Benefits of Becoming a Mystery Shopper

Mystery shopping can be great fun. After all, who doesn’t like to go shopping or dine out for free?

Better yet, you even get paid for mystery shopping.

But the perks don’t end there. New experiences, flexible hours, loads of variety…there are many reasons why people are joining us every day.

Now, let us take you through some of the benefits of being a mystery shopper.

What is a mystery shopper?

Brands put a lot of time and money into perfecting their processes and the customer experience. From greeting the customer in a particular manner to making certain a shop or restaurant is clean throughout, every point of the customer experience is carefully designed. Brands want to ensure that customers have high-quality experiences, no matter which branch they visit or which employee they interact with.

But once companies have trained their employees to do things in a specific way, how can they be sure those employees are actually following instructions?

Well, one very effective way to check is by using a mystery shopping programme. It involves a member of the public like you posing as a customer. This could be by placing an online order, making an enquiry on the phone or purchasing an item in a shop. The company will ask you to observe and review particular parts of the customer experience, and then answer specific questions about how things were done.

The employees interacting with you won’t know that you’re a mystery shopper reporting back to the company. And for brands, that’s one of the benefits of a mystery shopper programme: employees act as they would every day. So, if something isn’t being done according to instructions, the mystery shopper will pick up on it and employee/s can be reminded of those instructions or offered additional training.

What are the benefits of being a mystery shopper?

As a mystery shopper, you’ll be acting as the eyes and the ears of the company, providing invaluable insight into reality on the front line.

But what’s in it for you? Let’s take a look at some of the main mystery shopper benefits for you.

Make every day different

Dine out at an inviting restaurant, browse exclusive shops and try on or buy items, or soak up the atmosphere at a cosy café. One day you might be checking out the latest styles on the high street, and the next day you could be hunting down a bottle of wine in a supermarket. No two tasks will be the same.

One of the most appealing aspects of mystery shopping is that you’ll enjoy new experiences and visit places you might never have been to otherwise. See the huge variety of tasks we have available: register to become a mystery shopper now. The list of available tasks changes every day, and we’ll keep you right up to date through emails and social media.

Plus, some days you might choose to work from home. Some assignments, for instance, might require you to conduct online transactions or call a customer service helpline. Or you might simply have to receive a parcel.

Enjoy flexible hours

Without a doubt, being able to earn money from home (or while you’re out and about) is extremely convenient. Since you don’t need to be in the office all day long, mystery shopping gives you the freedom to do more with your day. You have time to see friends and family, go for a run in the fresh air or even do a spot of shopping. You can also take holidays when you like.

And it’s just as flexible when, instead of completing a task from home, you’re choosing tasks that need a site visit. Whether you’re reporting on the customer experience in a shop, a salon or a bank, you can just select the tasks that suit your plans. We just need you to answer questions about your experience within 12 hours of completing the task. That way, all the important information is fresh in your mind.

Pick up as many or as few tasks as you like, and set them during parts of the month that are most convenient – there’s no more flexible way to earn cash.

Make it a side hustle

If you’re wondering how to become a mystery shopper when you already have a job, don’t worry – plenty of others do just that. Since mystery shopping work is so flexible, many people take on tasks in addition to their day job. After all, you can complete many of the assignments from the comfort of your own home, after your working day has finished, or even during your lunch hour.

If you need a little extra money (and who doesn’t?), becoming a mystery shopper is a simple way to earn some.

Escape the office

Grand restaurants, welcoming cafés, tempting department stores…mystery shopping can take you to all kinds of places. And every task will take you somewhere new. It’s much better than staring at the same office wall every day.

And, as we’ve said, you can work from home whenever you like. Simply find a task you can do from the sofa if it’s looking a bit chilly outside.

Help create better businesses

As well as acting like a regular customer would, being a mystery shopper also means delivering detailed observations on your experience. It’s this information that a company pays you for. They want to make certain they’re delivering high-quality customer service, no matter where and how you interact with them. So find out the skills and qualities you need to be a mystery shopper!

They need to make sure that the customer experience is the same one they’ve designed, and that their employees are following instructions accurately. For companies, mystery shopping is the only real way to know if customers are receiving the service they should.

Your work gives businesses invaluable insight into how things are done on the shop floor. If the reality of their operations is different to how they want things done, companies can retrain people to result in better customer service. Your reports improve the service future customers – including you – will receive! Find out how to write a mystery shopper report here. 

So mystery shopping gives you variety, flexibility and a bit of extra money. If that sounds good to you, take a look at our mystery shopper FAQs to find out more and see how easy it is to get started and find out what mystery shopper opportunities are available in the UK.