All mystery shopping assignments are not created equal. Some assignments are located right around the corner from you while others are a 20 minute drive away. Some assignments will compensate you for a required purchase on groceries or other necessities while others will compensate you on a required purchase of a knick knack or other unwanted item. And even other assignments will pay you a nice wage for easy requirements and an easier report, while others pay you the equivalent of peanuts for hours and hours of your time.
You only need to be a mystery shopper for just a few days before you figure this out, and it only stands to reason that you would want to choose the best assignments possible. You want to make the most money for the least effort, and you want to work for a provider who you trust will pay you time and as agreed. After all, it does you little good to work on an easy assignment and then not see the payment for it for three months.
So Which Providers Are Good to Work For? If you are new to mystery shopping and are trying to build up a great set of providers to work for, the online forums are an excellent source of information. Simply post a question and wait a short time for dozens of your mystery shopping “co-workers” to respond to you. Even if you have been mystery shopping for awhile and you aren’t happy with your mix of providers, you can shake things up a bit by finding some better providers who offer better assignments and better pay.
Know What To Look For. Ensuring that you are working with great providers is only half the battle in finding the best jobs. Next, you want to scour the job boards in search of plum assignments. Read each assignment carefully and try to analyze how much travel time is involved, what items you can buy with the required purchase (would the item be a necessity for you or a frivolous purchase), what is the total compensation, and do you need to return to the job site a second time for a return?
Many people pass over certain assignments without giving them a second thought because they are at undesirable locations. However, you may want to give such assignments a second glance. Keep in mind that you can write off travel mileage for business purposes on your tax returns. Also, if nobody else is requesting a specific assignment, you may be able to get bonus pay just for the asking.
Read the Forums. You can get a great deal of very valuable information from the online mystery shopping forums. You have to be a regular reader of the posts to get the best information. However, many mystery shoppers will often ask what your favorite assignment was, what your highest paying assignment was, which provider you will never work for again, and so forth. While these questions are likely posted to spark up some interesting conversation between mystery shoppers, there is some valuable information in such posts that is there for the taking. All you need to do is read, and ask a few questions if a certain response piques your interest!
Picking good assignments in the mystery shopping world can really make or break your monthly income, so you really want to make an effort to pick the best assignments possible each and every time. Use these tips to ensure you are working on top assignments!