Mystery Shopping

Mystery, or sometimes referred to as secret, shopping is a great way to try new restaurants and get needed household items for your family. Most companies will reimburse you for the required purchase, plus pay a little extra to cover your time performing the shop and completing the shop forms post-shop. Some shop forms are very long and require detailed commentary regarding servers or retail assistants. You will also need a watch or other way to tell time, as you will be required to document the length between ordering and service or the time before you were approached by someone in the store. Other shop forms are very simple and require only basic yes/no answers to their required procedures.

DO NOT pay to join a secret shopping website or finder service. There are a lot of great companies that will allow you to sign up for free, which I have addressed below. Some companies require that you present a writing sample before being allowed to become a shopper. Once registered as a shopper, you can request that emails be sent to you whenever there are open requirements in your area. Some companies have self-assigned shops. This means that the first person requesting the shop is allowed to complete the shop. Most companies require you to apply for the shop, which means that you select the location that you would like to shop, provide your email and password, and sometimes what day you will be able to complete the shop. The application period can be very short, or up to a couple of days. You will usually be notified either way, if you have been assigned the shop or if the application period is over.

These are the companies that I shop for, along with a description of a sample of companies that they work with.

BARE International (http://bareinternational.com) - Waterway, Procter & Gamble, Wolfgang Puck

Sutter

Service Evaluation (http://www.serviceevaluation.com/) - Aveda, Cole Haan

IntelliShop (http://insite.intelli-shop.com) - Kirlin's Hallmark, Infiniti, Chrysler, Midas

Confero (http://www.sassieshop.com/2confero/index.norm.php) - Burger King, Dairy Queen, Ingles, MovieTickets.com, US Census

HMS Host (hmshost.baidata.com)

Nationwide Services Group (sassieshop.com/2nis)

Service Sleuth (sassieshop.com/2servicesleuths/shoppers) - Brookstone, GNC, Cobb Theatre, Vanity Fair/VANS, Buckeye, Quiznos, Fox and Hound

Beyond Hello (http://www.beyondhello-themirror.com/index.norm.php) - LensCrafters, Noodles & Co.

Corporate Research International (https://www.mysteryshops.com/login.asp?) - Car-X, Kmart, Lowe's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Exxon Mobile, Taco Bell, OfficeMax