Mystery Shopper News, Tips, Resources and
Articles of Interest
Shopper Tip Corner ~ From Shopper to Shopper
A helpful article
excerpted from our shopper newsletter "MSPA Shopper Minute."
To view the full newsletter online, click
here.
This issue's tip...
How to Complete a Shop
Unfortunately there are many things in life to do everyday and
it is easy to rush through them. Breakfast, brushing your teeth,
homework with your kids, etc. But as we all know when we do that,
so much can get lost in the mix. Not only do we lose out on the
fun stuff but we ultimately hurt ourselves/others by doing the minimum
and rushing through. Life is all about the details and so is mystery
shopping.
Two key elements to successful mystery shopping are taking your
time and attention to detail. It's important to respect the time
given for each assignment. I usually look at this as a minimum,
not a maximum time frame, and I allow enough personal leeway in
case it goes a little over. I don't want my shop being dictated
by my watch. It's the freedom of mystery shopping and the pride
in my work, those are the reasons why I chose this type of independent
work.
Secondly, and even more importantly, is the attention to detail.
It is imperative to notice all of the little nuances and quirks
that the average person would never pick up on. That is what separates
us from average "joes". Whether it is physical attributes or what
an employee said or did not say, these bits of information add up
to a story that the client wants to hear. As I leave, here's just
a few ideas I have used in the past, maybe these will help you in
your quest to pay attention to detail:
-
if the contact or "target" is out of earshot (as well as other
store staff), call and leave a message for yourself at home,
for ex.: hair color, eye color, name
-
you can also send a text or write a note in your cell phone,
not as suspicious as openly writing notes, although I just use
the following step
-
grab a sale ad when walking in (for ex. a Staples) face the
contact and ask questions, write down physical description or
detail of interaction but they think you are writing down price
info, etc.
-
to remember a long interview, like a bank job, I will get into
my car, drive around the corner, park, or go get a pop/coffee
and write it all down for a few minutes while it is fresh in
my mind, even a n hour I will lose some information
-
in order to keep things interesting, I make every shop apply
to my own life/situations, for ex.: talked to the contact about
the best aquarium for a small fish; I usually learn something,
the time goes by fast and I have more fun
~ Heidi La Course
AVOID MYSTERY SHOPPING JOB SCAMS!
| • |
NEVER pay a fee to anyone to sign
up, purchase a book or list of names |
| • |
NEVER pay a "membership fee" |
| No
legitimate mystery shopping company will charge you money
to register on their site. One would never apply for a
job where the company asks for money up front so you can
start work. |
| • |
Companies that promise high paying assignments,
"lots of assignments" in your area or other "too good
to be true" offers to entice you to register should be
investigated further before registering. |
| • |
Legitimate mystery shopping companies
NEVER send checks or wire funds to anyone until
AFTER they have successfully completed an assignment and
it has been accepted. |
| • |
NEVER send personal information
via email |
| • |
Get a valid web site and look for the
MSPA logo on that site (see below) |
| • |
NEVER go to a website through a
link sent to you in an email. Go to the website independently
of any link that might be sent to you. Scammers often
copy websites so they look real |
| • |
Register only on a legitimate, verified
web site. If you do not find the MSPA logo, move on. And
even if you do, verify, verify, verify! Scammers
can easily steal the MSPA logo to make themselves look
legitimate. |
The best way to be sure you've reached
a legitimate MSPA member company is from the MSPA website.
You can find mystery shopping company names, phone numbers
and websites at no cost on the MSPA site HERE.
|
|
|
AVOID SCAMS!
CLICK
HERE for
important information
on avoiding Mystery
Shopping scams
MSPA does not engage mystery shoppers. One such scammer
has recently used the name John Edwardson and gives an email address
of mspa@live.com. He claims to represent MSPA. He does not. He
is trying to trap shoppers into letting their guards down by claiming
to be from a legitimate organization, but he IS NOT. Other scammers
use the MSPA logo on websites or in emails. They are trying to
clothe themselves in legitimacy; don't buy it! If you receive
an email invitation to become a mystery shopper for MSPA, don't
believe it! We don't engage mystery shoppers; only our member
companies do. Always look at the email addresses and web addresses
these scammers use. They are seldom the "real" addresses of a
legitimate company. If a shopper has any question about whether
an email is legitimate or not, check it out thoroughly before
sharing your personal information and NEVER cash a check sent
to you in advance of an assignment. That's a sure sign the deal
is a scam.
Beware of
Fake Check Scams!
Susan Grant of the Consumer Federation of America discusses the
results of the group's survey of fake-check scams. She said most
people "don't understand that they will be held liable"
when a check turns out to be fake.
Click
HERE for more info.
Beware of Letters Offering Quick Returns for Cashing a Check
Our company rarely, if ever, conducts mystery shops involving
check cashing or money transfers. We never ask shoppers to send
us money. If someone posing as a representative of our company
ever contacts you with a cashier's check, call us before you try
to cash the check... it may be a scam!
Click
HERE for more info.
|
|
