UNDERCOVER ASSESSMENT
Your guests see what you cannot. We see what your guests see.
Professional mystery diner and secret shopper audits for restaurants and hotels across South Africa. Undercover guest-experience assessments with actionable reports.
What we do
A trained professional visits as a normal guest. Then tells you exactly what they experienced.
Our mystery diners, also known as secret shoppers, are hospitality professionals who blend in completely. They do not take notes at the table, do not act suspiciously, and never reveal themselves. They simply experience your venue the way every guest does.
Arrival & seating
Parking, signage, greeting, wait time, table presentation, menu delivery.
Service & knowledge
Menu knowledge, upsell attempt, order accuracy, wine service, timing.
Food & presentation
Presentation, temperature, taste, portion consistency, plate clearance.
Payment & farewell
Bill accuracy, payment handling, recovery if anything went wrong, goodbye.
Report delivered within 72 hours of the visit.
How it works
Four steps from booking to actionable insight.
- 01
You brief us
Tell us your venue, your concerns, and what you want checked. Online reviews, upsell rates, service speed — or a general standards sweep.
- 02
Undercover visit
A trained hospitality professional visits as a normal guest. No scripts, no acting. They experience exactly what your guests experience.
- 03
Evidence compiled
Every touchpoint is scored, photographed, and timestamped. The good, the bad, and the fixable — all documented with context.
- 04
Report & action plan
Within 72 hours you get a complete breakdown: what worked, what did not, and the three changes that would most improve your next review.
No obligation. Proposal in 48 hours.
What you get
Every detail, documented.
You do not get a vague summary. You get timestamped evidence, a ranked fix list, and context against similar venues. Everything you need to act.
Timestamped scorecard
Every micro-moment of the guest journey, scored and timed. From arrival to farewell. No guesswork.
Photo evidence pack
Discreet, dated, undeniable visual proof of every finding. The good, the bad, and the fixable.
Fix-first action plan
Ranked by guest impact, not auditor opinion. The three changes that would most improve your next review.
Benchmark comparison
How you scored against similar venues in your category and city. Context, not just numbers.
Mystery diner audit
One flat rate for a three-hour visit. Every moment of the guest journey scored and documented. Report with evidence and prioritised action plan within 72 hours.
- —Trained hospitality professional, not a random shopper
- —Timestamped scorecard across every guest touchpoint
- —Discreet photo evidence of every finding
- —Fix-first action plan ranked by guest impact
- —Benchmark against similar venues in your category
The R4 000 covers the audit, the scorecard and the report. The diner’s actual spend at your venue (meal and drinks during the visit) is billed to you separately afterwards, on proof of expenditure.
Quarterly programme or multi-venue group?
Most venues benefit from a 4-visit quarterly programme — trend data, seasonal insight, and measurable progress over time. For multi-venue groups and hotel chains, we audit every property using the same framework, then produce a group comparison showing which sites lead and which lag.
You will have a firm number before we book. No surprises.
Questions
The honest answers.
How is this different from a normal customer review?
A review tells you something is wrong. Our report tells you exactly what, when, where and how — with evidence, benchmarks, and a fix plan. Every guest touchpoint is scored, not just 'food was good'.
Will my staff know they're being audited?
No. Our mystery diners are trained hospitality professionals who blend in completely. They don't take notes at the table, don't act suspiciously, and never reveal themselves.
How often should we do mystery diner audits?
For most venues, a 4-visit programme quarterly gives you trend data and seasonal insight. High-turnover venues or those recovering from poor reviews benefit from monthly visits.
Can we target specific concerns?
Absolutely. Tell us your focus — online review patterns, upsell rates, service speed, wine service, or general standards — and we'll weight the scorecard accordingly.
What venues do you cover?
Restaurants, hotels, wine estates, coffee shops, bars, and conference venues across Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Gqeberha and surrounds. Any venue that serves guests.
How much does it cost?
R4 000 per single mystery diner visit, which covers a three-hour assessment, the scorecard and the report. The diner's actual spend at your venue (meal and drinks) is billed to you separately afterwards, on proof of expenditure. Quarterly programmes and multi-venue pricing are available on request, and you will have a firm number before we book.
Do you audit wine service specifically?
Yes. We have WSET-certified mystery diners who score wine list knowledge, upsell technique, pairing suggestions, glassware, temperature, and presentation. Essential for Winelands venues.
What if the scores are bad?
Then you know exactly what to fix, in what order, for maximum guest impact. Bad scores with a fix plan are infinitely more valuable than good scores with blind spots. We don't sugar-coat. We fix.
Ready when you are.
No obligation. Proposal in 48 hours. Not ready? Take the free scorecard.