Frequently Asked Questions
for Prospective Mystery Shoppers

We are looking for individuals wanting to earn money to shop. We have contracts available for thousands of shops around the U.S. each month. Add yourself to our database and we will contact you with openings in your area.

Mystery shoppers accept assignments to follow a prescribed pattern of interaction with employees at specific business locations, then report on what they saw, heard and experienced. Usually they go to the place of business, such as a restaurant or department store; sometimes they make phone calls and sometimes they both call and visit the locations. Shoppers are usually Independent Contractors who are paid a specified amount for each assignment, including a fee for completing the visit and filling out the questionnaire correctly and reimbursement for required purchases. As Independent Contractors, they may accept or reject any assignment. Mystery shopping is fun and rewarding, but usually not meant to be a full time job. Those shoppers who work at it full-time normally accept assignments from a variety of mystery shopping companies. Successful mystery shoppers follow directions carefully without being "discovered", are observant, have good memories, and are reliable in completing assignments and prompt in reporting them.

Companies who own businesses, manufacturers or service providers who sell their products through chain locations, franchisors and sometimes competitors hire mystery shopper companies, such as DSG Associates, Inc. Because data from mystery shopping is a form of research and may be used to help make important decisions, the shopper company must make sure the shopper visits are carried out as designed by the client and completed on time. To accomplish that, shopper companies recruit and screen potential shoppers, make assignments, communicate and reinforce client specifications, collect data, make sure it’s accurate, transmit it back to the client and pay the shoppers.

Headquartered in Southern California, DSG has been in business for 20 years. Today DSG is one of the largest mystery shopping companies and is a recognized leader for quality, reliability and responsiveness. DSG manages up to 15,000 shopper visits every month across the United States for a wide variety of clients, including fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, retail stores, credit unions, manufacturers, and service providers. The visits vary in the amount of time shoppers are required to spend at the location, but most take about 20 minutes. For most DSG visits, shoppers are paid between $10 and $15, including the fee and purchase reimbursement, but a few are considerably higher. Shoppers never pay DSG anything. Shoppers will receive a Form 1099 only if they earn more than $600 in fees from DSG within a calendar year. This amount does not include reimbursements for required purchases. Although DSG communicates with its shoppers in a variety of ways, from email to US mail to phone and fax, DSG believes that talking directly with its shoppers is the best way to ensure that client specifications and quality standards are met. So shoppers fill-out questionnaires as quickly after each visit as possible, then call DSG on its toll-free number within 24 hours (except Sundays) to report the information to a trained telephone interviewer. Occasionally, DSG will call back to confirm or clarify some information. In most cases, shoppers will mail their hand written questionnaire and signed assignment sheet with a receipt back to DSG. Checks for valid visits are sent to shoppers approximately 6 weeks after visits take place.

There are several ways to let DSG know you’re interested in receiving shopping assignments:

• Register online
• Send your name, address, phone number and available cities to ruth@dsgai.com
• mail to:

  DSA 
  2110 East First Street, Ste. 106 
  Santa Ana, CA 92705 

• Call Ruth at 800-462-8765.

If you’re replying to a specific newspaper ad, please let us know which one.

When an assignment in your area is available, DSG schedulers will contact you to see if you’re interested and qualified. At that time you will be told what the payment is as well as general visit parameters, such as the client name, location, acceptable dates, times, and purchase requirements.

If you accept the assignment, you will be sent (by fax, e-mail or U.S. Mail) a kit, which includes the questionnaire and more information about how to perform the shop. After you’ve read the materials and before conducting the visit, you’ll call on a toll free number to review the client specifications. Usually, these will include timing instructions and frequently will include ordering procedures if the visit is for a restaurant. In all cases, these directions are very important to ensure that the visit is valid and meets the specifications of our clients.