Do you know how large retail and restaurant chains monitor the level of service and customer satisfaction in the hundreds and sometimes thousands of locations they have ? They want to be assured that each location they have is performing up to the company standards, and that they are providing the great customer service that keeps customers coming back on a regular basis

We all know how we act on our jobs when the boss is close by. Most of us will make sure that we are performing every task exactly the way it should be. After all we don't want to get in trouble with the boss so we are all on our best behavior. I am sure you see this principle in action as well when you go into a restaurant or a retail store. When the manager is close by the service usually seems more efficient and focused. But what about those times when the manager is nowhere to be found? Often times the service is not quite as focused or efficient is it?

So how do large companies with many locations handle situations such as this? How do they really know what is happening in their stores ? The way they do it is to hire Marketing Research Firms to provide a service known in the industry as Mystery Shoppers.

A Mystery Shopper is a person who will pose as a regular customer and visit the corporation's different locations. But the entire time they are in the store they are evaluating the level of customer service, cleanness of the store etc. They do this while acting as just one of the regular customers, as to not get any special treatment. But once they leave the store that is where the difference begins.

As a Mystery Shopper you are hired to visit a specific store and purchase a certain item and to evaluate the entire shopping experience. The evaluation begins when you pull into the parking lot and ends when you leave the parking lot on your way back home with that purchase in your hand. You may also be sent to a restaurant to order certain foods from the menu and the same principle applies you evaluate the entire experience from the time you arrive until the time you leave. During the entire visit you are monitoring the friendliness of the staff, the time it took to be waited on, if the staff was knowledgeable, and the cleanness of the store etc.

You are given an evaluation form to be completed after your visit. You should complete this form in your car or even when you get back home if you feel you have a good enough memory to recall the fine points of your visit.

After you complete the evaluation form, you then will send it back to the Market Research Company who contracted you to make the visit. Most Mystery Shopping companies will have you fill out the surveys right on line. You also may be asked to upload your receipt to include with the evaluation at the same time. While other companies will want you to mail in your receipts at the end of the month, The Market Research firm will then forward the results to the corporate headquarters of the stores you were contracted to visit.

The key to a successful Mystery Shopper visit is not to act to obvious and not to let anyone know that you are anything but the average customer. You should take mental notes, and not write things down when you are in the store. This would surely give you away and change the real tone of your visit.

Some Mystery Shoppers will bring mini-cassette recorders and record important information after leaving the store. They will then transfer the information to the evaluation forms when they arrive home.

The best way to prepare for a Mystery Shopper visit is to review the evaluation form before you enter the store. Not all forms will be the same, for instance a clothing store may not be looking for the same information on service and the speed at which the service was provided, as a fast food restaurant might be interested in. So be prepared and do a little home work before you enter the store. This will make you more efficient at your job, and will help you get more assignments. Some of the forms may ask you for the first name of the person who waited on you, or the name of the supervisor on duty. So it is important to review the form before you enter the store as that will make you more aware of the information you will need to fill out the evaluation form properly.

This can be a fantastic way to earn some extra money in your spare time, and also have fun while shopping and dining in restaurants. As a Mystery Shopper you also get to keep the merchandise you purchased as part of your assignment, or if your assignment was in a restaurant you will be reimbursed for the cost of your meal.

For a free report with links to companies who need Mystery Shoppers Visit http://www.mysteryshopa.com

The author Jim Garvin has been a successful mystery shopper for several large companies and can show you how to make extra income each month in your spare time.