Have You Wondered – Does Confero Offer Mystery Shopping Jobs?

Some of you may be shocked to learn that Confero does not offer mystery shopping jobs because … you have mystery shopped for us, right?

You will never find Confero in the employment section of your newspaper or online job sources sharing mystery shopping jobs! Confero does not offer mystery shopping jobs. Confero offers mystery shopping gigs.

What’s the Difference Between a Job and a Gig?

Around the United States, Confero offers mystery shopping gigs or independent mystery shopping contracts. What’s the difference between a job and a gig? Great question. In this latest blog post, we will be sharing the difference between a mystery shopping job and a mystery shopping gig.

First, let’s take a look at some definitions. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a job as a regular remunerative position. In other words, a paid job entails working for a specific task at a specific time on a regular basis. That doesn’t truly sound like mystery shopping does it?

Additionally, the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines gig as a job usually for a specified time. Then, they equate a gig to an entertainer’s engagement. While most mystery shoppers don’t play an instrument or deliver a comedy routine while working, the specific time and varied locations aspect described fits, doesn’t it? Confero does offer mystery shopping gigs.

Isn’t That Just Semantics?

In everyday language, most people interchange gig and job without thinking that there is a difference. However, there are differences between gigs and jobs.

For example, when a comic does a gig as an entertainer at a theater or a concert hall, they are paid from different businesses. This is true if they pay the comic through their website or a 3rd party payment service such as PayPal. What the comic says and does in their act at both of these locations may be essentially the same performance. Yet, their source of income for the performances comes from different businesses. This is the essence of the gig versus job differential.

As a Confero affiliated mystery shopper, you may do essentially the same service by completing mystery shop evaluation questionnaires at different stores. Each different shop is contracted and paid by businesses.  When mystery shop questionnaires are completed and submitted, Confero checks to see that everything is both answered completely and clearly understood. Batches of mystery shop responses are uploaded into the system and results are made available to the contracting businesses. Then, they release funds to Confero to pay for the completed mystery shops. Twice a month mystery shopper PayPal accounts are credited by Confero with the agreed contracted amounts plus agreed upon expenses.

Gig vs. Job is More Than Semantics Indeed

When someone is employed for a job, they sign one employment contract and submit all the needed documents to that business. In the Merriam Webster Dictionary job definition they referenced a waiter. For example, the waiter would give the restaurant all their tax information. As the waiter worked, the restaurant would submit Federal taxes, state taxes and local taxes on what was earned over time. The waiter must come to work at a scheduled time and perform the duties that their employment contract detailed. If they fail to come in at the appointed time or to perform those duties, they risk being fired, don’t they?

Mystery shopping is not like that! Mystery shopping is not a job.

When someone mystery shops, they are an independent contractor. They have lots of contracts to choose from and can select what pay they are willing to accept for their services. Perhaps, a mystery shopper only wants to do certain types of shops and not others. For example, perhaps it is a young college student and they only want to perform restaurant shops. That is perfectly fine. They are their own boss because they are independent contractors.

What Do Others Say About The Difference between Jobs & Gigs?

SkillMonde has an excellent piece on this. It describes the differences in many aspects of comparison. These include types of jobs, compensation, benefits, job security and tax repercussions. Essentially, freelancer is a term they use and truly that seems a bit more descriptive than gig worker, doesn’t it? Freelancer implies the freedom that selecting gigs to contract for truly affords.

Here is a chart that touches on the main points of their article. Please read SkillMonde’s complete article What is the difference between a regular job and gig?

SkillMonde’s well stated conclusion after comparing jobs and gigs is that “a person’s personal tastes and professional objectives determine whether they should choose a gig or a job, therefore neither is fundamentally superior to the other. While some people would favour the versatility and variety of occupations, others might favour the advantages and security of a typical career.”

Why Does the Job vs. Gig Differentiation Matter?

 

Katherine Harris wrote an article for Indeed.com entitled Job vs. Gig: What’s the Difference and Why it Matters.While it was written in 2017, it does a good job of succinctly distinguishing the differences between a job and a gig. Her point in the end is that gig work allows more freedom and variety of work to be done. This is certainly true. Not long ago, people expected to work in one company from high school graduation through retirement. My grandfather did. Did yours? Times have changed and people want more flexibility in where they can live, what they do day after day and even the freedom to flex their work around family time demands.

Timely Tax Season Information

During tax season, Confero does not send out W-2’s or 1099’s to mystery shoppers to assist with their taxes. Why? Because as you have learned above, Confero contracts with independent contractors to perform mystery shops. Since we do not hire mystery shoppers, there are no W-2’s to be prepared.

Additionally, with so many Americans now involved in the gig economy, the laws pertaining to taxes have changed. Since Confero uses a third party payment company to ensure no checks are lost in the mail, they are the ones to send independent contractors 1099’s.

In an effort to assist Confero’s contracted mystery shoppers with helpful information this tax season, recently on Confero’s social media profiles we shared this post.

 

Confero Offers Mystery Shopping Gigs Across the USA

While this differentiation may not seem to be important in everyday life, legally it matters to both our mystery shoppers and Confero. During tax season this differentiation matters with how taxes are completed. In daily life it matters, as those that conduct mystery shop contracts for Confero have the freedom to choose which contracts they do and when they do them. Now with these distinctions shared, everyone will understand that Confero does not offer mystery shopping jobs. Confero offers mystery shopping gigs!

 

FYI – #Conferogigs is the hashtag we use on our social media posts to share contract opportunities with Confero’s online mystery shopping community. Follow us on social media to see what new mystery shop opportunities we have for the coming weeks.