Various Mystery Shopping Jobs

When mystery shopping first came on the scene many years ago, you went and did the shop, and then filled out a survey type questionnaire and sent it back in to your employer, who then paid you for your work. You were given a long form, with questions on both sides, and you simply checked a box as you went down, was your food hot, yes or no, did the employees seem friendly and focused, yes or no, and so on down the line. While some mystery shopping jobs will still use this type of form, there are many others now available, so you should take the time to learn about all of them if you are serious about your mystery shopping job.

Thanks to the advances that have been made in modern technology over the years, many of your mystery shopper reports can be filled out and sent in electronically, via email or website. This cuts down on the time it takes for your employer to receive your feedback, and your wait for payment.

In some ways, however, this same technology has helped limit the demand for mystery shoppers somewhat. Thanks to so many people now being able to shop online for their needs, companies who do business in this manner don�t really have to be concerned with what you think, as you don�t ever see the inside of their store, or have any one on one contact with any of their employees. So, in the world of mystery shopping, technology has been both a blessing and a curse.

Many businesses operate call centers, where customers can call in for product service, questions, or complaints as needed. The company who provides this service has to be certain that their employees are taking care of the needs of their customers in a polite, friendly manner, and that wait times are at a minimum, etc. That being said, you may be assigned a mystery shopping job that you can do right from the privacy of your own home, calling in to one of these customer service centers, and rating your service. You will likely be asked to report on your wait time, employee friendliness, and the support you received, as well as many other details as the employer sees fit.

Another way that some companies are erasing the need of hiring mystery shoppers is by installing video surveillance cameras in the workplace. These cameras are usually linked into the corporate office, where anyone at any time can link up and see what is going on in any given store. If a customer has a complaint about a specific day, a supervisor can even go back to the day in question and view the scenario, visualizing the problems and then taking action to correct them as needed. Not every store does this, as it can be quite expensive, and some still prefer the anonymity of the mystery shopper. Employees know that cameras are installed, and they adjust their actions accordingly, where if you, as a mystery shopper, do a good job, they will be none the wiser that you are there.

Just remember, no matter what type of mystery shopping assignment you receive, you are the voice of the customer. If you see something that needs to be changed or done differently, you should speak up, that is your job, after all.

TECHNOLOGY: In-store influence (Progressive Grocer)

From the moment a shopper enters the store until the time she leaves the checkout, she's an ideal captive audience for any marketer -- yet what drives her behavior between these two points has long been a mystery.

Police warn of new scam (The Express-Star)

The old adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” holds as true today as it ever has, probably more so. For that reason, the Chickasha Police Department wants to warn citizens to be aware of a new type of scam being perpetrated on unsuspecting victims by unscrupulous individuals.

Advantage: Amazon (InternetRetailer.com)

Acing the competition with free shipping, low prices, broad selection and new technology, Amazon is growing faster than e-commerce as a whole. How can other online retailers stay in the game?

Consumption power of consumers makes travel market in China attractive (eyefortravel.com)

In the run-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing, the travel industry including online travel players had projected a rosy picture for the industry.

Better Business Bureau seeking to build savvy consumers at Robins Air Force Base (Macon Telegraph)

Con artists and unscrupulous businesses preying on Robins Air Force Base airmen and their families may have a tough road ahead following local kickoff of the Better Business Bureau's Military Line.