Those looking forward to taking up unique and challenging market research jobs can try their hands on mystery or secret shopping. Mystery shopping, also known as frontline evaluation is a simple part-time job that involves a simple market research concept. A secret shopper is instructed as per the client’s brand analysis requirements and is assigned with a secret shopping assignment, which he is required to carry out in the assigned store or outlet. The shoppers need to pose as regular customers, evaluate product conditions along with the customer service and create a report on the shopping experience.
To qualify as a secret shopper, one need not possess specific educational qualifications or any kind of technical knowledge. Secret shopping can be done by any literate individual having good observational skills and to some extent, good and logical writing skills with the correct usage of grammar. It’s all about giving unbiased feedback on product or service competence in the form of written or recorded reports. The data collected through the mystery shopping reports are extremely valuable for companies who take their major product or service related decisions based on the reports. Hence mystery shoppers play a crucial role in improving brand effectiveness and thereby helping companies increase sales. Besides, inadequate customer service is addressed with equal importance so as to improve their existing standards and also reward some of the outstanding performers.
Though companies can directly hire mystery shoppers, they generally do not do so. Instead, they delegate the complete responsibility of hiring and designing mystery shopping assignments to good mystery shopping companies.
The job of a mystery shopper, as mentioned earlier, involves visiting numerous stores, especially in the areas within his reach and disguise as regular customers in order to thoroughly check the product conditions, store maintenance, and the customer service offered by the frontline staff – all these without letting out a small hint of the ongoing affair. This is the reason why mystery shopping jobs are challenging and one-of-their-types.
The biggest advantage of being a mystery shopper is that he can enjoy great benefits like purchase products, enjoy exclusive dinner at expensive restaurants, watch the latest releases in posh movie theatres, go on small vacations with family, and so on – all these free of cost! Besides, mystery shoppers also get paid in cash or check either on biweekly or monthly basis, after they complete the assignments successfully and submit them for review.
The reports created post the assignments can be filed electronically or can be mailed to the companies.
To get started with mystery shopping, one needs to search for legitimate mystery shopping jobs and sign up with them. Like paid surveys, mystery shopping field is also full of scams. Many mystery shopping companies charge membership fees so as to provide them with list of mystery shopping opportunities. Hence it is essential to check the legal existence of the mystery shopping companies with consumer forums before signing up with them.
Although mystery shopping is a lucrative part-time job that can help reap great rewards, it cannot replace a full-time job and its long term benefits. With mystery shopping, one can earn enough to suffice the additional requirements or save an extra amount at the end of every month.
No comments:
Post a Comment