I thought for sure I was having deja vu or something when doing a recent gas station shop. I pumped my gas, made the inside purchase and then went back to the car to get my gear for the usual round of photos and observations. That’s when things definitely got interesting. The store clerk gave…
Today the Grammar Geek looks at perplexing word pairs. Some are homonyms or homophones—words that sound alike but mean different things, and which may or may not be spelled the same. I’m also including words and phrases that sound “almost” alike and which are very often confused with one another. The following are just a…
As mystery shoppers, we all make mistakes. Hopefully we can minimize those mistakes and learn from them. These are a few of the mistakes that shoppers commonly make. Hopefully this list will help my fellow shoppers succeed in their future endeavors. Forgetting to Check the Restroom. Many times the restroom is required to be checked…
As mystery shoppers, we need to write well. Whether we’re giving a two-sentence response to a question or writing a narrative of several paragraphs, our grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be impeccable. But, too often we find that common errors made by those who don’t “write for pay” have crept into our own writing. Maybe…
Overview: About Face Mystery Shopping Company was created about 18 years ago by Founder and CEO Paige Hall, in Granville, Georgia. Previously, she was known for developing a famous Deli Meat and Cheese Purveyor’s first mystery shopping program. She has received 39 industry awards and numerous “Mystery Shopping Leader Industry Awards” for the past 5…
Overview: Customer Service Experts (CSE) began 21 years ago in 1994, located in Annapolis, Maryland. Lisa D’ Andrea is the President and CEO of this company and one of the most efficient and client friendly mystery shopping companies in the industry. This company’s prime focus is the airport concession shops. They are also known widely…
Overview: Ace Mystery Shopping began in 2001 with creators Julie Simbro and Tiffany Stewart. Julie and her husband recently purchased Ace shares and she now holds the title of President, CEO/COO. Ace works with many Fortune 500 companies and are well known in the industry. Ace is short for: Associate Consumer Evaluations. Ace has shops…
Overview: Ann Michaels & Associates began in 1998 in Naperville, Illinois. Because of the way shops were (reported) back then by paper forms, the reporting was slow at first. All reports had to be mailed back to the company and then sent on to the client. Automation of reports picked up in 2004 and the…
Overview: Quality Assessments Mystery Shopping Company (QAMS) has been in business since 1984 and prides itself on a “consistent premier experience” for each of it’s clients. They are MSPA Members and also WBENC Certified (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) for Women Owned Businesses. They have clients in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. They…
Overview: Customer Impact was founded by Mark Green, Scott Hiller and Clay Torro in 2008. Previously, the Trio had worked/and Founded Speedmark Information Services Inc. In 2008, Market Force purchased Speedmark Inc. The Trio of Green, Hiller and Torro, then developed Customer Impact in 2008. The Trio stayed in close touch with Market Force, until…
Overview: Jancyn Mystery Shopping Company (Jancyn Inc.) has been in business for 35 years, founded in 1980. Based in San Jose, California, this company has clients and shops located in all 50 states in the U.S. and Canada. Shoppers are known as “Service Assessors” and are considered part of the “Customer Experience Program.” There are…
I started mystery shopping two weeks ago after reading an article about it. I have a day job and am just looking for a bit of side income and a way to pay for lifestyle things so I can take that line out of the household budget. When starting something new, I tend to obsess…
Overview: In 1991, in Madison, Wisconsin, Beyond Hello was created by Gary Godding and Christopher Warzynski, who both, 23 years ago, dreamed up an idea that would help improve businesses. This concentrated around helping improve the customer experience for their future clients. They would do this by creating a dynamic mystery shopping company. Beyond Hello…
Overview: Confero was created in 1986 and has since grown, and covers assignments in the 50 U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, Europe, Puerto Rico, Guam and Japan. They have over 130,000 shoppers. Currently Elaine Buxton serves as President. The total leadership combined offers 55 years of combined experience. Confero also works with Nevada for conducting mystery…
How long have you been mystery shopping? My first assignment was in April of 2005. I decided it was too much work (as many newbies do!) for the amount of money I made. I did not do another until 2013 when I had some spare time, needed some extra money and decided to start back up. …
Overview: TrendSource was co-founded by Rodney Moll, in 1989, over 25 years ago. The business moved to San Diego, California, where Mr. Moll retained the titles of Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO, President and Executive Chairman of the Board. After further research, James Caltrider is currenly/ presently named President and CEO. My facts show the company incorporated…
Overview: Second-to-None Mystery Shopping has been in business for over 25 years. Founded by Jeff Hall in 1989 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Second-to-None (STN) serves clients that have from 50 to 5,000 business locations (each), from across the United States and Canada. STN focuses on customer experience solutions, along with data and analytics with timely…
Overview: Since quite a few mystery shops can include auditing as part of the assignment, either covert or revealed, I think it’s important to review auditing, either by itself or combined with a mystery shop, as a major part of the mystery shopping industry. Project Variations: There are many kinds of audits: vitamin store audits,…
Overview: Movie theater assignments can be pretty fun and somewhat time consuming. They are assignments where you go into a movie theater and evaluate the associates, concessions, pop signs, patron counts, standees, movie posters and cleanliness. In some cases, you take pictures of extreme issues, such as: overly greasy foods, damage to the following: standees,…
Overview: Quest for Best Mystery Shopping Company began over 20 years ago in Memphis, Tennessee, as a small family owned business but has since grown quite large, and covers the service to many clients in 50 states. Since 1990, Quest for Best has provided mystery shopping that covers a wide range of services. Project Variations:…
Introduction: Intellishop is a large and well known company that generates much discussion from shoppers about their strict shop grading policy. Intellishop states, “Our system may be a little tougher than some other companies you might shop for; we have very high standards.” Because they use a significantly stricter standard than probably all of the…
Overview: A Customer’s Point of View, Inc. (ACPVIEW) is a privately owned corporation founded in 1997 and headquartered in McDonough, GA. The company provides mystery shopper services, service discrimination testing, customer service and telephone evaluations and training throughout the US. According to the business’ website, ACPVIEW services the retail, food service, transportation, utility and housing…
Written by elcarev68 Ever wish that you could talk to the actual client at 11:00 p.m. during a shop that has turned upside down to ask what to do when their special instructions don’t match up with onsite reality? Ever wish you could talk to another shopper who has completed a location before you for…
Overview: All-Star Customer Service (ASCS) is a privately owned corporation established in 2002 and headquartered in Crowley, TX. The company conducts mystery shopping and audit assignments in the US, Canada, Mexico and Central Europe. They specialize in the retail, hospitality, healthcare and financial industries. After an extensive search of the BBB, even though All-Star Customer…
Companies that shop furniture stores: Some of the mystery shopping companies that do furniture shops: Bare, Customer Impact, Reality Based Group, Shoppers View and Service Check. The Pay: For those interested in furniture shops, the pay always seems to have a bonus attached. The base pay is usually $10 with a $5 to $10 bonus….
Overview: Service Sleuth (HS Brands) was created by Tom Mills (CEO) in 2005, when he bought out a former partner and created HS Brands, along with Mike Mershimer (Pres./COO). HS Brands consists of Service Sleuth (Mystery Shopping) and Mershimer Group (Loss Prevention.) HS Brands is one of the few mystery shopping companies licensed to perform…
Certain shops or types of shops are not money-makers. Oil change shops that provide reimbursement without a fee is one example. Restaurant shops with little to no fee providing some or whole reimbursement is another. Hotel shops that pay a $25-$100 fee plus reimbursement for about two full days of work for a one night…
Overview: Customer Impact, LLC is a privately owned mystery shopping company, founded in 2008. It is based in Bryan, TX and serves over 100 clients in the restaurant, hospitality, grocery, retail and financial sectors. The business and has earned an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. New shoppers can register at: https://www.sassieshop.com/sassie/SassieShopperSignup/Signup.php?EmsID=BK1I8MXAf18. MSM talks…
Company Overview: Located in Pittsburgh, PA, this marketing company was found by David Mastovich in 2002 “to create an integrated marketing firm different from the rest, leveraging both the art and science of marketing to achieve game-changing results.” MASSolutions uses integrated marketing to craft a message and work it into the client’s story as told…
Overview: J.M. Ridgway has been around 91 years, since 1924. During my research, I found it amazing that this company has been around for that many years. I had no idea Mystery Shopping even existed 91 years ago! Interestingly enough, besides being the oldest, continually active mystery shopping company in existence, they also perform loss…
Overview: Business verifications, also known as on-site inspections, are conducted for the purpose of determining the legitimacy of a business and to prevent fraud. The clients are typically credit reporting agencies and resellers, background check suppliers and financial institutions. The in-depth inspections are all revealed; the photos-only assignments are usually unrevealed. Since 2007, credit reporting…
You finally did it! You accepted your first McDonald’s shop. You wonder what happens now? Will you perform it smoothly like all the “other shoppers” with 100’s and 100’s of McD’s shops under their belts? What should you wear? A dark hat, glasses, a blond wig, a not-so-obvious plain looking shirt, so you won’t be…
Overview: According to my research, ICCDS has been in business since 1999 and then recently changed their name to North Fork Research. They are located in Wichita Falls, Texas. The schedulers that work for North Fork are called North Fork Field Coordinators. Project Variations: North Fork Research does many types of shops. There are Sports-Wear…
Company Overview: Favored Panel, Inc. is a privately owned company headquartered in Westbury, NY. The business was incorporated in 2011. According to the Favored Panel website, they operate throughout the United States and offer inspection and audit services to “retailers, banks, mortgage companies, insurance providers, credit bureaus, and any company that needs a national or…
By lrjonesmshopper You may ask yourself, “Why should I have goals?” In my lifetime I have started and operated several small businesses. The first one I started was a home day care business when my children were young and I wanted to work at home. During this time I took a course on how to…
Company Overview: This is a small, privately held company specializing in the healthcare field. Started in 1998 by Kevin and Brooke Billingsley, this is a “national customer perception firm based in Indianapolis, Indiana specializing in healthcare mystery shopping and customer service improvements.” More than 100,000 phone and on-site shops have been completed according to their…
Company Overview: Mintel Group Ltd. is a privately owned, global market intelligence agency, based in London. Mintel was founded in 1978 and, today, maintains offices in London, Chicago, Shanghai, Belfast, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Munich, New York, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. The business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and has earned…
Overview: Fast Casual restaurants came on the scene in the mid 1990’s and mainstreamed into popularity around 2008-2010. The difference in Fast Food to Fast Casuals-Fast Casuals do not offer full-table service like Olive Garden or Applebee’s. The service is limited to self-service fair and “most” do not have a Drive-Thru. The Fast Casuals promise…
Company Overview Consumer@Site is a Mystery Shopping Company (MSC) located in Puerto Rico; operating primarily in the territory, but also in the Caribbean region and Central America. They’re the only member of the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association (MSPA) in Puerto Rico, or the entire Caribbean region. You can check out their website here: http://www.consumeratsite.com/index.html They…
Company Overview: Primo Solutions, LLC is a privately owned, full service Mystery Shopping, Training and Consulting company based in Phoenix, AZ. It was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Phoeniz, AZ. The company specializes in the senior housing industry and offers services throughout the United States and Canada. Primo Solutions has earned an A+…
I recently attended a day long video shopping workshop presented by Jeff Crozier and Kathy McCord of Video Shopping Pros (VSP). First, here is some background on this company. Jeff and Kathy are longtime video and non-video shoppers. When a similar company they were working for folded, they set up Video Shopping Pros as, “A…
Written by L.J. Millard On Mystery Shop Forum, there has been some discussion of shoppers finding themselves in some angry and even dangerous confrontations. As a police officer and crisis-hostage negotiator, I utilized some specific techniques to de-escalate and extract myself from hostile situations on a daily basis. I taught fellow officers as well as…
Market Force is one of the largest mystery shopping companies in the world. They came to prominence last decade after purchasing several mystery shopping companies, and making quick inroads into the industry. Market Force considers mystery shopping “Market Research” and pay shoppers as an independent contractors. You are paid to visit and interact with the…
Company Overview: Retail Track Mystery Shopping and Consulting was founded in 1991 by Shaun Belding, CEO of The Belding Group of Companies, as a division of TBGC. Elsewhere, their site says they began in 1992 under the name “StoreCheck”. They’re located in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. Retail Track’s main website is here. They’re a member of…
I think it safe to say that members make the forum. Any forum. Years of reading Mystery Shop Forum have shown me it is used in many different ways. Some people read the forum with little or no interest in posting. Some sign up, but many do not and are evidenced by the large number…
Company Overview: Measure Consumer Perspective (MCP) is a privately owned company, which engages in mystery shopping, brand auditing, compliance checks, and field research. It is headquartered in Louisville, KY. Their clients range from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and interest groups and offer category experience in healthcare, multi-family housing, senior care, financial services, insurance,…
Company Overview: This MSPA member company was founded in 1994 and located in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada, which is a suburb of Toronto. It provides “Marketing and sales expertise for senior housing operators” to help nurture those businesses. From the website it seems mystery shopping is one of several services including marketing evaluations, talent acquisition, training…
Written by elcarev68 In 2009 it had been ten years since I had run a marathon, so I figured I ought to check off another item on my bucket list. I still couldn’t afford a Karmann Ghia convertible, so I skipped to the next item on the list: try being a secret shopper. My first…
Company Overview: Customer Experience Experts (CEE), formerly known as Draude Marketing Group, is led by Founder and President, Nancy Draude. According to her LinkedIn page, Ms. Draude founded CEE “over 10 years ago”. Ms. Draude shares that she has over 20 years of experience in related fields. CEE is a member of the MSPA. A…
Company Overview: Shoppers Confidential is headquartered in Canada, with offices in Toronto and Kitchener, Ontario; and a US office is in Hawthorne, California. Their primary website is here: http://www.shoppersconfidential.com/ According to the company’s Facebook page, they were founded in 2006, and their BBB page shows they incorporated in March of 2007. Speaking of the BBB,…
Back in 1993 my son and I were driving to school and that’s the last thing I remember that day. I “woke up” at 4 p.m. and noticed a hospital bracelet on my right arm and sensed something had happened. I was in my own bed, so I was perplexed as to why I had…
Company Overview: Edlund Data Services (EDS) is a privately owned mystery shopping and market research recruiting company. It was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Silver Lake, MN, located 60 miles west of Minneapolis-St. Paul. EDS specializes in recruiting for small projects and hard-to-fill locations, although they do also offer scheduling and editing services…
Forum Alias: lrjonesmshopper How long have you been mystery shopping? I have been shopping on a part-time basis for over 6 years now. Initially, it was more off than on and over the last three years it has become more of a permanent part-time job. Where are you shopping? Generally, my shops are centrally located…
Company Overview: Business Evaluation Services (BES) and Mystery Shopper Services (MSS) were previously reviewed here as separate entities, but in fact, they aren’t… really. Sort of. You’ll see. 😉 BES is not really, in and of itself, a mystery shopping company. Even though they say they are. A Google search for “Business Evaluation Services” only…
One of the most important questions that any mystery shopper will ask is this: When do I get paid? Some mystery shopping companies take a lot of time to pay, while others pay very quickly. Some mystery shoppers need to get paid right away, while other shoppers don’t mind waiting a few months for their…
Introduction: These shipping shops are one of the most widely talked about on the forum. Is it because they are widely available, offered frequently, can be quick, are enticing for the opportunity to be paid to mail a package with at least partial reimbursement for the shipping costs, and are very detailed? All of the…
I first joined BDS Marketing in 2011. This mystery shopping company had a unique reporting system, different than anything I had ever used before. It was called the “Kars System.” It was a little challenging to get used to but eventually it became easier for me over time. The shop pay for BDS assignments was…
How long have you been mystery shopping? I have been shopping since May 2013. Where are you shopping? I mainly shop in Denver, CO and its surrounding area. On occasion, I shop in the cities south of Denver, such as Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Whenever I travel, I also find shops that are convenient and…
As any at-home parent can attest, restarting a career after well over a decade can be a daunting task. Not only are you throttled by an enormous hole in your resume, but the very thought of spending all day in an office thinking like an adult, acting like an adult, and just generally doing grown-up…
