secret shopping??

[njcarita]

Hi all,

Back when my kids were little, I use to secret shop A LOT. Know that my kids are grown and hubby and I have more time was thinking of Jumping back in and trying some shops, but many of the companies that I use to shop for aren't around anymore. Does anyone have suggestions of who to sign up with?

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I use to do a lot for market force they are a great company. I have replaced this work with working for instacart instead i am making more money for less work and no money out of pocket. My goal is 20 a day so i can make my car payment.

 

[njcarita]

Will look at market force, THANKS
I already have a job I love, and my hubby works the gig jobs ( grub hub, uber eats, shipt etc) since he retired last year.
I thought being paid to eat out an go to movies etc would be a great addition.
We would do shops as our date night when the kids were little. Now that we are 55 its just us with some spare time .

We also volunteered to usher at our local theater company and get to see the performances for free. Just saw Beauty and the Beast over the holidays 3 times ( usually $35 a ticket).

Not really looking to make money as much as get to do things for free.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Will look at market force, THANKS
I already have a job I love, and my hubby works the gig jobs ( grub hub, uber eats, shipt etc) since he retired last year.
I thought being paid to eat out an go to movies etc would be a great addition.
We would do shops as our date night when the kids were little. Now that we are 55 its just us with some spare time .

We also volunteered to usher at our local theater company and get to see the performances for free. Just saw Beauty and the Beast over the holidays 3 times ( usually $35 a ticket).

Not really looking to make money as much as get to do things for free.

Market force is what you are looking for, basically free dinners for 2 sometimes $5 or $10 on top of that. They also do movie theaters..
I signed up for Amusment advantage last year, just have not done anything for them yet. They have some cool ones like the zoo and such but its a 45 day payback so its on hold.
Bestmark only has car dealerships so if you need an oil change look there.

 

[MichelleElle]

Do you all have anything you'd recommend for retired folks who really didn't want to retire? My parents are in their 70's but still very active. I wouldn't be comfortable with either of them doing uber eats or driving for lift or uber, just because of safety. Other gig-type stuff for seniors?

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Do you all have anything you'd recommend for retired folks who really didn't want to retire? My parents are in their 70's but still very active. I wouldn't be comfortable with either of them doing uber eats or driving for lift or uber, just because of safety. Other gig-type stuff for seniors?

This would be great for them, basically free dinners for a little paper work. All they need is to time the service and rate the items

 

[LAS2AMS]

FWIW, most secret shopper opportunities are a scam; technological advances have largely rendered these positions obsolete. For example, when a shopper makes a return at Target, they may be asked to provide their e-mail for a survey, or - in most cases - they'll automatically receive it (as Target has it on-file). The results of these surveys provide a wealth of information beyond a random secret shopper experience... and at a much lower cost.

 

[_19disnA]

What exactly is a 'secret shopper'?

 

[Disneyfan754321]

What exactly is a 'secret shopper'?

I go into restaurants order food, sometimes im told to make changes to the order. I time the staff on welcoming me, refills, and just general service. Rate the bathrooms etc. All with out them knowing.
I also get oil changes, take my 13 year old son into bestbuy to buy video games that are rated then i return the game. Go to movies count the people in the movies, ads that were shown. Sometimes they are on the phone. I call set up apointments or ask about certain things on my check list.
All these are done in secret. No one know that im doing it.
Most pay the cost of the food plus 10-20 bucks some just the food for two people
McDonald's, applebees, chili's, wing stop etc.

 

[first*toright]

FWIW, most secret shopper opportunities are a scam; technological advances have largely rendered these positions obsolete. For example, when a shopper makes a return at Target, they may be asked to provide their e-mail for a survey, or - in most cases - they'll automatically receive it (as Target has it on-file). The results of these surveys provide a wealth of information beyond a random secret shopper experience... and at a much lower cost.

I have no doubt that there are scammers posing as companies looking to hire secret shoppers, but there are still plenty of reputable secret shopping opportunities out there. You can't use technology to evaluate the actual guest experience - surveys only get you people who love or hate the experience, not an evaluation of how the system is working. Secret shoppers listen for specific info from the employees, or time how long a transaction takes, or do other kinds of evaluations that have to be done at random, in real time, and with human input. Many restaurants (both fast food and chains) are shopped on a regular basis (and employees are often given bonuses based on getting a good score from a shopper), so there are definitely people out there doing this every single day. No one is going to get rich doing secret shopping, but it isn't a bad way to make a few extra bucks.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I have no doubt that there are scammers posing as companies looking to hire secret shoppers, but there are still plenty of reputable secret shopping opportunities out there. You can't use technology to evaluate the actual guest experience - surveys only get you people who love or hate the experience, not an evaluation of how the system is working. Secret shoppers listen for specific info from the employees, or time how long a transaction takes, or do other kinds of evaluations that have to be done at random, in real time, and with human input. Many restaurants (both fast food and chains) are shopped on a regular basis (and employees are often given bonuses based on getting a good score from a shopper), so there are definitely people out there doing this every single day. No one is going to get rich doing secret shopping, but it isn't a bad way to make a few extra bucks.

I agree that mystery (secret) shopping experiences are still available, but I think it's important to note that these opportunities have rapidly declined in recent years as technology advanced, and many advertised opportunities are scams. It's pretty common for these opportunities to be advertised by fake companies that are looking to steal applicants' personal information (and other scams). Reality is, technology has reduced their need -- for example, McDonald's requires its restaurants to use software that track how long it takes for their order to be completed, and surveys (adjusted for noise; e.g. negative bias) give a more accurate portrayal of restroom conditions over time than a single mystery experience. Most mystery shopping today is generally focused on compliance, and is often assigned to marketing interns / recent college graduates, as opposed to traditional stay-at-home moms. That's not to say the old school positions don't exist, but their existence is limited, so proceed with caution.

 

[MichelleElle]

This would be great for them, basically free dinners for a little paper work. All they need is to time the service and rate the items

So how do you find these opportunities without getting scammed? Especially for older folks!

 

[Disneyfan754321]

So how do you find these opportunities without getting scammed? Especially for older folks!

I good reputable company like i said in the earlier post, i suggest market force or best mark.
I used them for years.
Market force is one of the largest
You have to take little online classes for some like McDonalds or sonic so you know there standards nothing hard they also do movie theaters.
Best mark i get all my oil changes from they have a lot of car dealerships..

There are scams out there, they usually want to charge you for info or sign up fees.

 

[Macemom39581]

I have no doubt that there are scammers posing as companies looking to hire secret shoppers, but there are still plenty of reputable secret shopping opportunities out there. You can't use technology to evaluate the actual guest experience - surveys only get you people who love or hate the experience, not an evaluation of how the system is working. Secret shoppers listen for specific info from the employees, or time how long a transaction takes, or do other kinds of evaluations that have to be done at random, in real time, and with human input. Many restaurants (both fast food and chains) are shopped on a regular basis (and employees are often given bonuses based on getting a good score from a shopper), so there are definitely people out there doing this every single day. No one is going to get rich doing secret shopping, but it isn't a bad way to make a few extra bucks.

I do this several times a week it’s some good quick money for a stay at home mom! Earned enough to buy several gift cards for our upcoming Disney trip.

 

[Dakota731]

Do you all have anything you'd recommend for retired folks who really didn't want to retire? My parents are in their 70's but still very active. I wouldn't be comfortable with either of them doing uber eats or driving for lift or uber, just because of safety. Other gig-type stuff for seniors?

We know a retired couple who usher at our local performing arts center. They get to see free concerts and shows while making some great new friends in the process.