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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…