At first glance, a mystery shopping assignment at a movie theater can seem like a pretty swanky job. You can’t really go wrong with getting a free movie and getting paid for your time to watch the movie, right? This is sometimes the case, but not true for many assignments. Before you sign up for a movie theater mystery shopping assignment, there a few things you need to know.
Yes, You Have To Watch The Trailers. Many folks like to show up fashionably late to a movie to skip the trailers and advertisements that run before the movie. The vast majority of movie theater checks, however, are actually trailer checks. Meaning, you need to take notes on which trailers are running and in what order. Typically you will be permitted to stay and watch the rest of the movie if you wish, but even this is not always the case.
Counting Heads. Often, a movie theater assignment will require you to count the number of people in the theater. The easiest way to accomplish this in an small theater is to get a seat at the very back of the theater. Then wait for the movie to start and folks to come back from buying their popcorn and snacks. If you are in a large, crowded theater, you may need to break the theater up into sections and count one section at a time to avoid losing count. Be sure to show up early to the theater to ensure you get the optimal seat for counting heads.
What Time Does It Start? It’s not uncommon for a movie theater assignment to require a mystery shopper to check the trailers of a certain movie for every single show time that movie is playing in the theater on a given day. If the movie is playing in multiple theaters, the show times may require you to basically hang around the movie theater for the entire day. So if you have other commitments, such as children or a job, be sure you have the free time to commit to this. In addition, you don’t want to draw interest from the ticket person by purchasing a ticket for each show time of the day, so some mystery shoppers have resorted to having friends and family buy tickets for them. If you go this route, make sure your support team of ticket buyers is ready and willing on the day of your assignments. Further, if the movie is playing in multiple theaters, you may not have the chance to see the whole movie if you have to run out before the end to check the trailers in another theater.
No Talking Please! Many mystery shoppers enjoy this type of assignment because there is very little interaction required with the movie theater staff, whereas most other types of assignments are fairly intensive with regards to interaction. There is really no need to concoct an elaborate cover story or play any specific role out.
Be sure to read the assignment requirements closely before you sign up to do a movie theater check. You don’t want to sign up to do an all-day job for a partial day of pay, or commit to an assignment that you don’t have time to fulfill. Yet these types of assignments can also be fun and easy if you choose the right ones. So keep your eyes open to catch the next good movie theater assignment that comes your way!