I am not loving the mystery shopper hype to be honest. I blame myself for not reading the guidelines entirely but hey here I am lol there must be something appealing about all this from all the things I read here. I have ADHD and I never did great with reports, I cant focus like the rest of you except when I am on ritalin lol but I am trying to quit taking meds. Having said that would you please recommend easy reports / simple shops/ companies to work for? I am willing to give this mystery shopping gig another go Thanks !!

"Easy" is very subjective. What may be a breeze for me, could be a nightmare for you.

Sign up with more companies. Do a variety of shops until you find what you like.

I like Coyle. Easy, fast, low-narrative, and HIGH-PAYING shops. Takes maybe five minutes after a fancy meal out.

Try Market Force and do a certain type of shop several times before deciding it's too much for you. There is a learning curve with everything.

Honny is correct: "simple and easy" is all relative and we all have different strengths and weaknesses.

FYI: Maryanne J is being facetious

I recommend Coyle to shoppers in my area looking to get their feet wet.

If you are serious about ADHD; writing; and staying sharp as long as necessary, you might consider some merchandising assignments that involve filling in the reports on an app during your on-site visit. For example, some assignments in grocery stores and box stores might qualify as "easy" in that you complete the work for one location at a time, focusing one one display at at time within locations that have more than one display, and answering the questions/filling in the reports as you go. For many assignments, narratives are minimal, optional, and often unneeded. When all work is finished and all questions are answered, you are ready to leave a location and submit your report. Your brain might become tired from this work at one location, but you do not need to stress it with still more work for that location, such as by filling in a survey or report after your on-site visit. At this point, only you can know: am I up for more work today, or is time for something else? How much time and energy do I have? Another advantage is that some of these assignments are part of projects that have time frames of a few days within which to complete all your assigned locations. Depending upon where you are, you may complete only one location or work in multiple locations per day. One company has grocery store shops with an app for which you can complete most of the survey while on-site. After the shop, you would only need to describe the check-out process and provide an image of your receipt. You will need to try different assignment types and determine for yourself what is the best combination of work, rest, and play for you. Potentially, there is no assignment that you cannot complete (unless you are out of the sample frame due to age or other personal or demographic factor). There is no pat answer or only one good outcome for us independent contractors. Just enjoy your journey and give yourself a chance to work your work as only you can do it!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2021 11:44AM by Shop-et-al.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

I recommend Coyle to shoppers in my area looking to get their feet wet.

Me, too. My neighbors who want to try shopping start and usually then end mystery shopping.

The Source is easy.

Intellishop reports are usually pretty easy. You might try some phone shops, too; you do have to concentrate hard, but only for a few minutes. Or recorded phone shops. Not a lot of $$ in most of these, but they could be good practice for going out into the field for shops.

I have ADHD, too, although mild, but what helps is going into that hyper-focus mode most of us have--but doing it consciously can be problematic.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

I recommend Coyle to shoppers in my area looking to get their feet wet.

I've always thought that Coyle reports and requirements were a bear, based on some of what I've read here. I'm not signed up; maybe I should....

I also have ADHD am non medicated. I agree with what an earlier poster wrote about doing merchandising through apps on your phone. The reports are as you go and there is usually just simple yes no answers, take photos and count inventory. I like them because they are often pretty quick and you don't have to stay in one place very long (I don't like being in one place very long). Be Field Agent, Easy Shift, Survey.com (merchandiser), Observa, etc. Are ones that follow this format.

I get that ADHD hyper focus mode, but can't always choose when, where or why I do it. It's a double edged sword, I can sometimes hyper focus on 1 thing to the point of neglecting everything else, but I will have completed that one task to perfection, while everything else collapses around me!

@andrea91us wrote:

It's a double edged sword, I can sometimes hyper focus on 1 thing to the point of neglecting everything else, but I will have completed that one task to perfection, while everything else collapses around me!

Oh, yes, I know that situation well!

@BirdyC wrote:

@HonnyBrown wrote:

I recommend Coyle to shoppers in my area looking to get their feet wet.

I've always thought that Coyle reports and requirements were a bear, based on some of what I've read here. I'm not signed up; maybe I should....

They are indeed demanding. A good reason to recommend the MSC to potential future competitors without experience.

I have two grown children (now adults ) who are ADHD....they have been involved with MS for some time (I used to own a company) and I can say that, without a doubt, MS was not their cup of tea.....You have to be self directed and focused, and it is tough to do that on Adderall or Ritalin or even without any drugs ( if one is diagnosed as on the spectrum with ADHD)..One of my kids (now 34) can do the gas station stuff acceptably well, but that was it.....sorry to be a buzzkill.

I strongly disagree with this tactic. It places a stumbling block instead of an encouragement or opportunity. People might face other obstacles along the way. They do not need unprintable from us. OTOH, what goes around, comes around. When someday you need something, someone might repay this favor to you and utterly derail you.

@Rousseau wrote:

@BirdyC wrote:

@HonnyBrown wrote:

I recommend Coyle to shoppers in my area looking to get their feet wet.

I've always thought that Coyle reports and requirements were a bear, based on some of what I've read here. I'm not signed up; maybe I should....

They are indeed demanding. A good reason to recommend the MSC to potential future competitors without experience.

