Yeah, I was looking on yahoo jobs, and found a secret shopper job opening. After clicking on the link, I was taken to a website that makes one pay them $20 to give out information on who actually hires those. Has anybody had any experience with those folks?
2006-09-28 08:43:35 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
Anyone who asks you for money up front to work for them is running a scam.
Secret shopping is a very skilled occupation. You must NEVER reveal that you are anything but an ordinary customer (so no notetaking or consulting notes, no making a spectacle of yourself in order to elicit a certain behaviour), yet you will have to send in very detailed reports about what you observed - and I mean detailed! Also, anyone who claims to be one almost certainly isn't - or, at least, is not a professional!
It takes good observational powers, good psychology and an excellent memory - preferably photographic - together with some acting ability to be a succesful secret shopper. One may also be given an assignment which is basically a security role ... reporting on suspected misdemeanors of staff.
Anyone who expects to just walk into it without quite a lot of training should think again. Most larger companies employ their own people and there are agencies which supply shoppers to the smaller firms. I suspect that the advert you mention is either just an out-and-out scam or a wannabe agency who are definitely not going about it the right way.
If you think about it, it will work this way. You pay your 20 bucks (which, as someone pointed out, is not a great deal and maybe worth it just to find out) and they say they will find you work. They will explain that their 'clients' look for particular types of people, so you may not get work immediately. They will also plead the secrecy of their business so that you will probably hardly ever go to their offices, except maybe for an interview and a photo. After a while you get restless from not having had a job come your way and you, perhaps, wonder if they actually do give people jobs. You wonder right! They don't. They make their money by advertising widely and accepting people's $20. Of course, they can't reveal the amount of work they provide because it's all very hush-hush ... if people get recognised as secret shoppers that would be the end of any work for them!
2006-09-28 08:55:26 · answer #1 · answered by Owlwings 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Scam. Think about it you see more ads for secret shoppers than any other job in the US. Do you think there are more secret shoppers than say grocery store, fast food, or retail store workers? The secret shopper thing is playing on greed, ie you get paid for doing an easy job, and psychology, you get paid for buying things. Real good job for a lazy person who is a compulsive shopper. I am sure there are some legitimate shopping evaluation services, but they are not going to put up some random ad on the internet and get 1000s of goofy responses. a>
2016-03-26 21:40:59 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know that I would pay anyone for that. I worked for two grocery store chains in the past and they each employed secret shoppers. They hired them on their own and I'm not sure that service could help you get hired in any way. Than again, $20 is not alot of money so, if you really want to do it, it may be worth $20 just to find out.
2006-09-28 08:46:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes my friend is a secret shopper, she gets coupons for 50.00 every time she completes a survey. Her job is to go into the store and report back on things such as how she was greeted, was the staff helpful in helping her find what she needed. All sorts of different things that can help the store improve the quality of the store.
2006-09-28 08:48:00 · answer #4 · answered by preshus 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Secret shoppers so exsist. At least in the retail and resteraunt industry. I wouldn't pay anyone to tell you who hires them. I can tell you.......Wal Mart, Target, 76 Gas stations, circle K gas stations, Bob Evan's resteraunts. I don't know how you apply for such jobs, but if you ask a manager, I'm sure they can direct you to the right place.
2006-09-28 08:53:25 · answer #5 · answered by mcnees79 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it's a real job I called one time and where i live was within 25 miles from several other towns that has these stores that they wanted a person to check out. They did'nt say anything about money though. I just called to see if it was real. I coudl've had the job but did'nt want it .
2006-09-28 08:47:43 · answer #6 · answered by tiny 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
for some it can be a job
but NEVER pay anyone to be a secret shopper..as its free on most sites
www.volition.com/mysteryUSA1.html a list of ALL the mystery shopping companys
2006-09-28 08:51:59 · answer #7 · answered by mommy2savannah51405 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
TV's probably not the best source of information like this, but I think it is. They go in the store and review things like appearance, quality and stuff, only in the guise of a customer (so as not to alarm people like some guy holding a clipboard would).
2006-09-28 08:46:51 · answer #8 · answered by attitude29018 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you must pay, it is a rip-off. There is a company called D. Ritchey that shops the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown L.A. but I can't find them to apply. They are very secretive. I think if you find them they will hire you.
2006-09-28 08:46:06 · answer #9 · answered by hpneil 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yep. its a real job. I did it for a few months. Lots of companies hire them. Fast food being the majority.
2006-09-28 08:45:37 · answer #10 · answered by nevyn55025 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