subject: What Do I Need To Be A Hotel Mystery Shopping Professional? [print this page] The hotel mystery shopping industry is thriving as hoteliers worldwide see the data driven results achieved through acting on the research delivered by these undercover appraisals.
Mystery shoppers are individuals who come from all walks of life and of every age and background. An evaluator is usually an independent contractor who pursues and assignments from specialised companies. Upon undertaking an assignment, they will evaluate an establishment as a typical customer, following a set of guidelines provided by the parent company. Hotel mystery shopping professionals are required to then evaluate the experience and compile and submit a detailed report. They are then paid a fee for these services.
What tools of the trade do you need?
Personal Attributes
The personal qualities required to be a hotel mystery shopping professional are reliability, professionalism, discretion and the ability to write a report. However, to do your job well there are some tools of the trade that will ensure that you are able to present accurate and valuable reports for your clients.
Transport
To do your job effectively there are very few overheads involved in starting out. You will need to get to the establishments by some form of reliable transport, and then get home to record your data, upload it via the internet, and send off your invoice for billing as quickly as possible post your visit.
Smartphone
A Smartphone will be your main tool-of-trade, superseding the need for a separate camera, voice recorder and stopwatch.
Digital Camera and Sound Recorder
Most hotels will require digital photographic and sometimes voice recorded evidence of your in-house experience. You will need to learn how to take photos at various resolutions and be able to upload them from digital camera or phone to your computer. YouTube videos are available for learning how to do almost anything and everything these days, so dont be daunted. It will be advantageous for you to also learn how to add time stamps and record notes on your camera or phone. If you dont have a Smartphone then a concealable sound recording device is also an advantage.
Credit card and PayPal Account
You will need a credit card or debit card that can accommodate charges of several hundred dollars at a time. Reputable hotel mystery shopping companies will reimburse your expenses quickly; in this regard it is important that you keep all receipts. Apropos receiving payment for your services you will need to establish a PayPal account as almost all companies will pay you via this method.
Computer Software
To do the job effectively and efficiently it helps to have high-speed internet access and Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer, as most sites are optimised for the IE browser. Also necessary are Microsoft Office Software (particularly Word and Excel) and spreadsheet software for keeping your own records.
Hotel mystery shopping is rarely a viable full time occupation, however it certainly is a worthwhile part time job, and many people put the funds earned towards savings for an annual holiday. With little monetary outlay, good intentions and enthusiasm you can enjoy your second job and its perks; in fact, after all that sleeping on the job in luxury hotels, you may not need an annual holiday after all!
