What is a Mystery Shopper?
A mystery shopper, also known as a secret shopper, is a market research professional who evaluates retail stores and other businesses by posing as a regular customer. Their role is to assess customer service, product availability, store cleanliness, and overall experience.
Mystery shoppers perform various tasks, such as:
• Searching for specific products
• Making purchases and returns
• Asking challenging questions
• Filing complaints to assess service responses
They may work on a contract basis and conduct evaluations in person, online, or over the phone—such as interacting with customer support or testing digital experiences. Businesses use the insights gathered by mystery shoppers to refine their services, train employees, and improve overall customer satisfaction.
10 companies with high-paying mystery shoppers’ jobs
1. A Closer Look
Size: 11 to 50 employees
Description: Founded in 1994, A Closer Look is a company that provides customer experience measurement and analysis for clients. These analytical services include mystery shopping, market research and customer survey management.
The company works with clients in the restaurant, hospitality, health and wellness, retail and senior living fields, among others. Mystery shoppers often complete shopping trips in retail stores, restaurants and motels.
2. Market Force
Size: 501 to 1,000 employees
Description: Launching in 1972, Market Force is a company that provides customer experience management, analytics and reporting services. In 2005, Market Force created Market Force Information, which offers a platform for mystery shoppers to provide shopping services for various clients. Mystery shoppers can track their work through the company’s data technology, including a shopper app.
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Size: 20 to 30 employees
4. BestMark
Size: 51 to 200 employees
Description: BestMark is a market research company that focuses on mystery shopping and other customer experience measures. As a large mystery shopping provider that’s been around since 1986, BestMark works with clients from a wide range of industries. Some of its clients include restaurants, retail establishments, banks, auto repair services and casinos.
5. Confero
Size: 51 to 200 employees
Description: Founded in 1986, Confero is a company that provides customer experience research to a variety of companies. Besides on-site and online mystery shopping, it also offers competitive studies, customer surveys, brand support and compliance audits. Mystery shoppers may complete in-person, online or phone shopping jobs using Confero’s mystery shopping platforms and applications.
6. Second to None
Size: 51 to 200 employees
Description: is a market research company that offers tools, measures and analytics surrounding customer and employee experience. Its services cover the retail, restaurant, healthcare, financial services, education and government sectors. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Second to None offers mystery shopping services and positions to those in the United States and Canada. Second to None is a market research company that offers tools, measures and analytics surrounding customer and employee experience. Its services cover the retail, restaurant, health care, financial services, education and government sectors. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Second to None offers mystery shopping services and positions to those in the United States and Canada.
7. Yardi Systems Inc.
Size: 5,001 to 10,000 employees
Description: Yardi Systems Inc. is a software company that specializes in property management technology. Its real estate management brand, Yardi Matrix, offers property information to owners, investors, developers and other individuals in real estate. Mystery shoppers work over the phone to gather information on housing complexes or buildings by posing as potential renters and speaking to property managers.
8. Call Center QA
Size: 2 to 10 employees
Description: Call Center QA is a customer experience analytics company that focuses on the performance of clients’ call centers. Mystery shoppers for this company may contact call centers and provide detailed summaries of their interactions with customer support to help clients gather and analyze data about their call center’s performance. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Call Center QA hires mystery phone shoppers from across the United States.
Related: 13 Jobs That Pay You To Go Shopping (With Salary Information)
9. Sinclair Customer Metrics
Size: 11 to 50 employees
Description: Sinclair Customer Metrics is a customer measurement and analytics company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Some services it provides include customer service, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction measures, analysis and tools. Mystery shoppers in the United States and abroad can complete jobs on-site and over the phone.
10. Perception Strategies
Size: 2 to 10 employees
Description: has been a market research company that specializes in serving the healthcare industry. It provides customer and patient perception research, including mystery shopping studies. While employees may complete many of their responsibilities on-site in clinics, hospitals, outpatient service providers or other care centers, mystery shoppers can also work online or over the phone.Perception Strategies has been a market research company that specializes in serving the health care industry. It provides customer and patient perception research, including mystery shopping studies. While employees may complete many of their responsibilities on-site in clinics, hospitals, outpatient service providers or other care centers, mystery shoppers can also work online or over the phone.
Description: Incognito Mystery Shopping Consultancy specializes in evaluating and improving customer experiences for businesses across various industries, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, real estate, and automotive. By using mystery shoppers, Incognito helps companies identify service gaps and enhance customer satisfaction. The firm provides tailored audits and in-depth analysis to help businesses refine their customer service strategies.