Ask the Expert

Ask the Coach

Want to take your mystery shopper earnings to the next level? Are you wondering how you'll ever make decent money doing this? The Secret Shopper Company is committed to making you profitable, thus ensuring great shoppers stick around.

With personal mystery shopping coach Melanie Jordan, author of "The Perfect Work-At-Home Job: Mystery Shopping" and "How-To Finally Make Money As A Mystery Shopper" and publisher of the free, monthly e-zine "The Perfect Work-At-Home Job Update" you can learn the tricks of the trade, making you an effective, professional and profitable secret shopper.

As of September 25th, Melanie will be publishing a special edition of her popular “Ask The Coach” column monthly as a service to The Secret Shopper Company’s 131,000 + registered shoppers and site visitors. Beginners—here’s your chance to ask everything you've always wanted to know about mystery shopping and home offices, but were afraid to ask! Experienced shoppers—get the answers to the questions you have about any aspect of your mystery shopping work to advance your career.

2003

September, 25, Volume 22 Value of Pay for Lead Sites; Full-Time Income with MS?
July/August 25, Volume 21 Retail Experience; Maintaining Anonymity
June 25, Volume 20 MS in Small Towns; Getting Started in MS
May 25, Volume 19 Male Mystery Shoppers; Shopper Certification
April 25, Volume 18 Giving out sensitive Information; MS and Disabilities
March 25, Volume 17 Licensed Mystery Shopper; Providing References
February 25, Volume 16 Who Shops Who; Duplicate Shops
January 25, Volume 15 Scheduler Protocol; Client Rotation

2002

Nov/Dec 25, Volume 14 Lowballing, Low Pay
Oct 25, Volume 13 Car trouble; Lost receipt
Sept 25, Volume 12 MS reached its peak?; Taking Children on Assignments
July/Aug, Volume 11 Accept or Reject Last Minute Shops; Blending in as a Shopper
June 25, Volume 10 Shopping different companies; Regular "gigs"
May 25, Volume 9 Fees; merchandising
April 25, Volume 8 Digital Cameras and laptops; shopping locations
March 25, Volume 7 Expenses and Taxes; Compensation on "bonused" assignments
February 25, Volume 6 Moving; Allowing employees to sell the product
January 25, Volume 5 Feedback; Working for local companies

2001

December 25, Volume 4 Getting information from a shopping company before accepting an assignment; Feeling sorry for associates that do not do well
November 25, Volume 3 Getting names; Mystery shopping when you have a full-time job
October 25, Volume 2 How much commentary is too much; Holiday season
September 25, Volume 1 Signing up; Mileage and taxes

Here are a few of Melanie's contributions:

From the Desk of Melanie Jordan

Do you have a question or two to “Ask The Coach”? Please e-mail me your question at Melanie Jordan and specify that it is for The Secret Shopper Company column. I will select the best ones received each month for publication in this column. Either way, I will personally answer your question via e-mail. So feel free to contact me—you will get my response back (not an auto responder).

About Melanie Jordan

Besides being a veteran mystery shopper, Melanie is the author of two books on mystery shopping — Perfect Work-At-Home Job Update and How-To Finally Make Money As A Mystery Shopper. She also provides personal coaching services to beginning and experienced shoppers by phone and e-mail.

Her free monthly e-zine for mystery shoppers is called “The Perfect Work-At-Home Job Update” (subscribe by e-mail to mysteryshopcoach@aol.com). Back issues of this e-zine are available exclusively at her web site Mystery Shopping Coach’s Corner http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com.