What stops first time Mystery Shoppers taking that leap!

Jon

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So I logged in randomly to Market Force and I see this. I've referred 935 people over 4+ years and only 65 of them have actually gone on to do mystery shopping!

What do you think the barrier is?

Fear of the unknown?
A personal confidence issue?
Worry about follow instructions?
Maybe a lot of people think they want to do it but then the fact that it's actually WORK instead of just a free meal maybe kicks in.
Or perhaps the fees are the issue..

Something is clearly stopping people from taking that leap into doing mystery shopping as I don't think this problem is tied to Market Force at all.

What do you think it is? Did you have to overcome some kind of hurdle before you started doing it?
 

Karonher

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I have been with them for years and have seen the fees drop dramatically. A new signup may look at £2 for doing a job and not want to bother. There is also the fact that you have to do some on your own. I am fine with that but others may not be.
 
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disneygirl

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I log on MF about once a week. The only jobs I see near me within 4 miles are air side at the airport.

Most that I do see on MF seem to require spending money first.
The fees are low on MF, only worth doing for a free meal as the reimbursement , often doesn't cover the meal cost, so eats into your fee. It is also a worry spending money upfront on meals if you don't have much money and worry if your report will pass.

The tests probably put people off too, I remember a fast food one had about 12 pages to study!
 

Annie Beau

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Ive been with Market Force for years and never did a mystery shop..if i;m honest, I only joined so that I could see when the pub I was working in was due a visit! However over the last week Ive registered for a few MS companies and Market Force not only seem to pay less than the others but the questionare is very extensive.
Ive done two today for Retail Active, both only a fiver fee plus reimbursement. But both shops were on my way to Asda so I didnt go out of my way. The reports took about twenty minutes but if I do any more I should be able to get quicker with that.
Ive got two Market Force booked in for tomorrow - one isnt so bad fees wise - £8 but a 30 question summary which also requires indepth descriptions of the scenario/
The second one is a pub food visit - fee is only £2.40 but reimbursement up to £20 so it's a free tea for me and a friend - again, a 30 point questionnaire but having worked in a similar place some of the info will be just stuff I would notice anyway.
Some of the other pub food visits are only a £2 odd fee plus just £9 reimbursement. Thats not even enough to a pay for a meal and a drink . I wouldnt bother with that one.
Theres also one at a bakery which for £2 i wouldnt bother wth either, its way too labour intensive (download app, pay with your phone...for someone as 'clever' as I am with tech, thats at least an hour setting up to pay for a pastie!
 
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louisei91

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I haven't had any luck with any of the mystery shopping sites/apps yet. Had one job on Market Force but it was still a bit out of the way so didn't seem worth it for £2.50. I live near a busy enough high street so I thought there would be more opportunities, I guess it doesn't help that alot of shops on our high street are closed down and replaced with shops that open for a few months and then disappear again. I've seen a few in surrounding areas but I don't drive so it just doesn't seem worth it unless I'm going there for other reasons. The one job that did pop up had 47 questions, it was for a Greggs and I'd be in there for less than 2 minutes so it seemed like a lot and I wouldn't want to hang about in there eating. It doesn't help that I don't like shopping much lol, prefer to be in and out as quick as possible these days so I might have to give mystery shopping a miss unless they are close enough for me to want to bother!
 
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Jon

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Looking at what’s been said above then it seems maybe people think they will earn more money than they do with mystery shopping which is why I suppose the smartphone tasks apps are so popular as they are literally in and out and no report to do for a lot more money!
 

mabozza

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I am put off by all the pointless reports which can take hours to do.. i am spoilt as my first experience of MSing was Task apps, book, do,submit,paid all in a few mins..move to next. Traditional MSing you get asked to take far too much details, many times for reimbursement, so little or no pay, but you still need to spend an hour at night filling these ridiculous reports out, get an apostrophe in the wrong place and you are rejected! They need to change with the times, Task Apps are taking more and more away from MS companies because the worker gets better paid per hour, and client gets reports live if they wished.
 

skint

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Those are interesting figures Jon but if there weren't enough traditional mystery shoppers around then surely fees would have gone up rather than down?
 

skint

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I am put off by all the pointless reports which can take hours to do.. i am spoilt as my first experience of MSing was Task apps, book, do,submit,paid all in a few mins..move to next. Traditional MSing you get asked to take far too much details, many times for reimbursement, so little or no pay, but you still need to spend an hour at night filling these ridiculous reports out, get an apostrophe in the wrong place and you are rejected! They need to change with the times, Task Apps are taking more and more away from MS companies because the worker gets better paid per hour, and client gets reports live if they wished.
I bet apps are great in the city.
 

