Mystery shopping is a common market research tactic in which a designated person pretending to be a normal customer reviews a company's products, services customer service, and overall experience.
For this purpose, "mystery shoppers" are frequently hired by research firms associated with the companies themselves.
Using mystery shopper apps can help you better understand how customers interact with your business. The quality of your customer service, the on-site experience that your customers had, and other details can be obtained more thoroughly through mystery shopping than through standard feedback programs.
We have rounded up comprehensive reviews on the best mystery shopper apps in 2024.
Let’s dig in!
Best Mystery Shopper App Reviews 2024
Xenia: The Best Mystery Shopper App
If you’re looking for software that does it all, look no further than Xenia. Our software is one of the most versatile platforms out there, which supports all kinds of field operations including Mystery Shopping.
Our AIO software allows businesses to streamline their mystery shopping processes, ensuring that all evaluation follows a set standard resulting in consistency and thoroughness across the board.
Xenia also supports multi-location management, making it ideal for businesses with multiple sites that need consistent quality checks across all locations. The app’s flexibility and integration capabilities allow it to be a powerful tool for mystery shoppers, ensuring that all relevant data is captured and analyzed efficiently.
Scheduling Mystery Shopping Assignments
Your journey as a mystery shopper will begin with Xenia’s scheduling feature. It allows a business to schedule mystery shopping assignments according to their schedule which includes when and how each task is conducted. Businesses have the ability to set evaluations for specific dates and timing to align these assessments with your business's peak hours or promotional periods.
By doing this, you can make sure that your mystery shopping program is regularly scheduled to collect the most precise and pertinent data, which will represent actual customer experiences.
Customizable Checklist for Shoppers
Once you have scheduled the assignment, you can start creating detailed and specific tasks for your mystery shoppers by using the customizable checklists through Xenia. This covers all of the important touchpoints you want to be assessed and is customized to your particular business needs.
Customers are given precise, methodical instructions on what to evaluate, which guarantees uniformity and depth in each assessment. By doing this, the dependability of the data gathered is maximized.
After creating the checklist, Xenia allows you to assign tasks directly from the checklist interface. Based on a shopper's location, availability, or area of expertise, you may instantly assign them a specific assignment.
Time is saved, and each shopper is precisely matched to the activities they must perform, leading to more accurate and pertinent ratings, thanks to this streamlined approach.
Automated Notifications and Triggers
Based on particular responses or scores on the mystery shopping forms, Xenia's platform automatically creates notifications and triggers as shoppers do their duties.
For example, the relevant stakeholders receive an instant notice if a vital performance statistic drops below a predetermined threshold.
With the help of this function, you can assign corrective actions if required and get involved in real-time and deal with problems as they come up instead of waiting for a complete report. This proactive strategy helps uphold excellent service standards
Real-Time Data Collection and Updates
Xenia makes sure that all data is gathered in real-time throughout the procedure. Shoppers have the option to log data both manually and by taking pictures. You can get insights right away because the platform updates data as soon as customers submit their reviews.
Having instant access to real-time data facilitates prompt decision-making and enables prompt action on detected concerns or patterns.
Following data collection, the results are automatically analyzed by Xenia's sophisticated analytics and reporting tools, which produce graphic reports that show important trends, performance indicators, and areas in need of development.
These insights ensure that the mystery shopping program yields outcomes that can be put into practice by assisting you in making data-driven decisions to improve customer experience.
Feedback Loop Integration with In-App Chat Feature
Lastly, Xenia incorporates a feedback loop that enables you to rapidly share data and insights with the appropriate teams. The correct individuals always get the information they require at the right time, thanks to scheduled reports and automated notifications. Furthermore, you can communicate directly with your shoppers using the in-app communication feature.
These features guarantee that feedback results in prompt action, assisting you in maintaining a high standard of service across all of your locations.
Pricing
- Free Forever: Free trial for up to 5 users
- Starter: $99 / month for 15 users
- Premium: $199 / month for 15 users with unlimited access to all the core features
- Custom: Need something tailored to your organization?
Book a call to get your quote.
Priced on per user or per location basis
Available on iOS, Android and Web
FieldAgent
FieldAgent is a simple audit and secret shopping tool that lets you get paid by doing different kinds of tasks. It is simple to locate open stores in your neighborhood and submit an application for them. Each task will typically take two hours to finish.
FieldAgent provides you with a compensation schedule so you can choose which audits to accept based on the amount of money you stand to gain. The task will be validated after you do it, and money will be added to your FieldAgent account. After that, you can deposit the money into your bank account.
Both tech support and customer care are very quick to respond. Utilizing the smartphone app is quite simple.
Key Features
- Product Insights: Gather real customer feedback regarding your offerings.
- Concept Testing: Get context-rich user input on new service and product concepts through concept testing.
- Shelf Evaluation: Accompany customers while they decide what to buy in-store.
Pricing
- Contact the vendor for pricing.
BestMark
BestMark is one of the most reputable and long-standing mystery-shopping companies around, having been founded in 1986 and operating for 37 years.
It differs slightly in that it provides three different types of mystery shopping assignments. BestMark collaborates with a wide range of stores and eateries. Like other mystery shopping jobs, there is no cost to sign up.
Additionally, as you get expertise, you can get paid more and possibly be chosen for exclusive projects that aren't open to other customers.
