Want to Eat, Drink, and Experience your City for Free?

Premise

Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy eating, drinking, and exploring, all on someone else’s dime? The answer is mystery shopping.

I stumbled upon this in one of those many how to make a side hustle articles. Imagine eating, drinking, and experiencing your city for free, paid by someone else. Eats range from casual & fast food all the way to high end, fancy sit-down restaurants. Drinking could be in dive bars, or luxury lounges, perhaps in hotels. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy this all on someone else’s dime? More information below!

 

Mystery Shopping: Business standpoint

Companies use mystery shopping to survey customer service in an establishment, to get an inside perspective on how customers are treated by employees and management. Perhaps they want to know more about a specific type of interaction (such as a call, walk-in), or with particular people (bartender, manager, etc.)

They outsource these jobs to mystery shopping companies, who then pay shoppers to do the research and experiencing.

 

Mystery Shopping: Customer standpoint

Free food, drinks, and experiences such as museum visits, bowling, shopping, and more! It allows me to try many, many new places that I would not normally go, or explore more of the city that I am currently living in. Some even include visits of apartment facilities or college campus tours, or luxury resorts/hotel stays! Or, you can pick up shops at eateries all around your area, including airports!

In exchange for remuneration, customers are typically required to fill out a questionnaire and service report. This report may include a variety of topics, as well as detailed descriptions of personnel, experience, interactions, and more. Usually, photos are required to verify authenticity, quality of product, or purchase price.

Mystery shopping is an excellent way for people to try new establishments, make a little money, and explore their surroundings. While I can pay for the food and drink, the fact that I am reimbursed (and can churn my credit card) makes it even more enjoyable. Free food and drink tastes better psychologically, and I consider this a way of manufacturing spend AND profit. Each transaction is called a shop, and, like everything, has a T&C for customers to read and abide by.

 

Some Recent Examples

Recently, I had the pleasure of taking my lady to nicer establishment mystery shops, for some delicious eats below.

Sounds Great, How Do I Get Started?

A Google search will turn up many, many hits for mystery shopping. However, I have used a few companies in the last year or so, which have been great, such as iSecretShop & Field Agent. You could make hundreds, or even thousands of dollars! More information, instructions and the financial breakdowns in my next post! Stay tuned for more on Mystery Shopping!

 

 

Featured Image is a few free drinks we had on a recent shop. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links which, should you click through and/or make a purchase, grant me a commission. Also, I only post in the best interest of my readers. Lastly, thank you for supporting my blog and my travels. 

What do you think of my writing? Have any questions? Want to see more or different sections? Let me know in the comments, or reach me directly at TheHotelion@gmail.com! Like my posts? See more here, on TravelUpdate! Follow me on Facebook (The Hotelion) or on Twitter and Instagram: @TheHotelion