Mystery Shopping Guide Review

As mentioned in my Hubpage How You Can Start a Home Business as a Field Inspector and Earn Over $50/Hr Extra Income I was invited to speak at the IMSC mystery shopper conference in Las Vegas last November.

There I met Pam of IMSC, the founder of this organization for mystery shoppers created by mystery shoppers.

Pam wrote her book to help readers avoid making same mistakes she made. This comes across in both content and spirit.

Her definition of mystery shopping is that it is "a tool used by companies to measure the quality of service, food, and the overall experience of the everyday customer."

Pam starts off with her "why" for mystery shopping - staying at home to spend time with her daughter.

That sets the tone that for her approach to mystery shopping; it isn't about getting rich or for that matter just another get rich quick scheme. Even for the legitimate mystery shopper jobs out there, that are not scams, too many are just trying to sell you their program.

From there Pam lays out the basics of REAL mystery shopping - I know because I've been a mystery shopper for almost as long as I've been a field inspector checking out commercial properties and verifying businesses since 2007.

This guide helps the newbie to navigate all the terms and secret handshakes of this industry that typically overwhelm someone getting started. Basically, it takes the mystery out of mystery shopping.

I found the sections using her Q&A format a HUGE PLUS. Basically, it's a list of FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on mystery shopping.

Overall, there is very little to dislike about this book. I will say that I found 2 sections covering "what is needed" a bit repetitive with. But then again it's better to be covered than missed.

As discussed in the video above, this guide is a must read for anyone even considering becoming a mystery shopper. It covers all of the basics needed to get started in mystery shopping as well as how to get more mystery shopper jobs.

Even as a relatively seasoned mystery shopper, I constantly found priceless nuggets of knowledge and wisdom clearly learned by someone in the field, not just written from the comfort of their desk.

Get your copy of The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping today.