For the last two years Ann Michaels & Associates has held tax seminars for mystery shoppers. As an Independent Contractor, filing taxes may be a bit different for you, especially if this was your first year as a mystery shopper.

Tax seminars will be held online starting in January and are conducted by a CPA. Each session lasts approximately 45 minutes to one hour – all you need is your computer and speakers or a phone to participate!

We typically offer 1-2 “live” sessions per month and have a recorded session available as well to make it as convenient as possible. If you can attend a”live” session you will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end.

Last year I interviewed Carolyn Eckert, the CPA that conducts these seminars, to learn some basic information. If you’d like to read that post, you can click here.

Dates will be released soon, so check back in early December!

Until next time…happy shopping!

Everyone is being affected by the current economic climate, and the mystery shopping industry is no exception.  This impacts everyone invovled, and you may have noticed schedulers and editors that are more picky when reviewing or accepting reports.

Aside from the obvious ways the industry is affected, including clients that have scaled back or cut out mystery shopping completely, there are other challenges that we are facing.

In the last year, companies have needed to become more stringent in their policies and take caution when assigning shops. You may have noticed the screening process ramped up, or more documentation required when submitting shops.

There has definitely been an increase in shoppers who have been falsifying reports, doctoring receipts, and utilizing other means to submit shops they did not complete. It is a sign of the times, as more desperate times may call for some desperate actions that people would not normally do.

99.9% of the mystery shoppers out there are wonderful, but it’s that .1% that causes us the most grief. When losing clients is on the table, companies cannot take any chances. So, if it seems that the mystery shopping companies are more picky and requiring more in the way of documentation, please understand the reasons behind this.

Until next time….happy shopping!

Mystery shopping has always faced its share of scams, from the pay to shop sites to cashier’s check letters.  It seems like there are more than ever out there – it’s difficult to keep up with, so I would like to share some tips and tricks on easily identifying a scam.

1. It’s too good to be true – mystery shopping will not make you rich; that is a fact. If you receive an email or stumble across a site that offers hundreds of dollars per shop to “eat out and shop where you’d like”, that is a clear sign. Realistically, shops will pay anywhere from $5.00 to $25.00 per shop on average.

2. The writer’s grammar is awful – if the writer’s grammar is awful, and there are words in the posting such as “smartness of the employee” (I think that’s my favorite), that’s another sign that it probably isn’t legitimate.

3. Check out the email address of the sender - companies will not use generic email addresses such as mysteryshoppingopportunities@gmail.com . The company name is included in the email address, as is a scheduler’s or editor’s name. If the sender is using a gmail or hotmail address, it is likely a scam.

4. Offers to accept mystery shops when you’re not registered with/have never heard of the company - mystery shopping companies utilize databases where shoppers register to be considered as a shopper. There are also many message boards that schedulers will use to recruit new shoppers. Mystery shop assignments are not emailed to random people who may never have heard of mystery shopping. If you receive what appears to be an invitation to complete a shop, and you’re not a registered shopper and are not participating on message boards, it is likely not a real opportunity.

5. Mystery shops include check cashing, putting out  a lot of money up front, etc – if you are asked to cash a check for the company, or if you are asked to send money somewhere prior to or during a shop, rest assured that you will never see this money again. This is the infamous check cashing scam, or a version of it.

When in doubt, trust your gut. You can also check out Volition’s forums – forum.volition.com – the shoppers who participate on these forums are seasoned veterans in the industry and have seen it all. You can use the search feature to see if the company/situation has been discussed before or post for advice.

It is hard to separate legitimate shopping from scams, especially when you are starting out. Hopefully this will serve as a basic guide to understanding what is legit and what is likely a scam.

Until next time….happy shopping!

Today I’d like to share some advice on cash flow when you’re first starting out as a mystery shopper. If you’ve prepared for your first shops, you would have checked the mystery shopping company’s payment schedule beforehand - each is different, with some paying two weeks after a shop to others where you are paid 30 to 90 days after completing a shop.

To a new mystery shopper, this can seem daunting since you are waiting for payment and spending money on shops as you go along. Below are some tips for the new shopper to manage the initial cash flow (or delayed cash flow):

1. In the beginning, try to take fee only shops. They are out there, mostly in the form of retail shops with no purchase, where you are interacting with an associate to evaluate sales skills, but not required to make a purchase. This will limit out of pocket spending in the first few months.

2. Take purchase and return shops: these typically require a return between 30 minutes and 3 days of making the purchase. While you are putting out money, it will be returned to you quicker than waiting on a reimbursement for a shop.

3. Reimbursement shops - this will take some legwork, and require you to do some homework at first, but registering with many companies may help you keep initial expenses to a minimum. If you can find shops at places you normally shop and spend money, these will help offset the wait for payment. If you are planning on grocery shopping, picking up a shop at the grocery store will help. You plan on spending money anyway, so it’s not as “out of pocket” as another type of shop that you don’t really need to go to.  Also, with the holiday season fast approaching, you can try to schedule shops for places you know you would be holiday shopping anyway.

