If you are like most mystery shoppers, you tend to stick to the same type of mystery shopping assignments every week. Most new mystery shoppers will start out working on traditional assignments like those at retail stores, and then they may branch out to try grocery stores and specialty stores. It may take some mystery shopper just a few weeks to get even more adventurous while it may take others several months or years, but eventually you may want to check out a bank assignment to see what these are all about. Before you hop on the job boards and sign up for one, though, there are some things you will want to keep in mind.
Teller Assignments. Some bank assignments simply have you going through a teller line and checking out the bank teller’s customer service and speed. These assignments may be indoors in the lobby or you may have to drive through the motor bank section outdoors. The assignment generally will give you some idea about what service you may need to ask for, and these may include cashing a check, getting a cashier’s check, or making a deposit. Some assignments may require you to be an account holder at the bank, so you will want to ensure that you have met this requirement before you sign up.
Representative Assignments. Other assignments may have you sit down with a bank representative for a more in depth service. Some of these assignments will have you call ahead and request an appointment with a specific person, and others simply ask you to walk in unannounced. Some of these assignments may be for existing account holders, and others may require you to open a new account. Some may require you to apply for a loan or credit card, and this often involves your credit being pulled. Before you sign up for one of these assignments, you will want to know what is involved and ensure you are OK with the requirements. For instance, to open a new account, you may need to make an initial deposit of $100 or some similar amount.
Commensurate Pay. As you can see, some of these bank assignments are far more in depth than other assignments, and the compensation you receive will be reflective of not just your own time and effort required but also of any personal information you need to provide such as by opening a new credit card or bank account. Keep in mind that after you do open these accounts, if required, you are free to immediately close them afterward if you desire. However, things like pulling your credit report cannot be undone, and sometimes if your credit report is pulled too frequently, your scores can drop a bit.
Some mystery shoppers enjoy bank assignments because they often pay very well, and others find that they don’t want to mess with the hassle of having to close a savings account or cancel a credit card after the fact. Some mystery shoppers enjoy interacting more personally with a specific person such as with a thirty minute appointment with a bank representative versus being just another face in a long line of customers at a grocery store checkout counter. Either way, now you know what you need to in order to make an informed decision about whether these are assignments you want to tackle.