Bethany's Mystery Shopping Manual. Hehe.
For those who asked. =o)
I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but in fall of 2004 I found Volition.com--the absolute best place to learn about and get into mystery shopping. They have a massive listing of scheduling companies and links to their websites so you can apply to them. Be sure to frequent their forums, because there are job listings and good info on MSing. (They also have a fantastic freebies forum, from which I've gotten tons of good stuff.)
When it comes to applying at each scheduling company, you may want to start a Word document and write your application answers there so you can copy and paste instead of re-writing them each time. Most applications will ask some or all of the following questions: "Why do you think you would be a good mystery shopper?", "Describe a recent good shopping experience.", "Describe your worst experience at a restaurant ever.", etc., etc. When you write an answer in an application, copy it to your Word document under that question, and a good idea is to bold the question so it's easy to find the one you want. That way, you don't have to keep coming up with stuff for each company's application; you can just copy and paste if you've already been asked.
If a company is listed on Volition.com, that means that it's been tested and tried and it's a real MSing company. You can trust Volition. You can't trust, however, any site or place that asks you to pay money for a list of companies or to submit your application to a bunch of places for you. You don't need to do that, because all that is available for free on Volition. The only exception to the don't-pay-any-money rule is the Mystery Shopping Provider Association (MSPA). They offer certification programs for a fee that tell schedulers that you mean business, and also that you took and passed a series of tests to get your certification. I have only gotten my silver certification, as since I don't do MSing as a full-time job, I don't think it's worth it to get the gold. (I have since let that expire since I've built a repertoire with the companies I work for and I no longer need it.)
Also, if you sign up with a site and keep applying for shops but not getting any, don't give up. They often go with shoppers they know they can trust, but there will come a time that they are all busy and they need you. Then, after you've worked for them and hopefully done a good job, they will be more likely to call on you the next time. I have actually been called several times and asked to complete last-minute jobs that other shoppers have canceled on or that the company really needs done because they know they can trust me.
That's another thing--be sure that when you get a shop, that you follow all the directions completely. At first it may seem overwhelming, but just read through the info and questionnaire several times and you will be fine. Get yourself a stopwatch with split/lap timing and learn how to use it well. (I actually have found that the stopwatch on my cell phone is fantastic and I can use it without being conspicuous, because I can pretend I'm texting or something.) Anytime you communicate with the company, whether it's on your application or filling out your questionnaire, use good grammar, punctuation, and spelling. If you can't do that, they probably won't hire you in the first place. Be observant and make detailed mental notes, and you'll be fine. In some cases you can take actual notes, but that is very rare. Most shop instructions tell you not to bring any paperwork in with you.
The shop reports that you fill out when you've completed the shop can range from short and easy to long and detailed. Typically, the better the shop (fine dining restaurant or hotel, for example), the more detailed the report. That's why you have to be so observant. Most steakhouses require narratives after each section--some require narratives after each question. Narratives typically have to be at least two sentences, or 100 characters at the very minimum, but they prefer more. I have in the past spent over an hour filling out a shop form. It was worth it to me because I still got a free dinner that would've cost me $30+ otherwise, but if it's not worth it to you to spend the time, MSing is not for you.
This all probably seems overwhelming, but it won't be. Your first shop will probably be both exciting and nerve-wracking--mine sure was. But since then, things are great. Any time your shop instructions don't forbid it, take someone with you, make them read and re-read the materials too, and then you both benefit from the free dinner or whatever, and you have a second pair of eyes and a second memory to remember what you need for the shop. My husband has come with me on nearly every shop I've done except the ones that say you can't bring anyone. It makes things much easier. But remember that YOU are the one the company is relying on, so you're the one who needs to do the timing, etc.
Just so you know, some of the companies I've worked for are: Shop 'n Chek Market Force (they have self-assign shops, so it's much easier to break in on their scheduling), Kern Scheduling Services, Marketing Endeavors, Premier Service, SpeedMark, Bare Associates International, the Secret Shopper Company, Service Check, and more.
