Earn while you eat, shop and watch movie. Is it not great!! That has become reality with Mystery Shopping. Become mystery shopper and give feedback for big brands.
Mystery shopping is a word, many have not heard of if they belong to service class families. But, entrepreneurs, marketing and research people are well aware of the importance of Mystery Shopping.
What is Mystery Shopping?
When we dine-in restaurant, they take customers to feedback regarding service, quality, staff behaviour. Mystery shopping is taking feedback, but without knowledge of staff that they are being judged. A person who has been assigned the task acts as a regular shopper. He/she performs the visits the shop/restaurant/cinema/saloon, clicks some photographs, make a voice recording, and give feedback based on a set of pre-determined questions within 24 hours time-period.
Scope in India?
In India, mystery shopping is present for five years or more. but it has gained momentum in the last 3 years. Mystery Shopping has been used in sectors like Automobiles, Cinema, E-commerce sites, Restaurants, Jewelry Shops, Supermarkets, Finance sector and lots more. There are different types of payment method available, some of which are:
- Only Shopper Fee, no extra reimbursement: You need to visit allocated location within a specified time frame. You will do audit by various methods like click pictures, voice recording, noting the name of salesperson. In this category, the shopper will be paid for visiting the shop. There is no binding to purchase any product and if you purchase something, that is from your own pocket.
- Only reimbursement: This category includes shop from Rs 200 to Rs. 3000, or even more. you need to produce an actual bill and your expenses or pre-defined reimbursement amount, whichever is less will be paid.
- Both shopper fee and Reimbursement: For some categories, shoppers get pre-defined payment of both fees and reimbursement.
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Some points to remember:
- You need to register on mystery shopping websites initially. Once, you are in companies records, they will send you frequent emails whenever there is any job available. You can choose the date, time as per your availability while applying.
- You need to have a bank account in your name and submit details to different mystery shopping websites. Payment will come directly in your bank account.
- Different companies have different period of actual payment. HS brands pay after 45-60 days of the audit. But these are mostly authentic websites, and payment is done.
- Whichever audit you do, you generally need to fill feedback and report within 24 hours of audit time. So be sure to fill report and revert back to the company, else your audit will not be considered.
- You need to do an audit on their predefined days and within time period only, else audit will not be considered.
Websites which provide mystery shopping in India:
Redquanta, Shaw Hotel and Consultancy, HS Brand, ChannelPlay, Bare International and Wemark are some of the companies providing Mystery shopping. There are a lot more emerging and market of mystery shopping is increasing. With recent demonetization and startups focusing on high customer satisfaction, new sectors are being added in the shop list. Recently, banks have decided to engage with KGMP group and will use mystery shopping to find weak points in their system.
For Business, if you want to know how mystery shopping can help you, read the article on YourStory.com. In this, leading Mystery shopping provider, HS Brands have very tactically highlighted all important points why business need Mystery shopping to take feedback from their customers.
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