As shoppers, we are always on the look-out for great mystery shopping companies. I have worked with a few of these companies below and I can attest to the fact that they are great companies, paying in a reasonable amount of time, with excellent schedulers. While I have not worked with all these companies, my…
Sometimes mystery shoppers are just plain obvious. And it is not their fault. The assignments they are given simply scream out the fact that they are a mystery shopper. The following is a list of 10 such assignments. It is the final list in our series of assignments that scream “mystery shopper”. Part 1. Part…
This week, we talk about 5 new mystery shopping companies. You may already be a part of most or all of them. Some of you might not know much about a particular one listed here. Hopefully, this article will shed some light on some of the facts about each mystery shopping company. Remember, the…
This week, we talk about some popular and some lesser known mystery shopping companies. A few of these companies you will recognize and a few you might not be signed up with yet. As we talked about before, sign up with as many MSC’s as you can! This will help you to have diversity with…
We’ve all had shops that made us question our sanity for taking them because of the “undeniably-obvious -you- must-be-a-mystery-shopper-factor.” As a followup to our recent article, 10 Assignments that Scream “Mystery Shopper,” here are 10 more assignments that drive shoppers bonkers. 1) You give a fake name as instructed.. You did exactly as they told…
About Face Consulting Corporation is a long time member of the BBB and has an A+ Rating with the BBB. They are also a member of the MSPA and considered trusted and well respected in the industry. They have shops in all 50 states and Canada. They also have shops in Puerto Rico, South America,…
Cirrus Marketing Intelligence began in 1993, over 23 years ago in Anaheim, California. Cirrus is a long time member of MSPA and is “one among an elite group of companies that consistently demonstrates the highest level of professional standards,” according to their web site. They have between 80,000-100,000 mystery shoppers and have completed over 1.7…
Sinclair Customer Metrics (SCM) has been in business since 1987 and is based out of San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Robert O. Sinclair, is the President and Founder of this successful company and has been for over 31 years. (Some of my research takes me back to 1976, not sure if it was the ground-breaking and…
Reality Based Group (RBG) has been in business since 1992 and is the world’s leader in video mystery shopping. Based out of Austin, Texas, RBG is one of the four founding members of the MSPA. RBG reaches out internationally as one of the historically influential players in mystery shopping. RBG started originally as GAMEFILM, the…
Founded in 1974, by Stanley Hart, President and Owner, this thriving company has been around for 42 years. Based out of Maumee, Ohio, this company originally was called Ritter and Associates. Mr. Hart runs the helm of this successful business and puts great effort into this company, to make it successful and a shopper favorite….
There are so many mystery shopping companies to choose from. As a new shopper, many of the companies can seem overwhelming at first. I always advise to sign up with about 3-5 companies a week. Give that company time to digest in your system, keep an eye on emails and thoroughly read what they require…
There are always new and exciting shops offered by some great mystery shopping companies. Some of our shoppers have never heard of a few of these companies and we try to introduce some lesser known mystery shopping companies. Many shoppers will recognize these mystery shopping companies, but in case you have not signed up with…
Shoppers certainly have many choices of mystery shopping companies to choose from. Some shoppers only want to shop mystery shopping companies where the word “bonus” is common. Some shoppers want easy, fast reporting and some shoppers want intricately detailed “high-paying” shops and the “easy” shops don’t fit in their lifestyle. Below we have 5 companies…
We’ve all had shops that made us question our sanity for taking them because of the “undeniably-obvious -you- must-be-a-mystery-shopper-factor.” If clients could rotate the questions and we did not have to ask for strange requests in hotels, our risk factor at being spotted as a mystery shopper might likely decrease. Here are a list of…
As a follow up to our recent post, 13 assignments that shoppers love to hate, here is a list of 12 more shops that many shoppers avoid like the plague. Oddly, some shoppers love these assignments. It goes to show, mystery shoppers are a very diverse group of people. Are these shops on your 10-fooot-pole…
New mystery shoppers often wonder which mystery shopping companies to register with. Some mystery shoppers like simple, quick, short-reporting shops and some shoppers like more intricate detailed shops. In this fast growing industry, we have highly detailed video shops listed below to more simple shops that might require little narrative. Each is unique in their…
You hear a lot about mystery shopping schedulers and editors who work quietly behind the scenes in the background, tirelessly posting new assignments at all hours, answering emails long after they have gone home, making sure to get projects up on the board, juggling emails, phone calls, dealing with thousands of shoppers daily (calls and…
There are some “nightmare” mystery shopping assignments that most shoppers avoid like the plague. The Swedish Furniture Store shops are the classic example. Many shoppers hate doing Purchase and Return Shops. Oddly, these assignments continue to exist. Which means some shoppers don’t hate them after all. Here is a list of 13 undesirable shopping assignments….
