Does getting paid to shop sound like a dream come true? Well, it could be a reality for many people, although it is not as easy as some people might claim.
The fact is companies need feedback and they will often rely on mystery shoppers to provide that feedback. Companies want to know if their staff are respectful, or if they are impolite, they want to know that their staff are following correct guidelines and that they are knowledgeable about the products. The company will also want to know that the premises is clean, tidy and welcoming, and they'll want to know all of that because competition is tough these days and their businesses depend on it.
How many times have you walked out of a shop and told yourself "I won't go there again?" Most of us have done, and mystery shopping provides the opportunity to change that - and get paid for it.
As I said at the start of the article, you can get paid to shop, but you have to expect to do something in return for it. The first step is to apply to the many mystery shopping companies online. Perhaps choose five -ten of them as you'll get regular work from some of them and once off projects or the occasional project from some of the others.
Fill out the applications and complete the training, if required, and then wait for the offers of work to come through.
From experience I can tell you that you are likely to be asked to go out for meals, go to the bank or call the bank, buy a pair of shoes, enquire about a holiday, make calls to utility companies, go to the hairdressers, spend an afternoon drinking coffee, eating pizza and going to the supermarket, and you 'll get paid, but here's the catch: The instructions must be followed right down to the last detail or you risk not getting paid at all, so always follow the instructions carefully and don't be tempted to half do a job.
As well as getting a fee, you'll also get a budget, which is another good reason to follow the instructions, or you'll end up spending money that might not be refunded if you haven't carried out the assignment correctly. So far I have had free haircuts, free meals, free handbags, cosmetics and gadgets.
I've also been paid to phone my bank or visit it, and since I had to phone them and visit them anyway, that wasn't a problem. I was even paid to visit my local supermarket and given a £10 budget to buy what I wanted. Mystery shopping really does pay.
In case you are wondering how much you can make, then don't get too carried away. You are unlikely to earn enough to replace a full time income, but if extra cash is what you need, with a few free meals and supermarket shops covered, then mystery shopping might just be for you.
Short, straight forward assignments can pay £4-5, and this will typically involve a phone call and an assessment to fill out afterwards. Other visits can pay £30-50, sometimes more, while other assignments pay £15-25.
To maximise income, sign up with more than one company, try and choose assignments that are in the same location to save time, and remember to keep things like bus tickets to claim back bus fares if you are dependent on bus travel. Also, make sure you claim your mileage allowance; some companies pay for sundries such as the cost of printing off assignments, so claim the allowable amount for that back as well.
Jane Fazackarley is a freelance writer and regularly contributes to newspapers, magazines, newsletters, blogs and websites.
Jane Fazackarley is also the writer of thebBook Earn Extra Money Online, which is available from Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback format; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Extra-Money-Online-Fazackarley/dp/1484981324/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392313106&sr=8-2&keywords=jane+fazackarley
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