Secret Shoppers in a Smart World: Still Relevant?

With so many digital tools and customer reviews available, it’s easy to think mystery shopping is outdated. But actually, it’s more relevant than ever—especially when tailored to today’s customer journey. Let’s take a look at why it still matters.

What is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shopping is when someone poses as a real customer to observe and evaluate service quality, staff behavior, and overall customer experience. It gives brands a first-hand view of what actually happens on the ground—whether at a hotel check-in, a car showroom visit, or when applying for a new bank account.

Why It Matters for Brand Experience

How your staff greet guests at a hotel, how quickly a sales advisor responds at a dealership, or how clearly a bank officer explains a loan product—all of this shapes brand perception. Mystery shopping helps spot inconsistencies and improve the experience where it really counts: in real customer interactions.

From Past to Present: How It’s Evolved

Mystery shopping used to be about forms and written notes after a visit. Today, it’s much faster and more detailed—thanks to mobile apps, real-time reporting, and even video or audio capture. And it doesn’t stop at physical stores. Now we also check digital touchpoints: websites, apps, even WhatsApp chats.

Example: In hospitality, we might test how fast a hotel replies to an online booking inquiry. In automotive, we might visit showrooms to assess how attentive the sales staff are. In banking, we might try to open a digital account and see if the process is clear and helpful.

Challenges in Today’s Landscape

Running mystery shopping today isn’t without hurdles:

• Omnichannel journeys: Customers may start online, but finish in-store—so we need to assess the full experience.
• Staff awareness: Some trained employees can spot mystery shoppers.
• Data privacy: Especially for digital or recorded evaluations.
• Need for speed: Clients want fast feedback—but meaningful insights take care and detail.

Tips for Brands Doing Mystery Shopping Today:

• Define what “great experience” looks like for your brand.
• Don’t just focus on sales—assess clarity, empathy, and follow-through.
• Review both in-person and digital journeys.
• Look at patterns, not just single visits.

At Upsize, we believe mystery shopping should feel like real life—not a checklist. Here’s how we do it:

• Realistic, tailored scenarios for each industry (e.g. test drive request, hotel complaint handling, loan application).
• Fast, digital reporting with photo evidence and summary dashboards.
• Coverage of both digital and offline touchpoints.
• Trained local shoppers across Indonesia who reflect actual consumer profiles.
• Actionable insights, not just scores.

Mystery shopping today is more than just a tool—it’s a smart way to stay in touch with your frontline and your customers.

With Upsize, we don’t just report what happened—we help you improve what happens next.

Ready to explore how customers really experience your brand? Let’s chat! 

[riko@upsresearch.com]