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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Marketing & Sales |
Secret/mystery shoppers? |
ok i've heard of these shoppers that get paid to shop and critique store perfomance...customer service..but what does the job actually entail what are the restrictions..what are the perks and negatives about this job..what are the qualifications and where can you apply to get this job in the los angeles area? There have been some recent fraud notices posted about mystery shopping by the Federal Trade Commission. Here is some info from their website: Some retailers hire marketing research companies to evaluate the quality of service in their stores; these companies use mystery shoppers to get the information anonymously. They assign a mystery shopper to make a particular purchase in a store or restaurant, for example, and then report on the experience. Typically, the shopper is reimbursed, and can keep the product or service. Many professionals in the field consider mystery shopping a part-time activity, at best. And, they add, opportunities generally are posted online by marketing research or merchandising companies. Nevertheless, fraudulent mystery shopping promoters are using newspaper ads and emails to create the impression that they鈥檙e a gateway to lucrative mystery shopper jobs with reputable companies. These solicitations usually promote a website where consumers can 鈥渞egister鈥?to become mystery shoppers 鈥?after they pay a fee for information about a certification program, a directory of mystery shopping companies, or a guarantee of a mystery shopping job. The truth is that it is unnecessary to pay money to anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The shopping certification offered in advertising or unsolicited email is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free; and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are on the Internet for free. Consumers who try to get a refund from promoters of mystery shopping jobs usually are out of luck. Either the business doesn鈥檛 return the phone calls, or if it does, it鈥檚 to try another pitch. --------------- I would just be cautious and don't expect to get rich. Good luck! Source(s): 10 years in sales. Not something you want to waste too much time over. Most of them are scams anyway. One legitimate place is NSS - national shopping services. register there , and they will inform you if an opportunity comes up in your desired area and type of store. You have to write up a report, and comment on the appearance, layout, lighting, display, attitude and efficiency of the staff. It is quite a long and detailed report, and you MUST submit it within 8-12 hours of the shop. But be forewarned, this is just for a pastime or hobby, or fun thing, because you get very little ( I get about $5-$8 in free merchandise as I keep what I buy ). I do it not for the money, but for the fun of it,as I'm semi-retired. Sometimes it does not even cover the gas I burn to get there and back. |
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