Mystery shopping can feel like an incredibly isolated job. In other jobs, you can talk with co-workers about on-the-job challenges and grievances. You can talk to workers at competing companies about benefits and pay to see if it’s time to jump ship and switch companies. You can gain new insight into you industry, job tips, and so much more. As a mystery shopper, however, you have little means to talk with co-workers and other industry professionals because you essentially work on your own out of your house. How can you get more insight into the industry and get tips to help your job performance as a mystery shopper? The answer lies in using online mystery shopping forums.
Job Strategies. As a mystery shopper, each assignment presents new challenges and you face many situations that you have never encountered before. When you take time to read the posts other mystery shoppers have made on the forums, you will have an excellent background into the industry. You don’t have to experience have challenge for yourself to know how to handle it. When you visit the forums, you can learn from others’ experiences as well as the advice others share so that you are more well-prepared to handle any situation that crops up.
Insider Knowledge About Providers. Every mystery shopper learns very quickly that not all mystery shoppers are the same. Some will pay higher amounts for assignments and will pay promptly, while others are a bit less generous on the pay and are slower to pay. Some are easy to deal with and have shorter reports. Others are simply unbearable to work with. The online forums are filled with mystery shoppers talking about providers. You can pick up some great insight in terms of which providers are better for you to work with and which ones you just pass by.
Expert Tips. There are a handful of mystery shoppers who have been mystery shopping for years, and even decades. These mystery shoppers are largely very helpful and provide valuable advice on all sorts of topics. They are essentially your experts in the field. If you have a problem that has come up that you simply don’t know how to handle, you just need to post a message online, and one of these industry experts will provide you with their expert advice very quickly.
Up-to-the-Minute Scam Information. As soon as mystery shoppers even suspect they may have been targeted in a scam, many will post their experiences online. Some will make their post to warn other mystery shoppers, and others will ask if their experience is actually a scam. Either way, as you read these posts, you will get current information on any possible scams that are targeting mystery shoppers, which gives you the knowledge you need to be vigilant and protect yourself from falling victim to these scams.
Most mystery shoppers don’t have time to check the online forums every day. However, because of the vast amount of information available to mystery shoppers on these forums, you should make visiting forums a regular part of your job duties and visit them several times each week to stay current on changes in the industry.