Shopping for Perks

Now who doesn't want to do this? If someone asked me to shop for a new wardrobe with pay, I know I'd definitely do it, and if that someone tells me that I get to keep whatever I'm buying, I'd be ecstatic. Well, obviously, I'm talking about mystery shopping. It's just sad that I don't know about it happening anywhere near my area, because if I did, I probably would've already hounded those people hiring people to shop.

Sounds like the perfect job, right?

Actually, it's not. It might be the perfect part-time job though. From what I read, it really doesn't pay much, if you are in the US. But the perks are really good. The company hires the mystery shopper based on his or her profile, haves him or her shop at their store, then the shopper reports to management his or her experience with the customer service.

*Insert thought here* I think I'm a good shopper, I actually complain when I think service is bad. *Exit thought*

Anyway, mystery shoppers are then given one mission, but it's to go to four or five shops. The worst part of being a mystery shopper is that you have to use your own money to shop and get reimbursed later on. So if you don't have enough cash on you before shopping, that's a really bad thing.

In the US, a mystery shopper earns about $60 to $90 on average each day. It may vary for some others, but if you have a family to feed, that is just not enough. You can consider it a hobby, I guess. But even if the pay may suck, the perks are to die for.

For example, you have been putting off changing your oil for a long time now due to time constraints and you just can't afford to and suddenly this company gives you a mission to go to their shop, have your oil changed and your brakes checked. You might have to spend on that, but still you get reimbursed. It's just as good as getting those services for free.

But mystery shopping isn't just as easy as that. There are some shops that require you to open and close a bank account just to see if the bank's customer service is good, or they'll let you stay at a hotel, eat at the restaurant and even get a massage at the spa.

Isn't that nice?