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Mystery Shopping Job OpportunitiesBy admin on May 22, 2009 | No Comments
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Mystery shopping jobs are, nine times out of ten, great opportunities. Indeed, shopping jobs can prove to be rather satisfying, granted that you are working with a company that you like. So long as you are willing to do a little bit of homework while you are on the clock, you are going to find that these sorts of jobs are right up your proverbial alley. This article, of course, will explain a few of the things you can expect to encounter when you accept a job in this field. If you are new to this field entirely, work your way through this article at your own pace and be sure to take a few notes. The more research you do before you walk into your new job, the better you are going to perform.
It is best that you feel rather comfortable with the internet before you accept any mystery shopping jobs . Indeed, the internet is going to be one of the most powerful tools that you can use. Most companies are going to require that you perform a number of tasks on the internet, so you are only hurting yourself if you do not feeling comfortable enough with using it. Of course, the internet is a rather intuitive thing, so you should not experience much difficulty when you set out to master it. If you should find that you are running into problems, though, simply take to your local library and rent a few tutorial books. They will whip you into shape before you even know it.
Once you feel comfortable with the internet, you can move on to familiarize yourself with a few of the tools that you are going to be using on a day to day basis. First and foremost, you are going to want to become very proficient with search engines, as you are going to be using them each and every day. There are several tasks that you are going to have to be able to perform in these regards. First of all, you are going to have to know how to find out what the most common surnames are. This, of course, is merely going to require that you run a standard search. You are also going to have to be able to come up with a phone number that is appropriate for a given area. This, of course, is going to require that you figure out how to look up prefixes for a given area code. This task can be accomplished on most search engines, of course. Because mystery shopping jobs are going to require that you pretend that you are familiar with many different areas, you are also going to have to learn how to find a map of the area that you are going to be shopping. This task is not going to be difficult, so there is no reason to panic.
As you can see, here, there are a few things that you are going to want to learn before you begin to look into getting mystery shopping jobs . If you find that you cannot currently perform any of these tasks, though, there is no reason to dread. As previously suggested, simply take the time to head out to your local library, and check out a few tutorial books. Before you even know it, you are going to be a pro at using the internet.
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Demystifying Mystery Shopping JobsBy admin on March 11, 2009 | No Comments
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An mystery shopping job is a wonderful job which is dragging modern people to its side. Can you imagine what things are included in this job? All are your favorite works like eating out in a local eateries, visiting a retail shop, filling up your car at the gas station or petrol pump, going to a casino, visiting music stores, book stores, shoe shops, entering into a coffee shop, ice-cream shop or in a pub, going to a cinema hall and watching a movie there or go to buy a mobile, visiting jewelry shop, toy shop, visiting car-dealers and so on. You like an ordinary customer will visit those places without disclosing your identity. Though your work is shopping over there but your main aim will be to supervise everything and later make report on the basis of your visit. This job can be operated both by your personal visit and over the telephone.
The funniest and the most adorable side of the mystery checker job is that what you shop outside will be reimbursed and you will get paid for doing shopping. So it is really hard to resist the smiles when you are paid both for the food itself and having it when you are assigned to visit an eating house. Can you imagine you are getting an extra payment for your favorite pastime that is eating out? Sometimes you need not leave your house. You can earn by surveying simply over the telephone. Special shopping assignment made over the telephone is also equally interesting.
Big companies always want to gain customer satisfaction because if you are a satisfied customer you will like to come back to that shop again and again will influence ten other customers to come there to shop. But if you are a dissatisfied customer you will make your grudge known to hundreds of people. You will tell them not to come and you yourself will never visit that shop in future. So a secret shop job is actually good for your business to run smoothly on the standards and values that you maintain and if needed, improve that standard when required.
There is a huge requirement in the mystery shopping job because companies are eager to appoint you to get their feedback. No experience is needed for the job. You only need to be an adult and have a good observation power. There is wide variety of work in this job and you can take as many assignments as you can perform. You are the most valuable thing to the survey company. They want to know what you think about their product and service. You may be asked some simple questions regarding the quality and the service over the telephone and you e-mail your overall observation or findings to those survey companies you are working for. Have fun and go on.
