Mystery Shopping – How to get a Job as a Mystery Shopper in the UK
When you enter the world of money saving it can be a daunting place, trying to work out where you can save money in your day to day life, how to drop your weekly food bill and how to you save for those luxury items, but its not all about where you can save money, you also need to look into how you can make money and one of the many ways you can do this is by becoming a mystery shopper.
What does a mystery shopper do?…
By signing with an agency or an independent company you can fulfil jobs anonymously to check that businesses are meeting set criteria. From food to clothes and everything in between there’s always lots of jobs that can be found.
How does Mystery Shopping work?
This can change from job to job and even from agency to agency, but the general rules are usually the same before you accept a job you will receive a specific set of instruction for that particular job so you can see what is needed these can include:
Guideline on what to purchase (this is usually flexible with a spending limit applied and you can buy or eat what you like)
Questions that you have to ask in store
A list of photographs you must take
Details of things to take notice of for your report such as the cleanliness of the store, lighting, did someone acknowledge you when you enter etc
Date when your report needs to be submitted by
All these tasks need to be completed without anyone knowing you are on a mystery shop, once home make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to correctly write your report and ensure you completed everything that was asked of you.
What do Mystery Shoppers earn?
This can vary widely but you aren’t going to make a full-time wage out of it, you need to look at it like you are earning some pocket money or a freebie item, when selecting jobs pay close attention to the amount being offered. Sometimes it simply isn’t worth doing if you are going to be out of pocket but if they are offering a free meal or £5 or more then its worth taking a look.
Most jobs such as dining out will be on a reimbursement basis so keep receipts as you will need these as proof to claim your money back. Some agencies may offer travel expenses so its always worth an ask.
Where can I find Mystery Shopping Jobs UK?
There’s no shortage of companies offering mystery shopping jobs, this can, unfortunately, attract fake companies that will try and get you to part with money to sign up to them. Sign up will always be FREE and if they are asking for money then approach cautiously. You can always check a company with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association and see if they are listed if you are in doubt. Sign up will usually just be an online form and then you are set, however, some of the bigger companies will require you to complete a spelling and grammar test, you will get a few goes at it so don’t panic!