You can read a past post to learn how to find mystery shops in your area. We’ve also discussed Jobslinger in a recent blog post - you can think of it as a one stop shop to find new companies to work with and increase your workload.

4. Open a free checking account that is dedicated to mystery shopping. Keep a budget on how much you are able to spend in purchases and use that account strictly for shopping. This way you are not overspending and budgeting wisely until you see your first payments.

Once you get into the routine of mystery shopping and are receiving regular payments, the cash flow becomes easier. In the meantime, these tips may help make the initial months easier on your wallet.

Until next time…happy shopping!

On many mystery shopping registration sites, there is an area to allow or block email notifications for mystery shops in your area.  Do you choose to allow emails or do you block them? Have you checked your profiles with mystery shopping companies lately?

We are always curious to learn from our mystery shoppers – why do you prefer/not prefer to receive email notifications? Do you realize that email notifications are disabled on your profiles if this is the case? Some shoppers, most notably those with AOL email addresses, may have this option blocked and not even realize it.

Unless you are checking job boards for all of the mystery shopping companies you are registered with, you may be missing out on shopping opportunities. Having the option to receive email notifications when shops are available near you is the quickest way to find new shops. Using Jobslinger or checking job boards is also helpful, but not all shops are posted on either.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about why you prefer not to receive email notifications. If you have a different approach to finding shops, please feel free to share! We love to hear from shoppers!

Until next time…happy shopping!

Preparing for a mystery shop takes some planning, and whether it’s your first or 100th shop, it’s always important to review all of the information you receive.

In talking with shoppers, reading message boards, and talking with coworkers, I have heard feedback and comments about the ways shoppers prepare for shops – some only read the guidelines, others only look at the report questions, and then there are some who read and print out everything.

How can you be sure you have all of the information you need? Below is a guide to the different documentation you may receive and how to use it to best prepare for a mystery shop. Because each company is different, there will be some variances, but you can use this as an overall guide.

1. The invitation email/phone call: this is where you learn the basic details of the shop..dates you can complete the shop, fees and reimbursements, and a basic overview of what you can be expected to do. Before applying, make sure that you are available and willing to complete the shop as stated in the email or during the phone call.

2. Acceptance email: when you are assigned a mystery shop, most systems generate an automated email. Be sure to read through the email carefully; many times this includes pertinent information about the requirements, scenarios, or other important information. If you are working with a Sassie company, the information in the acceptance email is also in your shop log. To find this, simply login, locate the shop in your log, and click on the “comments” link to review the information.

3. Guidelines: Again, this is something that is either emailed to you or found in your shopper log under “guidelines.” There is a misconception that the guidelines include information on every single question in the report and that this can be used as a catchall for the specifics of the shop.

This is typically not the case. The guidelines include important information, including the scenario and general requirements of the shop. It also covers clarification on how to answer certain, but not all, questions on the report. These are typically the most important questions to the client, or ones that need clarification for other reasons. Finally, if there are issues a company sees over and over in shop reports, clarification is provided here.

4. The mystery shopping report: this is the report you will fill out after the shop is complete. It is a good idea, especially when you are new to mystery shopping, to print out a copy of the report prior to the shop. Review the form to know which employe e names/descriptions you need, what timings, if any, you will need to document, etc. As I mentioned, the guidelines do not refer to every question on the report – it is essential that you review (and print) the report.

Why is it done this way? Why can’t everything be included in one place? There are a few reasons…..

1. Comments: for certain types of shops, the scenario may change monthly or even multiple times per month. Using the shop comments/acceptance emails to relay this information is the most effective method. It is also another reminder of the times and days the shop can be completed.

2. If we included information on each and every question in the report, the instructions would be extremely long! The feedback we receive from shoppers indicates that they are generally long enough already – the longer the guidelines, the more information that can be missed. To read about an experiment with shop notes, please read a past post on this topic.

3. The most important information is included in multiple places for repetition sake. The more times you see it, the better you will remember it.

Do you have to print out everything you receive for one shop? If you’re new to the mystery shopping industry, we do recommend it, at least until you become comfortable with the process. Another tip is to read through the material, making notes for yourself on a cheat sheet. Not only will this incorporate all of the important points, the repetition from reading and rewriting will help you remember better. It is also helpful for you to take along as you go on the shop to review one last time before you enter the store/restaurant. NOTE: Never take any paperwork on the actual shop! It is best to keep this hidden in your car. Taking in any type of paperwork will “out” you as a shopper.

Mystery shopping is hard work, and takes some preparation time. However, reviewing all of the information and becoming comfortable before your shop not only makes your shop easier and more successful, but it will give you time to contact the company with any questions you might have before hand.

You may also want to review a recent post with ideas for getting more mystery shops and tips for successful mystery shopping.

Until next time…happy shopping!