I signed up for National Shopping Service a while ago but just recently completed (and was paid for!) my first shop. I found the directions to be clear and straightforward and the shop form was fairly easy to enter. In my area they have quick casual restaurants and retail establishments primarily. The site is easy to navigate. I'll definitely sign up for some more shops with National Shopping Service!
As always, it's completely FREE to sign up. You won't really receive emails when shops are open so you should plan to check the site a few times a week.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
Showing posts with label mystery shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery shopping. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
ICU Associates
I have done several mystery shops with ICU Associates when I was offered a bonus. This company will offer high bonuses (including mileage and tolls) towards the end of the month to complete open shops. I did a shop very close to my house and was paid quite handsomely for not so much effort.
The shop reports are easy to enter and do not require substantial narrative. I receive emails when shops are open and when they are in dire need of you to do a shop you'll get several emails. You can negotiate fees with them towards the end of the month. I found the scheduler I dealt with to be very professional and payment was made via paypal on the timetable expected.
As always, it's FREE to sign up for these companies. You're under no obligation to do any shops whatsoever.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
The shop reports are easy to enter and do not require substantial narrative. I receive emails when shops are open and when they are in dire need of you to do a shop you'll get several emails. You can negotiate fees with them towards the end of the month. I found the scheduler I dealt with to be very professional and payment was made via paypal on the timetable expected.
As always, it's FREE to sign up for these companies. You're under no obligation to do any shops whatsoever.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Mystery Shopping: National Shopping Service
National Shopping Service is a fairly new mystery shopping company to me but I find the shops easy to schedule and the reports easy to complete - both a bonus in my book! There is a good variety of food and retail shops near me and I like how you can indicate you are interested in a shop even if it has already been assigned to another shopper in case they can't complete it.
I found the directions for the shops to be very clear and loved that minimal narrative was required. The shop paid adequately and I will definitely be doing more shops with National Shopping Service!
As always, it's FREE to sign up to be a mystery shopper for any of the companies I blog about. You can read more about the mystery shopping companies I blog about here. Please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post for more information.
I found the directions for the shops to be very clear and loved that minimal narrative was required. The shop paid adequately and I will definitely be doing more shops with National Shopping Service!
As always, it's FREE to sign up to be a mystery shopper for any of the companies I blog about. You can read more about the mystery shopping companies I blog about here. Please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post for more information.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Review: The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping
PamInCa recently emailed me to let me know that she had published a book on mystery shopping called The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping and asked me to review a copy of it. I'm so excited about this book and couldn't wait to share it with my readers. 
The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping is great for those of you who are new to mystery shopping. The book is divided into chapters, such as "What tools do I need" and "New Shopper Support among others. PamInCa (a pseudonym to maintain her anonymity) writes in a very clear and easy to understand manner, explaining how to get started and what equipment you need.
There is a very large list at the end of the book of mystery shopping companies to sign up with (with live links in the ebook format) as well as commentary from schedulers from several large companies about what they look for in shoppers and what not to do. Even though I have been mystery shopping for well over a year now, I still found this book to be helpful and I learned new things from it.
Pam is a seasoned mystery shopping professional with years of experience. Pam's tips about scheduling shops and setting up your own shopping calendar have inspired me to become more organized and methodical with my shopping. Every mystery shopper can benefit from this helpful book. You can order the book in ebook form or paperback form.
The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping is great for those of you who are new to mystery shopping. The book is divided into chapters, such as "What tools do I need" and "New Shopper Support among others. PamInCa (a pseudonym to maintain her anonymity) writes in a very clear and easy to understand manner, explaining how to get started and what equipment you need.There is a very large list at the end of the book of mystery shopping companies to sign up with (with live links in the ebook format) as well as commentary from schedulers from several large companies about what they look for in shoppers and what not to do. Even though I have been mystery shopping for well over a year now, I still found this book to be helpful and I learned new things from it.
Pam is a seasoned mystery shopping professional with years of experience. Pam's tips about scheduling shops and setting up your own shopping calendar have inspired me to become more organized and methodical with my shopping. Every mystery shopper can benefit from this helpful book. You can order the book in ebook form or paperback form.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mystery Guest, Inc.