There are lots of companies who will provide a job. If you go through the internet you may meet them. After choosing one of them, apply there. After you are selected, they will send a list of jobs. Choose them according to your convenience. You will get a questionnaire from the providers. You will have to give answers on the basis of your survey. There is no scope of personal advice or opinion in this shopping job. The only important thing is your observation.
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Mystery Shopping Jobs – Unconventional OpportunitiesBy admin on February 28, 2009 | No Comments
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Mystery shopping jobs are in vogue now as they are quite unconventional working opportunities to people. A straightforward process, disguised shopping is the latest method employed by a company to get an upper hand in the competitive market. It is all about going undercover for few hours to know about the receptivity of the companys products in the retail shops. A companys reputation depends on customer satisfaction. Hired shopping is a market research tool that tries to ensure that the link between the customers and the company is well maintained. As such, the hired shopping industry is expanding and so are the job opportunities attached to it. Jobs may be to shop for prescription glasses, a storage unit , washer and dryer or more. This unique form of employment also helps a job seeker to try out his talents in many directions.
Mystery shopping jobs are very much opted for by those who take interest in doing something different, which takes short time, and yet are a good way to earn money. However, the work requires following certain guidelines, and their concentrated and dedicated efforts. Hired shopping is in great demand as without raising any discontentment among the public it smoothly extracts out of the shop the impression of the customers on the companys products. A hired shopper works anonymously and learns about the product placement in the shops. He tries to figure out whether they are displayed properly and if not then why. Since he is assigned for the companys benefit he ensures that the latter case is smoothened out nicely. Based on his report the company can evaluate itself.
There are agencies that provide mystery shopping jobs to people. They train them for a better understanding of the trade. Hiding their identities is the most important in this occupation. They must be able to prepare detailed report on what they see in the shops- how the products are displayed or the customers reaction to them. Only smart people ready to face every nuance of the trade are given greater priority. Training is given practically and systematically so that no one sits idle and can exercise his talents to earn his living. These agencies help a company to recover from bad circumstances and rectify their mistakes. Many things depend thus on the abilities and capabilities of these trained men. Only with proper coaching can they satisfy their clients.
Mystery shopping jobs are offered by many organizations. A job-seeker wishes to get the maximum advantage out of minimum investment and this, must be fulfilled by job givers. Promise of job placement along with sufficient salary structure, and sometimes discounts, lures a person to a particular company. Browsing through company websites and going in detail through its policies, terms and conditions enable him to select the right one. Independent men hired for the job by the company is not suitable because he may lack the proper training. Therefore, it is wise to go for professionally trained men who are conversant in this trade. These kinds of jobs take into account all these crucial factors and many more are incorporated for a smooth ride.
Mystery shopping jobs are lucrative offers that one surely cannot miss. They are less time consuming but are exciting and provide employment. It is necessary that a job-seeker must have comprehensive market knowledge to benefit his client efficiently since if a single point is missed it may mean huge loss for the company.
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How To Get More Mystery Shopping JobsBy admin on January 3, 2009 | No Comments
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Have you recently started your career as a shopper? The shopping profession might seem to you pretty much lucrative and fun, but most of the newcomers face the same problem of not getting enough mystery shopping jobs in the beginning. Actually, in this industry the working procedure is little different. It is not that, you should be enrolled only with one company, and they will supply you regular assignments. That is also not possible for them, as there are certain limitations. Firstly, all shopping jobs must not be placed in the same location. The company will be able to assign a job, only if that job is placed near your locality. Otherwise, you cannot serve an assignment, which is located in the extreme opposite direction from your place.
So, if you are enrolled to a single company, at most you will be able to work on 2 to 3 mystery shopping jobs in a month, which are going to be much less than your expectation. At the end of the month, you will end up with frustration and depression for not receiving sufficient numbers of assignments. But, you can certainly fulfill your dream career, as a shopper, if you follow certain guidelines. The most important of them is to apply to as many shopping companies as you can. This is going to increase the probability factor of receiving more numbers of assignments, which was not possible for a single company.
