Topic: Mystery shopper Jobs, become a mystery shopper, job opportunities!

Impressions of the parking lot. Fingerprints on the glass. How long it takes to be greeted. Whether employees are courteous. Sometimes she carries a notebook that would pass for a shopping list if anyone asked her what she was doing. But Costin usually makes mental notes inside a store and waits until she's back in her vehicle to jot down what happened. "I try to park far enough away so I can sit there for five minutes without being noticed as I get it all down. You have to be discreet," she says. There is a certain allure to being a mystery shopper. How many women would turn down the opportunity to be paid to bum around the mall, go to a movie or get their hair done? Costin's assignments have included fast-food restaurants and banks, furniture stores and auto body shops, travel agencies and hair salons. Confidentiality prevents Costin from naming specific businesses that have hired her to shop their stores. "This is something a lot of women like to do anyway. My husband says I have always been good at talking on the phone and shopping. Nine days out of 10, it's a ball," she says. What Costin does on the job really depends on the type of business that hires her. She counted movie-goers from noon until almost midnight a few weeks ago as they entered one theater to see Cats and Dogs. When she compares a box office summary to her head count, the theater can tell how many people sneaked in for free. At casual-dining restaurants, she times how long it takes from the moment she's seated for a server to ask whether she would like something to drink. When she eats fast food, she looks for employees to up-sell, or ask whether she'd like fries to go with her hamburger. "Some people are not comfortable with what they're selling," she says, and that is not always good for business. "One time I was shopping large appliances, and an employee quoted me a price," she said. "Then he apologized that it was a lot of money. " One of the best and worst jo