Mystery shopping is not (entirely) shopping for fun, but I love it!

Several years ago I came across an article in the papers about an obscure vocation not many people knew about - the mystery shopper. I was very curious and went to find out more.

Mystery shoppers are independent contractors who worked for market research companies to evaluate and improve customer experience for their clients, which allows them to gain stronger foothold in the hearts of consumers that leads to greater market share. In return, the shoppers are paid a monetary incentive/reimbursement but it could not be compared to a full-time salaried job.
So you say, from the way you put it, mystery shopping sounds like a fun part-time job! Well, from my experience, well, it is both fun and maybe not so fun.

It can be fun, because you're acting like a real shopper with something in mind to purchase and get reimbursed. So you take your time, browse the shelves and ask questions to the staff for example. At the same time, it can be challenging because you have to evaluate the environment and customer service, put on a smile and behave naturally, so that you do not expose yourself. There's no free lunch!

So if that's the case, why would I want to continue to work for the research companies? Firstly the assignments benefit me by helping me to improve my observation, interaction and writing skills. These are in fact useful 'soft' skills that will assist me in other areas of disciplines. Secondly I have maintained a mutual and fruitful relationship of trust and professionalism (besides the contractual agreement) with the research companies and I would like to keep it that way. Lastly I gained insights into how large companies go about fulfilling their obligations in customer satisfaction and take it to the next level.

In short, there's many to learn from the shopping experience. In life, there're indeed endless things to learn. So keep calm and learn (I mean shop) on!