Mystery Shoppers UK (MSUK) is a dedicated forum set up to provide information, support and friendship to mystery shoppers throughout the UK and Ireland.
Established for over five years, we provide an online community for not only mystery shoppers, but also representatives of mystery shopping agencies. These representatives often use the forum to recruit for shoppers to join their own database, or to fill last minute assignments based on certain demographics. The forum is completely free to join and use, whether you are a current mystery shopper, somebody who is interested in becoming involved in this type of work, or as an allocator/employee/director of an agency.
Please note, MSUK is NOT a designated agency that offers work direct. The forum administrators are simply mystery shoppers themselves, providing a community where others can chat about the type of work we do in the company of those that do the same thing. In effect, we use the forum as our very own staff room.
Currently, the forum allows membership by invitation or referral by an exisiting member only. Agency reps do not need a referral. To be considered for an invitation, please contact us using the link above.
Established for over five years, we provide an online community for not only mystery shoppers, but also representatives of mystery shopping agencies. These representatives often use the forum to recruit for shoppers to join their own database, or to fill last minute assignments based on certain demographics. The forum is completely free to join and use, whether you are a current mystery shopper, somebody who is interested in becoming involved in this type of work, or as an allocator/employee/director of an agency.
Please note, MSUK is NOT a designated agency that offers work direct. The forum administrators are simply mystery shoppers themselves, providing a community where others can chat about the type of work we do in the company of those that do the same thing. In effect, we use the forum as our very own staff room.
Currently, the forum allows membership by invitation or referral by an exisiting member only. Agency reps do not need a referral. To be considered for an invitation, please contact us using the link above.
So what exactly is Mystery Shopping? Do you really get paid to shop?
It's not as simple as being paid to do your weekly shopping. You're normally asked to complete an assignment at a specified store, or restaurant, or hotel and to act out a scenario whilst posing as a normal customer. The job involves assessing staff performance, customer service and store tidiness and cleanliness. You might also be asked to check on merchandising or asked to audit a store in some way. Each assignment is different, depending on the needs of the client. But the one thing you must never do is reveal yourself as a mystery shopper - posing as a normal customer is essential! Some assignments require you to make a purchase to assess customer service and efficiency at the till, some may ask you to return a purchase to evaluate the stores return/refund policy. Be prepared to be flexible!
Can you make a full time living out of mystery shopping?
Some do, but the majority don't. MS is rarely full time and work is normally allocated on an ad hoc basis. You may be offered lots of assignments one week, and then nothing for a month or two. It's a great means of supplementing your income or an opportunity to earn a few extra pennies in your spare time. If you register with as many MS companies as you can, your chances of receiving a lot of assignments will increase. And one nice thing, you are never obligated to accept any assignment offered to you, so you can mostly pick and choose!
It's not as simple as being paid to do your weekly shopping. You're normally asked to complete an assignment at a specified store, or restaurant, or hotel and to act out a scenario whilst posing as a normal customer. The job involves assessing staff performance, customer service and store tidiness and cleanliness. You might also be asked to check on merchandising or asked to audit a store in some way. Each assignment is different, depending on the needs of the client. But the one thing you must never do is reveal yourself as a mystery shopper - posing as a normal customer is essential! Some assignments require you to make a purchase to assess customer service and efficiency at the till, some may ask you to return a purchase to evaluate the stores return/refund policy. Be prepared to be flexible!
Can you make a full time living out of mystery shopping?
Some do, but the majority don't. MS is rarely full time and work is normally allocated on an ad hoc basis. You may be offered lots of assignments one week, and then nothing for a month or two. It's a great means of supplementing your income or an opportunity to earn a few extra pennies in your spare time. If you register with as many MS companies as you can, your chances of receiving a lot of assignments will increase. And one nice thing, you are never obligated to accept any assignment offered to you, so you can mostly pick and choose!
Does it pay well?
Pay rates differ from company to company, but as a general guide, telephone assessments pay on average between £1 and £5, physical mystery shopping visits pay up to £15 per assignment, and covert video mystery shopping up to £30 per visit. Each job comes with its own fee dependent on the amount of work involved. Some companies also refund your travelling expenses (public transport at cost or a mileage allowance averaging 23p per mile and car parking charges) and all should refund any necessary purchases. Some purchases you can keep and still be refunded for!
