Information
Could you be a HOED Mystery Shopper or Auditor?
HOED operates in both Australia and New Zealand. For information related to Mystery Shopping in your country see the appropriate section below.
What is Mystery Shopping?
Mystery Shopping involves visiting a store as a normal customer to observe the service offered while making an enquiry. You then fill in the survey form supplied, answering questions and writing comments to describe your visit. Mystery Shopping is a form of market research.
Mystery Shopping is an interesting and flexible way to make extra money whilst developing useful skills.
Mystery Shoppers are people from all walks of life, normal customers who have a desire to improve the service offered to customers. Whilst no formal qualifications are necessary, a background in retail or customer service is helpful, and most importantly good observational skills and attention to detail.
Why carry out Mystery Shopping?
As a Mystery Shopper you represent a typical customer. Your surveys measure customer service to give businesses feedback on how well their staff serve customers. This information highlights areas where staff can be trained to improve their customer service skills. Staff are aware that they will be Mystery Shopped but should not know the identity of the Shopper or when the visit will take place.
Mystery Shopper surveys are one of the most widely recognised and accepted ways of measuring customer service, and give you an opportunity to improve the service offered to customers in Australia.
How does the program work?
The majority of assignments are available for self selection on the HOED Shopper Portal. In some instances assignments are manaullay allocated by the allocations team. Shoppers can log onto the Shopper Portal to review assignments allocated to them. Every assignment has its own instruction sheet (brief) explaining what is required. You can plan and complete the work when convenient to you, however this must fall within time frame indicated.
After you have completed the assignment the results are entered via the Shopper Portal.
What do I need to be a Mystery Shopper or Auditor?
You must have:
Regular access to a computer which is connected to the Internet
At least basic computer skills, although intermediate skills preferred
A permanent email address
Use of a telephone
Means of transportation to get to and from assignments
To obtain work on a regular basis you must be able to:
- be reliable and meet deadlines
- accurately follow written instructions
- observe and have a good eye for detail
- remember what was said to them when on assignment
- use good spelling and grammar, and
- be objective and unbiased
Where will I carry out Mystery Shopping?
Jobs will be available for selection based on your 'will visit' postcode parameters. You will be able to set these parameters when you register. Unallocated assignments within your nominated area(s) will be available for self selection. If the need arises, and you are prepared to travel out of your local area to complete an assignment, you may qualify for a travel allowance which will be negotiated with you before you complete the assignment. Some mystery shopping assignments are conducted by telephone or via the web, meaning that they can be conducted from home.
How much work will I receive?
The amount of work for you to do each month will vary and is affected by where you live. If you live in a rural area there may be some months when we do not have any work for you at all. This is because our clients may want a different area surveyed from one month to the next. We also rotate work between shoppers in an area, so that the same shopper is not sent to the same store month after month.
How much will I be paid?
You receive a fee for each job you complete. This can range depending on the length and complexity of the survey. After your survey forms have been checked by our Quality Control team, payments are made directly into your nominated bank account. Because we cannot guarantee the amount of work you receive, you should consider the payment as supplementary income (pocket money), not a regular income you could rely upon.
Do I always get paid for Assignments?
If you do it correctly, then yes. If a survey has been conducted in a manner contrary to instructions or is incomplete and unable to be used, you will be asked to re-do the survey correctly at your own expense. Alternatively payment may be withheld. Where payment has already been made, this payment may be deducted from future earnings.
What if it's not my fault that I couldn't conduct an Assignment?
If you have made a genuine attempt to conduct the assignment but have been unable to do so for reasons beyond your control you may be entitled to a part fee. Any such payment will be at HOED's discretion.
The sort of Mystery Shopping surveys you can expect are:
- Banks
- Service Stations
- Restaurants
- Fashion Stores
- Hardware Stores
- Shopping Centres
- Food Outlets ... and many more
(The information in the following section applies to Australian Mystery Shoppers only)
What about taxation and insurance?
Your status as an agent of our business is as a Hobbyist or a Contractor depending on why you are doing it. Most of or Shoppers are hobbyists, where they undertake the work as an ad-hoc or recreational activity and the fees that they are paid are not considered as regular, consistent income. If a Shopper primarily intends to undertake Mystery Shopping to produce income and profits then they will need to be engaged as a Contractor and provide an ABN. We recommend you received advice from your accountant to understand your individual tax situation.
How am I paid?
Payments are usually processed fortnightly. Your pay is credited to your nominated banking institution once the assignment has been accepted by the Quality Control department. A pay advice is emailed each time payment is made.
Hoed Mystery Shopping NZ Ltd
If you are interested in becoming a HOED Mystery Shopper, then please take a moment to read the Overview and Independent Contractor Agreement.
HOED NZ may request your mystery shopping services on an assignment-by-assignment basis, as an independent contractor. You are not an employee of HOED, and HOED is not your employer. HOED will not withhold any taxes from any compensation you receive from HOED. Nor will HOED pay any other taxes on your behalf. You are responsible for any taxes due from any compensation you receive from HOED.
You are under no obligation to accept assignments offered and HOED is under no obligation to provide you with assignments. Acceptance of assignments creates an implied contract between HOED and you as an Independent Contractor. In the event you are unable to perform an accepted assignment, you agree to notify HOED promptly by phone or email so that the assignment can be issued to another shopper.
The amount of compensation for each shopping assignment is stated clearly during the scheduling process and on the confirmation material.
The compensation/reimbursement package is client-specific and varies with each assignment.
Mystery shopping often entails out-of-pocket purchases. Shoppers are reimbursed for such purchases, up to the purchase amount stated on the assignment. An applicable receipt may be required.
HOED requirements pertain only to the data requested by our client, not to the specifics of how you conduct the assignment.
You are not to duplicate or disseminate any of HOED's materials, or any part thereof, in any way or form, without prior written consent of HOED.
You agree to not accept an assignment if you are an immediate family member, employee or an ex-employee of a client that you may be assigned.