Mystery Shopping with Frannie J

Ever wonder what it's actually like to spend a full day mystery shopping? It's not all free meals and movie nights — though those are definitely part of it. For iShop shopper Frannie J, a typical mystery shopping day starts before the alarm even goes off.

Frannie's day kicked off the night before. Planning the route, loading up the car, and filling up the gas tank are all part of the job. By Monday morning, she was already behind schedule — hitting snooze a little too long meant a rushed shower and breakfast before her first assignment.

By 8 a.m., she was at Publix — her first stop of several. Coupon placements, photos, and then on to the next location. By noon, she'd worked her way through a handful of grocery store shops and earned herself a free lunch at Arby's. That's one of the best perks of mystery shopping: getting paid to eat at places you'd be eating at anyway.

The afternoon shifted gears. Four tax audit shops followed, each one requiring her to take photos and check computer systems on site. Not every interaction was pleasant — some people were friendly, some were not. But as Frannie puts it, she still got paid either way.

By evening, it was time for the fun part. A dinner out at Roscoe Taco with a friend, where Frannie was quietly evaluating the hostess, bartender, server, and manager the entire time. Then off to see a movie — this time with a purpose. She grabbed popcorn and a soda, paid attention to how she was treated at the counter, and kept an eye on whether any employees checked in on the theater during the show.

The shops were done, but the day wasn't. Back home at midnight, Frannie sat down to write up her reports for the dinner, the movie, and the Arby's lunch. Reports are a key part of the job — businesses rely on this feedback to understand what their customers are actually experiencing.

By 1 a.m., it was finally bedtime. And what did all that look like on the bottom line? A $210 day, plus $138 in reimbursements.

That's what a full day of mystery shopping can look like. It's flexible, it's varied, and it's a lot more fun than a typical workday — if you know how to do it right.

Want to see if mystery shopping is the right fit for you? 

About the Author: Frannie J has been a mystery shopper for two decades and has been a member of iShop for two years. When she's not on a shopping assignment, you can find her working on a crossword puzzle or watching Law & Order.