So many mystery shoppers gripe and complain about how much trouble they have with their schedulers and providers. For some mystery shoppers, this truly is just lip service. For others, however, there are some considerable and very real problems going on in that business relationship. As a mystery shopper, you have a few options to consider. You absolutely have the option to call that relationship quits at any given time. You are, after all, a contract worker, and you can pick and choose who you want to work with and when. The only obligations you have are to work on the assignments you have already signed up for. After that, you are free to terminate ties with that provider at any time.
If you continue to work with the provider, however, you will absolutely want to do your best to try to improve your relationship with your schedule. They, after all, have the ability to adjust your shopper rating, as well as pick and choose which assignments you can get your hands on. What this means for you is that they have the ability to control your income available, at least through that particular provider. So how exactly do you improve your relationship with a schedule? Here are some ideas:
Help Out. If you are already on what you think is thin ice with a scheduler, or even if you aren’t, you can definitely earn some brownie points by offering to go the extra mile and help a scheduler out from time to time. You know when a scheduler needs some extra help because you will get emails and likely even a few phone calls from time to time asking you to pick up a dud assignment. Now, it may not be cost-effective for you to take on the assignment they are asking you to do, but sometimes you have to look at an assignment as a stepping stone in your career as a mystery shopper. There certainly aren’t any guarantees, but you should know that if you do a few extra assignments like this and go the extra mile, you can bet that you will be viewed more highly and remembered for those peach assignments when the time comes around.
A Thorn. Obviously you have some considerable opportunities to be a real gem for your providers and schedulers, but likewise you have the ability to be a thorn. Everyone has those people in their lives who just wear them down with negativity, constant complaining, and more. You should take a good hard look at yourself and make sure that you are not a thorn for your providers. Are your reports typically on-time and error-free, or does your scheduler have to constantly ride you about your work? Do you email your scheduler constantly about slow payments, asking for more money on every assignment you request, and other such issues? Or are you a roll-with-the-punches, easy-going type of mystery shopper? Make sure that you are the type of mystery shopper they want to work with. If by chance the scheduler or provider are too difficult themselves for you to happily work with, this may be a sign that you need to cease that relationship and move on before you end up looking like the bad guy..
As you can see, you have a lot of control over your mystery shopping job. It starts with who you choose to work with and what kind of behavior you are OK putting up with from your schedulers, but it ends with how you choose to nurture your relationship with your schedulers. You should know that the relationship between you and your schedulers is a two-way street, and sometimes you really do have to scratch their back if you want to receive favors and benefits in return.