Mystery Shopping Made Simple: How to Earn Good Money by Shopping, Dining Out, and More! [Paperback]

Ilisha S. Newhouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2004

How to start a new career as a mystery shopper--immediately!

"Mystery shopping ranks among the most popular not-for-credit evening courses, rivaling computer-skills and wine-tasting classes."
--The Seattle Times

In Mystery Shopping Made Simple, you will learn to take advantage of the mystery shopper opportunities available in virtually every city in the United States and abroad! Successful mystery shopper and a leading industry authority, Dr. Ilisha Newhouse tells you how to break into the business and find the kinds of mystery assignments you want, in apparel, auto repair, real estate, restaurants, hotels, and many other industries. Step-by-step, she shows you how to:

• Connect with the mystery shopping companies in their areas
• Create shopping presentations and fill out evaluation forms
• Comply with all industry-related business law
• Prepare for KASST, a Mystery Shopper Certification test offered by the National Center for Professional Mystery Shoppers

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S

BEST KEPT AND MOST PROFITABLECAREER SECRETS

People across the country are earning a healthy living doing things most of us do every day--eating, shopping, even relaxing. They're known as mystery shoppers, and you can be one of them. What is mystery shopping? It's when companies hire you to assess their products and services. And aside from the wonderful fringe benefits--gratis dining, no-expense vacations, and free car rentals--you get paid for it. Mystery shoppers are used in virtually every city in the United States, by almost every industry, from gas stations to five star hotels to upscale clothing stores. In Mystery Shopping Made Simple, leading mystery shopping authority Dr. Ilisha Newhouse, shows how to break into this lucrative career, with an approach based on her popular "How to be a Mystery Shopper" course. You'll learn how to:

• Connect with mystery shopping companies
• Find the kinds of assignments you want
• Create shopping presentations and fill out evaluation forms
• Prepare for KASST, the Certification test offered by the National Center for Professional Mystery Shoppers
• And much more

Whether you're in the market for a full-time career or are looking to supplement your income--or you just want to enjoy the freebies--this book can help you go from a zero investment to thousands of dollars a year and beyond.

About the Author

Dr. Ilisha S. Newhouse teaches a popular course on mystery shopping. Additionally, she is on the board of education for the National Association of Professional Mystery Shoppers, and serves as a freelance writer for the NCPMS as well as the Under Cover Shopper newsletter. She lives in Chandler, Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (April 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007144002X
• ISBN-13: 978-0071440028
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Simple at All, June 16, 2004

By 

Jane Tuscan (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystery Shopping Made Simple: How to Earn Good Money by Shopping, Dining Out, and More! (Paperback)

I learned from my own interviews with mystery shopping companies you do not need to be a certified mystery shopper to get jobs as one. No need to take the KASST test. Mystery shopping is far simpler than this PH.D. makes it seem. You don't need a PH.D. to enter mystery shopping, but this PH.D. seems to parade her PH.D. credential throughout the book. Her book is self-glorifying and covers too much where it is confusing and NOT simple. I'm not a gold or silver or purple mystery shopper, but I know enough to keep me working. Too complex, too confusing for the reader who wants to be a mystery shopper. Too vague for those wanting to open a mystery shopping company. I can't believe how poorly written this book is, too. So many typos and spelling errors I lost count. Don't be fooled by the Ph.D. and publisher name, this is poorly written and edited. Horrible. Cheaper, but you get what you pay for and I still want my money back!

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Wonderful, March 12, 2003

By 

PACW (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystery Shopping Made Simple (Paperback)

Mystery Shopping Made Simple is the perfect title for this book. I am glad the author, Dr. Ilisha Newhouse, did not sell her work to the "for dummies" or "for the complete idiot" franchises. Mystery Shopping is not for idiots and neither is this book. But it is made simple!
Mystery Shopping has to be the most incredible job and/or hobby in existence. No bosses, no starting costs, the freedom to do only the specific assignments you enjoy, and the opportunity to bring your children with you if you want. There are an estimated 600 Mystery Shopping companies currently offering assignments in the United States. Because of the unique way the industry works, it is not as simple as walking into a local business and filling out an application. Mystery Shopping companies by and large do not advertise in newspapers because they need shoppers from every geographic area in the country. Therefore getting started in this business can be a perplexing challenge.
Mystery Shopping Made Simple is a great tutorial. I specifically appreciate the web addresses of all the MS companies that have applications online- my preferred way of finding assignments. There is a wealth of information in this book. Although some of this information is available on-line, having it all distilled into one book makes it easy to organize my efforts to expand my business.
The small business and tax information is concise and practical. I personally appreciate this section because I would have probably not given much thought to these issues if left on my own.
The listing of companies that do not have a web presence is extensive. It is also information that one does not generally find on the Internet. Mystery Shopping is an old profession and many companies and shoppers conduct their business via phone and mail. This requires an entirely different approach to the business than what you learn from other sources. This information in particular makes this book a wonderful gift for someone who does not regularly use a computer. The last thing that separates Dr. Newhouse's book from other information sources is the warm and personal tone. Reading this book you get to know her; her humor, her strong ethical sense, and her joy in what she does.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mystery Shopping Made Simple, February 27, 2003

By 

Steve Hoffman (Mesa, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystery Shopping Made Simple (Paperback)

I would not recommend this book. I was shocked to find that I had paid more than $...for such a poorly written book. It is full of spelling errors (more than 20 in the first 5 pages), poorly structured sentences and poor grammar. And this is written by a professed PHD. Not only is it poorly written, but the information contained in the book is vague and of little use. Most of the information offered could be found on the internet with very little effort. Most of this book is full of personal experiences with very little information on how to actually get started. In fact, this seems to be nothing more than a tease to attend the authors community college course. Again, I would not recommend this book. There are several others out there with very good information at half the price.