Mystery Shopping – More Than Just Secret Shopping

If you have heard about mystery shopping in Canada but are not aware of the ins and outs of it, read on to learn more about it. The following paragraphs reveal the secrets of secret shopping, how it started, how much it pays and whether or not it is a profitable option.

What Is Mystery Shopping?

Let us start with the basics. Mystery shopping also known as secret or covert shopping is shopping with a difference. A shopper, in this case, is a mystery shopper hired by a shopping company for a charge. The shopper is required to pose as a regular shopper and evaluate business for the company. The aspects that the shopper needs to look at are pre-determined by the company that has hired him.

Some simple aspects that a mystery shopper might be asked to assess are:

• How cordial are the salesman and the employees of the shop?
• Was he, as a shopper, given enough attention by the employees?
• Was he satisfied with the way the stock was displayed in the shop?
• Were the prices in accordance with the competitive prices?
• Did he notice any employee pocketing any money during his visit?
• Were the washrooms clean and well equipped?

Mystery Shopper- How Much Do They Make?

It might seem that mystery shoppers can make thousands of dollars every month. But no, the actual picture is quite different. The rates for each mystery shopping assignment differ from company to company. A shopper can make a couple of hundreds every month and that too if he has a good reputation with certain covert shopping companies.

So don’t think that you can make a living out of just secret shopping. Indulge in covert shopping as a part time option and don’t even think of quitting your job to pursue it as a full time job.

A usual shopping assignment for a newbie would earn him around $10 to$20 per shop. For an experienced shopper, the prices might vary and he could be offered up to $30 per shop. It would be a wise practice to keep a few assignments in hand at the same time to earn better.

Also remember to steer clear of all companies that ask for money to hire you as a mystery shopper. As a rule, never pay to become a mystery shopper.

How To Locate A Mystery Shopping Company?

The Internet is a great place to start. A mystery shopper is an independent contractor and can locate as many businesses in Canada as he wishes to. However, it is very important to first evaluate the business before requesting for a secret shopping assignment. Find out if the company is a ‘known company’ in the mystery shopping world. You can ask around for information or even visit forums to know more about the company.

How Does Mystery Shopping Help A Business?

Covert shopping helps a business gain an insight into the following fields:

• Understand what their customers feel about the products and services offered at the store.
• Increase customer satisfaction levels to further expand the business.
• Learn the problem areas and take steps towards improving those areas.
• Know what the competition is like and adopt ways to live up to the expectations of the customers.

This was just a skinny on mystery shopping. If you too wish to become a covert shopper in Canada, then contact a reputable secret shopping company today.



Mystery shopping is much more than just shopping, as shopper is hired by the company itself to evaluate the performance of its workers. Find more about secret shopping at http://www.secretshoppingblog.ca." rel="nofollow">LINK