FAQ

Question 1

What is mystery shopping?

Accepted Answer

Mystery shopping (also known as customer experience research) is a research method where customers from the target group visit a store or webshop and evaluate their experience. Mystery shoppers, if possible, make a purchase and fill out a detailed questionnaire after the visit, assessing the customer experience.

Question 2

Who are your mystery shoppers?

Accepted Answer

Our community consists of over 65,000 real consumers. Not trained professionals, but people of all ages who go through your customer journey like real customers do.

Question 3

How is the quality of mystery shoppers ensured?

Accepted Answer

Quality is our top priority. Mystery shoppers must identify themselves via iDIN, complete e-learnings on how to provide objective and reliable feedback, and build a reputation score. Additionally, every completed questionnaire goes through a quality check and is assessed for quality, reliability, and language.

Question 4

What does a mystery shopping study cost?

Accepted Answer

Between €24.99 and €59.99 per mystery shopper (excluding shopping credit) for Enterprise. For SMEs, between €29.99 and €49.99 per mystery shopper (excluding shopping credit). The research is fully customized, and the price depends on the number of locations, visit frequency, complexity of the research, and any additional agreements.

Question 5

How quickly will I receive results?

Accepted Answer

Often within 48 hours after the visit. Once the mystery shopper has completed the questionnaire, it immediately goes through a quality check. Once approved, you will receive a notification via email (or WhatsApp) and see the results in your personal dashboard.

Question 6

What is shopping credit?

Accepted Answer

Shopping credit is a reward given to mystery shoppers to purchase a product or service. This encourages mystery shoppers to make a real purchase and choose assignments that genuinely fit them.

Question 7

Can I also conduct online mystery shopping research?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We carry out online assignments for several clients where products or meals are ordered and delivered. Mystery shoppers provide feedback on the entire online customer journey they go through.

Question 8

In which countries are you active?

Accepted Answer

We are active in more than 20 countries, with our largest community in the Benelux. For large organizations, we can easily scale to new markets. Mystery shopping for SMEs is currently only available in the Netherlands.

Fewer than 6 locations but still interested in research abroad? Schedule a demo or contact us for the possibilities.

Question 9

Is there a trial period available?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can schedule a demo after which we start a free pilot where a number of locations are visited and you gain direct access to your personal dashboard. This way, you can experience how our dashboard works and what insights you receive.

Question 10

How does mystery shopping work at Secret View?

Accepted Answer

As a mystery shopper, you visit a store, restaurant, or other location and go through the customer journey just as you normally would. Afterwards, you complete a questionnaire with scores and explanations. As a reward, you receive shopping credit to purchase a product or service.

Question 11

Does it cost money to sign up?

Accepted Answer

No, signing up as a mystery shopper is free.

Question 12

How do I get an assignment?

Accepted Answer

Create an account, log in to the platform, complete the identity verification, and choose an assignment near you. You apply and wait for confirmation that you've been selected.

Question 13

How much do I earn per assignment?

Accepted Answer

This varies per assignment. In the platform, you always see the reward in advance. For example, shopping credit to purchase a product or service, or a financial compensation. That way, you know exactly what to expect before you apply.

Question 14

Do I need experience to get started?

Accepted Answer

No. You will always receive a briefing and a questionnaire, so you know exactly what to look for. If you can clearly describe situations and provide honest, constructive feedback, you're already off to a great start.

Question 15

How quickly do I need to complete the questionnaire?

Accepted Answer

Within 24 hours after your visit to the location. That way, everything is still fresh in your memory and we can share your feedback with the location as quickly as possible.

Question 16

When do I get paid?

Accepted Answer

Payment timing varies by assignment type. For assignments with shopping credit, instant assignments, and assignments with financial compensation, different payment schedules apply.

Question 17

Why do you do an ID check?

Accepted Answer

ID verification ensures the quality and reliability of our mystery shopping community. All mystery shoppers are 100% ID-verified to maintain consistent, actionable feedback.

Question 18

How do I set up a mystery shopping study?

Accepted Answer

You can set up a mystery shopping study yourself within 15 minutes using our self-service Small Business platform, with no subscription required.

Question 19

What do I see in the dashboard?

Accepted Answer

You get a clear overview of how your customer journeys and processes are performing. With just a few clicks, you can zoom in from a management-level view to specific locations and questions, all the way down to the individual questionnaire answers filled in by mystery shoppers or auditors.

Question 20

How quickly do results appear in the dashboard?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, results are available in the dashboard within 24 hours after the visit. This helps you follow up fast, make adjustments, and coach teams in a targeted way.

Question 21

How does segmentation work (and why is it so useful)?

Accepted Answer

With segmentations, you create your own layers in the data, for example by region, district managers, store types, or other custom segments. This makes it easy to see what's going well, where teams need support, and where training will have the biggest impact.

Question 22

What can I do with benchmarking?

Accepted Answer

Benchmarking lets you compare locations or segments by research round, customer journey, category, or question. It's a quick way to spot top performers and improvement areas without endless searching.

Question 23

What are rankings, and what do I use them for?

Accepted Answer

Rankings show the highest and lowest scores across different levels (for example locations, regions, or questions). You can click through to the underlying answers, which is great for targeted coaching and also fun for positive competition, like a store challenge.

