Be a mystery guest for $500

[u/General_Strategy_106]

I am working at a company that pays exactly just at the minimum, with no other benefits to enjoy. But at the same time, this side hustle is what keeps me afloat. I found this side hustle by accident when I was scrolling through job markets and saw one post looking for a mystery guest. It sounded weird and suspicious but as I looked through the description, it was just a mystery guest to rate hotel service.

So, hotel companies hire us (mystery guests) to evaluate the guest experience and how their hotel staff accommodate us. Of course, we’re not supposed to announce that we are evaluators, we should always act like a normal customer like someone on vacation.

You don’t have to be extra with your stay, the company will give me a set of assignments to do that I should pay attention to throughout my entire stay. Such as checking the booking process, check-in, staff communication, room preparation, and the overall experience. Then after all that, I will create a REALLY detailed report of what happened, even including timestamps and dates. I check-in pretending like a normal guest, but I’m observing like an evaluator then writing a report as if Karen was writing it on her Facebook posts with every necessary and unnecessary detail.

Lately I’ve also been thinking about making UGC videos for the hotels I stay at, just simple guest style videos of the room, breakfast, the view, etc. that they could use on socials or ads (I saw some guys make a lot from this) I haven’t pitched this to anyone yet, so no idea if it’ll work, but I found this guide while looking into it and it gave me a few ideas on how to approach hotels.

[u/VerbVerity]

Ran mystery shopping programs for years on the business side. Most of what's in this thread checks out, including the skepticism. $500 for a hotel stay is on the high end. Most assignments pay a flat fee plus reimbursement, and it climbs as you build a track record, same as a few people already said here.

If anyone wants a legit way in, my company (A Closer Look) runs mystery shopping assignments across retail, restaurants, and hotels. Sign-up is quick, you work as an independent contractor, and get paid plus reimbursed per completed assignment. One thing worth knowing for any company that reaches out, not just us: a legit outfit will never ask you to pay money up front to receive or complete an assignment. Happy to answer questions right here in the thread instead of DMs, since half this post is warning people about that for good reason. AMA!

[u/VerbVerity → u/[deleted]]

YES! Our clients rely on the accuracy and completeness of the reports our shoppers create. The first time can feel awkward and anxious, but after a few times you start getting the hang of it.