| Recently, I've found a lot of websites bashing | | | | shopper will work for them twice. I've been |
| Mystery Shopping. They call it a scam, warn | | | | stiffed before, but I just write that one company |
| people away from it and generally make it sound | | | | off and never go back to them. There's plenty of |
| like the next bubonic plague. | | | | other fish in the sea, as they say. |
| On the one hand, that's fine by me! I've been | | | | 2). Mystery Shopping is hard work |
| making a healthy income for almost two years by | | | | It constantly surprises me when people expect to |
| Mystery Shopping. Some people would call it a full | | | | be able to make money overnight, without lifting |
| time income, but I have a daytime career. I only | | | | a finger. When you're a Mystery Shopper, you |
| Mystery Shop in the evenings and weekends. | | | | get paid for a service. You go shop at a store, |
| And, since I can do it on my schedule, it's the | | | | you fill out a form, and you get paid. Without |
| best of all worlds. But, if other people are scared | | | | steps 1 and 2, there isn't any step 3. |
| away from trying it, no skin off my nose. Less | | | | What's funny about this attitude is that people go |
| competition for me, and that means I can get the | | | | shopping at stores and eating out at restaurants |
| better shops. | | | | all the time, and don't think twice of how "hard" it |
| On the other hand, it makes me sad that | | | | is. But, they'd rather go and spend money at |
| something that has served me so well has gotten | | | | establishments than go do the same thing and |
| such a bad reputation. I feel I should defend its | | | | earn money, instead. I prefer being paid for hard |
| honor, and be a champion of the truth. However, | | | | work rather than doing hard work for free. |
| I realize no one truly believes it until they have | | | | 3). Mystery shopping takes time |
| first-hand evidence. It's like alien abductions or | | | | It takes weeks or months to build up a decent |
| making money in multi-level marketing companies. | | | | income with Mystery Shopping. Few people have |
| No one believes it... until they meet someone | | | | the patience or attention span to stick with |
| who's done it. | | | | something for more than an hour or two, it |
| So, why do people take the time to deliberately | | | | seems. I can't tell you how many people I know |
| attack something that doesn't hurt them at all, I | | | | that "tried" Mystery Shopping. And, by "try," I |
| wonder? Here's what I think: | | | | mean they looked at available shops or did one or |
| 1). Some very loud and vocal few have been | | | | two shops, and then quit. That's like working one |
| burned by Mystery Shopping. | | | | day at McDonalds, quitting, and then telling people |
| There are some crappy companies out there | | | | "Yes, I had a career in the Food Management |
| who stiff Mystery Shoppers and don't pay them, | | | | industry." Just like with any other field, it takes |
| even though they performed their shop as | | | | time to build up networks of people, trusting work |
| agreed. That's just bad business. Also, there are | | | | relationships, and repeat business. The longer you |
| some companies that charge for you to become | | | | do Mystery Shopping, the more profitable it gets, |
| a mystery shopper. You never need to pay to be | | | | because companies need trustworthy, reliable |
| a Mystery Shopper. Both of these examples are | | | | people who will stick around, amidst a sea of flaky |
| the minority. But, still, with a few rotten apples | | | | one-timers. |
| out there, it's easy to see how the whole bunch | | | | I'd like to see any other part-time job be called a |
| can get the reputation of being spoiled. | | | | scam, just because one employer among |
| However, to someone who is knowledgeable and | | | | thousands is a crook or because it takes some |
| persistent, you can studiously avoid any | | | | hard work, and it takes time to develop. Every |
| companies who want to charge for the privilege | | | | job in the world would be a scam, I think. But, as |
| of Mystery Shopping. And, for those companies | | | | I said, no skin off my nose. More opportunities for |
| that don't pay, they can't last long, because no | | | | me! |