Read the transcript ...Today on Canadian Seniors Network Podcast we’ll talk about another possible supplemental income resource, commonly referred to as “Mystery Shopper”.

Mystery Shopper Definition:

A mystery shopper is someone hired to pose as a customer and report on the quality of service received and how well a store or chain of stores is being run. The mystery shopper poses as a normal customer and is given a specific task, such as purchasing a particular product or asking certain questions.

Mystery Shopping ...what it is & what it isn't

Regardless to what you may have heard or read, mystery shopping is not a quick way to make a lot of money. It's not a quick get-rich scheme, nor is it a way to "get paid to shop". Mystery shopping is a serious enterprise intended to gather information about the customer experience in a specific environment. It requires personal time, personal attention, and concerted effort. Mystery shoppers are in business for themselves. They get paid for the work they do while posing as shoppers (as a contractor not an employee). Their main focus is to gather data and complete the task as instructed.

(If you are asked to pay to become a shopper, you should be EXTREMELY leery of the offer... there are thousands of opportunities to do mystery shopping that do not require the shopper to pay anything!)

In some cases, the shopper may be expected to purchase an item (or a meal, theater ticket, etc.), in which cases the shopper is likely to also be reimbursed for that item, within the stipulations given by the shopping company when the shopper accepts an assignment. In every case, the shopper should strive to ensure he or she fully understands the scope of the shop, the anticipated time required, and the benefits, if any, that will result from doing the shop.

Go to http://rustyrushfeldt/canadian-seniors-network/mystery-shopper/

Watch this video about how to avoid mystery shopper SCAMS

I joined a Canadian mystery shopper company and did two assignments. As in this podcast, you will hear how I was not impressed with the difficulty to prep for and complete the assignments.

I will not give mystery shopping my stamp of approval.

It may work for some seniors but it is not a choice of creating supplemental income for me.

If you want to discuss this option further, then drop me a line and we can continue the conversation.

Check out the "Avoiding Mystery Shopping Scams" video.