I'm Getting Paid to Shop! My Dream Job! (Grass Roots Group Mystery Shopping)

Name: bubblecat

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Product:	Grass Roots Group Mystery Shopping
Date:	03.05.06 (1608 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You get paid to shop

Disadvantages: Very strict guidelines to follow

So what exactly is mystery shopping?

It is a way for companies to find out the best way to improve their services, by having 'mystery shoppers' visit their premises under the guise of a normal everyday shopper, in order to assess various things such as customer service, availability of products etc.

Grass Roots Research is one company businesses use to do this.

They have been around since the 1980's and their clientele covers a wide range of industries such as retail, restaurants and finance. This means that as a mystery shopper for Grass Roots you could be asked to do anything from visiting your local supermarket to calling a credit card firm and asking for a quote. Depending on how much work you are required to do, you will be paid anything from £5 - £20 (in my experience anyway) plus any agreed expenses, such as making a purchase.

So how do you get involved?

It is so simple to do this. You just visit the Grass Roots website which is www.grgresearch.com and click on the link to register as a new shopper, fill in your details and voila! You are now a mystery shopper!

GRG will contact you when they have any assignments in your area or if you fit a particular profile required by one of their clients. They will either email you, send something in the post or telephone you, so make sure you give them a number you can be contacted on at all times.

It took about 2 weeks after joining that I was invited to take part in my first assignment. A young lady named Terri called me to offer me the assignment and when I had agreed, she emailed me the relevant information pack or briefing and the questionnaire. Assignments are often on a first come first served basis, so if you are emailed a invitation that you would like to accept, I would advise to do so as soon as possible so someone else doesn't beat you to it. Also, be aware that most assignments will have specific dates and/or times that you have to complete them by so make sure you are available before accepting assignments. The fees payable are always stated in advance, so you know exactly what you will get for your time. The Brief tells you a little about the location you are visiting and what is required of you, such as buying something or asking a member of staff for advice.

You are always advised to read through both the brief and questionnaire a couple of times so you are very sure of what your assignment is as you are meant to be a MYSTERY shopper. This means you cannot let on at all that you are anything other than an ordinary shopper.
GRG offer tips on how to be discreet such as having a list of points made up like a shoping list if you need to remind yourself of your assignment and also to make any relevant notes such as staff members names.

When you have completed your assignment you are asked to call GRG with your unique ID number to confirm you have completed the task and then fill in the online questionnaire as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours of having completed the assignment.

That is pretty much it! You are asked to keep a copy of the questionnaire in case any points need to be clarified but other than that you can just sit back and wait to be paid!

Payments are made on a monthly basis into your bank account and so far I have not had a problem with any payments, even when I once had some trouble logging onto the internet so my questionnaire was late. I simply called and explained the problem and they were very understanding.

My Opinion:

Well! What a great way to earn some extra money! The GRG staff are very friendly and helpful and the assignments are fairly simple, especially since I have so far been asked to visit shops I tend to go to anyway which is great!

Althought the number of assignments you will be invited to will vary, I have been a member of GRG for about 6 weeks and have so far been offered 4 assignments with fees totalling a grand £39! Not bad for about half an hour's work eh?

I have yet to be asked to visit any restaurants or hotels but hopefully I will be at some point as that way I will get a lovely free meal or night out and be able to make my opinion count!

GRG are always looking for more Myster Shoppers from every age, culture and background, so why not join and make some extra cash as well as influencing how retailers etc provide their services?

If you would like to join other mystery shopping firms, always make sure they are reputable. They shouldn't charge you a joining fee as you are really working for them and doing them a favour.
If you want to know more general information about mystery shopping visit WWW.mystery-shopping.co.uk.

Summary: Get Paid to Shop