I've had Mystery Guest, Inc. on my to-blog about list for several months and I'm excited to tell you about this company. I have completed several shops for them (for me, their only shops are a big name "chain" of restaurants that most everyone I know LOVES) and find their reports to be very straightforward without lengthy narrative.
They pay with giftcards though - so the first shop you do you'll pay for the food and then receive a giftcard for the restaurant. You CAN use the giftcard on subsequent shops so I roll the giftcard like it's ECB's! I'm serious!
Anyway, Mystery Guest, Inc. sends an email out once a month when they release new shops and if they don't have the dates you want listed just shoot them an email with your availability and they will try to accommodate you.
Once you've signed up it may take some time to be "accepted" - they'll accept you pretty quickly if they need shoppers in your area. If you don't hear back from them within a few weeks, you can always send an email just letting them know how interested you are in shopping with them. They have been a super nice company for me to deal with.
As always, it's FREE to sign up to be a mystery shopper for any of the companies I blog about. You can read more about the mystery shopping companies I blog about here. Please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post for more information.
They pay with giftcards though - so the first shop you do you'll pay for the food and then receive a giftcard for the restaurant. You CAN use the giftcard on subsequent shops so I roll the giftcard like it's ECB's! I'm serious!
Anyway, Mystery Guest, Inc. sends an email out once a month when they release new shops and if they don't have the dates you want listed just shoot them an email with your availability and they will try to accommodate you.
Once you've signed up it may take some time to be "accepted" - they'll accept you pretty quickly if they need shoppers in your area. If you don't hear back from them within a few weeks, you can always send an email just letting them know how interested you are in shopping with them. They have been a super nice company for me to deal with.
As always, it's FREE to sign up to be a mystery shopper for any of the companies I blog about. You can read more about the mystery shopping companies I blog about here. Please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post for more information.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Coyle Hospitality
Coyle Hospitality is the "creme de la creme" of mystery shopping companies. Their application is 5 screens and asks a lot of questions but don't let this deter you! They focus on fine dining restaurants, high-end hotels and luxurious spas. These aren't your $5 gas station shops!
That being said, they want people who are comfortable in these kinds of situations. Their reports are legendary in the mystery shopping world as being very comprehensive but the reimbursement amounts are accordingly high and the shops very desirable.
I've applied twice now to be a shopper with Coyle and haven't heard back from them. I haven't been denied, I just haven't been accepted. Maybe if they are reading this, they will decide to accept me and let me show them my mystery shopping prowess! You can fill out an application to Coyle here.
As always, it's FREE to sign up to be a mystery shopper for any of the companies I blog about. You can read more about the mystery shopping companies I blog about here. Please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post for more information.
That being said, they want people who are comfortable in these kinds of situations. Their reports are legendary in the mystery shopping world as being very comprehensive but the reimbursement amounts are accordingly high and the shops very desirable.
I've applied twice now to be a shopper with Coyle and haven't heard back from them. I haven't been denied, I just haven't been accepted. Maybe if they are reading this, they will decide to accept me and let me show them my mystery shopping prowess! You can fill out an application to Coyle here.
As always, it's FREE to sign up to be a mystery shopper for any of the companies I blog about. You can read more about the mystery shopping companies I blog about here. Please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post for more information.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Service with Style
I have been signed up with Service with Style for about 4 months now and am happy with their timely payments and variety of shops in my area. They have many restaurant and bar shops where I am and I have seen other kinds of shops listed in other areas.
They use the "prophet" system for entering reports and selecting shops which I am not a huge fan of but it is a solid system. I receive emails from them several times a month when shops are available in my area but you should add this site to your list of ones to check.
I received timely payment by check from them and the whole thing was very simple. I entered the shop, didn't have a back and forth with any editor, and got my check! I have done a few shops with them now and this seems to be the norm!
As always, it's FREE to sign up for these companies. You're under no obligation to do any shops whatsoever.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
They use the "prophet" system for entering reports and selecting shops which I am not a huge fan of but it is a solid system. I receive emails from them several times a month when shops are available in my area but you should add this site to your list of ones to check.