Company Overview Ath Power Consulting is the top mystery shop provider for the financial services industry. The company is based in based in Andover Massachusetts. They were established in 1997 and specialize in helping clients build brand loyalty and customer retention. They pride themselves in their large database of reliable shoppers. The Better Business Bureau…
Sometimes a mystery shopping company will accidentally pay a mystery shopper less than they’re owed. Other times you will have an opportunity to ask for a bonus. Very rarely a company will simply not pay a mystery shopper, or pay them quite late. Here is some advice for getting the best outcome possible in each…
When I moved to Las Vegas I found out that mystery shopping was much different in the state of Nevada than anywhere else in the U.S. I learned right away that you must be an employee of a licensed private investigative firm. I looked in the phone book and found QSI Specialists. I gave them…
Written by LIJake Having retired from my 30+ years as an independent manufacturer’s representative, I was seeking an alternate source of income and a way to keep physically and mentally fit. After exploring several options my research led to mystery shopping and I decided to go in that direction. Since then, I have set specific…
Forum Alias: Stormcloud How long have you been mystery shopping? Currently, since October 2010. I previously did some mystery shopping in 1997-99. Where are you shopping? Northwest Oregon, centered from the Wilamette Valley area. What got you started? Back in ‘97-98, my sister came across a couple of mystery shopping companies (don’t know/remember how, but…
Throughout my 4 1/2 years mystery shopping, I have had some funny and strange and wonderful experiences. Today, I would like to share some of them with you. Enjoy! Most Humbling: I had just visited a famous fast food restaurant drive-thru and I had a bag of food on the seat. I was driving down…
I had to make a career change due to an injury and started out doing Demos. Back then, being under-employed, NCIM gave me my first chance at Demos. I excelled and ending up joining a few other Demo Companies. I did quite well and grabbed every opportunity. While I was searching for Demo Companies, I…
Company Overview: JM Ridgway has been in business since 1924! While they don’t claim to be the oldest mystery shopping company, if they’re not, they’ve got to be right up there. According to the company’s “About JM Ridgway,” the “core management team” of CEO Frank Kneisley and President/Sales Manager Scott Ridgway have a combined 80-plus…
Mystery Shopper Magazine is currently calling for applications for new contributors. If you love mystery shopping and want to help your fellow mystery shoppers succeed, then this could be the right opportunity for you. We are currently in need of a new contributor able to write a weekly article for the magazine. This could include…
Company Overview: KSS International (KSS) is a privately owned company, headquartered in Boston, MA. They schedule, recruit and edit for the mystery shopping, merchandising and demonstration industries. Currently, KSS has the resources to provide contractors throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico. KSS enjoys an A+ rating…
Company Overview: Texas Shoppers Network, Inc (TSN) has the only registered U.S. Patent within the mystery shopping industry. That patent covers the process developed to evaluate client’s businesses. With experience as a vendor and merchandiser for major retail stores, Sondra Pulford founded TSN in 1996. The company’s purpose “is to form long-term relationships with clients…
Company Overview: This is a smaller mystery shopping company founded in 1986 that manages to fly largely under the radar. It focuses on mystery shopping, surveys, inspections, and compliance audits for hospitals, healthcare organizations, hotels, and restaurants in the United States. A list of clients and testimonials are located on their website. The location of…
Forum Alias: LJ How long have you been mystery shopping? I’ve been mystery shopping off and on for 8 years. Where are you shopping? I started in the Tampa Bay area, but now I’m in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. I also enjoy picking up a shop or two when I travel. What got you…
Like many of the lesser known mystery shopping companies, LRA keeps a low profile and has mystery shopping as just a small part of their total business model. LRA Worldwide, with headquarters outside of Philadelphia, has provided onsite assessments in the hospitality and related industries since 1980. They have worked in 125 countries and very…
Company Overview: Founded in 1994 in Wisconsin by registered nurse Kristin Baird, this company specializes in the healthcare industry in the United States. For clients it “seeks to help transform your culture and shape the patient experience.” To improve the delivery of healthcare services it offers training and seminars in addition to mystery shopping. Shops…
We just got a press release from SurfMerchants, publishers of the Sassie and Presto mystery shopping software platforms. They’ve just announced their plans for new software that could change the industry dramatically. Businesses will be able to order “spot check” mystery shops with the press of a few buttons. Here’s what they sent us: John…
Fixed Link: AboutFace Mystery Shopping Company Overview: This MSPA member company was founded in 2005 and is based in New Jersey. The stated aim of Mystery Shopper Pros is to help clients improve their business by providing feedback about their business from shoppers. It serves the automotive, retail and restaurant industries in the United…
Company Overview: Ocean Road Consulting is a privately owned training, human resource consulting and mystery shopping firm. It is based in Bluffton, SC. New shoppers can register at Ocean-Road-Consulting.com MSM talks with Patricia Licata, PhD, Founder: MSM: After spending over a decade in high-level executive positions in corporate America, you founded New Heights Consulting Partners,…
Grass Roots America filed for bankruptcy on April 23rd, 2015. Meanwhile, their parent company, the Grass Roots Group announced the opening of a new office in Spain. The Grass Roots Group claims nearly $500 million in annual revenue. They are in turn largely owned by the publicly traded company WPP, which paid $66 million to…
Company Overview: ACE Mystery Shopping is a privately owned mystery shopping company, headquartered in Warrensburg, MO. They service a broad range of industries, with clients in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The business enjoys an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. New shoppers can register at http://www.acemysteryshopping.com/. MSM talks with Julie Simbro, CEO,…
Company Overview: ICU Associates is based in Milford, Massachusetts. Information about the history of this company on the internet is sparse. The earliest reference found was in 2003. In 2005 it was purchased by LP Innovations, Inc., a loss prevention company. Since then, ICU has operated as the mystery shopping division of LP Innovations. ICU…
The Grass Roots Group closed their Grass Roots America division on March 31st, 2015, leaving mystery shoppers wondering if they will be paid. Since that time, many mystery shoppers have received payment for their assignments. However, shoppers are still reporting they are owed money. The Grass Roots Group has not sent official communication to these…
Company Overview: This is a family business started in 1994 by Beverly Gleason and her two daughters, Tiffany Gleason, and Trish Overton. From their office in Knoxville Tennessee they started small, serving nearby businesses. Today they serve a wide variety of industries including restaurants, banks, and healthcare in the United States and Canada. This MSPA…
Overview: Presto Insta-Shops was created by the makers of SASSIE with the goal of providing shops, which were faster, easier and simpler for everyone involved. Just as the name implies, it allows for instant program creation, instant shopper sign-up, instant self-assign, instant surveys, instant review and almost instant payment (within days). John Hsu, Co-Founder of…
I had an epiphany while reading this post on Mystery Shop Forum. It is so easy to picture the scene: A jaded and bored employee being led into proper behavior by the frustrated shopper who just wanted to follow her script I’ve worked for corporations before. The headquarters are staffed with brilliant people who come…
Company Overview: CIMA Insight is a privately owned mystery shopping company (MSC) headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The business specializes in providing customer experience evaluations for the banking industry. For more information, see our previous review of this company. New shoppers can register at here. MSM talks with Ellen Schlafer, Chief Executive Officer: MSM: In…
From Linkedin, mVentix “is a point-of-sale marketing firm with primary focus on market intelligence gathering, mobile engagement and channel marketing solutions.” Formed in 2004 and formerly known as Integrity Marketing, this Los Angeles area based company serves retail clients in the United States and Canada. It claims to not only use technology, but also develop…
One of the easiest ways to find companies that have mystery shopping assignments in your area is to search the largest mystery shopping job boards. The following is a list of job boards that every shopper should be aware of. To make the best use of these job boards, don’t think if them just in…
Company Overview: CIMA Insight is a privately owned mystery shopping company (MSC), headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The company was founded in 2010 by Ellen Schlafer and sold in 2012 to 360Current, “a full service marketing, advertising and digital agency”. Current360 enjoys an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Registration: New shoppers can register…
If you want to write high quality mystery shopping reports, one of the best skills to develop is the ability to communicate factual information, while keeping opinions out of the report. On Mystery Shop Forum, members frequently ask about a certain type feedback from a shop: The editor stated their report was opinionated. In other…
I trotted along at what I thought was a decent pace. I’m not built for speed but I could definitely keep up as I tried out the suggested treadmill. Having already “pumped iron” at the weight-lifting stations while the fitness salon manager promoted the benefits and features of their location I persisted despite the catty…
Company Overview: According to the company website, “The word ‘Kinesis’ is Greek in origin and means both ‘motion or change’ and, in the philosophy of Aristotle, ‘the actualization of potential.’” Founded in 2001, the company’s philosophy is to better align client’s service execution with their customer’s expectations. It does this by offering customer surveys, employee…
Mystery shopping scams are a frequent topic of discussion on Mystery Shop Forum. Often it starts with a post asking, “Is this a scam?” The poster is sometimes posing the question a little too late—after they have deposited the fraudulent check. To those who are familiar with the scammers’ typical modus operandi, it appears obvious;…
Grassroots America, a division of Grass Roots Group, recently announced that it has ceased operations as of March 31st, 2015. The change follows less than one month after a change in leadership in the parent company. All signs currently show that mystery shoppers should expect payment for the assignments they completed while the division was…
After a first career in loss prevention for a nationally known retail store and a stint as a reserve police officer, Doug Rector started Northwest Loss Prevention Consultants in 1997. Despite this background, the name of the company, and the fact it also offers private investigation services, Northwest Loss Prevention Consultants (NWLPC) bills itself as…
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 fifth in a series of interviews on the topic. MSM talks with MJT9598:…
I’m pleased and excited to announce the 100th issue of Mystery Shopper Magazine. We’ve now been around for over two years, and we’ve accomplished quite a bit. We’ve published 160 reviews of mystery shopping companies. A big part of our mission is to help mystery shoppers connect with the best mystery shopping companies. That’s why…
Over the past several months or so, there have been a few discussions, or mentions in various threads, about the difficulties in being able to contact schedulers or mystery shopping companies (MSCs) after hours or on weekends, as well as a couple of other pet peeves. I’m not going to reference the specific threads, but…
Most shoppers have seen, or have some degree of familiarity with, the Planet Fitness shops. The ones where you go to the gym to inquire about a membership and, between the tour and the free trial, you’ll spend anywhere from 30-60 minutes there. This isn’t that shop. This shop tracks the progress of construction prior…
Company Overview: Eagle Eye Retail Intelligence (EERI), is a privately owned video mystery shopping company. It was incorporated in 2006 by Jonathan and Cherie Przybyl and is headquartered in Gilbert, AZ. The company specializes in the retail industry. The business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and has earned an A+ rating. New shoppers…
Company Overview: This is a company that delivers information about the point of sale transaction to companies in a variety of ways. Mystery shopping, intercepts and audits are some of those ways. Based in Woodbury, New York, Service Evaluation Concepts, (SEC) has more than 25 years in business and also offers real-time feedback options. Types…
Mystery shopping is extremely time-consuming. So how does a mystery shopper handle the burden of housekeeping, laundry, auto maintenance, yard maintenance, and pet care in addition to their shopping? It’s not easy. It helps to be sure your priorities are straight. The biggest thing is to prioritize the use of one’s time. It doesn’t pay…
This is an admittedly biased list of the 10 biggest mystery shopping companies. How is it biased? It is based on one simple number: The number of Mystery Shop Forum members who report they have registered with each company. In other words, these are the companies that mystery shoppers are most likely to be registered…
The winter of 2015 is slowly fading into history as spring is making its way across the country. A shopper’s thoughts turn to not having to reschedule shops because of inclement weather and actually being able to plan a route and stick to the plan. While the arrival of spring is a welcomed event, it…
This charter MSPA member company was founded in 1984 and has addresses in both Loveland OH and Rochester IL. It provides clients “customer experience mapping and customer satisfaction research.” Types of Assignments: In addition to mystery shopping it also offers exit interviews, compliance audits and other related services. Various industries are served in the United…
Company Overview: LeBlanc & Associates is a privately owned sales performance evaluation company. It was incorporated in 1997 by Mary LeBlanc and is headquartered in Carlsbad, CA. The company’s singular focus is on the housing industry and it currently services the continental US and Canada. The business enjoys an A+ rating with the Better Business…
Last week, I received an email from a MSC regarding [upscale] hotel shops. The gist of it was that if you were shopping a hotel in your general area to avoid mentioning that to the employees if you were asked, as that is one way shoppers were being identified. Obviously, the desk clerk is going…
Many of us think of this company as a boutique MSP offering high paying bank and credit union shops. However, mystery shopping is only a small part of what Harland Clarke offers. Originating more than 100 years ago, this $1.2 billion dollar company offers a wide range of services for the financial industry. More than…
Overview: White Clay is a privately owned company, headquartered in Louisville, KY. It was co-founded in 2006, by Mac Thompson and Mike Wright. White Clay offers Information Solutions, Management Consulting and Customer Experience services. The business enjoys an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Shoppers can register here. MSM talks with Ziggy Zubric, Customer…
This company is a pision of ADI Consulting. Since 1993, ADI has assisted financial service businesses with regulatory compliance issues. Person to Person Quality (P2P) was founded in 1999 to provide mystery shopping and related services such as employee training, surveys, and market research. Both companies seem to be closely tied. They have similar personnel…
If you’ve spent any amount of time reading Mystery Shop Forum, you’ll no doubt have noticed various references to mystery shopping as “your business”. For most of us involved in mystery shopping, it is a business. And, since it is a business, you should have a business plan. Is your business plan set in stone…
Mystery Shopper Magazine is pleased to present the fifth in a series of mystery shopping scheduler interviews. In this issue, we bring you the scheduler, who is well known for his humorous email titles, such as, “I’m Going To Learn Spanish and Assign All The $5 Spanish Phone Shops For Monday To Myself! Apply While…
I recently completed a shop for one of those seashore gas stations. It was fairly simple, I took my photos according to the approved photos list and went on my merry way back to the car. Or so I thought. To hear the routine back-up beeper of snow removal equipment is commonplace here, snowplows, pickup…
Company Overview: This company was formed in 1981 as a consulting company. It first focused on the hospitality industry with mystery shopping, and other related services. Today, DSG touts itself as, “A leader in all types of mystery shopping, intercept interviews and specialty field services for a broad range of consumer businesses, manufacturers, agencies, and…
Overview: BARE International (BARE) is a privately owned mystery shopping company and customer research evaluation firm, headquartered in Fairfax, VA. It also has offices located around the globe in Antwerpen, Belgium , Africa, Russia, Budapest, Hungary, Sao Paulo, Brazil , Santiago, Chile, Shanghai, China and Mumbai, India. BARE was founded in 1987 by Dale Bare…
Every so often on Mystery Shop Forum someone will post that an editor gave them an eight or nine and cited a grammar error. Some then continue on with, when they asked for a clarification, they never got a reply. Is it worth contesting the one or two points? The English language is in an…
Overview: Sensors Quality Management, Inc. (SQM) is a privately owned company, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was co-founded in 1993 by former Ryerson University classmates, David Lipton and Craig Henry, when they recognized a need for Mystery Shopping within the hospitality industry. Throughout the years, the company has expanded its focus and grown its…
Mystery shopping with a handicap. It’s different but it’s not different. Two individuals enter a restaurant. One is a disabled vet in a wheelchair, the other is an older gentleman about 4’5” tall. Do either or both of them get noticed? We all know that one of the key elements to mystery shopping is to…
Forum Alias: LIJake How long have you been mystery shopping? I started researching mystery shopping in September 2013 and completed my first shop in October. Where are you shopping? I live on Long Island, NY and normally shop within 20 or 30 miles of my home. Anything beyond 30 miles puts me into the boroughs…
I hope everyone was safe through the “Blizzard of Historic Proportions” that struck New England on January 26-27, 2015. This storm illustrates some of the hazards of current weather forecasting technology and why I’m sure there are schedulers who have to take these events with huge grains of salt. Let me start with my credentials….
