Email means different things to different people. Email’s basic purpose is to communicate with someone.
Do you feel like you are ‘talking’ with wayyyyy too many people??
We’ve got personal friends, work requirements, interest and volunteer groups, and then ‘things’ we like to know about. You know. All those newsletters you signed up to receive. And never have time to read.
According to the Radicati Group, a technology market research firm, the average office worker receives 121 email messages a day. And that number doesn’t account for their personal email accounts, text messages, and messaging sources.
It’s a lot of information to process … and can translate into a lot of wasted time. There are many gurus out there who have advice on how to manage, process, and file emails. Others have methods for looking at email only once or twice a day. And then there is the Zero Inbox philosophy.
Processing Mystery Shopping Emails
Mystery shopping companies use email as a primary source of contacting mystery shoppers to alert them to available assignments. It’s a lot easier than the way we used to do it – telephone calls!
Signing up with a lot of mystery shopping companies is one of the first pieces of advice you will receive when you enter this business. The more companies you are signed up with, the more opportunities will come your way. And the more money you will make.
You will also receive more emails.
So how do you handle the 30 or more emails you may receive on any given day for mystery shopping opportunities alone?
We recommend these three fixes for Email Overload:
- Set up a separate email account for to be used only for mystery shopping. This should be the only email address you use when you fill out profiles at mystery shopping company sites. Use this same email when you must provide an email contact for follow up for a mystery shop.This way anything related to mystery shopping is in one box. Do not be ‘creative’ with an email like “ishopforu@ xxxx.com. Use your real name or something that can be easily understood or written.
Then develop a simple process to view this in box once a day. Apply for shops, delete what is not applicable, and save the info you receive for shops you need to complete. And move on.
- Choose not to have emails sent from the mystery shopping companies who offer that option. This is for the self-motivated or disciplined mystery shopper.In some of the mystery shopping software, you can opt to not receive emails, but stay in their database. The responsibility is then on you to check job boards for open opportunities. Again, creating a process to do this daily or weekly is advised. And then – do it!
- Use an app like Presto, which is associated SASSIE software or their, JobSlinger+ These tools list open assignments from any company who uses SASSIE software. to accept a job, however, you must also be registered with each individual company. Note that not all mystery shopping providers use SASSIE, their apps, and tools. So, you will still need to know how to find open opportunities for other assignments.
BONUS TIP: There are also mystery shopper databases where schedulers will post jobs and/or search for their ideal shopper. Shadow Shopper, Mystery Shopping Solutions, and Kern Scheduling are some longstanding sites and resources.
Develop a System Email Overload
While our suggestions outside of email are workable ways to avoid email overload, they do require work too. And depending on your timing, you could miss out on opportunities that are being delivered to other mystery shoppers inboxes.
Getting email delivered to your box is the easiest way to learn which opportunities are available now. Having a system to manage the messages is the best way to avoid email overload.
How do you handle your email from mystery shopping companies? Share below! We love to hear from you!
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