Mystery shopping consists of getting paid to go into a business (eg a shop or restaurant), without the employees knowing that you are anything other than an ordinary shopper, and reporting back to the mystery shopping company. A focus group is when you get paid to sit down with other people who are also getting paid and discuss new products or services, many focus groups are actually held online, so you don’t even have to leave home for carry out the assignment.

The reason mystery shopping companies and survey companies exist is to provide companies with impartial feedback on their employees, products and services. That way they can see where there might be problems and make the necessary changes to improve things.

Mystery shopping companies will pay you to shop, eat at restaurants, have a drink at a bar, visit the cinema, take a trip and take part in focus groups. If you are sent out to do mystery shopping, you might be required to visit a particular shop and just make enquiries about an article to test the staff’s customer service level but, if you are instructed to make a purchase, you are allowed to keep the articles and will be reimbursed for the cost. If you are sent to do mystery shopping at a restaurant or bar, you will be given a budget figure to spend on your food and drink and that money will be reimbursed to you by the mystery shopping company on top of your fee for the assignment. You might be asked to sample new products and these items will be sent to you free of charge. As part of your mystery shopping, you might find yourself receiving free samples to test of anything from detergent to chocolate. (This can also happen if you join survey companies.)

Mystery shopping jobs are obviously easier to find if you live in or near a fair sized town where there are a large number of shops, restaurants etc but, if you live in a rural area, you can still earn money taking part in online focus groups which can be found through online paid survey companies.

After you do a mystery shopping assignment you answer some questions on a form provided by the mystery shopping company and file your report with them. These reports are usually set up as a series of questions with a box for you to add any relevant details the company might request. The reports can usually be completed very quickly and it is best to complete your report straight after you finish your mystery shopping so that you don’t forget any detail. Some mystery shopping companies require you to report to them by phone immediately after you have completed the mystery shopping assignment but, generally, the companies expect you to submit a written report by post or email.

The way to approach mystery shopping is to remember that basically you are like a reporter. You must never add your feelings or recommendations to a mystery shopping report. Your job is to just answer the questions, report the facts and describe what actually happened during your mystery shopping expedition.

If you accept a mystery shopping assignment but then are unable to complete it, make sure you immediately notify the mystery shopping company so that they can make alternative arrangements to avoid letting down their client.

When you start doing mystery shopping, make sure you accept all suitable assignments including last minute jobs and any less than glamorous assignments you might be offered. The top class assignments will be offered to reliable mystery shoppers so you will need to prove yourself and build up a good reputation by making a good job of the lower quality assignments and getting your report in on time. At the start, you might find yourself being asked to do mystery shopping a the local fast food outlet or department store. Once you build up a reputation as a reliable mystery shopper, you can look forward to assignments where you are paid to visit expensive restaurants and designer shops. You might even be lucky enough to get a free trip and hotel accommodation as a mystery shopper.

Always keep in mind that, although mystery shopping is a fun and easy way for your to make extra money, it is a business and you need to behave in a businesslike manner when carrying out your mystery shopping assignments and reporting the results to the mystery shopping company. Your mystery shopping reports will be helping to shape the future of the businesses you visit and you have the chance to make a positive impact on decisions relating to improvements to services and facilities which will be of benefit to you.

You can run this special event for just one day, or for an entire week. You can also include your website in your Early Holiday Shopping Event, so that any purchases made on your site during that time are also elegible for whatever specials you’re offering.

Send all of your customers a warmly welcoming email or postcard with a photo of your newest jewelry collection, inviting them to attend this special pre-holiday event. Encourage them to bring their friends.

Your invitations can emphasize how your customers will benefit by taking advantage of this special shopping event. For example, you can mention:

- How nice it will be to have their shopping list taken care of early, and be able to enjoy a stress-free holiday season.

- What a great opportunity this is to avoid the holiday crowds and traffic.

- That, in addition to a huge selection of new jewelry styles, you also have some special stocking-stuffers and gifts for teachers, babysitters, co-workers, and Secret Santa exchanges to take care of all their gift-giving needs.

- That there will be a mystery jewelry door-prize, and a gift such as free earrings for anyone who brings a guest to your Early Holiday Shopping Event.

And so on.

At the bottom of the invitation, list all of your upcoming shows for anyone who can’t attend your earlybird event or who wants to shop again later in the season.

Also mention that you have a special prize for all hostesses who hold a jewelry home party between July and December in their own homes.

For you, the benefits of holding an early holiday shopping show are:

1) You’ll make some good sales during one of your slower times of the year.

2) Your holiday sales and custom orders will be spread out a little more so your business won’t be so hectic in November and December.

3) You’re likely to sell additional jewelry to these customers in a few months because many of your earlybird shoppers will come back and shop at your Fall shows anyway.

4) You’ll gain some new customers (the guests your regular customers bring with them) just in time for you to solve their holiday shopping needs.

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