As a follow up to our recent post, 13 assignments that shoppers love to hate, here is a list of 12 more shops that many shoppers avoid like the plague.
Oddly, some shoppers love these assignments.
It goes to show, mystery shoppers are a very diverse group of people. Are these shops on your 10-fooot-pole list? Or do you enjoy them?
1. Reward/Reveal Shops
You go in and look for certain behaviors. Things the employee must do, such as upsell you an item or mention a Coke product. When all is done, if the employee does mention all the upsells and does all required tasks, you reward them with a gift card, hard-cash money or a certificate. I feel it’s a 2 part shop but I see 1 part pay, so I usually pass on those. I did a R&R once and the manager was so busy (they want you to go at lunchtime) and I felt like I was an irritation trying to give her the paperwork and the reward for her associate.
2. Grocery shops with $3 reimbursement shops.
I did a massive amount of these when I was a brand new shopper only because they were always on the board, no restrictions and I felt it got me some of my first grocery shop training. I go in there now to that grocery store under another client and MAN it’s so much easier and I get more money and bigger reimbursement ($10) and there is no narrative on the new client. The old client had pain in the gums editors (actually one) that always had to comment on my reports. Always! After doing over 75 of these, I stopped doing them a few years ago. Much to the relief of my sanity.
3. Cell Phone Shops where you must buy a Phone/+Service.
Biggest 10 foot pole shop ever for many shoppers! This one you must join their service, purchase their phone and commit to a certain time frame (what time frame I don’t know because I never accepted one and was not able to read the actual guidelines) These shops are great if you are that clients customer already and you can get an upgrade on your service. But newbies, unless you want that particular cell phone company, (or you are very happy with your present cell phone company) these shops are harder to fill, as evidenced by the 3 digit price they have climbed….
4. Baby Registry Shops.
This shop would just not work for me. Since I am not 22 years old anymore, it would seem strange for a 40+ women to go in and start up a baby registry. Sure you could pad your stomach (I suppose if the bonus was very high) but still, the odd looks you would receive if you were not in your 20’s-30s…I have never signed up for these shops…
5. Printer Ink Shops
Another newbie shop. I did my first one on my very first day of shopping. When I got done, I thought it was kind of neat that it went well but the pay was laughable. I think $8 and $1 reimbursement for a pack of gum. I was paid fast but still, after doing a few of these, I grew bored. ….I rarely do them now unless they are right by my house and I get at least $10 bonus. In this shop you go in and express interest in a certain printer ink. You have to take pictures if you see a brand of the client that is empty. You have to walk the store and look for POP signs in relation to the specific ink. You have to ask a few questions to the guy that works in photo because there is no-one that specifically works in the ink department, unless you are at the Big Box Office Stores.
6. Gym Shops.
While I have never done the gym shops, I have heard complaints of high pressure sales and associates that are hard to locate, (if targeted) and the personal trainer stories of the guy trying to get you to sign up for a year of training. Not to mention some of the gyms still have contracts. I can attest to the fact that one small gym I joined years ago, refused to let me out of their contract (I moved 3,000 miles away) and I had a debit drafted from my credit card for 1 year after I left that state, for a gym I didn’t live anywhere near anymore.
7. 40-mile distance shops with $2 bonus
You know the shops. A bonus is a foreign word. It is RARE and they also state “rare” to give you a bonus on their web site. To get a dollar or two, is a feat worth jotting down. If you do get $1 bonus, they expect you to dry up your gas tank driving 40 miles to help them out.
8. Competitive Pricing Shops w/photos/Menu board Shops
My least favorite type of shop. Getting that menu board shop pictures. CLEAR pictures, non-blurry pictures, full menu board capture, and all the while, the guy behind you is thinking “what the heck!” and you get spooked and don’t get all your pictures. They complain they are fuzzy, blurry, smudged. They want you to go back! “Say what???” I will admit these recent roast beef shops that want you to get the loaded Italiano sandwich, my picture taking has improved. They HAD TO! I wanted to get paid!. So, on this shop, you drive up to the menu board in the drive-thru and capture (usually) the entire menu board and prices. It could be for a competitor. It could be for the client making sure the POP is up and the prices and promotions are correct. I do not enjoy these shops but I will do it if the price is right and you have a good smartphone camera.
9. Foodie Shops where you order a certain food and do not enjoy item.
Not the greatest joy, shoving something down your throat that you would never eat in real life. Like for me, runny eggs, wet sandwiches, spicy hot foods, and strange new items they want you to test out like a guinea pig. But I try to review the guidelines beforehand. If it said “Try our New Tasty Liver Sandwiches or something disgusting like: Beet Juice Shakes!!..You can bet I am going to pass. In this shop, you order a new promotional menu item, make sure they make it correctly, take pictures of it and maybe any POP signs advertising the item.
10. Funeral $3 Phone Shops
I have never done one of these. I find the idea morbid. What are you saying if you are pretending to need a funeral service of some sort?? What if your shop came true? How ironic. No thank you. I know a few shoppers like these but I can’t think of who they are here! You call the funeral home and perhaps you request information about cremation or burial plots (I’m guessing as I have not done these) but many shoppers also feel this is a NO NO shop. Like any other shop, I realize they must be done. It just won’t be me doing them!
11. Spanish Speaking Funeral Crematorium Phone Shops.
These must be similar to the ‘Spanish Speaking Bank Shops’ except you don’t go to the bank. Either way, another strange, creepy assignment.. But perhaps I am being too unfair here…. There might be shoppers who like these too. You can count me as one who does not like the idea of talking about funerals and such. In this one, the same as the other, except you speak Spanish, you talk to someone about being cremated, or death vaults, or grave sites or perpetual planning. This one is not for me.
12. $45/90 Swedish Furniture Shops beginning with the letter “I”
Every shopper who has a heartbeat and is breathing right now, knows who this shop is… This one you go inside and react with many different associates, many different departments and other insane tasks. I have never done this one and NEVER will..But still..shoppers have done this one and came back to report they deeply regretted taking the shop. Perhaps it’s the high fees that attracted them? I say this: If the average shop pays $10, what in God’s Green Earth do you think you need to do to earn up to $90 for this shop? I am very glad I read all the posts that shoppers wrote about the hideously long reporting on the computer, 3 hours in the store, all the name captures, all the departments and….(whatever else you had to do)….Still by far, the biggest 10 foot pole shop EVER!