Thursday, November 09, 2006

Cash in on Shopping for Others

Did you know that you can get paid to shop at your local store, to eat at your favorite restaurant, or to watch a movie at your local theater? Yes, that’s right! Many large businesses pay mystery shoppers to check up on their local stores, in order to make sure that customer service is good, stores are clean, etc. This need for quality check gave rise to alternative part-time opportunities to perhaps a few million people all over the world. Being a freelance, professional mystery shopper requires devotion and seriousness to the field to emerge as a competent mystery shopper. Mystery shopping is fun. But the entire ball game is not just about fun. The current trends have rated it as also a very serious business, especially when money is one of the factors playing in it. Businesses use of the results as a key component for reviewing the organization as a whole and for assessing employee performances. They depend upon mystery shopping reports for deciding upon certain strategies. So your shopping report should be accurate, must contain detailed facts and precise feedbacks. As a mystery shopper, prepare yourself thoroughly before embarking on each and every assignment. The uniqueness of each project demands this dedication all the more.

It requires an innate zeal to deliver information in an unadulterated manner. You won’t need any formal training but you must adhere to some essential guidelines provided mystery shopping agencies. Basic knowledge of the computer and the internet will work to your advantage. You don’t even need a separate office space for this type of work. Mystery shopping is a high income opportunity. And if done with the right amount of zeal, being a mystery shopper may provide an individual with a rags-to riches experience in a considerably short period of time.
Mystery shopper and mom Jennifer Williams has been earning $3700 per month by simply shopping and answering online questionnaires. Armed with her 5 years of experience as a mystery shopper, she developed Shop Until You Drop to help people from US and Canada to fulfill their dream of getting paid to shop.
Once approved as a mystery shopper, prepare a small amount of money for your first assignment to cover for your traveling expenses and purchases. These expenses are normally reimbursed. Also, get your telephone line, fax, and internet connection ready.
Some important points to remember if you want to be a mystery shopper are:
Enroll into a Mystery Shopper Training Program. Invest on telephone/fax/internet connection. Be detail oriented and have a good presence of mind. Most mystery shopping training modules charge between $25 and $50; however, the course fees may rise if the institute conducts certificate courses. One assignment is enough to recover your entire investment. Your earning potential depends upon how much you are willing to work on your free time and on the availability of your preferred assignments.

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