Question 24

Can I click through to qualitative feedback and examples?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can drill down to the qualitative answers from mystery shoppers (or auditors). These real examples are useful for training, coaching, and evaluations.

Question 25

Can I export results or connect to BI tools?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can easily export results to Excel and PDF. For larger organisations, there's an API to integrate with BI systems like Tableau, SAP, and Power BI.

Question 26

Who is in your mystery shopping community?

Accepted Answer

Our community consists of over 65,000 real consumers. Not trained professionals, but people of all ages who go through your customer journey like real customers do.

Question 27

In which countries is your community active?

Accepted Answer

The Secret View community is active in more than 20 countries, with a strong base in Europe. We match shoppers locally, so you get feedback that fits your region and target audience.

Question 28

How do you ensure the quality and reliability of the feedback?

Accepted Answer

Our mystery shoppers are 100% ID-verified, complete e-learnings, and build a reputation score. Every questionnaire also goes through AI-driven quality checks, so you can rely on consistent, actionable feedback.

Question 29

How do you make sure mystery shoppers match our target audience?

Accepted Answer

We match per assignment based on target audience and region. Shoppers come from the area around the location, which makes the experience realistic and the feedback recognizable for your teams.

Question 30

Why don't you work with professional mystery shoppers?

Accepted Answer

Professional shoppers often visit locations all day and are more likely to stand out. That can create a biased view. With real consumers, you get feedback that aligns better with your target audience and customer journey.

Question 31

How do you select the right mystery shopper for an assignment?

Accepted Answer

Mystery shoppers build a reputation score and profile as they complete assignments. We use these to select the best-fitting mystery shopper for each assignment, aligned with your target audience and location.

Question 32

Why do you work with shop credit?

Accepted Answer

Where possible, we use shop credit instead of a financial payout. This encourages mystery shoppers to make a real purchase and choose assignments that genuinely fit them.

Question 33

What is the difference between Small Business and Enterprise?

Accepted Answer

Small Business is self-service: you can set up a research yourself within 15 minutes, with no subscription, and you can stop at any time. Enterprise is tailored: you get personal guidance, onboarding, support in 5 languages, and it's suitable for high volumes (6 to 500+ locations).

Question 34

What does price per visit mean?

Accepted Answer

Price per visit refers to the cost charged for each mystery shopping visit completed by a mystery shopper, excluding shopping credit.

Question 35

Is there a subscription?

Accepted Answer

No. With Small Business, there is no subscription and you can cancel at any time. Enterprise is a tailored solution with agreements based on your situation.

Question 36

Can I choose Enterprise (tailored) as a Small Business?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you want a tailored questionnaire, setup, or guidance, you can request a free demo even as a smaller business to see what fits best.

Question 37

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

With Small Business, you pay per round via direct debit. For Enterprise, we agree on invoicing with you.

Question 38

What is shop credit (and is it included in the price per visit)?

Accepted Answer

Shop credit is a reward given to mystery shoppers to purchase a product or service during their assignment. It is not included in the price per visit and is charged separately.

Question 39

How do you verify mystery shoppers' spending?

Accepted Answer

Mystery shoppers upload the receipt in the questionnaire. This allows you to verify the purchase and see exactly what was bought.

PREGUNTAS MÁS FRECUENTES

General

Compradores misteriosos

Empresarial

Pequeña empresa

Dashboard

Our community

Pricing

General

¿Quiénes son tus compradores misteriosos?

¿Cómo se seleccionan los compradores misteriosos?

¿Qué significa el precio por visita?

¿Qué es el crédito para tiendas?

¿Cómo se verifican las compras de los compradores misteriosos?

¿Cómo garantizan la privacidad de mis empleados y clientes?

¿También puedo realizar una investigación sobre compras misteriosas en línea?

In which countries are you active?

Is there a trial period available?

Compradores misteriosos

¿Cómo puedo obtener una tarea?

¿Cuándo me pagarán?

¿Por qué tengo que verificar mi identidad?

Do I need experience to get started?

How quickly do I need to complete the questionnaire?

When do I get paid?

How much do I earn per assignment?

Why do you do an ID check?

Empresarial

¿En qué países está activo?

What does a mystery shopping study cost?

¿En qué idiomas está disponible la investigación?

Pequeña empresa

How do I set up a mystery shopping study?

What does a mystery shopping study cost?

In which countries are you active?

Is a trial period available?

Dashboard

What do I see in the dashboard?

How quickly do results appear in the dashboard?

How does segmentation work (and why is it so useful)?

What can I do with benchmarking?

What are rankings, and what do I use them for?

Can I click through to qualitative feedback and examples?

Can I export results or connect to BI tools?

Our community

Who is in your mystery shopping community?

In which countries is your community active?

How do you ensure the quality and reliability of the feedback?

How do you make sure mystery shoppers match our target audience?

Why don’t you work with professional mystery shoppers?

How do you select the right mystery shopper for an assignment?

Why do you work with shop credit?

Pricing

What is the difference between Small Business and Enterprise?

What does “price per visit” mean?

Is there a subscription?

Can I choose Enterprise (tailored) as a Small Business?

How does payment work?

What is shop credit (and is it included in the price per visit)?

How do you verify mystery shoppers’ spending?