How far will you go to do a mystery shop?

How far you travel to do a mystery shop is another one of those questions people who are new to mystery shopping ask themselves repeatedly. Ultimately, your decision should be based on several factors.

Do you plan to make mystery shopping

your main source of income? Do you live close to a city, or several larger towns? Do you have demands on your time? (Children, other work, home?) Do you have a driver's license, and a car at your disposal?

You have several options when deciding on how far you will go to do mystery shops. My general principle is to consider what other things I do, and where they take me frequently. I will try to keep my schedulers abreast of regular trips to larger cities, and see if I can arrange to do several shops for them while handling other business while there.

I personally usually do not consider shops that are 25 + miles away from my home unless there is a reason to do so. If a scheduler offers you a travel bonus for taking a shop further away that makes it worth it for you, if a scheduler offers you a series of shops that are close to your home in exchange for doing this one that is further away, or if you are given the flexibility of doing the shop on your schedule over a two week time period where you can fit it in as you like are all good reasons for accepting a shop that would normally be out of bounds to you.

A scheduler should not get upset with you if you are up front with them about your reasons for not accepting a shop. You also should not HAVE to GIVE a reason if you do not wish to do so. If a scheduler asks you why you do not wish the assignment, it may be because they have some ability to make slight accommodations for your circumstances to make the assignment more worth your while to do. However, if you simply do not wish to do any more assignments now, or do not want that particular assignment, you should be able to just say "I do not wish to take that assignment on at this time.".

Many people try to incorporate mystery shopping into planned trips. I only recommend this if you are an experienced shopper. It is difficult to navigate all of the requirements various companies have for their assignments while on the road, especially on a family vacation. Many require their forms be faxed back to them within 24 hours of completing the assignment. This can be tough if you are going from hotel to hotel or if you are trying to have a good time with your family. Many others require you submit your reports online. It can be difficult to fit in an online session while on the road. If you think this is something you would like to try, then my next suggestion to that you start with fast food shops, hotel shops, or restaurant shops. Those will be the easiest to fit into your schedule and make the best use of your travel time.

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