After getting enrolled with multiple companies, you have to check their respective websites to make an idea about their status. Do they really have sufficient mystery shopping jobs in their stock? If you find any suitable job for you, you should immediately apply for the assignment. Otherwise, some other shopper from your locality can pick up the jobs. Actually, you have to work hard for getting more and more assignments. After receiving your request for the assignment, the company will send you jobs, provided you suit their selection criteria. This way you can receive a continuous flow of assignments from various companies like retail, banking, restaurant, storage companies and more.
Thus you might receive quite a number of mystery shopping jobs . But, now it is your turn to prove your credibility to perform as a successful shopper. Before putting your feet into this world, you must get informed yourself about the techniques of better shopping. There is no proper training course, but you can definitely go through multiple websites to increase your knowledge on this subject. Each and every shopping experience will train you to become more perfect and efficient in your endeavor. Also, you can learn from experienced shoppers using the forum websites over the internet. At these websites, any critical situation will be solved by the experts to help you.
Once you gain your reputation as an expert shopper, companies will send you different types of mystery shopping jobs . At that point of time, you need to do some kind of time management. You should keep an account of what all shopping projects you are working on and their corresponding rewards or payments. Unless you become little organized by yourself, managing so many jobs simultaneously will become a critical situation. However, the amount of reward or money you will gain will be quite a lot. That will definitely bring you out from the darkness of your depression and frustration.
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Guide For Your First Mystery Shopping JobBy admin on January 2, 2009 | No Comments
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Nowadays, the profession of confidential shopping is gaining popularity among the housewives, retired persons or even professional people to earn something more on top of their regular income. Especially for housewives or retired persons or self storage managers , this is a great opportunity to prove their earning ability. The mystery shopping job has no restriction that you have to work for minimum of 8 hours. Time wise this is very much flexible. You can use your any free time of the day, to work on this. That is why housewives can adjust their household work schedule accordingly to save some time for this work.
You will not require any special training for your first mystery shopping job . In this profession, experience is the best trainer. As you gain experience, you will automatically learn the tips and tricks of this profession. Basically, this requires a smart personality with good observation ability. You will be able to converse with the client service or the employees of the store confidently, so that nobody can make out your intention. The next part of the job requires a good memory. You have to keep in mind each and everything of your observation and then fill up the questionnaire given by the company, when you are back at home. Other than filling up the questionnaire, you might have to write a concise report on your shopping experience.
While writing the report or filling up the questionnaire, you should be honest and report whatever you remember. If you are into mystery shopping job , you have to provide truthful information. If you forget some incidence then you should not try to make up a story to hide your inefficiency. This will not at all be helpful to the client and it will also hamper your reputation as a shopper. If possible, you can keep a small notebook and pencil to update the incidents in short. But, in this situation you have to act a little bit, as if you are checking your list to buy things.
The benefits from mystery shopping job are very much lucrative. For each assignment you will be paid a fee. Along with this, you can keep whatever you have bought during the shopping process. To surprise you most, you can also make a bill for the price of the products and transportation cost, which will be finally reimbursed by the shopping company. Thus, the products which you bought becomes free of cost or you can enjoy the dinner at any restaurant with your family without actually spending a single dollar of your own. This facility of enjoying the profession along with earning money has made the job so much popular.
However, you should not plan to earn your livelihood from your mystery shopping job . Especially, when you are new to the industry, you are not going to receive regular assignments. So, your income for the first month will be very little, just like a pocket money. You can spend this money for your hobby or arrange a family get together, at most. As much as you gain experience, you will be able to receive more assignments a day. It might so happen that finally you are putting more than 8 hours a day for this profession. If that is the scenario, then you can definitely earn your livelihood from this profession.
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Are You Being Shopped?By admin on June 2, 2006 | No Comments
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Liz L, our own Liz Taylor, is a bilingual operator and client services specialist shares her insights about being shopped.
