Preparing for my First Mystery Shopping Job

Interesting job. How did you encounter such a job?

I worked food service, I hated when we were mystery shoped. Mostly because they nit picked things like they A straw wrapper on the floor. When you are busy for 2 hours with making sandwiches you don't have time to pick up the one straw wrapper on the dining room floor lol.

I signed up online at the company.

Sounds like a lot of work but also a lot of fun. I had a friend who did this in San Diego. I remember one time we went to Jack-In-The-Box. We had to time how many seconds we waiting in the drive in before we made it to the Clown Face to order, how long it took to order, if they took the order correctly, how long it took to make it to the delivery window, if the order was correct, if the hot food was hot and the cold food was cold. She even had to count the number of onion rings in ratio to french fries in the Frings order.

Enjoy your dinner!

I used to want to think this job would be great fun. It will be fun to hear the results.

I know you can, I know you can! Best of luck.

I don't know what Mystery shopping is, but I have written articles that were food reviews of restaurants as a mystery diner. Good luck to you.

Why can't you take the checklist with you?

How's about a handy dandy note pad in disguise.

Joanne - If I take the checklist, I could tip off the waiters.

I am actually supposed to write notes outside or IN THE BATHROOM!

I feel like a private detective or something.

Someone might see the checklist and know she's a MS. Take a digital or mini tape recorder. You can then tell yourself notes or use things recorded to help jog your memory. I've also taken a planner and jotted stuff down on the pad inside it (make it look like a business lunch date). Mystery shopping can be a lot of fun ... get some experience and then start taking the ones that offer a little profit. Check out Mystery Shopping Providers Association for more info - those who are certified do better and get more jobs!

I used to do lots of mystery shopping, but I got tired of having to prepay and wait to be reimbursed. So I stopped doing them. I still have several links to various companys though Jane. I can gather email them to you at soem point if you want more jobs.

I signed up to do this once a couple of years ago. The first "job" they wanted me to do was to go to a local truck stop restaurant, and sneak into the restroom that was labeled for truck drivers only. After I got in without being seen, I had a list of things to check. I was so uncomfortable with the concept of going someplace I wasn't really supposed to be-I didn't do it. I never took another "job." Yours sounds better!

Sure, Marianne, would love them.

Thanks, Erin!

I've considered doing this but never got around to trying it. Let us know how it turns out.

Jane: What a great opportunity. You can also write a restaurant review for a local paper, an essay on the adventure, etc.
Look forward to seeing how it went.

It sounds like an interesting opportunity.

cool have fun

sounds like fun, be sure to let us know how it turns out.

Sounds like fun.
I have tried to get on doing mystery shopping, but everywhere I have found, it says you pay them to find you jobs, and well I know that you shouldn't have to pay upfront to get them to find you the work..
I know a couple of people that do the stuff to, one lady even got to go see movies at the theatres.

But I used to work in Fast food.
I was a restaurant Manager for Hardees for 6years and we got mystery shoppers atleast 3-4x a year.. They would go thru the drive up and order something made special like no pickle, and then you had to make sure to upsell to a combo and ask to make it medium or large... Then when they asked for condiments we had to make sure to say how many. The food had to be out in under three minutes too then the person, usually a woman would go inside and place an order also.
They used to give employees gift cards for getting perfect scores but they stopped doing that and started giving us free coke products like watches, and lunchbags..... I have tons of the stuff because everytime I worked and they came thru we got a perfect :)

Sounds cool but each time I have looked into it or asked those who do it they said it really doesn't pay good until you have been in for a long time and earned the better profit jobs. I don't have the patience. :D

Jamie - I'm really not doing it for the money as I won't be making any this time around but I will be getting a free meal. I think of it as saving money more than making money -this time. I really just think it will be interesting. I wouldn't suggest people quit their day jobs and do this, LOL.

I know you can. ANd it gets easier as time goes by - after a while it's a breeze ;-)

I posted an article about the experience afterwards:

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977109271

I am going to read the after articles after reading all the comments,I get online requests to do this all the time. so am interested to see what your experience was like.

I will have to go check out your follow up!

I did this once and wrote an article about it for AC. My First Mystery Shop