Mystery shoppers should always be on the look out for new companies with good opportunities. The more companies you register with, the more opportunities you’ll have. Here are five companies with jobs available for shoppers. They cover a very wide range of industries and regions. Most shoppers are probably signed up with one of these…
From breaking ankles to buildings literally falling apart, mystery shoppers sure have some stories to tell! Shootouts and stolen pizzas, a frightening experience with a cold, a dead body found in the bushes. Here are some of Mystery Shop Forum’s member’s own stories of a “not-so-typical-day” with mystery shopping. 1. “Silence is Golden” by WillShopForFood….
Eeek! It’s never fun to screw up an assignment. But, it is always fun to get paid for good work. That’s why I wrote this article, to help shoppers have more fun by avoiding the common errors. For new shoppers, some of these might be rather surprising. Forgetting to check the restroom. Many times the…
As mystery shoppers, we all make mistakes. Hopefully we can minimize those mistakes and learn from them. These are a few of the mistakes that shoppers commonly make. Hopefully this list will help my fellow shoppers succeed in their future endeavors. Forgetting to Check the Restroom. Many times the restroom is required to be checked…
Most mystery shoppers were not born as mystery shoppers. It took them practice and perseverance to get it right, so it was smooth and professional. We often wish someone would have “told us” what to DO and what NOT to DO when we first started out. But we learned the hard way. Hopefully what we…
What makes a great shopping assignment? What excites most shoppers when they see a plum assignment on the boards? Airport Shops? Casino Shops? What gets the shoppers blood pumping? Here are 10 mystery shopping assignments that shoppers love. Do you agree or disagree with this list? How many of these assignments have you completed? Read…
We all have our pet peeves in mystery shopping. Things that make the job harder, more exasperating, and leave a bundle of nerves because something has happened on the shop and we need HELP! Below are the top offenders that make mystery shoppers scratch their heads in wonderment… “URGENT! We are desperate and we need…
What makes a great shopping assignment? What excites most shoppers when they see a plum assignment on the boards? Airport Shops? Casino Shops? What gets the shoppers blood pumping? Here are a list of the Top 10 mystery shopping assignments that shoppers love. Cruise Shops: A dream come true for most shoppers! They are hard…
What makes a great mystery shopping company? Some say the good pay, while others care about the “easy” aspect of the shop. Some cringe at the complexity and difficulty level of the shop. The more difficult the shop, the higher the expected pay. Some shoppers care about the schedulers. They want good communication and good…
Overview: About Face Mystery Shopping Company was created about 18 years ago by Founder and CEO Paige Hall, in Granville, Georgia. Previously, she was known for developing a famous Deli Meat and Cheese Purveyor’s first mystery shopping program. She has received 39 industry awards and numerous “Mystery Shopping Leader Industry Awards” for the past 5…
Overview: Customer Service Experts (CSE) began 21 years ago in 1994, located in Annapolis, Maryland. Lisa D’ Andrea is the President and CEO of this company and one of the most efficient and client friendly mystery shopping companies in the industry. This company’s prime focus is the airport concession shops. They are also known widely…
Overview: Ace Mystery Shopping began in 2001 with creators Julie Simbro and Tiffany Stewart. Julie and her husband recently purchased Ace shares and she now holds the title of President, CEO/COO. Ace works with many Fortune 500 companies and are well known in the industry. Ace is short for: Associate Consumer Evaluations. Ace has shops…
Overview: Ann Michaels & Associates began in 1998 in Naperville, Illinois. Because of the way shops were (reported) back then by paper forms, the reporting was slow at first. All reports had to be mailed back to the company and then sent on to the client. Automation of reports picked up in 2004 and the…
Overview: Quality Assessments Mystery Shopping Company (QAMS) has been in business since 1984 and prides itself on a “consistent premier experience” for each of it’s clients. They are MSPA Members and also WBENC Certified (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) for Women Owned Businesses. They have clients in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. They…
Overview: Customer Impact was founded by Mark Green, Scott Hiller and Clay Torro in 2008. Previously, the Trio had worked/and Founded Speedmark Information Services Inc. In 2008, Market Force purchased Speedmark Inc. The Trio of Green, Hiller and Torro, then developed Customer Impact in 2008. The Trio stayed in close touch with Market Force, until…
Overview: Jancyn Mystery Shopping Company (Jancyn Inc.) has been in business for 35 years, founded in 1980. Based in San Jose, California, this company has clients and shops located in all 50 states in the U.S. and Canada. Shoppers are known as “Service Assessors” and are considered part of the “Customer Experience Program.” There are…
Overview: In 1991, in Madison, Wisconsin, Beyond Hello was created by Gary Godding and Christopher Warzynski, who both, 23 years ago, dreamed up an idea that would help improve businesses. This concentrated around helping improve the customer experience for their future clients. They would do this by creating a dynamic mystery shopping company. Beyond Hello…
Overview: Confero was created in 1986 and has since grown, and covers assignments in the 50 U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, Europe, Puerto Rico, Guam and Japan. They have over 130,000 shoppers. Currently Elaine Buxton serves as President. The total leadership combined offers 55 years of combined experience. Confero also works with Nevada for conducting mystery…
