Do you love to shop? If so, why not get paid for something you enjoy. When I first started out, I knew very little about mystery shopping or exactly what it entailed. I soon learned that a mystery shopper is someone who serves as an independent contractor to anonymously evaluate customer service, operations, merchandising, product quality, and in special cases, employee integrity for mystery shop companies and their clients. Mystery shopping helps measure customer satisfaction. Once I learned a little more about mystery shopping, I began searching online for mystery shop firms to sign up to–it was that easy. Once you sign up and have an account, the mystery shopping firm will send you emails with a link to click to self-assign a shop or you can check the site to accept a shop. When you are assigned a shop, read and print out the detailed instructions and forms. Once you have completed the shop, you will give a detailed report of the findings you were ask to review. You are given a time-frame to complete and return the report. Each company will give instructions on how to return the report.

There is a list of companies on the Mystery Shopping Providers Association website that you could sign up to: http://mysteryshop.org/shoppers/membercos.php. Two great resources to find free and reputable companies are www.mysteryshop.org (the MSPA) and www.volition.com. Their forums are a great way to learn how to be a successful mystery shopper. MSPA offers mystery shoppers a Silver Certification and Gold Certification, MSPA-General Certification Questions . By obtaining one or both certifications, you may have a better opportunity to be assigned more shops.