MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 18 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

misssarahleigh

MrsGSR wrote: »

Hi there, I have been lurking on these threads for a while and have signed up to two companies so far. I have a telephone assignment to do so far and I am terrified! have printed off all the info and plan to go through it with a fine tooth comb today in preparation for carrying it out tomorrow.
Just a few questions, is it worth signing up to more companies? I was going to see how I got on with this first assignment first then consider it. Could I make a modest living from this? I desparately want to leave my horrible job which would mean saving vast amounts of money on petrol and childcare so I only want to be able to earn around £400 after tax, is this possible or am I beoing totally naive?
Also I just wanted to say this is a fantastic thread, I have bookmarked it and keep coming back to it.

Welcome

Sign up to as many as you can! You may not like the one you do tomorrow, but there is so much varience even if you don't like this one you will like other (see the first post for some companies).

If your looking for £400 i think that could be done once you build up your experience and learn what jobs will make you a profit and what jobs are 'treats' (e.g. clothing stores with reinbursment. Doesn't make money but i'm happy with a new top in my dinner hour).

I found it difficult to start and felt like a newbie for some time but i'm getting there now

MrsGSR

misssarahleigh wrote: »

Welcome

Sign up to as many as you can! You may not like the one you do tomorrow, but there is so much varience even if you don't like this one you will like other (see the first post for some companies).

If your looking for £400 i think that could be done once you build up your experience and learn what jobs will make you a profit and what jobs are 'treats' (e.g. clothing stores with reinbursment. Doesn't make money but i'm happy with a new top in my dinner hour).

I found it difficult to start and felt like a newbie for some time but i'm getting there now

Thanks for this.:)
I'm going to see how it works out for me, obviously I have much to learn and will be coming back to this thread over time!

nickik1970

Anyone know if ESA is paying tomorrow or Monday. woohoo!

Chopsie&Chelvis

Just doing my tax return (yes, I know I'm last minute) and my profits after expenses for the year (well, 6 months as I started mid year) are under £100. Is that going to look dodgy to the taxman? I would worry about prompting an investigation if they think 'why bother doing it for that little?'. I just took on a few jobs which I made a loss on and my inexperience led me to take a lot of 'bad' jobs - low reimbursement, too far away to really make it worthwhile etc.

Edit - just realised that I'm looking at the wrong column on my spreadsheet. My earnings after expenses are just under £500, so my estimated tax is just under £100. Doesn't look so dodgy now - I hope so anyway????

I have no faith in my ability to do this tax return if I can't even look at the right box on a spreadsheet, aargh.

jen_br

Chopsie, I make a loss every year on my taxs... and all is well.!

Badger_Lady

MrsGSR wrote: »

Hi there, I have been lurking on these threads for a while and have signed up to two companies so far. I have a telephone assignment to do so far and I am terrified! have printed off all the info and plan to go through it with a fine tooth comb today in preparation for carrying it out tomorrow.

I found my first assignment terrifying - you worry about how to remember all the requirements, make all the notes you need and fill out the report accurately... but trust me, once that first one is out of the way it's a big relief. You realise that it's not as difficult as you feared and you start to become quite relaxed about it (particularly when you do the same scenario at a number of branches).

I make about that amount before deducting expenses, and I work full time on top, so you shouldn't have a problem as your sole income . Do bear in mind that you may still have to incur those petrol costs though!

D4WNO

Does anyone have a copy of the finance spreadsheet that they could email me please ([EMAIL="d4wno@hotmail.com"]d4wno@hotmail.com[/EMAIL]), I've PMd UKMonkey but I guess he's been busy and I'm aware I'm running out of time, eek :S

mysterious_girl

Totally un related to MSing but still about customer service:

I boiled some peas up for my children last night for their dinner and when I drained them I found what looked like a grub amongst the peas. If any of you watched IACGMOOH and saw what a witchedy grub looks like, well it was like that, little front fat legs and all, but a lot smaller. I was ready to barf. The peas are M&S frozen variety. Cannot look at another pea again.


I called them earlier to notify them and they said they'd call me back. Anyone know what they'll do? I really don't want a free replacement of peas! :eek:

Edit that:

They've just called back and asked me to bring it in and they'll give me a full refund and replacement. I told them I don't want a replacement. I hope they eat it.

Chopsie&Chelvis

jen_br wrote: »

Chopsie, I make a loss every year on my taxs... and all is well.!

As in no 'profit' - technically speaking anyway?! I've been umming and ahhing about whether to include some expenses (allowable ones!) as it would bring my profit and therefore tax owed even lower ... but if other people have no 'profit' at all and a tax loss, maybe it doesn't look so bad! I do work almost full time as well, so I suppose it doesn't look dodgy to have a low income from part time [mainly weekends and school hols] mystery shopping.

mysterious_girl

Chopsie&Chelvis wrote: »

As in no 'profit' - technically speaking anyway?! I've been umming and ahhing about whether to include some expenses (allowable ones!) as it would bring my profit and therefore tax owed even lower ... but if other people have no 'profit' at all and a tax loss, maybe it doesn't look so bad! I do work almost full time as well, so I suppose it doesn't look dodgy to have a low income from part time [mainly weekends and school hols] mystery shopping.

I just finished my spreadsheet and it says that I have earnt around £1,500. Husband is going to have a fit again as he will think that all that time I spend MSing just gives me this small pittance a year. He tried to ban me from doing it last year as he said it took up too much of my time for so little return.