Overview: TrendSource was co-founded by Rodney Moll, in 1989, over 25 years ago. The business moved to San Diego, California, where Mr. Moll retained the titles of Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO, President and Executive Chairman of the Board. After further research, James Caltrider is currenly/ presently named President and CEO. My facts show the company incorporated…
Overview: Second-to-None Mystery Shopping has been in business for over 25 years. Founded by Jeff Hall in 1989 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Second-to-None (STN) serves clients that have from 50 to 5,000 business locations (each), from across the United States and Canada. STN focuses on customer experience solutions, along with data and analytics with timely…
Overview: Since quite a few mystery shops can include auditing as part of the assignment, either covert or revealed, I think it’s important to review auditing, either by itself or combined with a mystery shop, as a major part of the mystery shopping industry. Project Variations: There are many kinds of audits: vitamin store audits,…
Overview: Movie theater assignments can be pretty fun and somewhat time consuming. They are assignments where you go into a movie theater and evaluate the associates, concessions, pop signs, patron counts, standees, movie posters and cleanliness. In some cases, you take pictures of extreme issues, such as: overly greasy foods, damage to the following: standees,…
Overview: Quest for Best Mystery Shopping Company began over 20 years ago in Memphis, Tennessee, as a small family owned business but has since grown quite large, and covers the service to many clients in 50 states. Since 1990, Quest for Best has provided mystery shopping that covers a wide range of services. Project Variations:…
Companies that shop furniture stores: Some of the mystery shopping companies that do furniture shops: Bare, Customer Impact, Reality Based Group, Shoppers View and Service Check. The Pay: For those interested in furniture shops, the pay always seems to have a bonus attached. The base pay is usually $10 with a $5 to $10 bonus….
Overview: Service Sleuth (HS Brands) was created by Tom Mills (CEO) in 2005, when he bought out a former partner and created HS Brands, along with Mike Mershimer (Pres./COO). HS Brands consists of Service Sleuth (Mystery Shopping) and Mershimer Group (Loss Prevention.) HS Brands is one of the few mystery shopping companies licensed to perform…
Overview: J.M. Ridgway has been around 91 years, since 1924. During my research, I found it amazing that this company has been around for that many years. I had no idea Mystery Shopping even existed 91 years ago! Interestingly enough, besides being the oldest, continually active mystery shopping company in existence, they also perform loss…
You finally did it! You accepted your first McDonald’s shop. You wonder what happens now? Will you perform it smoothly like all the “other shoppers” with 100’s and 100’s of McD’s shops under their belts? What should you wear? A dark hat, glasses, a blond wig, a not-so-obvious plain looking shirt, so you won’t be…
Overview: According to my research, ICCDS has been in business since 1999 and then recently changed their name to North Fork Research. They are located in Wichita Falls, Texas. The schedulers that work for North Fork are called North Fork Field Coordinators. Project Variations: North Fork Research does many types of shops. There are Sports-Wear…
Overview: Fast Casual restaurants came on the scene in the mid 1990’s and mainstreamed into popularity around 2008-2010. The difference in Fast Food to Fast Casuals-Fast Casuals do not offer full-table service like Olive Garden or Applebee’s. The service is limited to self-service fair and “most” do not have a Drive-Thru. The Fast Casuals promise…
Market Force is one of the largest mystery shopping companies in the world. They came to prominence last decade after purchasing several mystery shopping companies, and making quick inroads into the industry. Market Force considers mystery shopping “Market Research” and pay shoppers as an independent contractors. You are paid to visit and interact with the…
Back in 1993 my son and I were driving to school and that’s the last thing I remember that day. I “woke up” at 4 p.m. and noticed a hospital bracelet on my right arm and sensed something had happened. I was in my own bed, so I was perplexed as to why I had…
One of the most important questions that any mystery shopper will ask is this: When do I get paid? Some mystery shopping companies take a lot of time to pay, while others pay very quickly. Some mystery shoppers need to get paid right away, while other shoppers don’t mind waiting a few months for their…
I first joined BDS Marketing in 2011. This mystery shopping company had a unique reporting system, different than anything I had ever used before. It was called the “Kars System.” It was a little challenging to get used to but eventually it became easier for me over time. The shop pay for BDS assignments was…
Company Overview Ath Power Consulting is the top mystery shop provider for the financial services industry. The company is based in based in Andover Massachusetts. They were established in 1997 and specialize in helping clients build brand loyalty and customer retention. They pride themselves in their large database of reliable shoppers. The Better Business Bureau…
When I moved to Las Vegas I found out that mystery shopping was much different in the state of Nevada than anywhere else in the U.S. I learned right away that you must be an employee of a licensed private investigative firm. I looked in the phone book and found QSI Specialists. I gave them…
Throughout my 4 1/2 years mystery shopping, I have had some funny and strange and wonderful experiences. Today, I would like to share some of them with you. Enjoy! Most Humbling: I had just visited a famous fast food restaurant drive-thru and I had a bag of food on the seat. I was driving down…
I had to make a career change due to an injury and started out doing Demos. Back then, being under-employed, NCIM gave me my first chance at Demos. I excelled and ending up joining a few other Demo Companies. I did quite well and grabbed every opportunity. While I was searching for Demo Companies, I…