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Tema Frank says, “We need people of all
backgrounds, all ages, all levels of computer experience.” In fact, they are
actively looking for relatively new Internet users. More experienced computer
users are able to “work around” problems that might stop less-experienced
customers from buying. As with other
mystery shopping jobs, you should not expect a steady income from online mystery
shopping. Payment is typically made by check within two or three weeks. Overseas
shoppers who do not want to receive a check in U.S. or Canadian dollars are
sometimes paid via other means, such as Amazon.com gift certificates.
After you apply, you will be asked to complete
an unpaid training assignment. According to Tema, “We give you a scenario and
send you to the Web site. You alternate between two screens–the client Web site
and the questions. As you go through the site you fill out a questionnaire
answering questions about what you are experiencing, how what you are getting
differs from what you expected, and whether you would still be on the site if
you weren’t being paid to be there.”
The scenario might be something such as looking
for a gift for your mother or your 10-year-old nephew, selecting items for your
home, or other typical customer situations. A “budget” will also be specified,
such as, “You are shopping for a gift for your 10-year-old nephew. Your budget,
including shipping and taxes, is $25.” You will not actually purchase the item,
but that is what you are to shop for.
The training assignment is shorter than a paid
assignment. Expect to spend 30 to 40 minutes on the training assignment, and
about an hour on a paid assignment. Paid assignments may include testing the
site’s search function and evaluating customer service by sending an email
inquiry or making a telephone call.
Online shops typically do not require that the
shopper actually complete a purchase. If entry of a credit card number is
required, the client may provide a dummy number so that the shopper does not
have to use his or her own credit card.
Although most mystery shopping companies edit
shopper reports to eliminate spelling and grammar errors, Web Mystery Shoppers
does not. They learned early on that there can be value in errors such as
misspellings. In reports for a banking client, many shoppers spelled “mortgages”
as “morgages.” This showed the client that they needed to optimize for the
spelling error, so that people who search for information on “morgages” would
find their site.
Web Mystery Shoppers clients include banks,
retail, florists, travel, B2B, non-profit, and government agencies. According to
Tema, “The usual clients I have are typically not the same ones that hire the
store-based mystery shoppers.”
So what does Tema Frank see as the future
direction of mystery shopping? She anticipates that companies will want “360
degree mystery shopping, shopping all channels through which the company
operates” to make sure that the customer experience is consistent whether the
customer is dealing with a brick and mortar store, Web site, catalog, call
center, or other outlet.
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