Customer Reviews

Mystery Shopping Get Paid to Shop

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I recently purchased this book and have already had much success with it. I used the email addresses listed in the book and applied to a variety of mystery shopping companies. Within two weeks, I was accepted to five different companies around the U.S. My first mystery shopping assignment was for a mexican restaurant. I got paid to eat dinner, keep track of details and file my report. It's great fun to get paid to eat and shop. Many thanks for writing a book that is very honest about what to expect when mystery shopping. The contacts are current and you will see quick results. Mystery shoppers are needed all over the U.S. Without this book, I wouldn't have gotten such a jump start into the industry.

Now in a revised, updated and expanded fourth edition, Mystery Shopping: Get Paid To Shop is a straightforward, thorough, practical, user friendly guide to vocation of "mystery shopping" - getting paid to shop in order to help a company keep its quality control high and feedback accurate. From getting reimbursed for free goods, gas, car repairs, nights in hotels, clothing, gourmet meals and more to invaluable advice for founding your own mystery shopping company or employing mystery shoppers of your own, Mystery Shopping covers the basics, ins and outs, pitfalls and perks of this exciting and potentially lucrative niche. Written by a mystery shopper who drew upon his more than ten years of experience, Jim Poynter's Mystery Shopping is a fascinating, useful, lucrative guide, step-by-step instructional guide that will literally pay for itself many, many times over!

Jim Poynter advances the Dollar per Minute Rule that is very appropriate in this age of high cost of business and a constant influx of newbies. This theory states that when the earnings from a shop are considered they should be paid an average of one dollar for each minute worked. This would include time reporting, driving as well as shopping. He suggests that shoppers not take jobs that provide less than $1/minute.

Poynter has an important suggestion to those wanting to illustrate a serious commitment to continuing education. He recommends listing professional readings in the education section of mystery shopping company applications. This suggestion is applied other industries, such as education, readers should list not only the bibliographical information, but the (approximate) date of the reading.

Mr. Poynter goes into specific details about: negotiating fees without gouging and how to ask for more assignments. He expresses meaningful lessons through interesting vignettes. His writing is easy to read and offers specific details on shopping, reporting and earning the most money possible.

Jim Poynter's 2002 edition lists some companies that are out of business, or have merged with other providers, like The Genesis Group. Some technology updating could make this book more credible. Tools of the trade include a typewriter? The recommendation of purchasing a typewriter to fill out mystery shopping applications seems nonsensical. If companies are expecting something other than computer generated papers the companies are more than likely open to legible handwriting.

This book makes application online sound like the exception instead of the rule; encouraging readers to still send letters of interest to MSPs even if you apply online seems redundant. Jim quotes Judith Rappold that while she likes the letter of interest, does not like that shoppers follow the "form" provided, it does not illustrate a shopper's ability to compose and construct a report like a free lanced letter would.

Poynter sells many affiliated products at the end of this book: Start-up MS Company Consulting, a quarterly newsletter, top 77 MSPs list, audio/video instructional programs, and various combinations of these products in packages. As Jim Poynter at the Learning Annex, James Poynter offers online "How to be a Mystery Shopper" classes. Classes can be provided in audio or video formats, $9.99 and $14.99 respectively.

Jim Poynter's fourth edition includes 191 pages, 19 of which are URLS or company addresses. Chapter Ten contains The Ten Step Process for Making Top Money and sums up the main points of this easy mystery shopping how-to book.

The product came in great shape. I love the fact that it is in hardcover as I can use it over and over again without worrying about it being damaged. The information in it is very useful. I learned a lot and have since used it several times. I would recommend it to anyone interested in mystery shopping.