If you haven’t visited the mystery shopping industry’s online forums, you are missing out on a value tool. Mystery shopping is a unique job, essentially throwing you right into the job with little to no training. As every mystery shopper knows, there are so many issues and challenges that can pop up during a site visit and later while you are completing your report or after that even a little experience can take you a long way in this business.
While there is no way to get the experience of being a mystery shopper without being in the field, you can learn from other mystery shoppers’ experiences on the industry’s online forums.
The Best Providers In Your Area. It can be difficult to find out who the best mystery shopping companies in your area are without trying them out. But smart mystery shoppers know that there is a short cut to getting the inside scoop on providers. When you spend some time exploring the many conversations underway on the online forums, you can gather a great deal of information about the various providers, including who pays fast or slow, who is difficult to work with, who has the best jobs in your area, and more. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, don’t be shy. Start your own thread of the forum to get the information you need to succeed.
On-Site Experience. Every mystery shopping assignment is unique, and each has its own challenges. Seasoned mystery shoppers have the ability to pull on their experiences on past assignments to guide them through issues that arise on new assignments. The current issues may not be the same as past challenges, but likely there is enough knowledge base to guide them through the situation at hand. Other mystery shoppers can use their head to figure out the best course of action with fast, on-the-spot thinking as challenges present themselves. However, if you visit the mystery shopping forums regularly, you will carry with you the experiences of other mystery shoppers. With this experience in the back of your mind, you can better equip yourself to tackle any challenges head-on. And along with this, you will have a sense of confidence that will allow you to perform your site visit with ease.
When Other Problems Arise. Challenges in mystery shopping don’t just happen during the site visits. You can run into issues with scheduling, with your provider after you submit the report, with the report itself, and so on. When these types of challenges arise and you don’t know how you should act, the online forums are the perfect place to turn. Simply post your challenge online and wait for your fellow mystery shoppers to offer you their valuable insight and advice. Likely, you will find that other mystery shoppers have been in the same situation and are happily able to provide you with incredibly valuable insight.
From giving you help on the current mystery shopping challenges you face to giving you an inside look at other mystery shopper’s experiences that you can draw from later, the online forums are a valuable part of mystery shopping!