MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD XI ** New people make sure you read the first 2 Posts **

Mystery_Shopping_Ninja

St00zer wrote: »

What is video mystery shops ? Please explain.

I honestly believe it is possible to make £200+ per week from doing other things on top of your normal job. Once you believe it you can achieve it. I want to THINK BIG, it is the only way of being seriously wealthy IMO.

Video mystery shoppers wear concealed audio visual recording equipment when conducting the mystery shop. The footage is then sent to the client so they can measure the entire customer experience, not just what's covered on the written report.

St00zer

Which companies are best for Video MS ? I'm interested in signng up.

Mystery_Shopping_Ninja

St00zer wrote: »

Why don't others do Video MS? It sounds so much better then the likes of RE. Don't people want to earn more money for less of their time?

Don't know why more don't do it - you'll have to address that question to them. To get the best video assignments it's best to have your own eqipment and so it may be that the investment is putting them off (there are currently three different types of kit available and different companies prefer different ones, so it is a bit of a minefield)

Mystery_Shopping_Ninja

St00zer wrote: »

Which companies are best for Video MS ? I'm interested in signng up.

Do you have your own kit? The kit you have will affect which companies are best for you. If you don't have your own kit you will have to wait to be "headhunted" for video jobs by mystery shopping companies, and they only offer video to their most experienced shoppers, so a shopper needs to have a fair bit of "written" visit experience before they are entrusted with the video kit.

ljshopper

Got my first floor show this week.

I asked for a receipt and a few seconds later I felt like the "Go Compare" man.

Ive read about this on previous threads but I cant get my head around a basic question.

What do the burger chain get out of the process other than a knowledge that their shops are alert to signals that affect their bonus?

It just strikes me as a pointless exercise on their part.

If they did away with the receipt requirement then they would get a much more typical picture of their business.

Rant over.

Have a great day.

angela1967

TractorGirl327 wrote: »

I did 3 the Wednesday before last. A jewellery audit and 2 x fat'n'frumpy clothes shops. Was paid for the jewellery audit Wednesdya just gone, still waiting for the others.

Thanks again for your help.

did mine on the 17th nov, filled expenses in when doing the questionnaire. what if anything should i have done? you've got on the first page that an invoice should be sent, how?

angela

DevilsAdvocate1

Mystery_Shopping_Ninja wrote: »

Don't know why more don't do it - you'll have to address that question to them. To get the best video assignments it's best to have your own eqipment and so it may be that the investment is putting them off (there are currently three different types of kit available and different companies prefer different ones, so it is a bit of a minefield)

I have done 2 of these and do have my own kit. However, I think there are a few things which put people off. One is obviously the cost of the kit.

The other is that you are recorded doing the job (not physically, but what you say is obviously recorded). If there is something you feel uncomfortable about in the brief, it may come across on the recording. You have to feel comfortable with being judged too.

Also, you have to be good at filming discreetly. The first one I did was with a bag camera, and when I sat down the strap fell in front of the hidden camera lens. I was really lucky as I decided to move the bag after 10 minutes or so, and this moved the strap. It was only when I watched the footage later that I realised what had happened. Luckily, I had moved the bag in time to still get 80% of the footage that I needed to be paid.

The second one was a body cam, and the camera faced the sky for most of it. Again, I was lucky to be paid as I managed to get enough footage of the salesman's face to be paid, but only just.

I've been waiting for my youngest to start school so I can find the time to practise on my own kit. Hopefully I can try to get in with some companies after that.

D.

red_fox

Thanks DevilsAdvocate1 and Mystery Shopping Ninja its good to see some views on video mystery shopping. For me personally I think that it’s the investment and the thought of being recorded that puts me off.

IMHO I think that 5 jobs per day in the same area regularly is impossible. I do MS full time (Well as much as I can with working it around two children) and I find that during the first week of the month it is easy to find at least 5 jobs per day in the same area. I feel like I east, sleep and breath MS for the first week but the next week to get that amount of decent jobs I need I travel around several different areas. The last week of the month for me is very slow with hardy and decent jobs just odd scraps and returning to collect thing from previous jobs.

DevilsAdvocate1

red_fox wrote: »

Thanks DevilsAdvocate1 and Mystery Shopping Ninja its good to see some views on video mystery shopping. For me personally I think that it’s the investment and the thought of being recorded that puts me off.

IMHO I think that 5 jobs per day in the same area regularly is impossible. I do MS full time (Well as much as I can with working it around two children) and I find that during the first week of the month it is easy to find at least 5 jobs per day in the same area. I feel like I east, sleep and breath MS for the first week but the next week to get that amount of decent jobs I need I travel around several different areas. The last week of the month for me is very slow with hardy and decent jobs just odd scraps and returning to collect thing from previous jobs.

Hi Redfox,

I agree with you 100%. I too am busy the first week of the month and then it falls off. I often find I'm busy the last week too, mopping up jobs that other people should have done.

I've been mystery shopping for 5 years and its only the last year that I've finally managed to get a decent wage from it on a regular basis. I think Stooze would find it impossible to make £200 a week from mystery shopping. And to build it up to this level will take time - it took my around 4 years to start making £800 a month on a regular basis. Its not just doing the shopping, its the report writing which can take fore ever.

Although I consider myself a full time mystery shopper, if I look at my diary the amount I make from mystery shopping is quite small. Most of my money comes from auditing and price checking. I love these, as the reports are quick and the work is regular. Certain stores are "mine" and I do them weekly or monthly depending on the contract. I also get to know the staff in some of these stores, which makes my job easier.

D.

St00zer

Redfox

I have learnt alot from the feedback I have recieved from the questions I have asked on these boards. I am better placed to take advantage of the opportunities that come my way. I have signed up to a few MS sites now so it is a case if just working hard at it.

I am going to find other things to do as well to make more money.

Essentially I want to be in a position where I have loads of choice to pick and choose what to do. Ideally I will just spend my time on the stuff that pays the most and not bother with small stuff such as clicking sites which only makes a few pence for many hours of work or reviewing music.

I need to spend some time looking more at Matched betting. Not sure how much I can make from doing this.