Do you have health insurance? Many self-employed people don’t. But all Americans are “supposed” to have it now. Actually they were “supposed” to get it by March of last year. Did you? There’s a new form on the tax return. If you have insurance, and had it for all of 2014, and did not use…
Phone shops seem to be a love them or hate them shop among mystery shoppers. This discussion is dealing with shops that are exclusively a phone call, not a call with a follow-up visit. The chief complaint is they don’t pay much, and that’s true. It’s rare to see a phone shop paying more than…
Company Overview: Sensors Quality Management (SQM) has been in business since 1993, and is based out of Toronto, Ontario. While the majority of their shops are in Canada, their website notes that they have clients in more than 40 countries worldwide. As of February, 2016, they have airport shops that are available in the U.S….
Forum Alias: Jaymo How long have you been mystery shopping? I completed my first shop about nine months ago. I was hooked right away, and wish I would have started years ago. Where are you shopping? Southern Ontario, Canada. What got you started? I stumbled across Mystery Shopping a few years ago. I signed up…
(Foreword: Patricia has invited her cousin Alice, who is visiting, as guest on a restaurant mystery shop. They are leaving the parking lot after the shop.) “Did you enjoy the meal?” asks Patricia as she drives out of the parking lot. “It was awesome,” says Alice. “Especially because it was free. Thank you for inviting…
Mystery Shopper Magazine is pleased to present the fourth in a series of mystery shopping scheduler interviews. Overview: Traveliz lives in Central Illinois with her husband. Together, they own a second home in Windermere, FL, which is located about twenty minutes away from Orlando. She almost literally broke into mystery shopping in 1998, while indulging…
Mystery shopping for me was great from the beginning. Football season is a big deal in our household and the Papa John’s pizza shops fit it well. For Saturdays, when I was out and about, there was always an MSC begging for a Sonic shopper. That was a year ago. Last month I shopped the…
“My Favorite Thing About Mystery Shop Forum” -> (Fixed Link) Mea Culpa Time I made a couple of errors in last week’s article on the Video Shopping Companies, and I wish to correct them now. I had posted a PM on the VSN board and, not having received a reply, I assumed my inquiry was…
As shoppers, we all have our favorite shops and we sometimes get frustrated by the rules that are imposed, either a rotation time, an age restriction, or something that seems totally out of the blue to us, but is something the client deems necessary. Also, as experienced shoppers, we tend to tell newbies who wonder…
Company Overview: Founded in 1986, Bestmark “Is one of the nation’s largest customer experience measurement and mystery shopping companies.” They perform more than 500,000 field visits (mystery shops, audits, and exit interviews) annually and boast of a field force of 200,000 strong. Shops are located in the US including Nevada, Canada, and other countries. According…
Overview: Members of Mystery Shop Forum have frequently asked if it is financially feasible to survive solely on mystery shopping income. Volunteers, who were successfully earning $2,000 or more per month, were solicited and Mystery Shopper Magazine is proud to present the fourth in a series of interviews on the topic. MSM talks with LisaSTL:…
The “Big Seven” video MSCs that founded the Video Shopping Network(VSN) have had their ranks reduced by one. The problems that shoppers have had in getting paid by Instant Replays for the past year or so have finally caught up with them and they are no longer a member of the VSN. It is unclear…
For shoppers looking to increase their income or minimize downtime on slow shopping days, there are several phone apps available to help you do just that. I have tried four or five apps, but Gigwalk and Shopkick seem to be the ones that fit with my schedule and shopping style best. Both apps are available…
Forum Alias: CureMS How long have you been mystery shopping? I have been mystery shopping for 1 year. Where are you shopping? I currently shop in the Dallas Texas Metropolitan area. What got you started? I got started because a friend told me that she had shopped when she first moved to Houston as a…
I enjoy being a mystery shopper, but if you would have told me three years ago that I would have a job doing something I love, in an industry I didn’t even know existed, I would have said you were just being silly. I am a naturally shy person. It used to be hard for…