Overview: In 2000, Elaine Moran founded Mystery Shoppers Training Group, which offers basic mystery shopping classes at over 30 community colleges throughout California. In addition, Elaine has written a book, “How To Become a Mystery Shopper”. The book is both a comprehensive guide and a great resource for beginning mystery shoppers. MSM talks with Elaine…
This Canadian MSP (not to be confused with Premier Shopper’s Network) was started by CEO Michael Glazer in 1991 as part of a college project. That project was to assist retailers, “Evaluate and improve their customer service.” After a period of growth, Keren Dolan joined Premier in 2001 as President of Sales and Operations. Continued…
Jancyn Evaluation Shops recently announced the acquisition of Shoptalk Service Evaluations. According to Vicki Dempsey, VP of Sales & Marketing for Jancyn, this will mean “more industry assignments to choose from, in addition to apartment shops.” ShopTalk was located in the Pacific Northwest, so the greatest impact will be more shops in that part of…
Mystery Shopper Magazine is pleased to present the first in a series of interviews with mystery shopping web developers, SurfMerchants LLC. They are the creators of, among many other products, SASSIE, GeoVerify, Presto Insta-Shops and PrestoMap. Note to Readers: This started out as a (yawn) interview with the founders of SASSIE, however as we read…
Overview: This type of shop can be fun, but it requires more narrative than the average shop. Paying attention to detail is a must, so is writing a thorough report. Once you get the hang of doing apartment shops, they will become a breeze to complete. Project variations: The assignment is more structured than most…
When I first entered this strange new world of mystery shopping, there was a lot to learn and Mystery Shop Forum proved to be invaluable. A lot of what we do sounds easy, but really isn’t without a lot of prior preparation. I quickly learned that I can’t do dining shops that require I take…
Add Primo Solutions to the list of MSPs recently purchased. In October 2014, Bild & Company, a Tampa based consulting firm for senior living facilities, announced the acquisition of Primo Solutions. Bild was founded in 1999 to offer “Integrated sales and marketing services to help healthcare organizations build occupancy and maximize revenue.” Additionally, it offers…
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…
Overview: I recently completed a new kind of assignment. The assignment is to Compare and Contrast two different financial institutions. When I received the email about the assignment I hesitated before applying because it seemed like it would be a lot of work, but I told myself that I would try it because I love trying…
Mystery Shopping Magazine is pleased to present the third in a series of mystery shopping scheduler interviews. MSM talks turkey with Erika Wooton, ACE Mystery Shopping Scheduler: MSM: Please give us an overview of your life before you entered the world of mystery shopping and tell us what led you to the job of scheduler…
Monterey Mystery Shopping is located in Pacific Grove, California and has been in operation since 2003. Their website states that they “provide mystery shopping services for all major brands within the automotive, motorcycle, recreational vehicle and marine industries, as well as related industries.” It also makes the claim of “being the premier mystery shopping provider…
Overview: Members of the 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 third in a series of interviews on the topic. This interview differs…
Being a shopper is one of the most interesting jobs that I have ever had in my employment career. But I have to keep in mind that it is a job, and I have to make sure that I am not just shopping for fun. My job has to show a profit. The best parts…
Disclaimer: These suggestions are solely the opinion of the author. As widely documented on Mystery Shop Forum, one shopper’s “best” shops are another shopper’s “worst” shops. In addition, many more shops could have been mentioned, but due to space limitations, only five examples were cited. Welcome to the World of Mystery Shopping, New Shopper! Although…
Company Overview: This company started in the United Kingdom as Retail Eyes in 1998. In 2012 a portion of the business was sold and the remaining company renamed Shared Insight. This new company is based in California. Its overall business includes mystery shopping, website feedback, and customer surveys. It offers a limited number of mystery…
We MUST proofread. And the older we are, the MORE we MUST proofread. I took typing back in my senior year of high school, when personal computers had not been invented. I learned to touch type on an IBM Selectric typewriter. I’m also a competent speller, and had an excellent grammar teacher who hammered punctuation,…
Overview: Members of the 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 second in a series of interviews on the topic. MSM talks with…
Company Overview: Coast to Coast Scheduling Services (CTCSS) was founded in 2001 and is based in California. It schedules shops for a number of companies including Customer First, Goodwin, and Customer Perspectives. As such it is not a mystery shopping company, but a separate, distinct entity that performs the task of recruiting shoppers to perform…
This is a rhetorical question of sorts. The genesis of it occurred shortly before the polls were closing on Election Day. I had decided to break my routine of going to the coffee shop and getting online to search for shopping assignments and photography jobs. I instead volunteered as a poll watcher for the party…
Overview: Sales Quality Research Group (SQG) is a privately owned company, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in 1993 and incorporated in 1997 by Jim Rensel, the principal owner and President, and Dr. Kenneth Kehrer, a part owner. SQG provides research services for banks, thrifts and credit unions, as well as their brokerage firm…
By far one of the oldest market research firms in existence, GfK was founded in 1934 by Professor Wilhelm Vershofen as a scientific institute known as “Gesellschaft fur Konsumforschung,” or Association for Consumer Research. The company is still headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany and it’s mission is simply, “Make the consumer heard.” According to their corporate…
With the recent blast of Arctic cold covering most of the United States east of the Rockies, it’s a good idea to look at precautions to take to protect your camera, and other electronics, during periods of extreme cold. Last year, I wrote an article for Mystery Shopper Magazine about the care of your video…
Company Overview: Service Excellence Group, aka Service X, is a, “customer experience measurement and solutions provider” based in St. Louis Missouri. In 1996, CEO Marci Bolshorn. “began a journey – a mission of personal importance – to share her passion for exceptional service delivery nationwide.” Today this company offers a variety of services including customer…
Members of the 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 first in a series of interviews on the topic. MSM talks with Ms….
Written by RSGlenn The other day, my husband told me that I am working for nothing. He complained about me being away from the house too much for very little pay. Well, in some cases, he is right. However, I do not hear him complaining when I get the oil changed in both cars, that…
Written by Dspeakes The general rule of thumb for taxes is that the more you make, the more taxes you pay. So most people have a natural instinct to try to minimize the income on their tax return. Some people don’t have another job; mystery shopping is all they do. Maybe they have Social Security…
Overview: Dixie Whiskey resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children. She began mystery shopping July 22, 2013 and, in the middle of October of this year, accepted a full time field coordinator position with Service Metrics, Inc. (SMI) in Toronto. In her new role, she does both scheduling and editing, while…
Company Overview: It really is not CoRI anymore. Stericycle ExpertSOLUTIONS is a branch of Stericycle Inc.. That parent company is in the business of disposing medical and bio-hazardous waste. However, any further discussion must include Corporate Research International (CoRI). Mike Mallett founded CoRI as a mystery shopping company in 1997. It utilized automation and technology…
One unique thing about mystery shopping is there is nobody to train us. We have to teach ourselves how to do this. Oh, sure, there is the forum, and conferences with seminars that will help us with the rules, the how-tos, the techniques for using apps or equipment. But the real tools of our trade…
Company Overview: Sales Quality Research Group (SQG) was founded in 1993 and based in Arizona. It was incorporated four years later and provides research services for the financial services industry. In addition to mystery shopping, it provides customer satisfaction studies and focus groups. Recent job posting on the forum lists bank inquiry and investment inquiry…
Forum Name: Pammie8223 How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I have been shopping for 2 years. Where are you shopping? California What got you started? I was laid off from my job and started researching work at home projects when an ad for mystery shopping popped up on my computer. I thought about it…
Overview: I love doing grocery shops but they can be slightly tedious depending on the mystery shopping company. The payment for this type of shop can range from reimbursement only to reimbursement plus a fee. One of the things that I like about doing grocery shops is that you can have an opportunity to try…
This is a time-intensive occupation, this mystery shopping thing. I remember in the early days spending hours looking for jobs on a hundred or more job boards, trying to see what I could cobble together into a worthwhile route, then more time sending emails asking for bonuses, then getting on the mapping software and figuring…
Last month I wrote about tips for preparing for a mystery shopping video shoot. This month’s column gives tips for producing good video and audio once at the shoot. Something elementary but crucial to remember is to get your camera in place and make sure it is on before entering your shop location. If you…
Mercantile Systems Inc. (MSI) is a privately owned company, headquartered in Brentwood, CA. It was founded, in 1954, by Robert Cosgrove and focused totally on mystery shopping. Today, MSI also offers its clients a multitude of other services, such as compliance audits, sales improvement programs, training seminars, employee theft monitoring and management and much more….
Company Overview: Serving Rocky and Cascade mountain areas of the United States. The origins of this company are in a product and in-store demonstration company that started in Utah in the 1970s. That company serviced clients in the Rocky Mountain states. By the turn of the century, they had noticed an unmet demand for mystery…
A Closer Look has been a part of the mystery shopping industry since 1994. Based in Norcross, Georgia, their mission is “facilitating a renaissance in service by delivering outstanding feedback…” From the information I could find, this company only has assignments in the United States. They have shops in nearly all industries, including restaurants of…
Written by BBird0701 A few years ago, my husband got into woodworking. I blame myself. I had hobbies, he didn’t, and he wanted one. He took something he knew a lot about, canoe paddles, and decided he wanted to learn how to make them. After buying a few tools for his new hobby, and only…
With apologies to Charlton Heston… Thou shalt not be memorable. Being memorable, either in appearance or scenario, can restrict your shopping opportunities, especially if you are on a rotation at the same location. Thou shalt allow the target to lead. On mystery shops we have to give the target the opportunity to lead. We are…
Company Overview: A one client company? Although their website promotes service to multiple industries, Ardent is known to shoppers for serving one fast casual restaurant client. This MSPA member company is more than 20 years and headquartered in Colorado. Payment is made by direct deposit on the 20th of the month following the shop. Shops…
I’ll start off by admitting that, as a professional photographer, I am biased towards the versatility of cameras, be they point and shoot or DSLR. At the same time, I have used my phone when a discreet picture needs to be taken. Even so, there are times when I have found the versatility of a…
Editors note: This is a discussion of the Scheduler of the Year Contest recently hosted by Mystery Shop Forum. During the contest, dozens of schedulers and companies were recognized for their great work. I encourage you to read the nominations here. When I first saw the Mystery Shop Forum thread ‘Scheduler of the Year,’ I…
Written by Dspeakes It will be here before you know it. You’ll start getting those envelopes in the mail with “Important Tax Document Enclosed” printed on the outside. There will be ads for Turbo Tax on TV. There will be H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and Liberty Tax shops and audits on the shop boards. And…
We are pleased to present this interview with Shelly Martin, a scheduler for Kern Scheduling Services. Shelly is the 2014 winner of the Scheduler of the Year Contest presented by Mystery Shop Forum. She received quite a bit of praise from shoppers during the contest. If you’d like to learn more about Shelly, be sure…
Preparing for the Shoot As many shoppers soon discover, covertly shooting video is more than just wearing a secret camera. There are many steps for producing good video shops that need to happen before even leaving one’s house. A few are covered below. Packing Making and checking a list of what you need to bring…
Written by dspeakes After running the wheels off my car for two years as a mystery shopper, I finally decided I needed to find a “real” job – I was spending too much time in the search for work, planning routes, doing the routes, doing the reports, and then being wiped out with exhaustion the…
Written by kyninja One of the frequent topics of discussion on MysteryShopForum.com seems to be shoppers complaining about editors emailing them for clarification or rejecting their shops. Most of the these discussions are started by shoppers that are new to the industry and have not yet realized how important it is to read the shop…
There are many, many discussions at MysteryShopForum grumbling about scoring by one particular mystery shopping company(MSC), and other discussions grumbling about the amount of narrative required for some shops. Sometimes we get both topics in the same thread, grumbling about the amount of narrative required for some shops by that particular MSC with the fussy…
Research Services Group is the mystery shopping division of Mystery Researchers. Their website defines the company as a “business intelligence provider” which, in addition to mystery shopping, also provides audits and standards compliance inspections, online and phone surveys, pricing evaluations and app performance testing. Mystery Researchers started out as a home-based business in 2008 and…
At what point should we turn down a mystery shop because some aspect of it is beyond our capabilities? There was a recent discussion on www.mysteryshopforum.com about a shopper who was asked to do a shop that included evaluating a golf course at a resort. The shopper stated on the forum that, “The description did…
There are several different types of gas station/convenience store audits, and they can be broken down into basically two types, revealed and unrevealed. Both require at least one purchase, although the revealed audits usually require two purchases; one of gasoline, and one of an item from the convenience store. Having an economy car, it becomes…
Written by GypsyMonkey My life is about enjoying what is around me. Everywhere I go is a new experience. Stepping off the plane in Hawaii and smelling the fresh salt air is different than stepping off a train in NYC and feeling the sudden pace of the city. No one can really explain the difference…
Written by dspeakes Two years ago this month I tucked my old pocket tape recorder into the cell phone pouch on my purse and walked into a sub sandwich shop in a local strip mall to do my first-ever mystery shop. I was nervous as a cat on a freeway at rush hour. I had…
Aboutface Corporation is one of the largest mystery shopping companies in the United States. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and was founded in 1995. According to their Facebook page, they have won the most mystery shopping awards for five consecutive years, although they do not mention what the awards consisted of or who…
Company Overview: Who was that masked man? The Lone Ranger fought outlaws but kept his identify secret behind his mask. DJC’s pays at a lightning fast pace, is cited for quick and responsive interactions, but does not freely disclose the location of their brick and mortar location. Searches for that home office or website with…
James Bond is dead? Well, not exactly. Life, however, is getting busy and the weekly endeavor of editing this magazine is starting to affect my shops, and my freedom to shop. I’ve told Jacob that the September 29th issue will be the last issue of the magazine that I will edit, to give him time…
This column is aimed primarily at video route shoppers, although all shoppers can take something away from this, as it could provide a different aspect for the family vacation. As you are no doubt aware, hotel advertising that refers to “high speed” internet almost always refers to download speed, leaving you to guess how much…
Early on in my shopping career, I had a route of apartment shops that consisted of eight different locations in five cities over some 300 miles of interstate highway. Sounds easy enough until the mystery shopping company said they were all for the same client and once you visit one property, you’re in the system…
Company Overview: “Are you committed to meeting deadlines and providing quality reports with detailed narratives?” CSEKristina posted this on the forum and might have also asked if you like to golf. Customer Service Experts (CSE) focuses on airports, restaurants, financial services, and recreation locales such as golf courses. It was founded in 1994 and is…
So often we hear about shoppers who encounter problems with shops. Recently, I had several targeted apartment shops. I made the appointments with the target and I specified the date I would be there, verify that they would be there. When I arrived, the target was off. While that’s a problem, it pales in comparison…
Written by Mr. C First and foremost, I do not agree with the term, “Disabled”. There are simply some of us facing different challenges. I try my best to not only face mine but, overcome them too. When I healed from my injuries, some time ago, I found myself housebound with limited mobility. Going from…
Written by CureMS I have multiple sclerosis. In a nutshell, MS is the wearing away of myelin, the protective nerve covering. Remember when you were a kid and ran out in the snow to play without your gloves then once your hands became frozen you ran back inside to warm them? But warming them hurt…
Written by RLB I am a mystery shopper. And I have Meniere’s disease. Symptoms vary, but mine include nausea, vertigo, migraines, ringing of the ears, and sudden hearing loss. The episodes are sudden, and have lasted between 30 minutes to three days for me. I’m told I can thank my French-Canadian heritage for it, as…
Written by DayShopper Have you ever walked to your car in a brightly lit mall parking lot or some other place with “daylight effect” lighting, driven off, and only when you came to a totally unlit area realized that you never turned on the headlights? The view of the dark road ahead, before you hit…
Editor’s note: Mystery Shop Forum [www.mysteryshopforum.com] is a website of mystery shoppers with varying degrees of experience. The members attempt to assist new shoppers who have legitimate questions, while at the same time explaining why some questions can’t be answered because to do so would violate the Independent Contractor’s Agreement [ICA] that shoppers sign when…
The first step in video shopping is deciding what type of camera to use. Once a shopper has chosen between wired or wireless, button, glasses, pen, or whatever camera mode he or she wants, that person must next decide where to shop for it. Can a shopper just drop by their closest big-box store or…