Key Features
- Mystery Shopping: Traditional shopping tasks like reviewing your store experience are part of mystery shopping.
- Interviews: This entails interviewing consumers who are leaving a company to learn more about their experiences.
- Compliance Auditing: Compliance auditing entails determining if a certain store complies with company policies including price, placement of products, displays, handling of employees, and safety of customers.
Pricing
- Contact the vendor for pricing.
Streetbees
Streetbees is an online customer survey software.
The platform connects your company to a global network of over 3.5 million mystery shoppers. You can set jobs for mystery shoppers to finish, and anyone in the Streetbees network has the option to choose to finish your assignment.
The tasks may involve filling out a survey, making a purchase at one of your company's sites, or other activities. You can ask customers to complete an activity or survey exclusively during their visit to one of your business locations in order to guarantee accurate answers.
It's important to remember that every assignment a Streetbees mystery shopper completes is subject to payment. Moreover, offering a larger payment increases the likelihood that mystery shoppers will finish assignments completely.
Key Features
- Shopper: Investigate consumer behavior, comprehend the buying process, or take a close look at the entire experience.
- Customer Experience: Find out how customers feel about and use your goods and services, then make the necessary adjustments.
- Occasions: Recognize the who, what, when, where, why, and how of an event as well as its fundamental causes and surrounding circumstances.
Pricing
- Contact the vendor for pricing.
Market Force
Market Force is another major player in the market, with approximately 400,000 shoppers under its banner.
The proprietary app developed by Market Force, is one of the best features of working with them. With the help of this software, you can browse possible gigs in both list and map mode. In any case, you can configure the parameters to display opportunities just within a specific radius, saving you time when looking for a gig.
The software walks you through the necessary steps to complete and/or submit (pictures, receipts, business cards) when you choose a job. The ability to do reports on the move without needing to sit in front of a computer is one benefit of app-based reporting. As a result, you can make quick money while exploring your city, and you can even come across some opportunities for mystery shopping while commuting.
Key Features
- On-site: On-site Mystery Shops evaluate factors such as location appearance, signage standards, first impressions, associate greetings, and the needs assessment process.
- Website: Focuses on-site navigation, the shopping experience, product ordering, the checkout process, and order confirmations. They include finding information, customer follow-up, product search, user experience, chat interactions, and email inquiries.
- Mobile/App: Shops assess the app experience, ease of use, overall design, functionality, and purchase experience.
Pricing
- Contact the vendor for pricing.
IntelliShop
Online reputation management, mystery shopping, and other services are provided by IntelliShop, a brand management organization.
You can register for IntelliShop's service to receive curated mystery shopping for your business. Together, you and IntelliShop will determine what constitutes a positive client experience for your company.
Subsequently, the business leverages its database of over 800,000 fake consumers to observe the true nature of your client experience. Regarding the experiences of each mystery shopper, you receive comprehensive and useful data. IntelliShop additionally provides advice to assist you in interpreting your findings and implementing constructive modifications.
Key Features
- Online Review Management: The success of your business depends on the voice of your customers. Do you know what they are saying about you online? Turn deep insights into positive action.
- Compliance, Audit, and Loss Prevention Services: Utilize a nationwide group of professionals to offer audit services, handle losses, and confirm adherence to your brand guidelines.
- Customer Experience: Utilize data-driven insights to assess the customer experience across all touchpoints. This will enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue.
Pricing
- Contact the vendor for pricing.
What Are Mystery Shopper Apps?
A mystery shopping app is a type of digital tool that is used to find out how mystery shoppers perceive your company.
The most frequent users of these mystery shopper apps are those who work in retail and hospitality. However, any company where employees deal with clients or must adhere to rules and regulations can profit from mystery shopping.
The top mystery shopping applications allow you to assess the caliber of the experiences you provide for your customers. You can find out how well your staff serves customers, how hygienic and friendly your office is, and a lot more.
When a mystery shopper visits one of your retail locations, they may use these applications to provide feedback on various elements of their experience or to answer questionnaires. Most mystery shopper apps for secret shoppers also come with data analysis features, allowing you to identify issues and make adjustments.
How Do Mystery Shopping Apps Work?
The way mystery shoppers and businesses use mystery shopper apps differs.
These tools let you make tasks, administer consumer surveys, and examine mystery shopper results. You will need to give each survey or assignment on many applications a monetary value to encourage hidden shoppers to finish them.
All surveys and tasks that businesses have requested are visible to mystery shoppers, who may select the ones they wish to perform. Through the app, they will visit your establishment, finish the tasks you've given them, and provide you feedback on their experience.
For instance, a restaurant owner could assign a shopper the task of placing an order for a certain menu item via a mystery shopping app.
Final Thoughts
Businesses can easily find out what customers think of them from their point of view by using a mystery shopping app. Even though they have internal processes for evaluating and comprehending their products and services, having an outsider perform the same tasks can provide information and viewpoints that the company may not have previously recognized. This is particularly true for vulnerabilities or ground-level faults, which are invisible to consumers.
Businesses can subsequently decide what needs to be changed and what else needs to be done to give their consumers and themselves a better experience by using the information obtained from mystery shopper apps.
If you want to level up your business for the rest of 2024 and prepare for a successful 2025, start leveraging the power of mystery shopping. And if you’re in doubt about which app to go after, you can trust in Xenia.