This is a two-part blog so if you have not read part one maybe read part one of this blog first.
OK, so at this point, you have made one or more applications to various Mystery Shopping companies, you have carried out your first assignment and you have received a score from the Mystery Shopping company Validator of 9.7/10, a really good score for your first assignment.
Everything is going great, well done!
Let's say for this example you have now decided to apply for several other assignments to carry out next Tuesday, as you scored 9.7/10 I would say you are in a strong position to be awarded those assignments, however, don’t take this for granted, or be disappointed if you are not awarded any or all of the assignments you have applied for, there may have been an application from a more experienced Mystery Shopper who has said they can carry out the assignment sooner.
My next tip is this when you make an application for an assignment and you are asked for a comment or asked when you can carry out this assignment, you should provide the earliest possible date you are available, this can be the difference between getting an assignment and not getting it.
Mystery Shopping companies, like many other companies, have deadlines to meet; as such, they want their assignments done as soon as possible. This is where having a great score for your assignments is a big benefit.
Let's say there are two applications for the same assignment, one shopper has an average score of 8/10 over three surveys and can do the assignment on Monday, and you have a score of 9.7/10 and can do the assignment on Tuesday, there is every chance you will be awarded the assignment. Mystery Shoppers with higher survey completion scores do get preference when awarding assignments, but deadlines do also have to be taken into account.
OK, let's talk about communication, this is another very important aspect of building a great relationship with a Mystery Shopping company.
Let’s say for the sake of this example that you applied for an assignment two days ago and told the Mystery Shopping company it would be carried out tomorrow. For whatever reason you find yourself unable to carry out the assignment tomorrow, so what do you do?
The first thing to do is not to decline the survey; you should contact the Mystery Shopping company with an alternate date to carry out the assignment, which is as close to the original date as possible, for example, the day after the original completion date. This will often not be a problem; the Mystery Shopping company will adjust the due date for the assignment, and everyone is happy.
It is important to show the Mystery Shopping company that you are reliable and have a can-do attitude. I think I can speak for most Mystery Shopping companies when I say we realise that you have a life and stuff happens, be honest, upfront and communicate your situation promptly.
I want to touch on a couple of other points. One is, when you receive your first communication from a Mystery Shopping company by email, make sure you mark their email as a safe sender, if you don’t know how to do this, Google it.
My next point is, if you receive an email from a Mystery Shopping company asking a question, try and get back to them as soon as you possibly can, don’t leave it for three days before returning their email. This is considered a professional courtesy.
Mystery Shopping companies are generally very busy, and as such do not enjoy double handling, so it is a very good idea not to apply for assignments you may not have time to complete.
If you apply for an assignment and your situation changes and you are unable to complete it by the deadline you have stated, then withdraw the assignment application as soon as possible, you can always re-apply when you do have the time if the assignment is still available.
There is quite a bit of work involved in allocating an assignment, and it is generally not well received when you decline an assignment, without a good reason.
It is possible to earn a really good part-time income as a Mystery Shopper, we have created a Blog called, ‘Can I make a living working as a Mystery Shopper | Secret Shopper?’ You might want to review this Blog; it also has some great tips.
I guess in short, most of this is common sense; however, if you follow these guidelines, you will go far.
These include:
· Reliability
· Prompt communication
· Good spelling & grammar
· Meeting deadlines
· Following instructions
· Providing well-balanced reports
· Going the extra mile
· Showing perseverance (This may not just happen overnight.)
· Being honest and upfront
Mystery Shoppers who have all of these qualities will always get more work.