Is Mystery Shopping A Real Job? There are many advantages to being a Mystery Shopper and working as an Independent Contractor, like having the ability to choose the companies you work with as well as the type and number of jobs that you accept. A certain amount of autonomy comes from working as an Independent Contractor. There's no time clock to punch, and there's no supervisor standing over your shoulder. You don't have to drive to an office to work, and there is a certain amount of control and flexibility regarding how and when you work. Mystery Shopping is a terrific way to supplement your income; it's purposeful, and Mystery Shoppers do make a difference to customer service and many other areas of business. However, Mystery Shopping is also a great responsibility. There are schedules to keep, reports to write, and deadlines that can't be missed. It's also true that the job is not finished just because the report has been submitted. Mystery Shoppers must remain available for at least 24-72 hours following an assignment, and as outlined in the guidelines for the shop, in order for clarification or information to be obtained when necessary. The shopper is in essence a reporter, observing and reporting measurable data that business owners can utilize to evaluate where their businesses are today and project where they will go tomorrow. Mystery Shopping reports can be used to evaluate customer and employee satisfaction, quality, issues related to loss prevention and compliance, and even the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Changes to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), personnel, and even locations are made with the assistance of Mystery Shopping reports. Training and reward programs are also developed or updated with the information provided by Mystery Shoppers. These detailed reports are extremely important to a client for a number of reasons, and they should be written with the highest of integrity and accuracy. For the most part, this means that only factual statements should be included in reports. Only in certain instances will a shopper's opinion be asked for. There's a great deal of responsibility involved in Mystery Shopping, a responsibility to be accurate, a responsibility to be professional at all times, a responsibility to remain anonymous, and a responsibility to protect the integrity of the report. There's a responsibility to maintain client confidentiality and also a responsibility to refrain from accepting assignments for which you cannot remain unbiased. That means that Mystery Shoppers should not accept assignments on behalf of clients for which the shopper or an immediate family member may have been an employee, and it also means that shoppers should not accept assignments on behalf of clients for which they may have a preconceived notion or opinion. Accuracy and objectivity are imperative; shoppers should not guess or approximate unless specifically asked to do so. When reporting, it's important to respond to yes and no questions accurately and not "give the benefit of the doubt" or answer positively just because the employee may have been nice.

It's not always easy or fun to be a Mystery Shopper. When you understand the importance of the industry and the gravity of these reports, you begin to comprehend the many ways that Mystery Shopping may effect businesses and their employees and come to the realization that Mystery Shopping is indeed a "real job." Kelly Truelove, CEO Integrity Consultants http://www.integrityconsultants.us