Welcome to the PhoneSmart secret shopping blog. We offer an inside peek at the secret shopping and mystery shopping industry.
Today I took a call from a caller who stated his name was John Blankenship. As soon as he gave me his last name my heart started racing and bells began to ring. My first thought was did I answer promptly and did I include the name of the store in my greeting?When I heard that name Blankenship, I automatically put on a big smile. The tone of my voice changed and I became much more attentive to my caller. I found myself focusing on the caller’s needs and answering every question to the very best of my ability. This is what happens when you think someone is checking up on you (secretly shopping you). Suddenly your job performance is on the line and you want to give an outstanding performance. Who wants to score poorly on the secret shop evaluation? Not me!We all have those moments when we miss a beat; after all we are only human. During my shift in the call center I always keep a cool beverage close by and try to take a 10-minute break every hour. You must always be at your professional best.Remember you might have a secret shopper on the phone. You should answer every call as if you are being secret shopped, after all that is what you are being paid for, right?PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
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Quiz time
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Welcome to the secret shopping blog. We like to post our experiences in the world of secrets hopping, mystery shopping and sales and customer service training.
Many times we take an issue and turn it into a test or pop quiz. We use it to learn the item. Then we coach and review. Then we pull our recordings of calls or make secret shopping calls to our reps and see how well the training stuck.
In this case we are reviewing how to handle current storage customers who want to rent an additional unit, what holiday hours will be for the Labor Day weekend and a general question about current tenant calls.
As you develop quizzes and training material, you will find some interesting results. Sometimes you find your approach and your training is good. Sometimes not.
Here you go:
PhoneSmart Newsroom Name _____________________
Date ______________________Please return to the Pop Quiz folder ASAP. Thanks.
1. Which of the following specials can you offer to a current tenant who is looking for a 2nd storage unit?
A. Student Discount, Military Discount OR a Senior Discount.
B. A long term pre-pay special IF they pre-pay for 12 months or more.
C. A Permanent special noted in the operator notes no matter what they are always available to any caller.
D. Answers A AND B are available because they are current tenants.
E. You can NEVER offer more than one special to anyone at anytime.
F. Other2. Which are the following are correct?
A. All Stores are closed on Monday Sept. 5th for Labor Day.
B. Only stores in Canada are closed on Monday Sept. 5th for Labor Day.
C. No stores are closed on Monday Sept. 5th for Labor Day.
D. Refer to your store screens only (i.e operator notes).
E. Only stores in the United States are closed on Monday Sept. 5th for Labor Day.
F. All stores are closed for the entire weekend for Labor Day weekend.
G. Other:3. What do you consider to be a reasonable time length to spend with a caller on the phone regarding an issue other than a rental inquiry?
Why? -
Keep trying
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How many tries does it take to get through to the person you want to secret shop on the phone? It may take several tries. You need to pick your schedule carefully and change your voice if you have to call back several times to catch someone. You might also need a good excuse to ask for that person specifically. If you say, “My friend told me to call”, the subject might easily say, “what is his name.” Then you are stuck. Secret shoppers always have to try to anticipate the questions they are asked so you have a good alibi. Then get down to asking the questions you have to to make the evaluation. It takes some persistence and some good scheduling habits of your own to track down all the people you need to without trying too many times.
Bye for now, Tron -
your name?
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Don’t get busted when the person you are shopping asks your name. This is one of the funnier ways to raise suspicion in your shopping subject. Subject says, “What is your name?” You say, “Ah” before blurting out something. Whatever your pretend name is going to be, you have to practice it a few times to make sure it flows smoothly when asked. Companies that use secret shoppers have employees who are always wondering if the next person they talk to is a shopper. This is not all bad, if the employees are doing this to try to provide the best experience possible to each customer and to get good shopping scores. If employees are looking for the secret shopper to duck their shop, then it is a bad thing. So don’t blow your cover when they ask your name.
Bye for now, Tron