I received timely payment by check from them and the whole thing was very simple. I entered the shop, didn't have a back and forth with any editor, and got my check! I have done a few shops with them now and this seems to be the norm!
As always, it's FREE to sign up for these companies. You're under no obligation to do any shops whatsoever.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tell Us About Us
Tell Us About Us is another mystery shopping company that I have shopped with for some time now. I have always been paid in a timely fashion and found that the shops were fairly compensated for the tasks I was required to perform and the report I had to complete. The editors I dealt with definitely reviewed each report carefully and were helpful in their feedback to me.
Tell Us About Us is not a very large mystery shopping company but they do have a very big client that is a shop most everyone enjoys doing. I can't say more than that because of the Independent Contractor Agreement I signed which protects the confidentiality of their clients but I can tell you it is a yummy shop!
As always, it is completely FREE to sign up for any of the mystery shopping companies I post about. To sign up for Tell Us About Us click here.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
Tell Us About Us is not a very large mystery shopping company but they do have a very big client that is a shop most everyone enjoys doing. I can't say more than that because of the Independent Contractor Agreement I signed which protects the confidentiality of their clients but I can tell you it is a yummy shop!
As always, it is completely FREE to sign up for any of the mystery shopping companies I post about. To sign up for Tell Us About Us click here.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Feedback Plus
Feedback Plus is a new mystery shopping company for me. I have completed two (2) shops with them and was paid extremely quickly on both which makes me happy! I didn't get any questions from the editors - I didn't even get any feedback at all which is rare with mystery shopping. I don't mind and found the shops I did with them to be straightforward with a fair report for the compensation I received.
As always, it's FREE to sign up with any mystery shopping company that I post about here. You'll need to sign up and agree to their terms of confidentiality before seeing who they do shops for and where. For me, they have a range of restaurant and retail shops that I don't mind doing and seem to have very fair compensation for the tasks you are asked to perform. To sign up, click here.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
As always, it's FREE to sign up with any mystery shopping company that I post about here. You'll need to sign up and agree to their terms of confidentiality before seeing who they do shops for and where. For me, they have a range of restaurant and retail shops that I don't mind doing and seem to have very fair compensation for the tasks you are asked to perform. To sign up, click here.
To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post. For a list of other mystery shopping companies I have discussed click here.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
GameFilm Consultants
GameFilm Consultants is yet another great and legit mystery shopping company. If you are new to mystery shopping, make sure to read my Mystery Shopping 101 post here and to check out all my recommended mystery shopping companies here.
I have completed a series of telephone mystery shops with GameFilm and was paid timely via PayPal. These are the only telephone mystery shops I have ever done and I loved how convenient it was to do them from home. I received a fee for each call made and they each only took a few minutes. The questionnaire was straightforward and simple and the scheduler I dealt with was friendly and responsive.
GameFilm does not have many shops in my area but when I click on other states I see some great opportunities for people. Because I have signed a confidentiality agreement with GameFilm I cannot disclose their clients but can tell you that they have some good shops in many areas.
As always, it's FREE to sign up with the mystery shopping companies I post about on Nicole's Nickels and there is no obligation for you to ever accept a shop once you've signed up.
I have completed a series of telephone mystery shops with GameFilm and was paid timely via PayPal. These are the only telephone mystery shops I have ever done and I loved how convenient it was to do them from home. I received a fee for each call made and they each only took a few minutes. The questionnaire was straightforward and simple and the scheduler I dealt with was friendly and responsive.
GameFilm does not have many shops in my area but when I click on other states I see some great opportunities for people. Because I have signed a confidentiality agreement with GameFilm I cannot disclose their clients but can tell you that they have some good shops in many areas.
As always, it's FREE to sign up with the mystery shopping companies I post about on Nicole's Nickels and there is no obligation for you to ever accept a shop once you've signed up.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Service Intelligence - Experience Exchange
Service Intelligence - Experience Exchange is the next in the series of mystery companies I have worked with and want to tell my readers about. I have been working with this company since the first days of my mystery shopping experience over a year ago now. They are very professional and pleasant to work with and pay timely. If you're local to Florida you'll find they shop a store very familiar to all of us! I can't speak to the offerings in other areas but am confident you Florida residents will be happy with this one!
