The Shop Logs

I am so excited I just landed my next fine dining shop!
I scheduled it for a Sunday, safe bet hubby will go since there are no races on television this time of year, but it is a bit of a drive. It is at a chain I have wanted to try for years, but never had the excuse. Since we moved the last time there are none near me, so the possibility never came up again - - - until now!
I have already checked out their wine list and menu on line - I am thinking Honey Shrimp and Riesling! Luckily, I will have until mid-January to rethink it and reorder a hunderd times!
This shop is also with a new company that I have not shopped before, mainly because they shop the other side of the state - this shop is in the middle - lucky me. I have wanted to shop for this company to see how they grade, I am thinking it will be easy to get a good grade because they post examples and nonexamples on their web page, but you never know….

http://www.marketingendeavors.biz/ has a blog on their web site. The owner, Kimberely, has made some funny posts - I especially liked the one about her “second” wedding in six months!
Blogs like this one would be nice if company leaders posted on them, but not if some random editor berates us for our spell checked phrases that aren’t quiet right. Most companies could not pull this off - the blogging would be delegated to the intern.

I have not made over $600 per year mystery shopping in fees before the 2004 tax year. Reimbursements do not count in your earned money and so my accountant had advised me not to include the amounts in my taxes. Last year was the first year I dedicated an office, computer and equipment to MSing.
I record the money received during the year and this time of year I find especially stressful. I am ready to close out the year, but I still have payment outstanding, $358.13. Of that I plan on receiving $84 before the end of the year, but realize I may not.
This time of year I have to convert my current spreadsheet to a new spread sheet. I use basically ten columns on an Excel spreadsheet that I fill in for all assignments (up to four more for specifics):Date of shop, MS Company, Business, Cost/Reimbursement/Fee, Type of Payment Expected (Check, PayPal, Direct Deposit), Expected Date of Pay (Which I change to the actual date of payment when I receive the money), Miles to the Shop and the Address of the Shop. The Cost is totaled by the formula “=SUM(E70:E245)” which totals all the money I spend while shopping. I include everything I spend on the shop. Sometimes I leave out purchases I would have made for myself anyway, especially onthe shoe shops it seems. I do this type of formula also for the Fee and Reimbursement (I also add in Referels, Comps and Bonuses). I then have a total that is “=SUM(G246,H246,I246,J246,F246)-E246″ basically, all my incomes minus my costs. I look at that total as howI am doing for that calendar year - money out & expected income also. I take that total however, and subtract what the accountant told me to deduct for mileage, .$36/mile. This usually leaves me in the negative on the year. (I look at it this way, I will go to the mall, weather for a “shop” or not - so I might as well be paid!) This is a write-off, losing money on my business, so the accountant says.
I run a more visual record of my incoming payments by the month in a Excel line graph format so I can compare to the previous year. This does not take into account the money out, but indicates the amount I am bringing in and helps me set reasonable goals for MSing income per month.

I took this straggler shop a week ago and was assuming I could fill shops in around it as I got closer to the shop date. I mean this was out by the mall and there is always something out there! Here it is four days before Christmas and I am heading out to the mall - there better be a darn good reason for this trek - and I only have one $12 shop. I was getting nervous that I was not going to fill in anything around this shop; I was disappointed. I knew better than to take retail shops so close to Christmas in such a place as an electronics store no less! Well, the morning of the shop came around and I was trying to find some places I could stop to make the trip worthwhile when I got an email from a scheduler asking if I could do a bar/lunch shop at a wings place - right on the way to my electronics shop! I did have to do some light shopping inbetween to work through the beer, but the holiday shopping didn’t bother me as much after some drafts.

I completed a shop Friday night (I think I had the flu!) that really piqued my interest. The product/service was a good deal IF you have the initial capital that you wouldn’t miss.
Here Iam earning $30 for this shop and at the end a salesperson - I never shop a bad one it seems - almost has me convinced that I would be losing money if I don’t sign up to pay the $3,500 yearly dues. Yes, yes, great product/service, but what I can’t tell this guy is I just tried this shop and realized I have spent two hours - three with travel - to earn $30 (plus report time!)….I am not the type to drop $3,500 - even if the MS company tells me I only have to put down $500 & I can have it back in 60 days for $15 more. “Could I please? Would you please hold onto my $500 while I get charged Credit card interest rates for two months? “
Good thing this is a one time shop - I can’t afford it if I fall for it next time.
I’m not sure if I mean fall for the sales pitch from the MS Co. or the salesperson!

FriendlyStuff.com
What part of “Mystery” eludes this guy?

In an email reqesting me to sign up in a shopper database:

” THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ASSISTANTS.

SINCERELY, ******** ****** FOUNDER
******* ******** V.P. FROM ***”
Even if I didn’t mind the fact that they YELLED at me through the entire email, would I really want to be associated with a database of shoppers that belong to a group founded and managed by such blatant misspellers?

I have only completed one fine dining shop so far and it was fabulous, but since I have had a taste of the good money it has been difficult to complete the small shops.
Two days ago I got a lead on a mortgage shop that, although detailed and lengthy pays $200 at conclusion. I have to compile some of my mortgage details still, but I am up for this!

I have started receiving some really annoying call backs from a buy-direct-from-factory warehouse. The first person I talked to was the “teaser” I guess and was supposed arouse my interest. The second person to call was the annoying one. First she said she was “calling me back,” I guess this is to disorientent the consumer, make them feel insane and ready to relinquish the checkbook to the warehouse. She talked to me about a date that they requested me to come in for an openhouse, which I asked to have changed to a week later. After it was all set up the same person called me back three times on Friday - no message - just the number three times within 30 minutes on my phone. I was freaked (after my massage) I saw this number three times flashing and I was so worried I had missed something. Well, you know I called the number and it took two people to track this crackhead down for her to tell me that she had talked to me last week, or two days ago as I like to call it, and “…just wanted to confirm that such-and-such date and time would work for me.” I was nonplussed - yes, yes, that would be fine…..I can’t wait for this shop!
I would think about rescheduling, but it is due the following day. Plus that, God only knows what would happen to that scheduler’s head if I changed anymore!

Good Question!
If people have something to sell you, like a list of companies sitting on their hands waiting for you to email them and accept a fabulous assignment to ’shop’ a cruise line, then you can make a boat load….
If the person talking/writing has a personal agenda or just makes money from the constant publication (*cough*Jennifer Voitle*cough*) of his/her exploits you could believe outrageous sums such as $6,000/month.
I have only computerized my records from the previous 1 1/2 years at this point (maybe I’ll learn how to insert my line plot graph from Excel here someday!) in the second half of 2003 I earned $987.28 and so far in 2004 I earned $2,533.17. These totals are not just dollars themselves however, they also include reimbursements, comped meals aside from the fees for doing the shop.

I have been a mystery shopper for five years now. This is a lonely second/part time job because of the mystery in the job titile. I have involved my husband in dinner shops and even talked my sister-in-law into shopping also; I am desparate for an outlet!
I also would like a place online that is an honest look at mystery shopping. There are forums where I read and post, but this will be a safer place.