Birdy, I'm trying to get rid of my competition.

I got a meal out of it once. It wasn't free because he called me for the next few days to iron out details. After that report, he gave up mystery shopping.

@BirdyC wrote:

I've always thought that Coyle reports and requirements were a bear, based on some of what I've read here. I'm not signed up; maybe I should....

"For a long time, I’ve believed that business is a place where we bless and prosper each other. I’ve never understood the concept of cutthroat business, where you try to cheat and put one over on the other person. That doesn’t sound like a joyous way to live. There’s so much abundance in this world-all we need to do is recognize that fact and share the wealth." (Louise Hay)

Very new age. Very spot on, too. Louise Hay began life abused and in poverty. She wended her way through a difficult life and established a business based upon blessing and good faith. This business is now largely online, as is much of our IC work; it has kept pace with the times. Mind you, I am not using this quotation to say that she was or we should be Communists or passively let anyone extract what we do not have to give. Rather, it explains why there might be a gulf between me and others in this industry. We see it, feel it, and live it in different ways based upon our different beliefs. So now you know and can be assured that I will never compete with any of you for presumed easy work, simple reports, better gigs, or anything else.

Shopet, of course you compete. I appreciate your point of view, but while karma may come back and bite you in the you-know-what, so can reality.

I personally mentored more than one mystery shopper. I learned a harsh lesson when one repeatedly undercut my bids and took shops I had been doing regularly. I'm a route shopper, and cover oh, say, about 300 miles from home. Another shopper, who lived 200 miles from me, yelled and cussed at me to "stay out" of her territory or she would come into MY territory and take all my jobs at base pay, and see how I liked that! I tried to explain we don't have "territories". So, indeed, reality bit me in the you-know-what.

You DO compete, even if you don't see it that way.

But I agree, it doesn't have to be cutthroat. Just take jobs that pay you what you think is a reasonable fee for the work involved, and if you're able/willing to do it for less than other shoppers, that's your choice. My bids tend to be high, because I normally have to drive a minimum of 45 miles each way.

Ah ha!

Hint: You cannot digest a multi-page guideline in one gulp. I suggest taking it a little bit at a time, and make notes (I call mine a "cheat sheet" ).

I've been doing this for years, and have thousands of completed shops -- and I STILL never leave the house without my cheat sheets! I still sweat bullets over every new type of assignments. It ain't easy, but it IS rewarding to be one's own boss.

By taking notes, you help cement the info into your mind. AND it helps guarantee that you WILL read all the guidelines. It is absolutely essential that you read and comprehend the guidelines before leaving to complete an assignment. If something is contradictory or just unclear (I've had guidelines where the first line says "never, ever do XXXX" and the second line says "absolutely never, ever forger to do XXXX" -- the exact opposite of the direction in the first line!), E-mail the scheduler/helpdesk, whatever, for clarification. I've gotten guidelines for gas stations that state "You do not need to purchase gas for this assignment, and if you do purchase gas, it will not be reimbursed", completed the shop, logged on to complete the report and literally the first and second questions were "How much was your gas purchase?" and "Please upload a photo of the receipt for your gas purchase".

My cheat sheet is pen and paper; I'm not tech oriented. Plus I can read my own handwriting much easier than the tiny print on the screen of my phone. Normally, it's one page of what I absolutely MUST get/do to complete the shop.

Good luck.

@freshlybakedcookies wrote:

I am not loving the mystery shopper hype to be honest. I blame myself for not reading the guidelines entirely but hey here I am lol there must be something appealing about all this from all the things I read here. I have ADHD and I never did great with reports, I cant focus like the rest of you except when I am on ritalin lol but I am trying to quit taking meds. Having said that would you please recommend easy reports / simple shops/ companies to work for? I am willing to give this mystery shopping gig another go Thanks !!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2021 01:53PM by ceasesmith.

There is a huge difference between choosing not to help someone who may end up being a competitor and lying to them or sabotaging them. It is also pointless when the person asking for help may not even be in your territory (except, perhaps, for online or phone shops).

What is the point of these forums?

cease, my thinking exactly!

As independent contractors, we are all competitors. There is no way I am going to risk my shops, fees and bonuses to help a new shopper in my radius.

One shopper on this forum won't even give the names of the MSCs to new shoppers. I asked her why. She said it took time for her to build her business and make her contacts. She wasn't going to hand them out to anyone.

I agree with her.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Shopet, of course you compete. I appreciate your point of view, but while karma may come back and bite you in the you-know-what, so can reality.

I personally mentored more than one mystery shopper. I learned a harsh lesson when one repeatedly undercut my bids and took shops I had been doing regularly. I'm a route shopper, and cover oh, say, about 300 miles from home. Another shopper, who lived 200 miles from me, yelled and cussed at me to "stay out" of her territory or she would come into MY territory and take all my jobs at base pay, and see how I liked that! I tried to explain we don't have "territories". So, indeed, reality bit me in the you-know-what.

You DO compete, even if you don't see it that way.

But I agree, it doesn't have to be cutthroat. Just take jobs that pay you what you think is a reasonable fee for the work involved, and if you're able/willing to do it for less than other shoppers, that's your choice. My bids tend to be high, because I normally have to drive a minimum of 45 miles each way.