Anyway, I hope that helps. Have fun, and feel free to ask me any questions that you may have.
I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but in fall of 2004 I found Volition.com--the absolute best place to learn about and get into mystery shopping. They have a massive listing of scheduling companies and links to their websites so you can apply to them. Be sure to frequent their forums, because there are job listings and good info on MSing. (They also have a fantastic freebies forum, from which I've gotten tons of good stuff.)
When it comes to applying at each scheduling company, you may want to start a Word document and write your application answers there so you can copy and paste instead of re-writing them each time. Most applications will ask some or all of the following questions: "Why do you think you would be a good mystery shopper?", "Describe a recent good shopping experience.", "Describe your worst experience at a restaurant ever.", etc., etc. When you write an answer in an application, copy it to your Word document under that question, and a good idea is to bold the question so it's easy to find the one you want. That way, you don't have to keep coming up with stuff for each company's application; you can just copy and paste if you've already been asked.
If a company is listed on Volition.com, that means that it's been tested and tried and it's a real MSing company. You can trust Volition. You can't trust, however, any site or place that asks you to pay money for a list of companies or to submit your application to a bunch of places for you. You don't need to do that, because all that is available for free on Volition. The only exception to the don't-pay-any-money rule is the Mystery Shopping Provider Association (MSPA). They offer certification programs for a fee that tell schedulers that you mean business, and also that you took and passed a series of tests to get your certification. I have only gotten my silver certification, as since I don't do MSing as a full-time job, I don't think it's worth it to get the gold. (I have since let that expire since I've built a repertoire with the companies I work for and I no longer need it.)
Also, if you sign up with a site and keep applying for shops but not getting any, don't give up. They often go with shoppers they know they can trust, but there will come a time that they are all busy and they need you. Then, after you've worked for them and hopefully done a good job, they will be more likely to call on you the next time. I have actually been called several times and asked to complete last-minute jobs that other shoppers have canceled on or that the company really needs done because they know they can trust me.
That's another thing--be sure that when you get a shop, that you follow all the directions completely. At first it may seem overwhelming, but just read through the info and questionnaire several times and you will be fine. Get yourself a stopwatch with split/lap timing and learn how to use it well. (I actually have found that the stopwatch on my cell phone is fantastic and I can use it without being conspicuous, because I can pretend I'm texting or something.) Anytime you communicate with the company, whether it's on your application or filling out your questionnaire, use good grammar, punctuation, and spelling. If you can't do that, they probably won't hire you in the first place. Be observant and make detailed mental notes, and you'll be fine. In some cases you can take actual notes, but that is very rare. Most shop instructions tell you not to bring any paperwork in with you.
The shop reports that you fill out when you've completed the shop can range from short and easy to long and detailed. Typically, the better the shop (fine dining restaurant or hotel, for example), the more detailed the report. That's why you have to be so observant. Most steakhouses require narratives after each section--some require narratives after each question. Narratives typically have to be at least two sentences, or 100 characters at the very minimum, but they prefer more. I have in the past spent over an hour filling out a shop form. It was worth it to me because I still got a free dinner that would've cost me $30+ otherwise, but if it's not worth it to you to spend the time, MSing is not for you.
This all probably seems overwhelming, but it won't be. Your first shop will probably be both exciting and nerve-wracking--mine sure was. But since then, things are great. Any time your shop instructions don't forbid it, take someone with you, make them read and re-read the materials too, and then you both benefit from the free dinner or whatever, and you have a second pair of eyes and a second memory to remember what you need for the shop. My husband has come with me on nearly every shop I've done except the ones that say you can't bring anyone. It makes things much easier. But remember that YOU are the one the company is relying on, so you're the one who needs to do the timing, etc.
Just so you know, some of the companies I've worked for are: Shop 'n Chek Market Force (they have self-assign shops, so it's much easier to break in on their scheduling), Kern Scheduling Services, Marketing Endeavors, Premier Service, SpeedMark, Bare Associates International, the Secret Shopper Company, Service Check, and more.
Anyway, I hope that helps. Have fun, and feel free to ask me any questions that you may have.