What happens when I sign up?

• Mystery Customers probably ask this question the most frequently. Your contact details, bank details (we need to pay you for your jobs), and a few things about yourself will be asked. You will then take some short training exercises as well as submitting a trial survey. Our validators will grade your trial and give you advice, so you understand what is required to be a mystery shopper. This is very important we want you to understand what our standards are before you start doing jobs.

What’s required to become a Mystery Customer?

• Becoming a Mystery Customer requires no formal training. However, shoppers must have a keen eye for detail and the ability to differentiate good service from bad. Furthermore, you must have access to transport to be able to get to the venue, be contactable via telephone and have internet access.

What’s involved in a good shopper report?

• Accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation are the hallmarks of a good report. In addition, if the question’s instructions request a detailed response it must be substantial and not just a rework of the question. You must follow instructions. If you do not follow the instructions and supply appropriate responses your survey will be returned by the validators. You will then need to correct the survey. You must submit all reports within 24 hours of the visit.

What’s a “shopper grading” and why is it important?

• We independently validate all reports, and grade shoppers on several points:
• The quality of their reports
• The accuracy of their observations and comments
• Spelling and punctuation
• The timeliness of report submission
• This means all our shoppers have a “shopper grading”. As a result, the higher your grading, the more likely you are to be given the more interesting and more highly paid jobs.

What do I need to look out for on my visits?

• You must be able to clearly follow the instructions provided, remember what is said to you on your visit and be able to recall details about your experience. As our shopper, you must be able to critically and clearly communicate your experience in your reports.

How much do I get paid and when?

• Fees and other benefits vary depending on the assignment’s requirements. We will advise you on what you will receive prior to each assignment.  Remuneration may be by payment of a fee, or by reimbursement for goods and services received. E.g. reimbursement for a meal that was consumed on your assignment.  Mystery Customer will always pay /reimburse between the 10th and 12th of the month for the preceding months surveys.

Will I be working as an employee or a contractor?

• All our shoppers are engaged as contractors, never as our employees. Some of our shoppers undertake mystery shopping as a business (and provide an LTD ). However, the majority do it as a hobby. You will need to explicitly agree to this prior to any assignments being issued.  You will need to understand the difference between acting as a contractor and an employee because it has tax and insurance implications.  If you are not confident that you know what this means, we suggest you gain some independent advice.