With the rise of gas prices, many mystery shoppers have begun to doubt whether or not it is worth it for them to continue.
The answer to that question is not always easy, and requires some personal reflection.
Why Mystery Shop At All?
Some people mystery shop just for the pleasure of it. For example, my sister in Chicago. She sometimes mystery shops at luxurious restaurants. She has also mystery shopped at a high-end grocery store, replete with valet parking. She finds pleasure in fine food, and mystery shopping gives her more opportunities to fulfill that pleasure.
Then, there are practical reasons to mystery shop. You can get a free eye exam, money for groceries, or even money for gas–if you’re lucky.
I once received an email from a mystery shopper who was putting away the money earned so that she could take her grandchildren to Disney World. For her, mystery shopping was worth it.
But what about the time spent and the money made?
Sure, you can have dreams of putting aside money earned from mystery shopping towards a vacation–but is mystery shopping really the best option for you?
If you’re doing it purely for the money, I would say no. But isn’t that true of any endeavor?
Some mystery shoppers simply have a passion for good customer service–they truly believe in the value of their work.
Others love getting out of the house and meeting new people.
But it still comes back to whether or not you make enough money for your time. Earning below minimum wage is never worth it.
That’s why it is so important to keep a close eye on the time you spend mystery shopping. Things can get out of hand between searching for assignments, applying to companies, driving to the store, filling out reports, tracking/accounting your earnings and deductible expenses.
I can’t tell you if mystery shopping is worth it for you.
If you are getting started, I can tell you that you will need to commit time and money before you start seeing an income. That is the price to pay for one of the most flexible jobs in the world.
YES, flexible. That is also one of the benefits of mystery shopping. You can work as much or as little as you want–you are in control of your schedule.
I could go on…but I want to hear from you…
What kind of mystery shopping do you do? What about what you DON’T do?