They send periodic emails with available shops but you'll need to log on frequently to get the best ones before they're taken. You enter your shops online in an easy-to-use format. They often have high-paying shops if you're available at the last minute.
As always, it's FREE to sign up for any mystery shopping company I post about. Click here to sign up for Service Intelligence - Experience Exchange.
They send periodic emails with available shops but you'll need to log on frequently to get the best ones before they're taken. You enter your shops online in an easy-to-use format. They often have high-paying shops if you're available at the last minute.
As always, it's FREE to sign up for any mystery shopping company I post about. Click here to sign up for Service Intelligence - Experience Exchange.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Corporate Research International
Corporate Research International is a mystery shopping company that I have completed several shops with. They have many of the quick shops such as gas stations and pizza shops. They pay extremely fast for the industry and I have found that their editors are not overly picky like some other companies. It's of course FREE to sign up and you are under no obligation to complete any shops. Sign up today to see what's available in your area!
For more information about mystery shopping, please read my earlier post here. To read more about the other mystery shopping companies I have recommended, please read this post.
For more information about mystery shopping, please read my earlier post here. To read more about the other mystery shopping companies I have recommended, please read this post.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Kern Scheduling Services
Kern Scheduling Services (KSS) is a mystery shopping company that acts as a clearinghouse for other mystery shopping companies and helps schedule their shops. For example, mystery shopping company A may be a small company that then outsources their scheduling to Kern Scheduling. You'll find many shops listed on this site from many different companies and may be a good beginning point for a new mystery shopper.
If you're new to mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post here for guidelines and tips and check out the other mystery shopping companies I have discussed by clicking here.
If you're new to mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 post here for guidelines and tips and check out the other mystery shopping companies I have discussed by clicking here.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Marketforce Mystery Shopping
I have done approximately 6 shops with MarketForce and have been very happy with their responsiveness, clear instructions, and variety of shops in my area. As with all mystery shopping companies I discuss on my blog, it is FREE to join MartketForce. There are 3 portals to sign up with under Marketforce and I am signed up with all 3 though I have only shopped under the blue portal. I have done several fast food and fast casual dining shops with them and find the reports to be fair for the compensation received. I was paid timely via check.
To read more about the other mystery shopping companies that I have shopped with, please click here. To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 guest post here.
To read more about the other mystery shopping companies that I have shopped with, please click here. To learn more about mystery shopping, please read my Mystery Shopping 101 guest post here.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Focus on Service
Focus on Service is a different kind of mystery shopping company than the ones I usually post about in that Focus on Service has only one (1) client who they reveal on their home page so it's not a secret! Focus on Service does mystery shops for the Longhorn Steakhouse chain. It is FREE to sign up and they email you when shops in your area open up.
They do lunch and dinner mystery shops at Longhorn Steakhouses and the reimbursement is generally fair. I find myself spending a little extra when I do these shops but it's a great meal and the form and report you have to fill out are fairly easy and there is not much narrative needed.
The scheduler I dealt with was very nice and responded to my emails very quickly. You have to do a short phone interview prior to your first shop to go over the instructions. This is a good shop for a beginner to try if you've been a little leary of mystery shopping. Click here to sign up.
They do lunch and dinner mystery shops at Longhorn Steakhouses and the reimbursement is generally fair. I find myself spending a little extra when I do these shops but it's a great meal and the form and report you have to fill out are fairly easy and there is not much narrative needed.
The scheduler I dealt with was very nice and responded to my emails very quickly. You have to do a short phone interview prior to your first shop to go over the instructions. This is a good shop for a beginner to try if you've been a little leary of mystery shopping. Click here to sign up.
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Closer Look releases new shops today!
For those of you who signed up be a shopper with A Closer Look from my earlier post on the company, they will be releasing the May shops starting at noon on Tuesday and continuing through Friday afternoon. If you signed up and logged on and didn't see anything you liked, you'll need to log in frequently this week as the great shops get taken quickly! There are $150 fine dining shops as well as hotel shops, gym shops, and many other restaurant shops.
