There are many benefits that you can enjoy as a mystery shopper. The job offers reasonable income and a flexible work schedule. There is no commitment to work a certain number of hours, nor are your work hours limited. If you need to work more one month and less the following month, you can do so by simply requesting more or fewer assignments. Along with these and a host of other benefits, mystery shoppers often enjoy the fact that they can bring their friends and family members along on site visits with them. While a handful of assignments clearly state that the mystery shopper must perform the work on his or her own, most will allow you to bring a friend, the kids, a spouse or someone else along with you. The question, however, is if you should bring them along or work solo.
Your Ability to Concentrate
One of the biggest factors to consider when making the decision to bring someone else along is if you will be able to concentrate on the assignment at hand. Having kids, your spouse or your best friend along with you can be fun, but they inevitably will want to talk to you, and you will want to talk to them. Further, you may catch the eye of a salesperson if you are walking through the store telling the person you are with to be quiet because you are trying to work. With this in mind, you should consider your ability to concentrate with someone else in tow, and more importantly, you should consider how each individual person you may shop with may affect your ability to concentrate. Some people may be easier for you to work with than others.
Keeping a Secret
Another thing to consider is if the person or people you are mystery shopping with will be able to keep your secret for you. Not only should they be able to hold their tongue and not blurt out your big secret on-site but they should also be able to avoid looking suspicious. After all, if they walk through the store acting suspicious in their effort to keep your mission on the down-low, they may end up drawing attention to you through their efforts.
The Companionship
The fact is that not every one of your friends or even your family members will be a great mystery shopping companion to take along with you. Some simply will not allow you to concentrate or will not be able to avoid drawing attention to you. However, if you happen to know of a great friend or close family member who wouldn’t mind coming along with you while you work and who will be happy to spend time with you while your attention is divided between them and your assignment, mystery shopping with a companion can add a fun element to the assignment. Plus, if you happen to forget a key detail, you can always call your phone up later while you are writing the report and see if he or she recalls the detail!
There are benefits associated with mystery shopping with a friend or family member, but there are drawbacks, too. Take time to consider each person who you may bring along with you on an individual basis before deciding if you should or should not shop with a companion.