually is and recognizing that there are a lot more opportunities out there that what any one person will ever see. Consider, on a much smaller scale: Did you know that Intellishop has separate arm of their mystery shopping offerings that is just for video shops? These are not advertised online. I bumped into it about six months ago. I was completely taken by surprise. JMRidgeway does, too. (I actively video shop, so I am more likely than most to find such things.)
From a different perspective, why is it so hard to believe that such travel opportunities exist. Consider: Sandals Resorts spends millions advertising their resorts on television. Millions. I do not know if they are a client. However, would it be hard to believe? Their whole thing is offering incredible all-inclusive experiences at resorts all over the world. The customer experience is *everything* to their business. Relative to their advertising, the cost of sending a few shoppers to each of their resorts periodically is negligible. A few thousand dollars is nothing to them - if it ensures that their resorts are offering the level of experience they advertise. They know if they want good feedback (whether positive or negative), they are going to need to fly somebody out to wherever and pay for that person to check out every aspect of the resort. Knowing that mystery shopping is real, it would be foolish of them NOT to have their resorts shopped. Again, I have no idea if they are one of the clients alluded to here. They just happen to be the one resort company I can name.
So, if I wanted to be offered such a shop, what would I do? First, I would register with MSC's that do offer hotels and other hospitality shops. I would then make a point of doing those shops - especially when I found myself traveling. I would *always* turn in outstanding reports, on time - if not early. I would be extremely responsive to questions. I would be friendly in my contacts with schedulers and MSC owners and might even mention that I hoped to do such a shop some day - at least when it came up on conversation. I would seek out other groups on social media where shoppers and MSC reps gather. I would go to conferences and rub elbows with MSC owners. I am certain, that if I were to do this for two or three years, I would find myself with new opportunities.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2019 03:21PM by MFJohnston.