Company Overview: Do you wonder what is going on when a company changes their name? In this case, the changes are probably cosmetic in nature only. ICC Decision Services (ICDDS) is a MSPA member company founded in 1979 and based in New York City. It offers mystery shopping, customer survey and compliance auditing to retail…
Threads on the forum occasionally raise moral issues. I’ll leave aside the generic question of whether it’s right to lie to people; that’s an occupational hazard. But we lie like actors and actresses lie. We’re playing a part, not lying to hurt someone else or get ourselves out of trouble. I’m talking about things that…
Last week’s e-book on route shopping brought in a few questions, so I’ll tackle them here. DG wrote: I want to thank you for the Mystery Shopper Magazine that you send me and the book The Mystery Shopper Magazine Guide To Route Shopping For Mystery Shoppers. I have learned a lot and have used the…
Monterey Mystery Shopping recently sent an email to shoppers registered with them announcing that they are expanding their services to include video shopping. If you’re a video shopper and haven’t signed up with them, here’s the reason to do so. Based in Pacific Grove, California, Monterey Mystery Shopping bills themselves as “The premier mystery shopping…
Company Overview: The company formerly known as Service Intelligence is the name of both a larger company that offers a variety of data collection services and the mystery shopping arm of the Service Intelligence branch of that larger company. In 2011 Service Intelligence and In-Touch partnered and later merged the Service Intelligence shopper website into…
Mystery Shop Forum debuted on July 27, 2006. Jacob Jans, then age 24, created it with the hopes it would become a valuable resource for both new and experienced mystery shoppers. Mystery Shopper Magazine, an online publication, was introduced in February of 2012 and espoused similar goals. MSM Talks with Jacob Jans, Owner, Administrator and…
When doing a video shop, a shopper can opt for many forms of cameras: button, pen and glasses to name a few. These cameras come in two forms: wired and wireless. The older and more common form is the wired camera, in which the lens is hidden in a public object, such as a button…
This week’s episode is brought to you by the letter “I” which stands for insurance., in its many forms. First, please check your auto insurance policy before you start a road trip. Most, if not all, auto insurance companies offer a roadside assistance amendment to your basic auto insurance policy for as little as $15…
Business Evaluation Services (BES), with offices in Bakersfield and San Diego, has acquired two notable mystery shopping industry brands -Customer 1st and Best Market Audits (BMA). The newly formed company includes over sixty years of combined experience in the customer service evaluation business and access to over 700,000 mystery shoppers. BES maintains offices in North…
Company Overview: Based in Kennesaw, Georgia, The Training Factor specializes in apartment and call center training. There is minimal company history on their website. The company does both conventional and video mystery shops. The company began mystery shopping in 2009. The Training Factor uses the Shopmetrics platform to register mystery shoppers. Registration is fairly straightforward…
This week’s issue of Mystery Shopper Magazine focuses on preparing for the International Mystery Shoppers Conference in New Orleans, LA. The conference will be July 29 & 30, with a video training session on the 31st [extra registration, limited space]. We would like to do a special issue on the conference in the August 11…
I have done a little digging around concerning options for getting from the airport to the hotel/conference site. There is an airport shuttle that costs about $38 round trip. There are taxis, which are said to cost $33 for one or two persons or $14 per person for three or more people. There is a…
NOLA 2014 IMSC conference Program- SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE ALSO, PLEASE SEE ADDITIONAL NOTES AT THE END OF THIS LISTING. Tuesday, July 29th 7:00 AM to 8:45 AM Registration, networking, continental breakfast 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM Conference Hall: Four Keys to Effective Communication-Terry Sumerlin- Keynote Speaker Conference Hall: 10:05 AM to 10:35 AM…
Many shoppers have posted or PMed asking about what to expect at a shopper conference. Some have expressed concerns that they will be alone, or lonely or too shy to engage other shoppers or schedulers. Fear not! Shoppers are a very welcoming bunch and there will even be shoppers devoted to seeking out and engaging…
I was doing a bank shop that’s right downtown in a nearby city. I kept my fingers crossed for a parking space and that’s when the proverbial eggs hit the fan. All parking spaces within a 2 block radius of this location have become a no-parking zone by police order due to a very big…
Agent99 has been spying on hapless clerks and bankers for five years. She does this spying to earn money for travel to Europe, to which she has traveled three times in recent years, visiting Italy, Switzerland, and France. “I haven’t done any overseas spying, because it’s harder now to get false passports since 9-11,” she…
With a recent discussion about a resort shop offered to the overall shopping public gathering so much interest, James Bond 007.5 approached me about setting the record straight on what resort shops entail. While each different company has it’s own methods and requirements, there are basic similarities with all of them when it comes to…
Company Overview: Informa Research Services, Inc.,, is the premier provider of competitive intelligence, sales and service evaluation, regulatory compliance testing, and lead generation services to the financial industry. We gather accurate and timely competitive product information, branch experience measurements, and consumer opinions. We deliver powerful market information, insightful analysis, and targeted recommendations. Located in Calabasas,…
Last month, Mary gave a basic primer into the preparations required to shop a route of gas stations/convenience stores. This month, she takes us into how she organizes her paperwork and keeps the shops flowing in the correct order. We talked about your camera in the initial column, but just to review, your camera should…
Written By JonChance Remember those cute little comment cards that restaurants used to stick between the salt and pepper shakers for you to tell them how you liked your visit? I was addicted to filling those out. Not at first maybe, but the third or fourth one I did as a kid earned me a…
I was contemplating a $13 bonused fast food shop today and debating about asking for another $5 when it hit me how my standards have changed in the last three years. When I started out, it was $5 fast food shops and $10 bank and cell phone shops for the most part and I was…
Overview: TrendSource, originally Mystery Shoppers, Inc., is a privately owned mystery shopping company, headquartered in San Diego, CA. Kevin Moll and his brother, Rodney Moll, founded the company in 1989, when Kevin Moll was looking for a company to “shop” his restaurant. Today, TrendSource serves clients in the retail, healthcare and restaurant industries as well…
I realize that we have readers from around the world, but allow me a bit of reflection… July 4th will be the 238th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It’s a three day weekend this year, so please take the time to be extra careful in your travels. At the same time, let’s take the…
Company Overview: In a mystery shopping world with many companies choosing their names from similar words like service, shopper, mystery and the like, their identities can get lost in the crowd. This company does not possess that flaw. The name is also accurate. Dale and Michael Bare founded this company in 1987 in Fairfax, Virginia….
Mary Davis Nowell has decided to devote her writing talents elsewhere, including a book that she has been planning for some time. We wish her well and hope she might occasionally grace our pages again. Her last column will be in the July 7 issue of the magazine. We need someone interesting in writing a…
I have received several requests for books that I consider useful for a mystery shopper. The following is my somewhat eclectic list… The Associate Press Style Manual and Libel Handbook. This book is now printed in two volumes, AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, and AP Guide to Punctuation. I use the style manual…
Recently on Mystery Shop Forum there was a lively thread about “double dipping.” What do we mean by double dipping? Doing two, or possibly more, shops at the same location at the same time. While the consensus was that the mystery shopping companies involved need to be contacted, it did raise the question as to…
Today’s chapter is brought to you by the letter “T.” T is for: tires, terrain and tickets. If you are like me, you roll your eyes and murmur, “Yah, yah, yah,” whenever you see another article that reminds you that you can save a lot of fuel costs if your tires are properly inflated. But,…
Overview: Market Force is a privately owned mystery shopping and customer intelligence company, co-founded in 2005 by three successful businessmen, Karl Maier, Paul Berberian and Rushton McGarr. It is based in Louisville, CO and serves over 350 of the leading brands in the restaurant, grocery, retail and financial sectors, and the movie theatre and motion…
Written by jpgilham I’m not from round these parts. I’m from a country called New Zealand where our closest neighbors are Australia and the Antartica. In fact, from my home in Timaru, New Zealand, I could look out my kitchen window onto the beach and see penguins. Pretty much everywhere in New Zealand is next…
There are several different Bottom Of Basket (BOB) scenarios for grocery stores. The one that we are concerned with in this article is where you have a single, large item, not to exceed a given dollar amount, usually $5. If the cashier does not catch the item, then you are to walk out of the…
This edition of “Loose Ends” is taking care of some emails and MSC updates. One shopper wrote to complain about Wrapmatch. As we have said on several occasions, based on the lack of action with the company, we no longer are recommending this company as an income source for shoppers. If you have signed up…
Someone on the forum recently mentioned having returned to a restaurant they had shopped previously because they had enjoyed the food and being asked, “How did you hear about us?” and was wondering how to answer and whether it would be okay to say that they had mystery shopped the location in the past. Of…
Doing a mystery shop feels even more secretive to me when I am recording it. Considering that hidden cameras come in many forms these days, including buttons, eyeglasses, pens, cell phones and other modes, a shopper can be very discreet and effective. Before even considering which camera mode to use, however, shoppers need to first…
Company Overview: Reality Based Group (RBG), formerly Gamefilm Consultants, is based in Austin, TX and has been in business since 1992. The company originally focused on video-based apartment shops. According to the company website, RBG now serves the industries of retail, dining, banking, hospitality, homebuilding, property management, auto, health and fitness, insurance and government agencies….
I’ve been mystery shopping for 10 years. I found it, as I think many people did, through the proverbial back door. I had had a career in the editorial field, serving as an editor of publications for an international non-profit group, a business trade publisher and, lastly, a publishing division that produced books and magazines…
If you’ve browsed very many mystery shopping job boards, you’ve probably seen assignments available for gas stations/convenience stores. We’ve previously written about these assignments. But, they’re not as straightfoward as they might seem. In this article, we’ll walk you through preparing for these assignments, so that you can take full advantage of the opportunity they…
In last week’s issue of Mystery Shopper Magazine, we reported on shoppers who had either not been paid, or have only received partial payment from Gapbuster. After we published that article, a shopper posted the following email on Mystery Shop Forum. They say it came from “Nathaneal” at GapBuster. Thank you for your email I…
Would you climb Mount Everest? If you were a mountaineer you would. Maybe. You would realize the road to the top of the world’s highest mountain is a long and arduous journey that requires extensive preparation and is for the seasoned mountaineer. Mystery shopping also has its apex. You have seen the inducements: Meals at…
Mystery shoppers have recently been reporting missing, delayed, or incorrect payments from GapBuster. On Mystery Shop Forum, there has been a thread with multiple complaints from a variety of mystery shoppers. According to the reports, one shopper is owed 702 Euros, over $900 at the current exchange rate. Another complains of being paid the basic…
You’re an experienced shopper, with over 100 shops under your belt. For the companies that reveal their scores to shoppers, you’re regularly an 8, a 9, or a 10. You decide to spread your wings a little, and sign on with some new companies. You accept an assignment that has a nice bonus, and even…
Overview: Customer Impact is a privately owned mystery shopping company, founded in 2008. It is based in The Woodlands, TX and serves over 50 clients in the restaurant, hospitality, grocery, retail and financial sectors. They have an A- rating with the BBB. (The BBB states it does not have sufficient background information on this business,…
Company Overview: I hesitate to mention this company because it will sound too good to be true, and some might accuse me of adding “recreational products” to my martini. Based in New Jersey, Taylor and Associates specializes in Pay Per View (PPV) compliance. In other words, you’ll be assigned a location thats advertising something they…
I started mystery shopping during a time when I was between full-time jobs six years ago. After researching the subject online, I discovered the MSPA and their list of companies. As you might imagine, I signed up for a few and searched the job boards. The first shops I did included many gas stations and…
I like to do business verifications, even though the pay is usually nothing to get excited about. I like that they are revealed and there is a script, and all I have to do is go through the questionnaire, mark yes and no answers, and take pictures of the door locks and file cabinets. Easy…
This is the first of a series of (almost) random thoughts on what I have learned about making oneself more comfortable, as well as saving money, on long shopping routes. To me, a long route is four or more nights on the road. Today’s chapter is brought to you by the letter L; L is…
Company Overview: Creative Image Associates, Inc. (CIA) was founded in 1989 and is based in Fitchburg MA. This MSPA member company specializes in serving the financial services industry and offers reports that can improve employee performance to deliver necessary customer service. Their client base is currently in the northeastern United States and Florida. This company…
It seems our mailbag is either feast or famine. This week’s mailbag runneth over and has a couple of questions that will require the skill of Carnac the Magnificent to get the answers, a well as a couple of questions that your editor should be able to answer with no real difficulty. We were asked…
Reports surfaced recently of Market Force International terminating a mystery shopper because of “known associates.” The shopper had reportedly done extensive work with the company, and garnered a high rating by them. No other reason was cited for the termination of the agreement. According to the report, Market Force refused to provide any information about…
All of us use technology in our shopping pursuits, even if it is just to file a report online. Many shoppers use recorders and smartphones, some do audio and video taping, and others take their tablets on location. I am a shopper who resolved in 2014 to take advantage of these great sources. Over the…
Gigwalk is a cell phone app you can use to find quick merchandising “gigs” on the fly. You download the app to your phone, enter some basic information and your Paypal address, and then you can have it search for gigs near you. I find it often reports gigs to me that are up to…
Company Overview: Business Research Group, Inc. was founded in May 1996. They are a full service research company based in Springfield, Missouri. They specialize in personal “one on one” customer service evaluations for businesses with multiple locations. The company serves businesses in the following industries: Casinos / Gaming Hotels / Restaurants / Fast Food /…
Overview: Looking for an entertaining day or weekend away with your significant other? Casino shops can be the means to get away for a break while making a little extra money. Meals, concerts, drinks, and gambling may be reimbursed. You may even win some money gambling! Project variations: These projects can vary from a 2-hour…
Written by Michael C I started shopping in late 2011, or maybe it was 2010. I have changed the story so many times, I honestly don’t remember. I had heard over the years that legit mystery shopper work existed. I didn’t bother to look until a friend, who is an attorney, told me she was…
So, you want to be a mystery shopper but you’re afraid something will go wrong. Of course it will. Now that we’ve clarified that, let’s start. We’re going to hit some highlights on starting out with basic shops, which is where all of us should start. Basic shops include those such as fast food, convenience…
I woke up this Monday morning and had all my ducks in a row. Paperwork was in my trusty-red leather-three-ring binder and my day of airport shops was all set. If you’ve never done these, they’re kind of neat. It’s similar to building a route of shops, in a mall, or on the road. I…
A bullet whizzed over my head and I hit the dirt. “They didn’t say anything about getting combat pay in that bonus” I thought as I cowered behind a jeep in the parking lot. It all started when a desperate scheduler called me to take a last minute shop in what can only be described…
College admission shops that you’ll find on mystery shopping job boards are aimed at “for profit” institutions [think the schools you see advertising degrees on TV]. Usually, these shops have very specific aims regarding what is promised during the admission process. First, you admissions officer, or counselor, cannot promise that you will get a job,…
Second To None is a privately owned mystery shopping company headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI. Jeff Hall, the current CEO, founded the company in 1989. Today, Second To None serves clients in the food and beverage, retail, healthcare, financial services and hospitality industries as well as in the public sector. They have an A+ rating…
Company Overview: Albatross Global Solutions is a worldwide mystery shopping company with some 20 offices in various cities around the world. The business was founded in 2005 by Christophe Cais and Nicholas Jeanjean, both 1991 graduates from the Institut Superieur de Gastion. The company website is http://www.albatrossonline.com/. The company’s shops tend to focus on high…
While planning a recent, multi-day route, I discovered I could work out of one small North Carolina town for the duration of the trip. I was looking for a motel and checked the reviews of the chains where I can get points–Hilton, Quality, and Wyndham. The online reviews where substantially less than stellar for all…
In last week’s issue of Mystery Shopper Magazine, I related a situation that I was told by a fellow shopper. It was a rather unique set of conditions that came together and presented an opportunity for him. I did encourage shoppers to keep an eye out for “similar situations”. I received a phone call from…
I dabbled briefly in mystery shopping in 2009, which I should not really count, since I had no idea what I was doing and it was such a short-lived venture. My specialty was Maritz and whatever they dared to send my way. Fast forward, four years later: We relocated from the frozen tundra of Illinois…
In an attempt to become one stop financial service stops, banks have expanded beyond their traditional checking/saving/CD’s and have expanded into stocks/bonds/mutual funds and other investment vehicles. It’s this second group that are the focus of Bank Investment Shops. Banks are extensively regulated while stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. are subject to many fewer regulations….