Recent trends have shown a big drop in fees compared to, say, a year or two ago. This is mostly due to an increased number of companies tendering for too few clients in what is a very competitive industry.
What’s the best thing about being a Mystery Shopper?
It's fun and it's varied. You never know when the phone is going to ring offering you an assignment at your favourite local restaurant, pub, hotel, or clothes shop and so on. The brief for each job differs each time and you find yourself discovering outlets that you may not have come across before. You get to travel to local towns and cities and see new sights, eat at different restaurants and pubs (with the majority of costs refunded!) and are often paid a fee for the privilege too!
Pay rates differ from company to company, but as a general guide, telephone assessments pay on average between £1 and £5, physical mystery shopping visits pay up to £15 per assignment, and covert video mystery shopping up to £30 per visit. Each job comes with its own fee dependent on the amount of work involved. Some companies also refund your travelling expenses (public transport at cost or a mileage allowance averaging 23p per mile and car parking charges) and all should refund any necessary purchases. Some purchases you can keep and still be refunded for!
Recent trends have shown a big drop in fees compared to, say, a year or two ago. This is mostly due to an increased number of companies tendering for too few clients in what is a very competitive industry.
What’s the best thing about being a Mystery Shopper?
It's fun and it's varied. You never know when the phone is going to ring offering you an assignment at your favourite local restaurant, pub, hotel, or clothes shop and so on. The brief for each job differs each time and you find yourself discovering outlets that you may not have come across before. You get to travel to local towns and cities and see new sights, eat at different restaurants and pubs (with the majority of costs refunded!) and are often paid a fee for the privilege too!
What's the worst?
There are a number of factors you should consider. Some jobs are very poorly paid for the amount of detail you have to remember and record. Some companies won't pay travelling expenses, some won't pay a fee and expect a free meal/drinks to be reward enough. Deadlines are often very tight and you should never accept an assignment unless you are 100% sure you can complete it in the required time. Sometimes scenarios don’t pan out the way you expect, or a staff member may suspect you of being a mystery shopper - don't ever let on that you are, always plead ignorance! You have to be flexible and be able to think on your feet. It can be tiring and stressful and can involve travelling a good distance. Most companies do not directly employ you, so you would need to register as self employed and be responsible for declaring your income to HM Revenue & Customs.
Despite the pitfalls, I'm still interested. How do I become a mystery shopper and how do I find companies and agencies that offer Mystery Shopping work?
Our forum is a great information resource for those looking to get into this field and we have a comprehensive list of companies that offer this type of work. Membership of the forum is completely free of charge but is restricted at the moment to referrals by existing members or by invitation from an administrator. Be wary of those selling information on EBay etc, there really is no need to pay for it. All the info you need is either freely available at the forum or on the web using any search engine. Representatives of mystery shopping companies/field work agencies are also registered with us and often post offers of work to our forum members. We support each other and offer advice and tips to get you started. (Please note that you will need to be UK/Eire resident and have a valid email address - free web based email addresses are not permitted).
There are a number of factors you should consider. Some jobs are very poorly paid for the amount of detail you have to remember and record. Some companies won't pay travelling expenses, some won't pay a fee and expect a free meal/drinks to be reward enough. Deadlines are often very tight and you should never accept an assignment unless you are 100% sure you can complete it in the required time. Sometimes scenarios don’t pan out the way you expect, or a staff member may suspect you of being a mystery shopper - don't ever let on that you are, always plead ignorance! You have to be flexible and be able to think on your feet. It can be tiring and stressful and can involve travelling a good distance. Most companies do not directly employ you, so you would need to register as self employed and be responsible for declaring your income to HM Revenue & Customs.
Despite the pitfalls, I'm still interested. How do I become a mystery shopper and how do I find companies and agencies that offer Mystery Shopping work?
Our forum is a great information resource for those looking to get into this field and we have a comprehensive list of companies that offer this type of work. Membership of the forum is completely free of charge but is restricted at the moment to referrals by existing members or by invitation from an administrator. Be wary of those selling information on EBay etc, there really is no need to pay for it. All the info you need is either freely available at the forum or on the web using any search engine. Representatives of mystery shopping companies/field work agencies are also registered with us and often post offers of work to our forum members. We support each other and offer advice and tips to get you started. (Please note that you will need to be UK/Eire resident and have a valid email address - free web based email addresses are not permitted).
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