Secret Shopping…I’d heard it all before: “Sign up now and get paid for your opinion!” the advertisements would proclaim. Until that moment, I had dismissed the Secret Shopping e-mails, blog posts, and advertisements as nothing more than a scam. Now, however, I was curious. What if there was a way I could actually get paid to shop, eat, and travel?

SPOILER: There was.

Section One: An Introduction to A Closer Look

A Closer Look (www.a-closer-look.com) is an international mystery shopping companyheadquartered in Norcross, Georgia. While the company may be local, you can sign up for shops anywhere in the United States or Canada. A Closer Look recently won the 2016 Shoppers’ Choice Award through the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). This prestigious award proves that A Closer Look is a personal favorite of many shoppers throughout North America. Clients hire A Closer Look to ensure that employees and business functions meet or exceed company expectations. Clients include chains and local establishments. Any business that involves customer service can bene�t from hiring mystery shoppers.

Clients include, but are not limited to:• Restaurants/Bars/VIP Lounges • Retail Shops• Movie Theaters• Gyms• Hotels• Concerts

Secrets of a Secret Shopper

Secrets of a Secret Shopper

What to Expect as a Shopper

As a secret shopper, you are considered anindependent contractor for the mysteryshopping company. As an independent contractor, you must report your income if you make over $600. However, this is where two important terms come into play: Shopper Reimbursement and Shopper Pay. Reimbursement does not need to be reported. You are simply fronting the money and are reimbursed by the mystery shopping company for the money you put out. Shopper Pay is money paid to the shopper for completing the shop. A Closer Look allows you to view your shop history and the pay/reimbursement, which is helpful in remembering what should be included when filing your taxes. Restaurants and Bars are typically reimbursement shops with no shopper pay. Retail shops are most typically paid shops.

Read your shop instructions carefully to �nd out if you are required to make a purchase. In my experience, you are typically not asked to make a purchase...but if you do, it’s essentially covered by what you are getting paid to complete the shop! The reimbursement amount is generally enough to cover both you and a guest. The maximum reimbursement amount (including the tip) will always be listed on the shop guidelines. The guidelines will always indicate if you can perform the shop alone or if you are required to bring a guest. Whether you complete the shop on the �rst or the last day of the month, A Closer Look will issue you a check on the 4th Monday of the following month. There are very few clients that will pay you before the shop, so you should be comfortable with fronting the money of the maximum reimbursement.

The entire application process should take about 20-30 minutes. The application will consist of a brief information page, a 10-question test to test basic spelling, grammar, and math, and a brief paragraph about your most recent �ne-dining or casual-dining experience. Don’t stress about the test. You only need a 7/10 to pass. Anyone who is 18 years or older can apply to be a secret shopper, but most shops require diners to be 21 years of age or older. Look at the speci�c shop guidelines to see if you are eligible to complete the shop and to identify what age/gender your guest should be.

The number of shops and the types of shops you can sign up for are dependent on how experi-enced of a shopper you are. You are in complete control of which shops you sign up for. While the shop might specify certain days of the week it must be performed on, the shop schedulers tend to be �exible in adjusting the dates for you. There is not a minimum number of shops you must com-plete each month to be a shopper in good standing. While there have been months where I have done about 8-10 secret shopper jobs, there have been months where I have done zero. Flexibility in shop times make secret shopping with A Closer Look perfect for those who are already employed or have other daily commitments. Shops typically have a time range, re�ecting the time period the shop may begin.

Special Shopper Considerations

BONUS: If you are traveling through select airports (or have clearance to pass security in airports), you can qualify for restaurant shops in the airport. If you are a shopper between the ages of 21-29, you can often qualify for shops that others wouldn’t. Certain clients are looking for younger shoppers to perform age compliance shops (making sure that bartend-ers/servers are checking your ID). These age compliance/airport shops often include shopper reimbursement AND shopper pay.

Section Three: After the Shop After you have completed your shop, you will need to submit your report within 12 hours of the shop completion (though extenuating circumstances can be approved for an extension of that time - you will have to contact your scheduler to ask). The questionnaire can and should be viewed before you visit the shop so you know what you are looking for. You will be asked to �ll in yes/no/N/A questions and will then write a section of narrative to “tell the story” of your visit. Reports are broken into several sections. For example, a restaurant shop might include a section on the restroom, the valet, the host, the server, the timing of your food, the quality of your food, etc.

Section Four: Tips for Becoming a Better Secret Shopper

• Always read the shop guidelines and questionnaire well before you go to complete your shop. If you have questions regarding your shop, you should ALWAYS contact your scheduler for clari�cation. Shop rejections are rare, but they can happen if you don’t follow the guidelines.

• Check the available shop list frequently. After you complete a few shops, you may be eligible for new ones. Shops for the following month are typically listed around the 20th of the current month.

• Write objectively and concisely. You should report on the facts of what happened on your shop. Only give your opinion when it is asked for.

• Make sure to address all “no” answers in your report. While it may seem like common sense, the editor of your report will contact you if you don’t speci�cally address the “no” answer in your narra-tive. Example Question: Was the salt shaker 2/3 full? Answer: No. Narrative: The salt shaker was empty.

• Be honest. Report on both the positive and negative aspects of your visit. If a staff member went above and beyond their normal duties, include it in your narrative. While clients are looking to ensure that all guidelines are being followed, they also want to make sure that the customer is having a great experience.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-closer-look https://www.facebook.com/aclnorcross https://twitter.com/_acloserlook_

http://www.a-closer-look.com/

Section Five: Registering with A Closer Look

While you will not “get rich quick” by becoming a mystery shopper, you will gain experiences that you might otherwise not have had theopportunity (or funds) to discover.

If you are interested in joining A Closer Look, please visit the following address:

https://insight.a-closer-look.com/ShopperApplication-Start.aspx

Want a chance to win $50 cash for signing up? Use referral code “SlideShare” when you apply to be a shopper.