Five Necessary Tools for Mystery Shopping

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You might think all you need to be a great mystery shopper is a true love for shopping. And that helps, of course, but there’s more involved in mystery shopping than simply visiting a business’ location and scrawling a few notes down in a paper pad!

Here are the top five supplies you’ll need — beyond that basic passion — to be a successful mystery shopper.

• Computer with an Internet connection. In this day and age, a computer is likely something that most people have anyway. You’ll need the Internet connection to receive your assignments and send reports after you’ve finished a shop. Reliability is key here — as we’ve said before, you won’t get paid if you don’t complete assignments to their exact specifications!
• Cell phone. Again, you probably already have one. Some shops actually require that you call the store or a customer-service hotline as part of the job. But a cell phone can be essential if you have last-minute questions leading up to your shop or have a problem that needs to be addressed immediately during your job.
• Car. Unless you live in a major metropolitan area with access to great public transportation — and even then, you’ll probably be limited in the stores you can get to easily, and you’ll end up wasting a lot of time — you’re going to need a vehicle to get to your assignments.
• Watch with a second hand. This will not only help you be on time for your shops; it will also help you time things precisely as you go through a job.
• Audio or video recording device. We’re not talking about handheld voice recorders and Flip cams here. If you’re assigned to a shop where you need to do recording, you’ll be wired with audio or video recorders that no one at the business location will be able to see. Some mystery shopping companies will sign out equipment for shoppers to use, but you’ll make more money if you get your own recorders because then the company won’t have to worry about a contingency for unreturned, lost or damaged equipment. It can be pricey for you to purchase, but the up-front costs are worth it if you’re making that much more per shop.

While these tools aren’t exactly required to be a mystery shopper (well, #1 absolutely is), the others will make your life easier, and help you get better shops and make more money.

Related articles

• Ten Commandments of Mystery Shopping (measurecp.com)