From the early 1980s until the mid-1990s, I had an incredible job with American Airlines at a major airport. The wonderful job was made even more wonderful by the awesome employee recognition programs. One such program, which recognized exceptional customer service, was called “Run Through the Warehouse” and was held in a large building on…
In conjunction with the above announced changes coming to Mystery Shopper Magazine, we are looking for 2-3 shoppers who would commit to writing 3 articles per month on either an MSC or a Shopping Assignment. We are also looking for a shopper with a good knowledge of the current technology and how that technology can…
Jacob and I have been discussing for a while how we envision Mystery Shopper Magazine growing in the future. Also, Jacques’ business has been growing, so he has been devoting less time to shopping and has decided to retire as a contributor to the magazine. As a result of these conversations and contributor changes, there…
Occasionally on www.mysteryshopforum.com, a shopper will “vent” about some aspect of a shop, and the “venting” will usually end with some form of “I could make the form better.” A shopper recently sent me the following. He asked me to remain anonymous. “A few weeks ago, I went out to dinner at an ethnic restaurant…
I was recently in Atlanta, Georgia doing some shops and I had the opportunity to meet a fellow shopper for a late lunch [no, it wasn’t a shop]. We were talking about shops we’ve done when the discussion turned to how our experiences affect the shops we do. Or perhaps a better way to say…
UPDATE: WARNING: WRAPMATCH.COM APPEARS TO BE A SCAM. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEIR SERVICES. I had honestly believed that I had come across a way for shoppers to make some extra money while driving between shops. The plan sounded good…better than it turned out to be. I received an e-mail from a friend this morning….
Sometimes we as shoppers get too complacent or maybe too comfortable with a given assignment, to the point that a similar assignment comes along and we don’t give it the due diligence that we should. Case in point, I’ve done over a dozen mystery shops each for both Tommy Hilfiger and Old Navy. The shops…
First, we received a follow-up to James’ review of Strategic Reflections: James, I read the magazine article you wrote about Strategic Reflections. I was the shopper who was hung up on. I wanted to make sure you (and shoppers) knew that one of the owners contacted me about this after she was informed of my…
Company Overview: Based in Denver, Colorado, National Shopping Service Network has been in business since 1986. A partial list of industries served [from their website] includes: Advertising agency, Apartments, Auto dealer, Auto maker, Auto parts, Car wash, Banking, Bar, Baseball club, Bookstore, Business forms, Coffee shop, Concessions, Convenience stores, Fast food, Football club, Gift shops,…
Company Overview: Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Consumer Impressions has been in business since 1991. This MSC specializes in fast food with several regional chains in nine states. Registration is on their website, http://www.consumerimpressions.com/. There is no record of this MSC with the Plano, Texas, BBB. Personal Experience: I have no personal experience with this MSC…
Mystery Shopping. Simply by looking at the name, it conveys something that should be secretive, that is, we don’t go running around screaming that we’re shoppers. That’s why I’m writing this letter. Some mystery shopping companies seem bent on giving away our “secret” identities. I got a call from James Bond this week asking if…
Company Overview: A Sassie-based company, Shoppers Inc is located in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Their website, http://www.shopperjobs.com, has a couple of my pet peeves. There’s nothing saying how long they have been in business, and there’s no indication of what industries they shop. Personal Experience: I have been signed up with this company for over a…
Company Overview: Strategic Reflections is based in Cincinati, Ohio. The senior partners in Strategic Reflections have been coordinating customer research and mystery shopping projects since 1988 for small, regional and national clients. Strategic Reflections, Inc. has utilized a plan of action based upon experience for accurate and efficient design, development, and implementation of each and…
Sentry Marketing Group recently on March 17th that they have acquired Feedback Plus. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, however the combined company will stay in Plano, Texas, where Sentry is located. “This combined group will double our size and enable us to offer superior service and mystery shopping, customer survey, audit and…
UPDATE: WARNING: WRAPMATCH.COM APPEARS TO BE A SCAM. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEIR SERVICES. Ok, it’s time for a couple of updates re: Adz In Motion and Wrap Match. First, I’ve had no type of follow-up information from Adz In Motion. Perhaps they are indeed out of business as one post suggested. I just find…
Overview: Why would a bank want a phone shop? Often, customers who are searching for a new bank, because they have either moved to the area, or are looking for a bank with lower fees, will use the phone to help narrow down the number of banks they will ultimately visit. These shops generally cover…
Company Overview: Located in Lookout Mountain, Customer Service Perceptions is one of a very small number of MSC’s that require applicants to mail a processing fee for their application. $2 in this case. From their website: Customer Service Perceptions charges an administrative processing fee of $2 to each shopper applicant. This fee in nonrefundable and…
Company Overview: Based in Richmond, Utah, Compliance Solutions Worldwide has been in business for over eight years. They offer carpet cleaning assignments. Their website is http://www.compliancesolutionsworldwide.com/index.html and registration is relatively straightforward on the Sassie platform. Personal Experience: I have no personal experience with this company. I did a search using a 900-mile radius and only…
Company Overview: Advantage Sales and Marketing was founded in 1987 in Southern California and now has over 70 offices all across the United States. Their website is professional looking at: http://www.asmnet.com/. The company appears to be targeting mostly demonstrating and merchandising jobs in WalMarts around the nation. Personal Experience: I have had no experience working…
Company Overview: Founded in 1996 in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania [a suburb of Philiadelphia], Market Viewpoint has clients in the automobile, retail, child care, real estate, and financial service industries. Their website is: http://www.marketviewpoint.com/. Market Viewpoint currently has two different systems in place for shoppers. One is a Sassie platform while the other is the MSS platform….
To err is human…and I hope the readers of Mystery Shopper Magazine will forgive me. As I’ve mentioned, I’m a shopper like most of you who read this magazine. I write these articles as a labor of love, knowing that the time I spend writing is time taken away from shopping. When I research a…
Virtually all of my shops are routes of some type. Whether it’s five shops around town, 50 banks on a two or three day trip around the state, or it might be a 10-day smorgasbord with some video shops thrown in to spice things up. Regardless of the type of shops, a cheat sheet takes…
We have a couple of more questions from the mailbag this week: Hello Jacob: I’ve been a mystery shopper for about 12 years and I am always glad to learn new things–and there are always little tidbits! I read with interest about the ASCAP program. I looked at the ASCAP site you referenced but saw…
Company Overview: Instant Replays is one of the “Big 7” video mystery shopping companies. They have been in business for over 10 years and are based in Raleigh, NC. Their clients cover such diverse fields as property management companies, home builders, senior living communities, automobile dealerships, Tire and Automotive Service, hotels and restaurants, retail stores,…
Company Overview: Founded in Georgia in 1997, Corporate Risk Solutions was located next door to Asset Protection Associates, which was founded in 1991. The owners of each business soon found themselves referring clients to each other, and realized the synergistic benefits of merging, which they did in 1999. Their website is www.corporaterisksolutions.com. Personal Experience: Only…
Over the past couple of weeks, both Jacques and I have begun to receive emails from readers wanting to apply for shops that are reviewed in Mystery Shopper Magazine and the letters are usually along the lines of “Please sign me up for…” We are not schedulers. We are also not mystery shopping company (MSC)…
Company Overview: Technology Store Shopper is a mystery shopping company that specializes in shopping the technology sector. I tried contacting the company on three different days via their 800 number to discover the basics [location, how long they’ve been in business, etc.] as this basic information is not on their website, and I could not…
UPDATE: WARNING: WRAPMATCH.COM APPEARS TO BE A SCAM. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEIR SERVICES. While this isn’t exactly mystery shopping, and it will make your vehicle memorable, after discussing this with Jacob we decided this is an avenue some shoppers might want to pursue to generate additional income. Adz In Motion, www.adzinmotion.com, and Wrap Match,…
Company Overview: Located in Florida, Stacey’s Strategic Solutions [SSS] is a consulting, scheduling and business solutions provider specializing in collecting and analyzing data about customers, employees and competitors to maximize profitability and efficiency. The company has more than twenty years of retail management, human resources, scheduling and business experience with a reputation for knowledge, dedication,…
Company Overview: Circle of Service, based in St. Louis, Missouri, has mystery shops in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. From the company’s website, they serve clients in multiple industries including: spas, retail, travel, healthcare, hospitality, telemarketing, automotive, and apartment/condominiums. Registration is at http://circle-of-service.com/ and is on the Prophet system. The company did have their…
Company Overview: Exclusivity. That is probably the best one word description of Ardent Services. Their website, http://ardentservices.com, isn’t the most user-friendly in the world. You register with just the basic information and a writing sample concerning a dining experience. Then you sit back and wait…and wait…and wait. It could be a year or more before…
If you read the discussions on www.mysteryshopforum.com, shoppers either love or hate the phone shops that pay between two and five dollars. Until recently, there were shops I wasn’t crazy about. I was looking at them as individual shops rather than trying to create a “route” of them. Real life entered my shopper’s world and…
Editors note: This was originally posted by Stilllearning on MysteryShopForum.com. Join the discussion here. As shoppers, we’re asked to write lengthy, professionally written, objective reports. We do. We’re asked to discreetly take impossible pictures of an interior location, which happens to be positioned directly in front of the associates. We do. We are asked to…
Company Overview: Apartment Shoppe “provides personalized mystery shopping services to apartment communities. We have provided apartment leasing, training, and mystery shopping services for the past 20 years.” Trying to find out information about this company is akin to what Churchill said of Soviet Union foreign policy, it “is a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in…
Company Overview: Located in Lincoln, NE, Service Research Corporation has been in business for about 20 years. There is no data on their site regarding the industries and areas they serve. Going through the Prophet system, I was able to determine they currently have a restaurant in two or three states. Their website is http://www.serviceresearch.com….
Written by Dspeakes. This is part of a special series of articles about tax essentials for mystery shoppers. Click here to view all of the articles. Part 2: Deductible or not? When you are in business you can deduct anything that you incurred solely because of your business, as long as it is “ordinary and…
Company Overview: Founded in 1994 in Pacific Grove, CA, Service Check (not to be confused with International Service Check), was the first 100% web based mystery shopping company. They have a wide variety of clients in the retail sector. In addition to traditional mystery shops, Service Check also conducts competitor shops and telephone shops. Registration…
Overview: Signal piracy shops is a fancy way of saying showing a program without paying for the right to show it. Generally you’re going to be shopping a bar. The bar can be any type of establishment, from a relatively classy place to a dive. Project variations: There’s pretty much no variation from assignment to…
Written by Sue De La Bruere, Jancyn Mystery Shopping You have accepted your mystery shopping assignments, carefully read all instructions, appeared at the right place at the right time, and taken copious notes about the encounter on your smartphone. Now you are ready to head to your computer and create the perfect report that thoroughly…
Company Overview: Founded in 1992 in Columbus, Ohio, Anonymous Insights prides itself on being a MSC that is 100% female owned and operated. The company on their website lists that they have clients in the following industries: retail, restaurant, grocery, gas stations, convenience stores, mass merchandisers, banking, automotive, lodging, and airports. As I was finishing…
Company Overview: Founded in 1998 in Napierville, IL, Ann Michaels & Associates began serving businesses in the Midwest with reports being filed by mail and fax. As the technology changed because of the personal computer, AM&A changed with the times, obtaining a quicker turn around for reporting and being able to expand their service area….
Written By Dspeakes. Part 1: Record keeping for the Schedule C Imagine how easy it is to do a tax return when you start out with easy access to the right information. What is the right information? Accurate sums for the income you received, the expenses you had totaled by type, a mileage log for…
Overview: Not all audits are revealed. I recently completed an audit for an upscale manufacturer where I was to pose as a typical customer interested in purchasing their top of the line product. Project variations: You may not always be assigned a top of the line product. In any case, be observant for attempts to…
Company Overview: Business Evaluation Services was founded by the current President, Charles Stiles. Charles comes from a background in retail; owning a number of retail gift stores in national malls for over 8 years. Quickly realizing the only way to really differentiate his stores and stand out from the competition was to develop a consistent…
Company Overview: ASCAP was founded by composer Victor Herbert in New York City on February 13, 1914, to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members, who were mostly writers and publishers associated with New York City’s Tin Pan Alley. ASCAP’s earliest members included the era’s most active songwriters—Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and John Phillip…
Overview: The last time I was in one of these “Adult Entertainment” emporiums was in the early 80’s shortly after graduating college. At the time, these were places where you generally went at night, parked behind the building or, if you were forced to park on the street side, you did your best to back…
It’s the New Year. Time to turn over a new leaf, get rid of the bad habits and improve yourself for 2014. OK, who am I kidding? Realistically we can all find areas to improve. I contacted some shoppers on www.mysteryshopforum.com and asked them, on the condition of anonymity, to share some of their mystery…
Company Overview: Based in Tampa, FL, Regal Hospitality Group is, “a quality assurance/integrity shopping firm that provides an array of services for hotels, resorts, restaurants and retail shops around the world.” There is no obvious indication of how long the MSC has been in business, although their website has a copyright date of 2008. Personal…
Company Overview: Faith Perceptions, based in Cape Girardeau, MO, actually does mystery shop churches. Actually, I prefer what they call the program on their website—Mystery Guest. While the company offers several programs for churches, the one of interest to shoppers is the Mystery Guest program where you evaluate the friendliness of a congregation towards visitors….