Jon

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Those are interesting figures Jon but if there weren't enough traditional mystery shoppers around then surely fees would have gone up rather than down?
Yeah you would think so

I remember when I first did Mystery Shopping and man i Was nervous in a sort of 'WHAT DO I DO IF THEY ASK X OR Y' type way. It wasn't enough to put me off doing it but I was definitely far more worried about doing it than I needed to me!
 

Jon

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I am put off by all the pointless reports which can take hours to do.. i am spoilt as my first experience of MSing was Task apps, book, do,submit,paid all in a few mins..move to next. Traditional MSing you get asked to take far too much details, many times for reimbursement, so little or no pay, but you still need to spend an hour at night filling these ridiculous reports out, get an apostrophe in the wrong place and you are rejected! They need to change with the times, Task Apps are taking more and more away from MS companies because the worker gets better paid per hour, and client gets reports live if they wished.

BINGO!

I think a lot of people are finding traditional mystery shopping AFTER the smartphone apps now and that's why they are scoffing at the pay

SCOFFING!!
 

pliusiukas

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job fee £2, bus/metro ticket to get to town and do that job - £4. Minimum fee I do MS is £10. So no stupid companies like MF
 

Annie Beau

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Looking at what’s been said above then it seems maybe people think they will earn more money than they do with mystery shopping which is why I suppose the smartphone tasks apps are so popular as they are literally in and out and no report to do for a lot more money!
It's only when you register you discover the truth about the MF fees. In the pub I worked in, there was a theory that the MS got paid £50 a time! This made the staff despise them as the report were often over critical and this resulted in all staff losing their bonus. Nicknamed 'The Misery Shopper Report'
 
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Jon

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It's only when you register you discover the truth about the MF fees. In the pub I worked in, there was a theory that the MS got paid £50 a time! This made the staff despise them as the report were often over critical and this resulted in all staff losing their bonus. Nicknamed 'The Misery Shopper Report'

man, think how big the report would have to be to be paid that!
 

disneygirl

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I actually first came across MF from the job centre, I was given it as a job to apply for, earning £200 week. Which looking at the jobs they have is just not true and is misleading.
 

Jon

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I actually first came across MF from the job centre, I was given it as a job to apply for, earning £200 week. Which looking at the jobs they have is just not true and is misleading.
yikes! Really? What a con!!
 

skint

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I don't think MF is the worst. The jobs I've done have been straightforward and whilst the reports are repetitive they are simple. Greggs pays £2.25 + £5 reimbursement. I can have the visit, report and expenses done in under 30 minutes while eating my lunch in my car. Some of the better paying jobs are much more involved, like bank jobs, and time-consuming, so don't really pay more as an hourly rate. I find phone calls more lucrative but I enjoy the visits more.
 

Littlejohnson

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Anxiety, i downloaded one the other day streetspotr had a look they was all burger king spread all over my city (maybe 6/7 jobs) but they all asked to take pics of the whole menu behind the counter... so thought stuff that! Im not leaning on a counter taking pics over the staffs head aha
To some it will seem like nothing but for me that put me off
 

Sirhct

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MF are cheap and cheerful as far as mystery shopping goes. Don't pay much but reports are generally very quick and easy. I keep the account with them for the quite good burger place and for service stations.
 

mabozza

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Anxiety, i downloaded one the other day streetspotr had a look they was all burger king spread all over my city (maybe 6/7 jobs) but they all asked to take pics of the whole menu behind the counter... so thought stuff that! Im not leaning on a counter taking pics over the staffs head aha
To some it will seem like nothing but for me that put me off
LOL.. thats a fairly easy task really, especially the BK ones as you have a LOA you can show them and you dont need do it incognito.
 
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