Most people can generally agree that extra money can make life much easier. Between working a job or two, selling products that you have made, and saving money wherever you can, there are plenty of ways that you can bring more money into your life. However, if your options to these factors are limited, then you may find yourself at a loss as to how you should manage the situation.
If you find that you are in need of some extra money and you have some time during the day that you do not know what to do with, you may want to become a mystery shopper. Mystery shopping not only sounds like something intriguing, but it is a great way to get some extra money for doing things that you may already do on a regular basis, such as eating at a restaurant or shopping at a popular store.
Before you can get invested in mystery shopping, there are a few things you will want to be aware of. First of all, you will want to make sure you have a firm understanding of what mystery shopping is so you know what you are going to be doing. It is always important to be well informed. Another important thing to be aware of is any red flags that potentially malicious employers might offer, such as asking you to cash a check. These are all important things to check and understand before you dip your toes into the world of mystery shopping.
What Is Mystery Shopping?
At its core, mystery shopping is a job that involves looking at different aspects of a business and recording various events and encounters that you noticed. Companies both large and small always want to make sure that their stores are easy for customers to use and that customer service is doing well. However, large stores simply do not have the resources or power to check and see how all aspects of a business are doing in the unbiased view of a customer.
Because of this, these companies allow other companies (the mystery shopping companies) to hire people to be those unbiased customers. Those people are usually asked to buy a product, interact with employees, and generally observe how the store is running from the perspective of someone who is entering the business for the first time.
This means that not only will you be given the chance to shop and eat at all sorts of areas around the country, but it will also mean that you can play a role in helping to better customer service in larger businesses, which is something that everyone in businesses can appreciate. Mystery shopping jobs typically handle major retailers, hotels and other travel destinations, and restaurants. There may also be the occasion where you are called to look at a smaller or more local establishment, but it is often the large-scale companies that ask for these services.
What Will You Be Doing and What Do You Need?
More often than not, you will not need much of anything to begin mystery shopping. Sometimes, depending on who you are working with, if you become a reputable shopper, you may be asked to pretend to have a phone conversation or wear headphones at a location, but aside from this, you usually will not need to bring anything with you.
As for what you will be doing, that depends entirely on why you are at the location and what you have been asked to do. Mystery shoppers can do anything from simply purchasing an item at a store and observing how quick or efficient the checkout is to calling the front desk of a hotel with a fake problem to see how the front desk responds and handles the problem.
There are some situations where you may be asked to try and purchase something that you cannot, such as purchasing alcohol when you are underage and seeing if the person behind the cash register follows through with proper procedure. Mystery shopping is an incredibly broad range and the specific requests can vary wildly, but almost always at the core, it will involve observing the reactions of employees to a given situation whether it is as mundane as eating at a restaurant or pretending to call about the batteries in a hotel remote not working.
Where Do You Begin?
Now that you understand a little bit more about what mystery shopping is and what is involved, you may begin to want to look for companies that offer it. The best way to go about doing this is to search for some of the UK's most well-known mystery shopping websites. Especially if you are new to the area, you will want to stick with well-established companies to make sure that everything remains reputable.
Two of the biggest mystery shopping companies in the UK are:
- Market Force (previously known as Retail Eyes)
- Ipsos iShop
There are plenty of other sites that may do things slightly differently than others. For instance, some companies may have a very low reimbursement rate (which means you get less money from the job) but may have a lot of assignments to do while another company might have considerable reimbursement prices but require a long and wordy report on all your observations.
To first get into mystery shopping in the UK, you will want to stick with the most well-known companies until you know what to look for and who to trust.
Keeping Yourself Safe
You should also keep in mind that because this field can be lucrative, there are plenty of scams out there. It may do you well to research them so you know what to avoid when searching for mystery shopping companies.
Red flags to avoid:
- Companies asking you to cash cheques and wire money back
- Requests for upfront fees to join
- Guaranteed high earnings without conditions
- Vague job descriptions
- Pressure to sign up quickly
One of the most common scams out there involves a fake mystery shopping company asking you to cash a cheque and wire part of that cheque back to the company. Of course, as with most shady companies and cheques, it will end up bouncing and you will lose money.
Knowing these things will help you remain safe while you are diving into the world of mystery shopping and earning yourself a fair bit of money on the side. Mystery shopping offers flexible income to supplement your budget while doing things you'd do anyway – eating out and shopping. With realistic earnings of £300-500 monthly and no startup costs, it's an excellent addition to your income-boosting strategy.
About iBudget
iBudget helps couples and families take control of their finances with simple, collaborative budgeting tools. Track spending, set goals, and build wealth together.
Start Your Budget