About a month ago I had a very conversation with an Anglican Priest at a coffee shop we both frequent. He had observed me signing up for jobs on my laptop and was curious what I did for a living. I told him I was a mystery shopper and I explained what it entailed. He…
You’ve done four or five video shops and have made the decision that video shopping is something you want to add to your mystery shopping repertoire. So you’ve invested the $600-$800 in a new PV-500 rig. How do you protect that investment? Electronics have three main enemies, heat, moisture, and shock [impact]. In protecting your…
Company Overview: Based in Arroyo Grande, CA, A Top Shop is the subject of quite a bit of negative discussion on www.mysteryshopforum.com. The company shows the “BBB Accredited Business” logo on their site but, when I attempted to search for them through the BBB site, no records were found. Also, what is interesting is that…
Company Overview: The Shadow Agency is headquartered in North Richland Hills, Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. They were one of the pioneers in video mystery shopping, starting in 1995. The company specializes in new home, retail, automobile, apartments/property management, and restaurants. Their website is www.theshadowagency.com. Registration is on an extremely easy form. They…
Company Overview: Remington Evaluations is based in Liberty Township, OH. Their website is: http://remysteryshops.com/. Remington Evaluations is primarily focused on apartment shops. On their website they say, “All of our mystery shopping reports and surveys are customized for each client. No apartment community or property management company is the same. Each mystery shopping report is…
This week I picked up 14 bank shops for a route, and a restaurant dinner shop. All the shops were supposed to be completed by Friday, 12/13/13. Here’s the catch. I won’t have them completed until December 19. And the schedulers are cool with that. I can hear some of you asking, “Has Bond finally…
Overview: These shops aren’t applying for credit cards, but rather seeing if you’re offered a credit card application with a purchase that’s within a certain dollar range. Project variations: There are two main variations, and it will depend on the type of store that is the target. In some of these shops, you will only…
Company Overview: Located in San Jose, CA, Jancyn has been in the mystery shopping business for over 30 years. According to their website, Jancyn’s mission is to, “provide you with the qualitative and quantitative data you need, using employee performance measurement tools to drive improvement for your business. Our “insight from the outside” is a…
Hi I have done Porsche shops in the past. I don’t do video, but regular ones. I have never heard of getting the car for six weeks. I am a car freak and would love that. Altho not an SUV (haha). I want a Panamera. But anyway, how does one apply for that gig? Thru…
A few weeks ago, I did an assignment review of hotel shops. Coyle hotels shops are really a shop unto themselves, so I felt the need for a separate column on this particular shop. Overview: These shops aren’t for your typical Holiday Inn or Marriot. Rather, hotel shops for Coyle are going to be involving…
Company Overview: Data Quest Limited was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and has a branch office in New York City. The company serves, “more than 1,000 companies, including Fortune 500 corporations, national chains as well as smaller companies on a local and regional level. These companies vary by industry, including but…
Company Overview: Lanla Marketing Research is a Canadian MSC located in Mont-St-Hilaire, Quebec. Their focus is on “various customer experience evaluation and measurement programs to companies, such as surveys, automated complaint management system, competitive analysis, expert consulting services, training, etc. We specialize in mystery shopper programs with real consumers. Our cutting-edge technology turns data collected…
I am very new to doing this kind of thing. I work full time, but I ultimately want to be a stay at home mom for my boys. I also want to make money at home as well to help support our family. Is there any advice on where to start and what companies are…
Overview: Do you like going to open houses around town to kill time on weekends? Then consider doing new home mystery shops. Most of these do take place on weekdays rather than weekends, but they afford the shopper the opportunity to visit new home subdivisions. I like them because I live in a small house…
Company Overview: Located in one of the four towns named Holly Springs in NC, Service Performance Group is a mystery shopping company that shoppers seem to love—when they can remember them. Founded in 1992 by two former United States Marine Core officers, SPG provides shopper services in these areas: Apartments, Financial, Retail, Restaurants, Leisure, Travel,…
Company Overview: Research Services Group has offices in the US, Asia, and Europe. They cover a smorgasbord or industries including clothing, department stores, convenience stores, and real estate. Visit their website to see the full list. The company was founded in 2008 as Research Services Group in Atlanta, Georgia. They changed their name in September…
Greetings, What are the most lucrative shops and what companies offer them? Also, is there a particular region for them ? We have been doing this for a while, but cannot seem to find the higher end opportunities. Please Advise. thank you. Dee Well Dee, a lot depends on your definition of lucrative. There are…
Company Overview: All Star Customer Service is a mystery shopping company apparently based in Dallas, TX. I say apparently as their website only has an email form for contacting the company. There are links on the site to media references about the company, and all the media listed is in Dallas, so the conclusion is…
Company Overview: Corporate Research International, or Cori, was acquired by Stericycle earlier this year and their offices were moved from Findlay, OH to Indianapolis, IN. Their registration is relatively straightforward at http://www.mysteryshops.com/. Personal Experience: CoRI was one of the first MSC’s I had registered with. I had my first two shops to do for them,…
I’ve recently noticed on Mystery Shop Forum that some members are encouraging others to lie about their qualifications, or worse, to lie on reports. Is there ever a situation where this is the right thing to do? I had a recent shop at an assisted living facility. The shop itself went very well. The targeted…
200,000 customers of HSBC, the multi-national bank, have mystery shoppers be thankful for this holiday season. Mystery shoppers employed by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority have caught the company giving customers wrongful advice, in violation of financial regulations. The potential consequences are high. The bank estimates it will pay at out least $32 million…
Company Overview: The Shadow Agency is headquartered in North Richland Hills, Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. They were one of the pioneers in video mystery shopping, starting in 1995. The company specializes in new home, retail, automobile, apartments/property management, and restaurants. The company uses the ClientsSmart platform. Registration is available at: https://shadowagency.clientsmart.com/. Personal…
After some discussions with Jacob, and believing that variety is the spice of life, we’re going to try something new. Introducing, Ask Mystery Shopper Magazine. This will give you, the reader, a chance to ask us questions. They can run the gamut from humorous to serious, philosophical to tongue-in-cheek.Do you have a technical question about…
Company Overview: Founded in 2009, MarketStat has corporate leadership with more than 20 years of experience in the mystery shopping industry. Their main office is in Overland Park, KS and regional offices are located in Oregon and New Jersey. According to their website, they represent casinos and hotels, property management companies, airport concessions, and franchised…
Forum Alias: Rezteach. My alias comes from teaching on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona for 40 years. How long have you been mystery shopping? I first started mystery shopping in 1999 as I was looking ahead to ways I could earn extra money in retirement while living in a rural area. I knew there were…
Overview: Video retail shops are one of the newer areas of mystery shopping and it is a growth area. Retailers are beginning to see the advantage of having the full experience of interacting with one of their associates, from the customer’s point of view, completely unedited. Project variations: As this is a new area for…
Company Overview: Truss Communications is based in McLeansville, NC, a small town northeast of Greensboro. Their website is not active although their 800 phone line is active and has an answering machine on it. As there have been many negative comments, which will be detailed below, I left my name and number on several occasions…
Company Overview: Impact Marketing is a full service video mystery shopping company working exclusively in the home building industry. They are based in Frisco, Texas and have been in business since 2003. The company has an A+ rating with the BBB of Dallas, TX. To become a mystery shopper for Impact Marketing, visit them here…
Company Overview: TNS Global Mystery shopping is part of WPP’s consumer insight and consultancy group, Kantar. Based in the UK, the majority of their offices are in Europe and the Middle East. Registration is on their website, http://www.tnsglobal.com/market-information/mystery-shopping/, and they utilize the Clientsmart system. This company has been a victim of the mystery shop check…
Your best friend as a mystery shopper isn’t the friend who begs you to take them on a high end fine dining shop. They don’t forget the guidelines in a fast casual shop. They won’t order dessert when that’s not an option. No, a shopper’s best friend is their car. I can vaguely remember when…
Overview: Although they can appear intimidating, bank shops are some of the easier shops available to mystery shoppers. These shops can range from inquiring about accounts, actually opening an account, asking about investment services, or asking about other services the bank may offer. Project variations: If you’re doing more than just a teller shop, have…
Forum Alias: GeauxCJ How long have you been Mystery Shopping? 4 years Where are you shopping? Georgia and Florida. Occasionally Louisiana. What got you started? My friend told me that she signed up with this company called Market Force. She explained what she did, but I thought it was a scam. I waited until she…
Overview: Craving your favorite hamburger? A fast food shop could pay for your lunch and, depending on the restaurant and the mystery shopping company, you might collect a reimbursement on top of your meal. Project variations: While the basic scenario is probably the easiest in the mystery shopping world, just be yourself, these are not…
Company Overview: Located in San Diego, CA, Advanced Feedback is “a MSC with over twenty years and 1.7 million shops of experience.” The company has shops in all 50 sates, Canada, and Mexico. Based on the banner ads of clients on their website, Advanced Feedback serves a wide variety of industries, including hospitality, customer service,…
Company Overview: GfK is a truly worldwide mystery shopping company with 25 offices in the United States alone. “With more than 15 years of North American and international mystery shopping experience, GfK Mystery Shopping specializes in helping our clients increase revenues, grow brand equity, build positive customer experiences and drive operational improvement.” GfK conducts mystery…
According to a news report by the Calgary Herald, three Canadians were recently arrested and charged with mail fraud. They had scammed 10 Americans out of over $20,000 dollars. The trio posed as a mystery shopping company, sending fake checks to the victims, who deposited the money into their banks, and wired most of it…
Written By Jamie Giles, Scheduling Coordinator, Mercantile Systems, Inc. I’ve been a scheduler since 2009. One of the very first things I learned when it came to assigning shoppers was to go with those who were proven to be reliable before assigning anyone else. What this meant initially was ignoring the fact that a shopper…
Forum Alias: Sandi Aigo How long have you been Mystery Shopping? It’s been 14 years. Where are you shopping? I work in a major metropolitan area “In the Middle”! What got you started? A relative asked me to shop the family restaurant on his day off, but I never looked into it as a job…
Company Overview: In 2004, with already more than 15 years combined experience in the video mystery shopping industry, Wesley and Leslie Jeter made a decision to bring their passion for exceptional customer service to business professionals nationwide with the founding of Clear Evaluations. Based in Houston, Texas, Clear Evaluations is a full-service secret shopping company…
Company Overview: Headquartered in Cary, a suburb of Raleigh, NC, Confero has been in business since 1985. They are accredited by the Cary BBB and have an A+ rating. There have been no complaints lodged with the BBB in the last three years, although the BBB website has an alert that Confero has been a…
Forum Alias: Lisa4984 How long have you been mystery shopping? I started a little over a year ago when I lost my full-time job. Where are you shopping? I shop Eastern Washington and North Idaho. What got you started? After losing my job, I went through a major mid-life crisis and decided I never wanted…
The story you are about to read is true. The names and types of shops have been changed to protect the innocent. Two weeks ago I had a short, overnight route, scheduled. It was a trip where I would be able to combine shops and delivering an order of books I wrote to a museum….
