Issue Eleven

Ritter Associates

Company Overview: Some mystery shopping companies regularly post assignments at offensively low fees and reimbursements, yet incredibly, they have a loyal following of shoppers. Ritter Associates is one of those companies. They’ve been in this industry since 1974, so they are well aware of the usual payment rates offered by other MSCs. They also have…

Associate Consumer Evaluations

Company Overview: Sometimes there seems to be a disconnect between what shoppers are asked to do while on an on-site visit and what is truly feasible and realistic. One mystery shopping company that “gets it” is Associate Consumer Evaluations. The founders of this company, Tiffany Steward and Julie Simbo, were inspired to create a business…

Electronics Assignments: Gadgets, Tools, and Toys

Overview: Shoppers that are interested in looking at and learning about what kind of new techno toys are out there on the market will want to check out this assignment. There is a bewildering array of desktop computers, laptops, e-readers, video games, tablets, and mp3 players available. It seems like every month there are new…

The Adventures of a Mystery Shopper

Entering the restaurant I was pleasant greeted by a waitress who tried to ignore my somewhat disheveled appearance. It wasn’t every day that a customer appears to have lost a battle with a wayward box of talcum powder. I was shown to my seat and placed my drink order, wishing ardently that they served something…

FAQ: How To Keep Your Aliases Straight

There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….

Letter From the Editor

Welcome to Issue Eleven of Mystery Shopper Magazine. If this issue proves anything, it proves the value of the mystery shopping community. Why? Because the issues we bring up are first brought to our attention by mystery shoppers who are active in the community. In fact, the contents of this magazine are largely based on…