Mystery Shopping is essentially just market research carried out by large companies. They want to find out whether their staff training has been effective, how their staff are performing, how their customers feel about the service they receive, and what can they do to improve customer satisfaction.

It is used by nearly all the major high street retailers, pub chains, fast food outlets, cinemas, hotels,car dealerships and leisure outlets. The company employs a mystery shopping consultancy and they in turn hire people like you and me to pose as ordinary customers and assess the service received in any given situation.

In my time as a UK Mystery Shopper I have been paid to drive top-of-the-range sports cars, eat in fine restaurants and stay in top class hotels, as well as shop in some of the country's most exclusive stores.