Company Overview: Reality Based Group, based in Austin, Texas, is a “reality based consulting company that installs a self-funded, continuous business improvement process. Founded in 1992, Reality Based Group™ serves regional companies up to the Fortune 500.” According to posts on the www.mysteryshopforum.com website, RBG is the old Gamefilm Consultants, and they use the Gamefilm…
Company Overview: Based in Atlanta, GA, About Face Corporation was founded in 1999. They are accredited by the Atlanta, GA, BBB and have an A+ rating with that organization. There has been one complaint filed in the past three years which dealt with advertising/sales issues. Research has revealed no complaints that deal with issues directly…
You don’t have to be Imelda Marcos to like shoe shops. The former Philippine First Lady was rumored to have a closet with over 500 pairs of shoes…that could have been a shop all on its own. Overview: Everyone needs shoes. Why not get paid to shop around for something you need? These shops all…
Forum Alias: topaz74 How long have you been Mystery Shopping? Since January 2008. Where are you shopping? Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. What got you started? When I was in college, all the way back in 2000, one of my business professors in college mentioned mystery shopping to us and told…
Have you ever had a shop go horribly wrong? I mean so wrong as to make you want to seriously think about giving up mystery shopping? My “Car shop from hell” in Issue 17 of Mystery Shopper Magazine might have been close, had I not been as experienced as I was at the time. My…
Company Overview: Based in Perrysburg, Ohio, Intellishop has been in business since 1999. Perhaps their website describes their business drive the best, “We’re just different. We hope to convey that here, but a website can’t really say everything about who we are, why we’re different, how passionate we are about what we do, why we think…
Company Overview: Sinclair Customer Metrics was started in 1976. They shop a variety of clients including fast food, financial institutions, retail, and automobile [both traditional and video]. Their website is easy to navigate and registration is fairly straightforward at http://www.sinclaircustomermetrics.com/. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the company displays the BBB Accredited logo on their site…
Company Overview: Based in Louisville, KY, Measure Consumer Perspectives is a full service mystery shopping company with clients in a wide variety of industries. They do both conventional and video mystery shops. The company is an accredited member of the Louisville, KY Better Business Bureau and carries an “A” rating with that organization. They…
Forum Alias: TowerOrchard How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I did a few shops about 4 years ago, but I seriously got back into mystery shopping during the last week of November, 2012. Where are you shopping? I primarily shop the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, but I have done routes in Kansas, Missouri & around…
Overview: Competitor shops are, as the name implies, where Company A wants information on the customer service, or other customer aspects of its competition. Rather than send their own employees to shop the competition, they hire a mystery shopping company to get the job done. Competitor shops can include, but are not limited to, restaurants,…
Overview: As the name implies, exit interviews take place after the customer has left the targeted location. In general these aren’t interviews per se, but rather surveys that generally average five to seven minutes, although they can be as short as three or as long as ten. Almost all are for the targeted location in…
Company Overview: Many mystery shoppers also do merchandising assignments to fill voids in their schedules. Cast Force is a merchandising company about which volumes have been written on www.mysteryshopforum.com. Based in Sarasota, FL Castforce is not a member of, nor are they accredited by West Florida BBB. However, the BBB notes that there have been…
Company Overview: Based in Omaha, NE, Customer Service profiles is a full-service research organization with over 25 years of experience helping their clients gain knowledge from customer surveys that “provide actionable analysis to ultimately improve the customer experience and improve sales activity.” While they don’t have a list of clients on their website, as…
Do you want the best mystery shopping assignments? If you’re like most mystery shoppers, the answer is obvious. That’s why I wrote this article: To help my fellow mystery shoppers get the best assignments they can. This is a follow-up to my column on choosing which companies to work with. It’s really a corollary as,…
Forum Alias: jpgilham How long have you been mystery shopping? I’ve been mystery shopping for 5 years now. What was your first assignment and how did it go? My first assignment was a gas station for a whopping $4. I picked up 4 of them and just thought that was amazing that I could go…
Overview: Although not a mystery shop, loss prevention audits are conducted by several mystery shopping companies. These are similar to revealed gas station audits in that you will have to take pictures, often of the good as well as the bad. The major difference is that there is no “mystery” portion of this audit. Visit…
Company Overview: Beyond Hello is primarily retail oriented. Their clients range from sunglasses to clothing, automobiles, high end plumbing, and more. Most of their shops average in the $10-15 range and the reporting is in line with the pay scale. They have recently started some exit interviews that pay $45 for three hours. I don’t…
Company Overview: This company specializes in one thing: automobile mystery shopping. If you want to mystery shop car dealerships, they are for you. Automotive Insights, LLC is a global provider of operational consulting and mystery shopping teams that enable vehicle manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers to the automotive industry the ability to develop, measure, and deliver…
Company Overview: Melinda Brody and Company is another of the niche mystery shopping companies, this one specializing in new home shops, of which about 95% are video shops. Based in the Northeastern suburbs of Orlando, Florida, Melissa Brody and Co. has over 20 years experience in shopping the new home industry. They break their shops…
One of the most common questions seen on www.mysteryshopforum.com is, “Can someone tell me the best companies to sign up with?” That question is very much akin to “Which do you like better, vanilla or strawberry ice cream?” It’s a subjective question and therefore, what is best for me will not necessarily be best for…
Company Overview: Based in Irving, Texas, a Dallas suburb, Ellis Property Management Solutions will soon celebrate 30-years of mystery shops in the apartment industry. Recognized as a leader in this industry, Ellis averages over 6,000 apartment shops per month in locations all across the United States. The company has audio, video, and ‘un-recorded’ shops. The…
Overview: Hotel shops aren’t for everyone. Some have a basic set or requirements while others can require multiple interactions with different employees and narratives that can rival novellas. Payment can range from reimbursement only to reimbursement plus a fee. The shops that are connected with national chains do have the added advantage of allowing you…
How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I have been mystery shopping for over 7 years. I was a starving college student when I started. I was so glad to eat something other than ramen noodles I didn’t know what to do. I thought mystery shopping would be a great way to earn free meals…
Company Overview: Headquartered in Londonderry, NH, The Troy Dolan Group is a full service, customer experience management firm. In June, 2007, they acquired Best Mark Audits (BMA) which will operate as the Mystery Shopping/Audit division of Troy Dolan. They expanded into the southeast with the 2010 acquisition of Customer 1st of Greensboro, NC. The company…
Company Overview: Monterey Mystery Shopping is another mystery shopping company that has focused on a niche industry. In this case, it’s the luxury and ultra-luxury motor vehicle industry. Monterey Mystery Shopping was founded 10 years ago, in 2003. They proclaim themselves to be the “premier mystery shopping provider for the motor vehicle industry.” Although they…
Overview: This is another love them or hate them assignment. There are two positives in my book—being video shops, in general less reporting will be required and, being video, the pay will tend to be higher. Multiple locations are usually available which allows for routes to be built. Project Variations: These assignments will almost always…
Forum Alias: 57 Carol How long have you been Mystery Shopping? About 18 years. Where are you shopping? The greater Seattle area. What got you started? I first started mystery shopping about 18 years ago when I answered a small advertisement in the newspaper. I remember it was for the New England shopping company. You…
Company Overview: Although this mystery shopping company has an international presence and has been in operation for over thirty years, this business has escaped the notice of many shoppers. Grass Roots Performance Measurement, otherwise known as GRPM, is based in the UK. Its North American offices are located in Miami, Florida. Over a year ago,…
Company Overview: This is another mystery shopping company that focuses on one niche industry. In this case, that would be banking and financial services. Pinnacle Financial Strategies has been in operation for over twenty years. In late 2010, it acquired Granite Starr Mystery Shopping as an adjunct to its other consultative services. At one time,…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Overview: This is one time you get to lie down on the job and get paid for it. So give those tired feet a break from tramping through malls and the plethora of mega stores. Instead of having to wearily stand in one place while listening to yet another interminable sales presentation, lie back on…
Company Overview: Although one of the newer mystery shopping companies to come to our industry, this business was established from the foundations of other related entities. The founders of Speedmark Info Services and Green & Associates merged their companies, which was later acquired by Market Force. In 2009, they created Customer Impact, drawing upon their…
Company Overview: Just as with a previous review for a mystery shopping company with an almost identical name, there isn’t a lot of information about this business on their website. Likewise, this is one of the few instances in which there isn’t much to learn on the Mystery Shop Forum. A big part of the…
Overview: For the most part, these of the assignments are quick and easy, requiring very little effort on the part of the mystery shopper. The hardest and longest part of these assignments is finding the clinic. These are usually located in small nondescript buildings with minimal signage advertising their presence. Still if you are leery…
Forum Alias: ShopperBob How long have you been mystery shopping? Since 2003. What got you started? During the winter of 2002-03, I began searching for a profession that could supplement my upcoming retirement from 39 yrs. in direct commissioned sales. After considering several opportunities, the idea of being paid for an everyday task caught my…
Company Overview: If the mystery shopping industry awarded companies the equivalent of a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, this MSC would definitely be among the potential recipients. Dynamic Advantage is one of the veterans in this industry, having over 60 years of experience. Their website claims that they were one of the pioneers in the…
Company Overview: There isn’t a lot of information about this mystery shopping company on their website. Likewise, this is one of the few instances in which there isn’t much to learn on the Mystery Shop Forum. A big part of the problem in trying to research this company is that another mystery shopping company has…
Forum Alias: SunnyDays2 How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I have been mystery shopping for about 2 years now, since 2011 Where are you shopping? South Carolina. I will go up to 80 miles in any given direction. I even shop North Carolina, if the bonus covers the gas! What got you started? When…
Every industry has their own language. The world of mystery shopping is no different in that respect. It can be confusing to both experienced and novice shoppers from time to time. As this field expands, more specialty terms are developed. Each issue of ShopTalk will explain some of the more commonly used lingo. View All…
Overview: If you’d like to have a drink out on the town at someone else’s expense, you might want to try out a bar integrity assignment. These are somewhat similar in nature to retail integrity assignments but are different from most mystery shops that you might be used to completing that focus on customer service….
Company Overview: Here is yet another small mystery shopping company that is not well known. It hasn’t implemented much in the way of self-promotion, and even its website has very little information about their business and its operations. But it should not be overlooked by shoppers, especially those interested in what one Mystery Shop Forum…
Company Overview: Not to be confused with another mystery shopping company going by a shortened version of this name, International Service Check has a global presence. So for those shoppers looking for assignments in Europe, Asia, the Mid East, as well as North America, this company may be worth checking out. International Service Check claims…
Contributed By WalesMaven, Mystery Shop Forum Member FAQ: Okay, I studied how to construct a believable scenario. What should I expect when I arrive for my appointment? Expect to describe and get the name of the receptionist or concierge who greets you. You may have to wait for the marketing associate (MA) with whom you…
Contributed By WalesMaven, Mystery Shop Forum Member FAQ: Help! I have my first assisted living assignment, and I want to be sure I do it right. What do I need to know? Almost all such shops begin with a phone call, often recorded, to gather information and make an appointment. You will probably be working…
Company Overview: This is another small but well-established mystery shopping company that has yet to be noticed by many shoppers. It has a niche that is different than the major industries covered by other MSCs like banking, restaurants, or hotels. New Image Marketing Research Corporation, otherwise referred to as NIM in this article, has been…
Company Overview: At times it is desirable for a mystery shopper to be able to categorize mystery shopping companies by the types of clients that are evaluated regularly. The problem is, sometimes these niche MSCs are hard to find, as they tend to be smaller and less well known. Service With Style is one such…
Forum Alias: James Bond 007.5 How long have you been mystery shopping? I started on August 1, 2012, and I’m signed up with 136 companies right now. Where are you shopping? Based in Myrtle Beach, SC, but willing to travel in the southeast and New England. What got you started? I was looking for supplemental…
Every industry has their own language. The world of mystery shopping is no different in that respect. It can be confusing to both experienced and novice shoppers from time to time. As this field expands, more specialty terms are developed. Each issue of ShopTalk will explain some of the more commonly used lingo. View past…
Updated February 3rd, 2014 Company Overview: It seems that shoppers are always on the hunt for hotel assignments, either to add to a long-distance route to offset costs or to simply get away from it all for a little bit. The easiest way to find these assignments is to get signed up with mystery shopping…
Company Overview: Some mystery shoppers have certain niches, or types of businesses, that they focus on more than others. To that end, they try to categorize mystery shopping companies when possible to assist them in their quest for certain assignments. If your focus is in the hospitality field, you might want to consider adding this…
Overview: Want a chance to get off your feet while you do some shopping? Ever wanted to try out one of those mobility scooters you see people driving around in the stores you visit? Check out these assignments that evaluate ADA compliance. ADA stands for the American Disabilities Act. This law provides for those with…
Contributed by Amie068 I admit to being somewhat naïve and trusting in a world that constantly proves that it is anything but trustworthy. In the last 7 months, I have had 3 occasions where more than one of my credit card numbers was obtained and large, fraudulent charges were made. This made me hyper-aware of…
Contributed by Itsasecret I have been self-employed for over 15 years. I have also been a victim of identity theft. When I first became self-employed, I took classes about owning a small business and found out from experts what it was going to mean to be self-employed. Among other things, I was told that having…
Contributed by Itsasecret The primary arguments raised in the forum against using an EIN take two forms: One, shoppers simply object to companies requiring an EIN when there is no legitimate reason for them to do so. The other objection is because some shoppers don’t want their town or city or HOA to know they…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Company Overview: Untangling the history of this mystery shopping company was a bit of a mystery in itself. Trying to research the company’s background and relationships to other companies became more and more convoluted. It’s a tangled web of associations, with only one clear denominator shared by all entities involved, the year 2009. This year…
Company Overview: This mystery shopping company is well-established in our industry, having been in business longer than almost any other company that Mystery Shopper Magazine has reviewed yet. Its history in working successfully with Fortune 500 companies has captured the attention of several publications, including write-ups in the Wall Street Journal and Good Housekeeping, among…
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…
Forum Alias: GraceR How long have you been mystery shopping? I started shopping two years ago but didn’t get really serious about it until a year ago. Where are you shopping? I shop all over Northern California. What got you started? I had always seen those mystery shopping ads that were obviously scams. I always…
Contributed by itsasecret, Mystery Shop Forum Member. There are many questions that come up repeatedly on Mystery Shop Forum that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the…
Overview: Although there is a merchandising company by the same name, don’t let it confuse you. The assignments that are termed as retail integrity evaluations have nothing to do with merchandising. As a matter of fact, these types of assignments are different from most mystery shops that you might be used to completing that focus…
Company Overview: In some cases, reviewing mystery shopping companies can be very much like the old saying “No news is good news.” There are some MSCs that do not garner much attention from shoppers. Considering that the independent contractors in the mystery shopping world have a tendency to be vocal about negative issues, it could…
Company Overview: Sometimes even the researchers get similarly named mystery shopping companies mixed up. Such was the instance with this mystery shopping company. I was halfway through with my background notes on this company when I noticed that forum members were occasionally using the words “customer” and “consumer” interchangeably for the name of this MSC….
Company Overview: It’s an infrequent occurrence to have both a mystery shopping company as well as one of its assignments hit the worst-of-the-worst lists as described by its independent contractors, the mystery shoppers themselves. Cirrus Marketing Intelligence is based in Anaheim, California, and has been in operation since 1993. From their beginning, the company states…
Company Overview: If there was an equivalent of a Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval in our industry, this mystery shopping company would be one of the first recipients. It was a pleasure to review a company that shoppers highly endorsed without reservation. Marketing Endeavors has been operating out of Louisville, Kentucky since 2001. It is…
Forum Alias: Irene_L.A. How long have you been mystery shopping? About 6 years. Where are you shopping?The Los Angeles area and surrounding suburbs. What got you started? I started shopping after retiring and becoming quite bored. I discovered shopping through Shadow Shopper, signed up, and did a few jobs in my area through them. I…
The Adventures of 007.5 By James Bond, Mystery Shop Forum Member. Cettie isn’t the only one here to have “interesting” adventures on mystery shops. I can recall a BMW shop earlier this year that was anything but routine… It had all appearances of being a routine day, a loop of six shops from the Grand…
Overview: These types of assignments are great for shoppers looking to stockpile gifts for others throughout the year. In addition to actual clothing items, the stores usually have a wide variety of accessories available. Your indirect savings for gifts can be quite sizable when totaled up over a twelve month period. Project Variations: Assignment scenarios…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Editor’s note: This interview is all about last year’s IMSC conference in Atlanta Georgia. We’re re-publishing again this year, ahead of the New Orleans conference. It will give you a more clear idea of what these conferences are all about, and what you can expect from them. Be sure to read our other two interviews…
An interview with BigEdBSA about the recent IMSC Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. What made you decide to go to the conference? Unlike most mystery shoppers who operate in urban or suburban environments, I take on a difference challenge from my mountain top village of 400 high up in the Blue Ridge & Great Smokey Mountain…
An interview with Traveliz about the recent IMSC Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. What was the most important thing you learned? Hmmm, hard to say but I am thinking that the reminder of only doing what is asked was a biggie. It’s both more profitable for the shopper and exactly what the MSC/client wants. I think…
Contributed by ItsaSecret. Overview: How would you like to be able to mail a package without paying for the postage? With a USPS shop, you will evaluate the facility condition and customer service while shipping a package. These shops are particularly popular with people who sell on eBay. Project variations: Postal shops come in four…
Company Overview: The biggest mystery shopping company in the world also has the largest mystery shopper network in the world. That results in an enormous amount of opinions and feedback about this MSC. Rarely are shoppers neutral about this company. The majority of shoppers are decidedly divided into two camps – those that love the…
Company Overview: If you like what one shopper describes as “quality of life” assignments, meaning those that are fun or enjoyable or entertaining, then this is a mystery shopping company you should check out. On the flip side, if you only are concerned about adding revenue to your bottom line, then you might want to…
“Hmm…what’s this? “I wondered as I spotted something lying in the shrubbery. “People just dump trash everywhere.” I pulled out my camera to snap a photo as we’re required to do for this question of the gas shop I was doing. I took a few steps closer and my blood ran cold, it wasn’t just…
Company Overview: It’s always interesting to see what mystery shopping companies have to say about their businesses on their websites. It’s even more interesting to see if what they have to say is at all in sync with what their shoppers have to say. Mystique Shopper is based in Clemont, Florida. It claims to have…
Company Overview: Sometimes the real mystery about some mystery shopping companies is trying to find out information about them. This doesn’t necessarily have negative connotations. It simply means that the MSC might be more of a small boutique business with a certain niche, and/or doesn’t promote itself well. Apex Mystery Shopping is a family owned…
Overview: These assignments are all about our evolving world of commerce relying less and less on cold hard cash. Credit and financing are a business within a business. It’s the norm to use these payment options for everything from refrigerators to designer jeans. And it’s another way to make money from the consumer beyond the…
Forum Alias: miketfse How long have you been mystery shopping? I’ve been shopping for part time pay since December 2012. In my FT career, I have done competitor comparisons, some mystery shopping, and franchise standards compliance for over 5 years. Where are you shopping? Southern Alberta and all over Saskatchewan, Canada. It depends where my business…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Overview: Car dealership assignments are commonly available. The pay varies widely, but is often around $15. The best assignments pay well and let you test drive luxury super cars. But there are shoppers who, plain and simple, don’t like car shops. I can understand it. You need to have as thick a skin as a…
Company Overview: One of the first things new mystery shoppers should be aware of is that it is never necessary to pay for the opportunity to obtain assignments. The overwhelming majority of the time, any entity that requests money from a shopper is usually a scam operation. Those that aren’t necessarily scams are still of…
Company Overview: It is common for mystery shoppers to be open to alternative earning opportunities such as those involved with merchandising, exit interviews, audits, and more. There are also options that don’t fit nicely into any category listed here that are fairly easy and pay reasonably. One mystery company specializes in such information-gathering assignments. Mintel…
A herd of foreign tourists milled around at an increasingly frantic pace, all straining to look out the windows of the travel center. It wasn’t like that only a few minutes before when I wandered to the back of the gift shop area. A sound very much like firecrackers going off came from somewhere out…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Company Overview: Smaller mystery shopping companies tend to have advantages over larger entities, such as maintaining a more personable relationship with their shoppers. Yet they are also at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to offer steady assignment opportunities. B Business Solutions is one such company. It has been operating since 1998 from…
Company Overview: In the haste to get signed up with mystery shopping companies when starting out, it is easy to skim over information provided on their websites which state their policies. When those policies involve payments made to shoppers, and the shoppers are not aware of those policies, shoppers can become unduly annoyed and/or frustrated….
