Overview: These assignments are for those wanting a change from the typical retail mystery shops with multiple interactions, as well as a break from narrative reports. They don’t require a lot of effort, can pay decently when bonused, and won’t take more than an hour of your time at the most.
Sound good? They can be, even though Medicare presentations aren’t what many shoppers would consider as the most interesting assignments available. Still, mystery shoppers are doing an important job in ensuring that Medicare plans are represented and sold in an ethical manner.
Project Variations: There are several scenarios for Medicare presentations.
Formal presentations can be held at a scheduled meeting place at a specific time for multiple attendees. These are sometimes called educational events.
Other times, the mystery shopper meets one-on-one with an agent either at the shopper’s home or at a public place agreed upon such as a coffee shop.
Informal presentations are made from a kiosk or booth in a drug store or supermarket.
To qualify for one of these assignments, the shopper must either be old enough or look old enough to be “aging in”, meaning turning 65 within two weeks, portray themself as someone 40 to 58 years old with special medical needs, act as a representative for a parent soon to be eligible for Medicare, or play the role of someone over the age of 65 looking for a new plan.
Visit & Reporting Requirements: Formal presentations take the longest. Meetings with multiple attendees or one-on-one visits with an agent usually run about an hour. Informal presentations at a kiosk take about 5 to 10 minutes of observation and another 5 minutes of interaction with the agent.
Reporting requires very little narrative, but the questionnaires are very detailed. These can take up to a half hour to complete.
Strategies: Be sure which type of presentation and scenario you are assigned. All have specific requirements.
The educational events for multiple people requires the least amount of interaction. You can simply attend, listen to the speaker, take notes, and gather required documents.
The one-one-one with the agent requires the most. In order to carry this off, you must be confident with your scenario. Be prepared for questions concerning your age or the age of your parent, depending upon which you are using to inquire about Medicare plans. Other details you might need would be concerning your imaginary conditions and the prescription medications you are taking for them.
The most important part of these assignments is listening to how the agent represents his company’s plan. They may not imply that they work for the government or Medicare. At the beginning of the presentation, the agent should announce which products will be discussed. The agent may not make statements that declare that his company’s plan is the best or provides more coverage than any other plans.
What Others Have to Say: Some shoppers on www.mysteryshopforum.com express a bit of hesitation to take on one of these assignments. The guidelines appear intimidating. But many shoppers get comfortable with these right away and find them a lucrative addition to their mystery shopping schedule. Simply focus on your specific scenario in the instructions and all will be made clear.
Estimated Pay: Pay can vary from $10 to $15 for an informal kiosk visit, and $25 to $30 for a formal meeting presentation. However, these can be frequently bonused generously, so keep an eye out on these assignments when posted.
MSCs: One of the mystery shopping companies that conducts evaluations for Medicare presentations is Second To None.