Mystery shopping? Any experiences?

I had a less fortunate experience, filled in very detailed application forms for two genuine companies, and was accepted, but by the time you had factored in petrol, and the time it took to fill in even more complicated report forms, it was not worth it. If you didn't fill in the forms to their satisfaction you were given one chance to correct it, and if you still didn't get it right, you didn't get paid at all. On one occasion in my description I put that the assistant has sunglasses pushed up into her hair. Another question asked if she was wearing glasses, and I put 'no, but see above' and the whole piece of work was rejected! One assignment was to go for a bra fitting for a somewhat racier shop than I would visit. I was horribly embarrassed, the assistant was surprised at my age, and I could not wait to get out of there. The following year I was asked to go back to the shop and do the whole thing again, apparently no-one else wanted the assignment. At that point I gave up!

Mystery Shopping is a concept where retailers hire companies to evaluate their quality of service in their stores. They instruct the shoppers to buy particular products and report the experience. The shopper is reimbursed and can keep the product or service. This concept was very new to me and I was fond of it. But at the same time I was scared whether it is legitimate or a scam. I did some research and contacted few mystery shopping companies. I was a mystery shopper for Onion Insights(http://www.onioninsights.com). It is a rewarding experience. The best part is they ALWAYS pay

Been on the receiving end of mystery shoppers in the bank where I worked. The branch was in a small town and we knew most of our customers so they were pretty obvious . They always asked three different questions then left having made no transactions. At that time ( good few years ago ) we all got a bonus if we got good marks from the shopper .

Ah, an old thread, (should have gone to Specsavers!)

Morning all, and thanks for the messages. I'm fine, thank you!

This is a very old thread, and no, I don't post under 2 names, I'm just Phoenix!

That explains it. I hope you've still got your job

Does that mean you will now post under two names?
If you didn't want to be noticed....I think another name change may be needed.

Thought it might have something to do with that I remember when it was happening x..so you are still phoenix

Hello all, I can explain all, but it is a bit awkward.

I am, of course Phoenix, but due to a really horrible thing happening that involved another member printing off a thread and posting it to my boss in an attempt to get me sacked (I can only assume that was their motive, especially nasty as I had finally got a job that I enjoyed after being made redundant from my job as business development manager at Mystery Shoppers Ltd, and a series of bloody awful jobs) GNHQ were brilliant and supportive.

They went back through all my threads and posts and changed the name (no small task!) but of course they couldn't edit the responses from other members who referred to me by the name the post was made in.

Does this make sense, hope that I have explained it!

This is an old thread resurrected by a newcomer who it was an amazing Experience I had it

This thread is very odd indeed.

Have we been hacked?

Is Phoenix still posting as Phoenix on other threads, or has she changed her name?

Precisely Elegran, the very detailed posts about experience as a mystery shopper are not from Phoenix but from anne58 however at least four posters directly address replies to Phoenix.

Not refer to, but directly addressed to.

When I worked for New Builders before retiring from it full time we where mystery shopped on a regular basis,it gave the Company you where employed by the details as to if you where aware of the aspects of the development in regard to layout and future building/the make and type of heating and white goods/if extras where available and the estimated time for completion all relevant and important to a buyer and important to the Company who is paying the Sales Negotiator a good salary,it gives confidence to the buyer if the Sales Rep knows what she is talking about.A good saleas rep will also shop the shopper by getting as much information from them as they can,for example when they want to move how much they can afford etc.

The posts are not labelled as from Phoenix. When people refer Anne58 by that name it is surely just because they remember that Phoenix was a mystery shopper (until she was unceremoniously "let go" and spent a long time searching for other employment) and recognise her.

Maybe GHNQ could answer my query regarding the mystery?

I once did mystery shopping phone calls to a chain of tyre specialists to see what questions I was asked when shopping for a specific tyre and what the cost was. It was amazing how poor the responses were and resulted in a lot of training needing to be done.

I was a mystery shopper but didn't enjoy the job. I mostly had to go into banks and building societies and ask for a loan, or mortgage. I had to have a back story to appear genuine. It was so scary, hoping I wasn't found out. I was quite well paid, and got expenses, but the company were strict about paper work and it was quite intensive. The only "nice" job I got was to go to a big furniture place and say I wanted a new kitchen. i felt quite bad letting the assistant draw out the plans, knowing I had no intention of actually buying a kitchen. One day my friend asked why I was doing it. Did I need the money that badly. I thought it over and resigned the next day. The company had promised at the beginning that I'd be eating in restaurants and reviewing them. That never happened.

I do both physical mystery shopping and online surveys and whilst not fabulously paid it gives me a little extra to play with.

I have noticed a move away from the norm and now it is not unusual to have to record your mystery shop either audio or video which I am not keen on.

Am confused phoenix anne58..what am I missing ?

Yes Riverwalk, that was perplexing me too, have obviously missed a lot. The job sounds fascinating.

What is a mystery is why posts are referring to phoenix when it seems that the mystery shopper is Anne58?

If members name change I didn't think that their old posts would show under the new name .

I need coffee.

I have done one Mystery Shopping for one Restuarant and it was an amazing Experience I had it

I've done the odd mystery shop in a dry cleaners and food shop but assignemnts only came every few months so never going to make a fortune that way. Also had a meal at retaurant in a department store and that was quite fun. However, you have to make a spend on these occasions and the payment is quite small so I never did one unless I would be visiting the shopping area anyway. Mark you, these days I could make use of my bus pass to travel so that would cut the incidental costs! As I enjoy doing a bit of writing I looked on such experiences as an opportunity for people watching and getting an insight into a world of work very different to my own.

Thanks Phoenix. Very full and detailed response. I think I'm with Anya on this though. I just don't want to send off so many details to an online company. I'm sorry Phoenix obviously your company was a good one (apart from letting you go-their mistake by the sound of it!) but it doesn't sound like its for me.