[Ray Of Light]

What do you do?
I work as a Freelance Mystery Shopper. Basically, I go to various shopping centres and stores, purchasing goods or services. Afterwards, I write up an assessment on the level of customer service that I recieved. I am then paid a fee for the shopping assignment, as well as reimbursed by the company for all of the required goods/services that I purchased plus my travel costs.

Do you like it?
I used to... mostly because of the immense flexibilty that I have with my daily schedule. Also, I like being able to keep whatever I purchase. However, over the past year I have earned much more from poker/writing/internet marketing, than I have from from Mystery Shopping... causing the elation to wear off.

What makes you in particular well-suited or poorly-suited for your work?
I am suited for my job in that I have a keen eye for detail, I am logical, I am good with keeping up with paperwork, and I am self-motivated. However, I am (very) poorly suited for my job in that I hate shopping... always have done, and probably always will. Fighting mid-day shopping crowds is not my idea of fun.

What kind of people do best in your work?
Basically as long as you can keep on top of masses of paperwork, and you are actively drumming up more work from day to day, you will do great. You also have to like to shop... I mean you REALLY have to like to shop...

What qualifications are necessary for people considering work in the same field as you?
None. Thats the beauty of it... simply build a portfolio of companies who want to regularly hire you and you will do fine.

What is a typical day like?
I wake up around 10am and watch some bad day-time tv whilst checking my emails. I then spend an hour or so calling round companies (or checking their websites) to find out if they have any work available or any upcoming jobs. Once done I then shower, dress, apply my make-up and go out between 12pm - 5pm actually mystery shopping (purchasing goods, eating at resturants, going into banks and asking about their 'great rates'). I then come home for about 6pm and spend around 2-3 hours writing up the reports on the customer service provided by all the shops that I attended. I then send off the reports (usually via email or post), and that is my work day complete. If it reads as though I am bored with this routine, it is because I am. I have done this for a few years, and I am now looking for a change.

What kind of problems do you encounter?
The paperwork by far. A typical mystery shopping report is about 8-10 pages long, and requires detailed explanations throughout. When you have 10 shopping reports to complete in one evening, it can become heart-stoppingly boring to complete them all on time.

What are the biggest (most common) sources of frustration and elation?
Frustration --- Paperwork; Elation --- Flexiable Hours/Getting lots of free goods.

How much do you make?
It varys according to how much work I can get, but I typically average $2500 a month ($30k a year) after tax.

How much can one expect to make in your position?
At the top end of the spectrum, you are going to peak at about $60k a year after tax.