Overview: The name of these types of assignments should be a dead giveaway – pun intended – that you won’t be having the time of your life while completing one. A bit of gallows humor from time to time is to be expected while discussing such assignments. Few mystery shoppers are truly comfortable with the…
Welcome to Issue Thirteen of Mystery Shopper Magazine! This issue features a story by Cettie that is both hard to believe, and terrifying. Few people have been unlucky enough to encounter a gun fight, much less while on a mystery shopping assignment. Cettie is one of those people. And we’re lucky she survived to tell…
Welcome to Issue Twelve of Mystery Shopper Magazine! It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far. In our twelve issues, we’ve reviewed 25 mystery shopping companies, and 19 types of assignments. We’ve also profiled 3 mystery shoppers, and shared quite a few adventures from Cettie. And we’re just getting started. Our hope is that we’re…
SHOPTALK II Every industry has their own language. The world of mystery shopping is no different in that respect. It can be confusing to both experienced and novice shoppers from time to time. As this field expands, more specialty terms are developed. Each issue of ShopTalk will explain some of the more commonly used lingo….
Forum Alias: Walesmaven How long have you been mystery shopping? Since 2005. Where are you shopping? I regularly shop routes from Virginia to New York, occasionally getting into the Carolinas and Florida. What got you started? I was planning to travel the country in my retirement years. No matter how I tweaked my anticipated budget,…
Overview: Trying to figure out what to do for dinner? Too busy catching up on your mystery shopping reporting to cook? Don’t worry about it. With one phone call you can have your meal delivered to your home, or you can have it ready to pick up. Pizza assignments can be a fun change from…
Company Overview: This will be a short but far from sweet review. This mystery shopping company has been generating a lot of discussion on the Mystery Shopping Forum in the last six months or so, especially recently, and none of it has been positive. Nationwide Services Group is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Surprisingly, this company…
Company Overview: One of the great things about the community on the Mystery Shop Forum is getting the heads up about issues with MSCs. In some cases, this has alerted shoppers to problems of non-payment and other business practices that are unethical. However, sometimes warnings go up that must be taken in context. This is…
Entering the restaurant I was pleasant greeted by a waitress who tried to ignore my somewhat disheveled appearance. It wasn’t every day that a customer appears to have lost a battle with a wayward box of talcum powder. I was shown to my seat and placed my drink order, wishing ardently that they served something…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Overview: Shoppers that are interested in looking at and learning about what kind of new techno toys are out there on the market will want to check out this assignment. There is a bewildering array of desktop computers, laptops, e-readers, video games, tablets, and mp3 players available. It seems like every month there are new…
Company Overview: Some mystery shopping companies regularly post assignments at offensively low fees and reimbursements, yet incredibly, they have a loyal following of shoppers. Ritter Associates is one of those companies. They’ve been in this industry since 1974, so they are well aware of the usual payment rates offered by other MSCs. They also have…
Company Overview: Sometimes there seems to be a disconnect between what shoppers are asked to do while on an on-site visit and what is truly feasible and realistic. One mystery shopping company that “gets it” is Associate Consumer Evaluations. The founders of this company, Tiffany Steward and Julie Simbo, were inspired to create a business…
Welcome to Issue Eleven of Mystery Shopper Magazine. If this issue proves anything, it proves the value of the mystery shopping community. Why? Because the issues we bring up are first brought to our attention by mystery shoppers who are active in the community. In fact, the contents of this magazine are largely based on…
Forum Alias:itsasecret How long have you been mystery shopping? Since September 2012. Where are you shopping?Northern Arizona and the Phoenix area. What got you started? I have a friend who started shopping after losing his job, and after hearing about the shops he did I decided to give it a try too. …
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Company Overview: Some mystery shopping companies are challenging to research. For some reason, there simply isn’t a lot of tangible information on the websites they maintain about their businesses. Nor is there much discussion on the Mystery Shop forum about them. These entities truly live up to the “mystery” when talking about mystery shopping companies….
Company Overview: It is rare for mystery shoppers to agree about which are the best mystery shopping companies. So many variables factor into these viewpoints. These include, but are not limited to: fair fees, prompt timely and accurate pay, professional courtesy, effective and relevant feedback, and responsive communication. However, Quest For Best has maintained consistent…
Overview: Mystery shopping can be a lonely endeavor at times. There are many times that assignment requirements do not allow you to take a companion. But if you look hard enough, you can find some that will even let you bring along your furry friend. So gather up all your usual mystery shopping gear and…
Welcome to Issue Ten of Mystery Shopper Magazine! This issue we show you how to get started with pet store assignments. So, if you have furry friends in your life, you may want to take note. And if you have to beg, borrow, or steal a friend’s pet, then it may be worth it, because…
I didn’t plan to imitate the abominable snow man on a shop, staggering around and making some odd noises. The directions said to dump one bag of household trash. “How hard could that be?” I thought to myself. Just a quick drive to a landfill, have a look around, ask a couple of questions and…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Overview: If you’re an eyeglass wearer, be sure to indicate that if asked when you are signing up with a new mystery shopping company. That way you will be sure to qualify for available assignments in the optical industry. It’s a great way to earn a fee, and/or to get reimbursed for an exam or…
Company Overview: This company is lauded as a favorite of shoppers time and time again, so consider adding this one to your list of MSCs. A Closer Look was established in 1994 and is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. They offer many assignments in hospitality including bistros, hotels and resorts, breweries, and casual and upscale dining….
Company Overview: The majority of mystery shopping companies have a wide variety of different assignments. However, some specialize in a specific sector. Informa Research Services is one such company. Informa Research Services, originally Meyer Interest Rate Survey, is a division of Informa PLC. It operates out of Calabasas, California, and has been in business since…
Mystery shoppers usually work alone. They rarely get the chance to meet other shoppers. When I started Mystery Shop Forum five years ago, I saw the need for a community that could both support mystery shoppers and help shopper connect. In the five years since I started the Forum, the community has grown beyond anything…
Every industry has their own language. The world of mystery shopping is no different in that respect. It can be confusing to both experienced and novice shoppers from time to time. As this field expands, more specialty terms are developed. Each issue of ShopTalk will explain some of the more commonly used lingo. BOB =…
Mystery Shop Forum Alias: Traveliz How long have you been mystery shopping? About 14 years. Where are you shopping? Central Illinois and Central Florida, with occasional longer routes. What got you started? I always knew about mystery shoppers as I worked at Arby’s in high school and we were drilled on never saying, “is that…
Overview: These assignments are definitely not for everyone. Those that embarrass easily should probably consider taking a pass. Others that are a bit more adventuresome might find these interesting and even fun. So what are adult boutiques? Well, a lot of people have the idea that these businesses are seedy and tawdry. The ones in…
Company Overview: When I was a new shopper with this company, I thought its name was highly ironic after some of my nonsensical dealings with one of its editors. Luckily those issues are a thing of the past. Like so many other shoppers, I consider Reality Check to be among my top companies. This is…
Company Overview: Mystery shoppers were among the interested and curious audience tuning into their television sets when a new reality series made its debut in spring of 2012 on Food Network. The show, called “Mystery Diners”, led many to believe that this series would be about mystery shopping in the restaurant industry, especially since a…
Welcome to Issue Seven of Mystery Shopper Magazine. This week Cettie returns with another adventure. This time, an unusual experience at a post office causes everyone to unexpectedly clap and cheer. It’s a fun story, and well worth the read. Just as importantly, we have two reviews of mystery shopping companies. Goodwin & Associates is…
I never realized a lady of mature years could run quite so fast. I and the other post office customers in line watched her rapid exit from the lobby. Interesting how she seemed to rely heavily upon her cane while in line but suddenly become inspired to grab it up like a baton and flee…
Company Overview: One of the interesting aspects of the Mystery Shopping Forum is that the shopper doing a little background research on MSCs is bound to find volumes and more volumes of information on companies that have mixed reviews by forum members. However, this is not the case for Shoppers Critique. Although opinions about this…
Company Overview: As one iconic character on the Mystery Shopping Forum expressed concerning the practices of this MSC, “A leopard seldom changes its spots.” My somewhat cynical nature would normally agree. But it does seem that they are doing just that. Goodwin & Associates, based out of Concord, New Hampshire, specializes in restaurant assessments throughout…
Overview: Although these assignments are not flashy or exciting in comparison to other available mystery shopping opportunities, they still have their own allure. These share a quality with other non-glam assignments such as grocery stores and gas stations, that being if you have to go there anyway, you might as well get paid for it….
Overview: At first glance, many types of assignment visits hardly seem like shopping in the traditional sense. Those new to the field sometimes wonder when they actually are going to do some real shopping after completing a plethora of assignments involving banking, alternative financial, fast food, casual and upscale dining, automotive services, cellular phones, events,…
Welcome to Issue Six of Mystery Shopper Magazine! We believe that mystery shoppers matter, and that you deserve a media organization that represents you. We’re a small organization, but we’re striving to achieve the goal of giving mystery shoppers a voice. We are also affiliated with Mystery Shop Forum, which does so much help mystery…
Forum Alias: shopgal How long have you been mystery shopping? About 3 ½ years. Where are you shopping? The Inland Pacific Northwest, mostly eastern Washington and Idaho, usually within 75 to 100 miles from home. What got you started? I made the jump to the mystery shopping world after I became fed up with the…
Trendsource was founded in 1989 in Denver, Colorado and relocated their home base in San Diego in 2004. They were a founding member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) which is a comprehensive resource devoted to educating and assisting shoppers advance their mystery shopping career. Trendsource provides various services to numerous clients throughout the…
Company Overview: Not a mystery shopping company per se, this business entity connects shoppers with many available assignment opportunities with other mystery shopping companies. Previously known as Kern Scheduling Services from 1998 to 2001, this scheduling company now goes by the name of KSS International. The business is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was started…
Overview: Many of us only have one or two landmark occasions in our lives that would lead us into the premises of a fine jeweler, usually an engagement or anniversary. Typically at such moments, it is easy to be swept away by the event itself. As first time-consumers, the sparkling merchandise overwhelms all. By stepping…
Sorry, gents, this one is for the ladies out there in mystery shopping land. Gals, get ready to get pampered and dolled up when you go out on one of these assignments. These are great to do before an evening out on the town! Project Variations: Assignment scenarios are fairly straightforward. The shopper usually presents…
Never would have I expected to have to out-run a love-starved goat while doing a mystery shop. It wasn’t exactly in the shop instructions but then, I tend to have some adventures uncommon to most shoppers. It all started that bright summer day when I visited the zoo in a nearby city to do an…
Welcome to the fifth issue of Mystery Shopper Magazine. Our mission is to support mystery shoppers. That’s why we publish reviews of companies, and show you how to get started with specific assignments. That’s also why we publish the Adventures of a Mystery Shopper, by Cettie. She might possibly have the most ‘writing personality’ of…
IF you’re looking for a new mystery shopping company to add to your roster, Insula Research is worth looking into. They offer low to average pay, but have a good reputation in the industry. Some of their assignments include fast food audits and electronics retailer assignments. Columbus, Ohio based Insula Research was founded in 2005…
If you’re looking for a company with a wide variety of assignments, and above average pay, look no further than JM Ridgway. Founded in 1924, JM Ridgway is “in business to improve your business” according to the header on their website. The company headquarters are located in Los Gatos, California and based on their job…
Overview: While the faint-hearted or shoppers with weak stomachs need not apply, nursing home, or assisted living assignments can be very profitable and rewarding. Most of the assignments require an actual tour of the facility so if you have never visited a nursing home, be prepared for some unusual (and sometimes unpleasant) sights, sounds and…
Overview: With forum posts ranging from “love them” to “hate them” apartment shops are definitely not for every shopper. However, as they usually requiring extensive narrative with every question, these shops do generally tend to pay more than other types of shops. For the experienced shopper, multiple locations are almost always available, and if you…
Welcome to the fourth issue of mystery shopper magazine. In this issue we feature 2 mystery shopping companies, and show you how to get started with 2 assignments. This week, we feature Travel Center assignments. If you weren’t scared away by Cettie’s Adventure last week, then this is your chance to learn how to get…
Company Overview: Mystery shoppers are always on the hunt for a new-to-them company. Sometimes this isn’t as straightforward as it seems. It can be challenging to pin down who is who, especially with the plethora of MSC name changes, as well as the many active relationships between companies in the mystery shopping world. Interactions is…
Overview:This is a standard piece of equipment for almost all mystery shoppers. Yet they vary in features and capabilities. If you ever wanted to know what’s available out there in the way of cellular phones and plans, here’s your chance to find out all about them and get paid for it. Project Variations:Most scenarios require…
Company Overview: If you are willing to deal with consistent but slow pay from a nationwide company with a wide variety of interesting and worthwhile assignments, then check out Service Sleuth. Service Sleuth is a division of HS Brands International, which is also the parent company for The Mershimer Group. HS Brands has offices in…
Overview: Hey, citizen! Wanna boogity to the upcoming convoy real estate for some 40-weight and a hubcap? 10-4, good neighbor! Translated from trucker lingo, this means: “Although you’re not a trucker, would you like to meet up at the nearest truck stop for a cup of coffee and an egg sunny side up? It’d be…
Welcome to the third issue of mystery shopper magazine! In this issue, we feature our first column by Cettie. It’s a harrowing account of her first mystery shopping assignment, over twenty years ago. We’ve also reviewed 2 mystery shopping companies, and show you how to get started with 2 assignments. The review of Secret Shopping…
Nervously I looked around the truck stop, trying not to be conspicuous or over play my part. It’s not every day that I had to pretend to be a trucker and was eager to get it just right. This was my first mystery shopping assignment, over 20 years ago. I sat at a counter and…
Company Overview: Although it bills itself as the largest customer research company in the U.S., Maritz Research forgoes the latest in technology to conduct its mystery shopping endeavors. Instead, it relies more heavily on having human contact with its shopper base, probably more so than most mystery shopping companies. Virtual Customers is the name of…
Overview: This is one of the assignments that initially draws potential mystery shoppers into the industry. At first glance, they seem very enjoyable and appealing, and they can be. But sometimes these projects are not as glamorous as one might think. Restaurant assignments can vary from upscale casual to formal fine dining. For those that…