Article written by Integrity Consultants CEO Kelly Truelove answering the question, "Is Mystery Shopping A Real Job?" Integrity Consultants is a Mystery Shopping and Market Research Service Provider; Member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), National Association for Retail Marketing Services (NARMS), and International Association of Service Evaluators (IASE). Please visit Integrity Consultants on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/integrity.consultants and Market Research Pros at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/MarketResearchPros/ for available jobs, informative articles, discussion and networking with mystery shoppers, service providers, and other industry professionals. Visit Integrity Consultants online at: www.integrityconsultants.us and on Twitter @IntegrityConMRP or LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ktrueloveintegrityconsultants and http://www.linkedin.com/company/integrity-consultants

1. Is Mystery Shopping A Real Job?
There are many advantages to being a Mystery Shopper and working as an Independent
Contractor, like having the ability to choose the companies you work with as well as the
type and number of jobs that you accept.
A certain amount of autonomy comes from working as an Independent Contractor.
There's no time clock to punch, and there's no supervisor standing over your shoulder.
You don't have to drive to an office to work, and there is a certain amount of control and
flexibility regarding how and when you work.
Mystery Shopping is a terrific way to supplement your income; it's purposeful, and
Mystery Shoppers do make a difference to customer service and many other areas of
business. However, Mystery Shopping is also a great responsibility. There are schedules
to keep, reports to write, and deadlines that can't be missed. It's also true that the job is
not finished just because the report has been submitted. Mystery Shoppers must remain
available for at least 24-72 hours following an assignment, and as outlined in the
guidelines for the shop, in order for clarification or information to be obtained when
necessary.
The shopper is in essence a reporter, observing and reporting measurable data that
business owners can utilize to evaluate where their businesses are today and project
where they will go tomorrow. Mystery Shopping reports can be used to evaluate
customer and employee satisfaction, quality, issues related to loss prevention and
compliance, and even the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Changes to Standard
Operating Procedures (SOP), personnel, and even locations are made with the assistance
of Mystery Shopping reports. Training and reward programs are also developed or
updated with the information provided by Mystery Shoppers.
These detailed reports are extremely important to a client for a number of reasons, and
they should be written with the highest of integrity and accuracy. For the most part, this
means that only factual statements should be included in reports. Only in certain
instances will a shopper's opinion be asked for.
There's a great deal of responsibility involved in Mystery Shopping, a responsibility to be
accurate, a responsibility to be professional at all times, a responsibility to remain
anonymous, and a responsibility to protect the integrity of the report. There's a
responsibility to maintain client confidentiality and also a responsibility to refrain from
accepting assignments for which you cannot remain unbiased. That means that Mystery
Shoppers should not accept assignments on behalf of clients for which the shopper or an
immediate family member may have been an employee, and it also means that shoppers
should not accept assignments on behalf of clients for which they may have a
preconceived notion or opinion.
Accuracy and objectivity are imperative; shoppers should not guess or approximate
unless specifically asked to do so. When reporting, it's important to respond to yes and no
questions accurately and not "give the benefit of the doubt" or answer positively just
because the employee may have been nice.

2. It's not always easy or fun to be a Mystery Shopper. When you understand the
importance of the industry and the gravity of these reports, you begin to comprehend the
many ways that Mystery Shopping may effect businesses and their employees and come
to the realization that Mystery Shopping is indeed a "real job."
Kelly Truelove, CEO
Integrity Consultants
http://www.integrityconsultants.us