Hello everyone! I completed my first mystery shop today and enjoyed (what will be) a free lunch at a restaurant that I like in town. I have three more shops signed up and can easily see this as a great part-time job when I am ready to quit the full-time job.

I was wondering what companies you would recommend to snag some other great deals. I would be interested in cruises, hotel stays, haircuts, massages, pedicures. Are some of these even possible? I have applied to Coyle based on what I have read from this forum. I am already signed up with A Closer Look, which doesn't have any shops that I would choose to do in my area for so little money.

Who are your favorites and the must-haves for getting great perks?

I am in the Portland, OR region if that makes any difference in companies.

And another unrelated inquiry, has anyone left their full-time job in order to do this part-time (I am also interested in more time with family)? How did you find the transition? Were you satisfied with the income with the number of hours you were putting in?

Thank you for your help!

Hello Krande and welcome to the forum. I don't do any of the particular kinds of shops you've asked about, but there is a link to a list of mystery shopping companies at the bottom of the page. You will need to sign up with lots of companies (over 100, for sure) to be able to find ample work in your area. As you sign up with more and more companies, perhaps you will find some of the shops you are looking for. I started out with Corporate Research, Maritz, and Bare, and they are still major companies for me but I don't see the shops you've asked about. Most shoppers, including me, will not share their job/client/MSP lists, but will share tips on how to find work, understand guidelines, execute shops, and organize your office and your road trips.

I don't personally know anyone who has quit a full time regular job to do this, but I'm sure they're out there and maybe some of them will respond to you. For me, this is extra money. Many of us work full time and shop part time, and many of us are "retired" and shop part time. Some of us are apparently quite successful as full time shoppers. I have a hunch that most shoppers don't do this seriously for long. It's really hard work and requires a lot of motivation and self discipline. This is one of those things that looks deceptively easy if it's done right but can turn out to be a nightmare in a hurry. You might want to do this for a year or so before you make any changes at your regular job.

Thank you Mary! I definitely wasn't looking for any names of clients, since I know the confidentiality rules. I was more so wondering about types of clients. For example, if someone has a MS company they work for and are able to get free pedicures...

I'll sign up with Maritz, I don't think I have them on my list yet! There are so many companies to filter through, since I am just doing this on a small scale so far I was hoping to optimize my time.

Another question...I know of Jobslinger (which only lists sassie jobs?), but is there an efficient way to check for shops each day?

Hi, krande, one of the problems many of us have with giving out too much information about specific companies that provide shops that give us really exciting perks is that, while we are friendly here and want to help - and many posters spend many hours each week updating the basics and answering new (and not-so-new) shopper questions - we are really competitors. The ICA is important and many of us would not consider violating our ICAs, but we are also very protective of our company/client lists. We have spent many hours, and in some cases years, developing them. They are worth quite a lot of money to us. Mystery shopping is a very competitive market. Depending on the area you live, you may or may not experience the tremendous competition from other shoppers in your area that many of us have. If you don't have a lot of competition, you are lucky and I'm glad for you. There's way too much competition in my market. If I start to publish my faves for all my best perks, my competition will be right there to sign up and I can share my favorite jobs.

As far as which companies have which clients, it does make quite a difference that you are in Portland. Many clients are shopped regionally, so the MSCs shopping clients here may not be the same companies who shop those clients in your market, or different clients entirely may be shopped in different markets. I have friends in Seattle, and many stores and restaurants shopped there are not shopped here at all. Some of my favorites are not shopped there. The best information on which MSCs provide the most desirable perks in Portland would be those shoppers who are currently doing those shops in Portland and the surrounding area.

Makes sense. Thank you for your help and input!

MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello Krande and welcome to the forum. I don't do
> any of the particular kinds of shops you've asked
> about, but there is a link to a list of mystery
> shopping companies at the bottom of the page. You
> will need to sign up with lots of companies (over
> 100, for sure) to be able to find ample work in
> your area. As you sign up with more and more
> companies, perhaps you will find some of the shops
> you are looking for. I started out with Corporate
> Research, Maritz, and Bare, and they are still
> major companies for me but I don't see the shops
> you've asked about. Most shoppers, including me,
> will not share their job/client/MSP lists, but
> will share tips on how to find work, understand
> guidelines, execute shops, and organize your
> office and your road trips.
>
> I don't personally know anyone who has quit a full
> time regular job to do this, but I'm sure they're
> out there and maybe some of them will respond to
> you. For me, this is extra money. Many of us
> work full time and shop part time, and many of us
> are "retired" and shop part time. Some of us are
> apparently quite successful as full time shoppers.
> I have a hunch that most shoppers don't do this
> seriously for long. It's really hard work and
> requires a lot of motivation and self discipline.
> This is one of those things that looks deceptively
> easy if it's done right but can turn out to be a
> nightmare in a hurry. You might want to do this
> for a year or so before you make any changes at
> your regular job.

Hello Readytowork, I got your PM and yes, I will help you but I have to get on the road early today so it will not be right now. More later / Mary

Readytowork: Sorry, I've been behind on my shops and can't seem to catch up. I haven't forgotten about you. Can you tell us something about you, as in are you just getting started or have you been shopping a while? What types of shops do you do, or what kind do you think you'd like to do? Are you going to shop around your local town or do you plan to do some driving? Are you looking to video shop, or do the shops using a digital camera?

Of course, one of the first recommendations we make is to read extensively on this forum. The New Shopper section has a lot of good information in the first few threads. Also, you need to sign up with a ton of companies from the list at the bottom of the page. If you aren't signed up with Maritz and Bare, get going with them. Corporate Research is having some website problems right now so I'm not going to recommend you try to start with them unless you're already involved. Market Force has a lot of work and is good to work with new shoppers. Keep signing up and keep reading.

Are you having any particular problems? What would you like to talk about first?

MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Readytowork: Sorry, I've been behind on my shops
> and can't seem to catch up. I haven't forgotten
> about you. Can you tell us something about you,
> as in are you just getting started or have you
> been shopping a while? What types of shops do you
> do, or what kind do you think you'd like to do?
> Are you going to shop around your local town or do
> you plan to do some driving? Are you looking to
> video shop, or do the shops using a digital
> camera?
>
> Of course, one of the first recommendations we
> make is to read extensively on this forum. The
> New Shopper section has a lot of good information
> in the first few threads. Also, you need to sign
> up with a ton of companies from the list at the
> bottom of the page. If you aren't signed up with
> Maritz and Bare, get going with them. Corporate
> Research is having some website problems right now
> so I'm not going to recommend you try to start
> with them unless you're already involved. Market
> Force has a lot of work and is good to work with
> new shoppers. Keep signing up and keep reading.
>
> Are you having any particular problems? What
> would you like to talk about first?

Sorry for taking so long to get back to u, but I have been swamped with work!!! But, to answer your last question, I have bee n having a difficult time with EPMS. Do you happen to know anything about how they do business??? Thanks!

I haven't done anything with EPMS. Go to the home page of this forum and do a search on EPMS. Be sure to click on all dates.