Interested in becoming a Mystery Shopper?
Help and Advice from our Mystery Shopper Experts!
How to become a Mystery Shopper
At My View Research we are consistently recruiting for new mystery shoppers to join our team across the UK; so we have put together this complete help guide to support you with your new career as a mystery shopper. This guide includes frequently asked questions, a breakdown of different types of mystery shops available and our step-by-step how to guide to become a Mystery Shopper. We hope you find this guide helpful and we look forward to having you as part of our mystery shopping team.
How to become a Mystery Shopper – Your questions answered!
When our mystery shoppers meet new people and tell them what they do, they often respond with “I would love to do that”, followed by lots of questions…. “So, you get paid to shop? How much do you earn? Do you do it full time or part time? How can I start doing mystery shopping?”
We’re here to help answer those questions!
Mystery shopping is a customer research method that involves replicating a real customer scenario, to assess the level of customer service being provided by businesses.
Some individuals choose to do mystery shopping full time; to allow them to do this, they will travel nationally around the UK to increase the opportunity of assignments available. At My View Research we prefer to use part time mystery shoppers who are local to the locations that they are mystery shopping. Using local mystery shoppers allows for more credibility with the customer scenario, as they are familiar with the local area and can use their own contact details if needed.
This is entirely dependant on how much of your free time you allocate to doing mystery shops. You will be paid on a per assignment basis which can range from a fee anywhere between £10-£40 for onsite visits and £3-£8 for telephone or online mystery shops. Each fee is relative to the complexity and length of time it takes to complete the assignment.
No, you do not need to invest in any video or audio recording equipment to become a mystery shopper with My View Research. We don’t offer our clients the option to video record onsite mystery shops and if our clients choose to audio record their telephone mystery shops, this can be done via our online platform.
Yes, you can. There area number of our client’s locations that stay open after normal working hours and are open at weekends.
You will be paid electronically into your bank account by the 15th day of the following month based on the mystery shops you have completed, and have successfully approved quality control, within the previous month.
Yes, you can. At My View Research we carry out several mystery shops that involve a free hotel stay and/or a free meal. As well as being reimbursed for these, you will also receive a small fee for providing your feedback. Some mystery shops require a retail purchase. Some of our clients allow you to keep the product, while some would like the product to be returned to measure the returns process.
Types of Mystery Shopping
1
Onsite Visits
Onsite Physical Mystery Shops
Onsite mystery shops involve visiting a location and following an agreed scenario which will replicate a real customer enquiry. Examples of locations to visit can range from car dealerships, estate agents, property developers, retail outlets, restaurants and hotels. You will be asked to follow a specific customer profile and ask set questions that have been agreed with our client. You will then be required to complete the scoring report via our online portal to provide detailed feedback on your experience and upload any evidence that was required such as a business card, quote, brochure or price sheet. Some mystery shops involve providing your contact details to measure if the salesperson you dealt with follows-up on your enquiry. Once the follow-up call has taken place, you can submit your completed/scored assignment. Any contact details taken will be removed from our client’s system on a monthly basis. The purposes of an onsite mystery shop is to assess how well the salesperson follows the sales process, based on your scenario, and the level of customer service that they provide.
2
Mystery Shopping Calls
Telephone Mystery Shops
Telephone mystery shops involve calling a location and following an agreed scenario which will replicate a real customer enquiry. Examples of locations to call can range from car dealerships, estate agents, property developers and retail outlets. You will be asked to follow a specific customer profile and ask set questions that have been agreed with our client. You will then be required to complete the scoring report via our online portal to provide detailed feedback on your experience. Some clients require their calls to be audio recorded, which can also be carried out and uploaded via our online platform. Some mystery shops involve providing your contact details to measure if the salesperson you spoke to follows-up on your enquiry. Once the follow-up call has taken place, you can submit your completed/scored assignment. Any contact details taken will be removed from our client’s system on a monthly basis. The purposes of a telephone mystery shop is to assess how well the salesperson follows the sales process, based on your scenario, and the level of customer service that they provide.
3
Online
Online/Web Enquiry Mystery Shop
Online mystery shops involve completing either an online contact form, which could also be a brochure request or test drive request form or, sending an email to an address that we provide. Examples of locations to send a web enquiry/email can range from car dealerships, estate agents, property developers and retail outlets. You will be provided with the exact text and information to use for the online enquiry form or email that you send. You must use an email address that you have access to when submitting an enquiry, so you can measure if an email response is received. Some online/web enquiry mystery shops may also require the follow-up to be carried out via telephone. In these instances, you will also need to provide your phone number on the web enquiry form or email that you send. Any contact details provided will be removed from our client’s system on a monthly basis. Once the provided follow-up time has passed, you will then be required to complete the scoring report via our online portal to provide detailed feedback on your experience. Screen shots of each step of the process will also need to be taken and provided with your complete assignment. The purpose of an online/web enquiry mystery shop is to measure if you receive a response to your enquiry and if you do, the measurement is then based on the speed, quality and method of the response.
4
Web based
Social Media Mystery Shop
Social media mystery shops involve asking a question or making a complaint via a company’s social media account. Typically, this will be via Facebook or Twitter. In order to take part in these types of mystery shops you must already have your own social media account set-up. Examples of locations to send a social media enquiry can range from car dealerships, estate agents, property developers and retail outlets. You will be provided with the exact text and information to use for the enquiry or complaint that you post. Once the provided follow-up time has passed, you will then be required to complete the scoring report via our online portal to provide detailed feedback on your experience. Screen shots of each step of the process will also need to be taken and provided with your complete assignment. The purpose of a social media mystery shop is to measure if you receive a response to your question or complaint and if you do, the measurement is then based on the speed and quality of the response.
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We hope you’ve found this guide helpful and we look forward to having you as part of our mystery shopper team.