To read more about A Closer Look, please read my post here. To sign up, head over here and hopefully you all get some great May shops!
To read more about A Closer Look, please read my post here. To sign up, head over here and hopefully you all get some great May shops!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
BARE International Mystery Shopping
BARE International is another mystery shopping company that I wanted to highlight. BARE International is FREE to join (as all legit mystery shopping companies are!) and they have shops all over the country, ranging from casual dining to financial (bank, mortgage) shops. The editors and schedulers at BARE are great to work with and provide quick and valuable feedback on your shop reports.
BARE also has many airport shops which are so much fun! You fill out a special form to let them know of your travel plans and depending on your timing and their need they schedule you 4-5 shops in each airport you are traveling through. This is a great way to get a free meal and magazine/candy while waiting for your flight at the airport!
If you're interested in learning more about mystery shopping, please read my guest post, titled "Mystery Shopping 101" that you can read here at Never Pay Retail Again.
Remember, it's FREE to sign up and you don't know what great shops there may be in your area until you do!
BARE also has many airport shops which are so much fun! You fill out a special form to let them know of your travel plans and depending on your timing and their need they schedule you 4-5 shops in each airport you are traveling through. This is a great way to get a free meal and magazine/candy while waiting for your flight at the airport!
If you're interested in learning more about mystery shopping, please read my guest post, titled "Mystery Shopping 101" that you can read here at Never Pay Retail Again.
Remember, it's FREE to sign up and you don't know what great shops there may be in your area until you do!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Mystery Shopping 101
For all of you who are interested in learning more about mystery shopping, I guest posted this weekend on Never Pay Retail Again.
I wrote: While most people have heard the term "mystery shopping" many do not fully understand what it means or automatically think it is a scam. I have been mystery shopping for a year now and can honestly tell you that it is NOT a scam. In fact, it's how I have supplemented my income with an additional $300 per month approximately.
First of all, there are some scams out there claiming to be mystery shopping companies. NEVER pay to join a mystery shopping company. The company should be completely FREE to join. There is no class to take or kit to buy. You can start mystery shopping right away. You should have access to a computer, the Internet, and a scanner to facilitate the sending of your reports
To read the rest of my post, head over to Never Pay Retail Again!
I wrote: While most people have heard the term "mystery shopping" many do not fully understand what it means or automatically think it is a scam. I have been mystery shopping for a year now and can honestly tell you that it is NOT a scam. In fact, it's how I have supplemented my income with an additional $300 per month approximately.
First of all, there are some scams out there claiming to be mystery shopping companies. NEVER pay to join a mystery shopping company. The company should be completely FREE to join. There is no class to take or kit to buy. You can start mystery shopping right away. You should have access to a computer, the Internet, and a scanner to facilitate the sending of your reports
To read the rest of my post, head over to Never Pay Retail Again!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Service Sleuth
Service Sleuth is a great mystery shopping company that I have worked with in the past. It is FREE to sign-up (you should NEVER pay to sign up with a mystery shopping company) and within a few minutes you can search to see what kind of mystery shops are offered in your area. Service Sleuth has movie theater mystery shops, airport mystery shops and retail and restaurant mystery shops - something for everybody! They pay through paypal and paid me exactly when their terms said they would. The scheduler and editor were both nice to deal with and I recommend this company to others, including new shoppers. Sign-up today!
I am planning to do a comprehensive FAQ-type post on mystery shopping so if you have a question you would like answered, please email me or leave a comment!
I am planning to do a comprehensive FAQ-type post on mystery shopping so if you have a question you would like answered, please email me or leave a comment!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Shopper's Critique
Shopper's Critique was the first mystery shopping company I signed up with and they are still my favorite. They have a wide offering of shops (from pet supply stores to fine dining to shoe shops) and you can find almost anything here. They post their shops throughout the month and send a weekly email update, but for the best shops you'll have to check back often. Their reports are very straightforward and not difficult to complete, though as with all mystery shopping, you need to be very detail-oriented and follow the shop directions carefully! It is, of course, FREE to sign up with Shopper's Critique so do it today and see what kind of shops are in your area. Happy shopping!
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