BestMark
BestMark is a privately held customer experience measurement and mystery shopping firm founded in 1986, serving Fortune 500 and mid-market enterprises across hospitality, retail, restaurant, banking, automotive, and regulated industries in the U.S. and Canada via 600,000+ independent contractor field representatives and its proprietary BestMetrix analytics platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BestMark does
BestMark Operations Company, Inc. is a privately held customer experience measurement and mystery shopping company founded in 1986 and headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minnesota (with an additional office in Ann Arbor, Michigan and operations described as near Minneapolis). The company serves Fortune 500, Fortune 100, Fortune 50 and Global 50 enterprises across diverse verticals including hospitality (hotels, resorts, casinos), restaurant, retail, e-commerce, automotive dealerships, banking and financial services, and regulated industries such as tobacco and dispensary. It draws on a network of more than 600,000 independent contractor field representatives covering 13,000+ cities across the U.S. and Canada with claimed 100% market coverage, supplemented by a global partner network for international assignments.
The company's product portfolio is anchored by five core service lines — mystery shopping (in-person, phone, online, and mobile), customer intercept interviews, customer satisfaction research (web, SMS, phone/IVR), competitive intelligence, and compliance audits — supported by add-on modules including CX consulting, UX mapping, employee satisfaction surveys, internal evaluations and reporting, and rewards/incentives shops. All services are delivered through BestMetrix, a proprietary cloud-based business intelligence platform offering interactive dashboards, performance scorecards, dynamic query drill-down, Power BI integration, custom alerts, action plans, Excel exports, and an API for client system integration. A multi-layered quality assurance system combining automated consistency checks, branching rules, back-end fraud and error detection, and human quality editors supports a guaranteed 100% completion rate on hundreds of thousands of annual field visits.
BestMark monetizes primarily through professional services engagements (custom-scoped mystery shopping and compliance programs quoted per scope), recurring subscriptions (CSAT and employee surveys), and per-assignment fees paid to field representatives. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with dedicated in-house project managers and one-on-one client relationships; new clients are onboarded via direct contact (1-800-514-8378) and current clients access deliverables through a secure client portal (secure.bestmark.com). The company employs 101-250 staff, holds Nevada PILB License #1095 enabling in-state mystery shopping, is an MSPA Americas Elite Member, and has positioned itself on ESG with carbon neutrality achieved in 2023 and carbon negativity committed in 2024.
BestMark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BestMark
- Legal name
- BestMark Operations Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://bestmark.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- BestMark is a privately held customer experience measurement and mystery shopping firm founded in 1986, serving Fortune 500 and mid-market enterprises across hospitality, retail, restaurant, banking, automotive, and regulated industries in the U.S. and Canada via 600,000+ independent contractor field representatives and its proprietary BestMetrix analytics platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BestMark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mystery Shopping & Customer Experience Measurement Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Competitive Intelligence & Benchmarking (BPAHALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Real-Time Decisioning & Next-Best-Action Engines (HDAAAHAK)
Keywords
Where BestMark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pretoria
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
BestMark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Mystery Shopping Services: Primary revenue stream from providing mystery shopping services to businesses to evaluate customer experience, employee performance, and compliance. Services are custom-designed for each client and likely quoted based on scope, frequency, and geographic coverage.
- Customer Intercept Interviews: Direct customer feedback gathering services conducted at client locations as customers exit. Revenue generated through per-interview pricing or project-based fees.
- Customer Satisfaction Research: Survey programs delivered via web, SMS, or phone/IVR systems. Can be integrated with client systems via API for automated survey distribution.
- Compliance Audits: Audit services for tobacco, dispensary, and general compliance verification. Includes both concealed and revealed audits with rapid feedback turnaround.
- Competitive Intelligence: Mystery shopping programs specifically designed to gather intelligence on competitor performance, products, and services.
- CX Consulting: Customer experience consulting services to help define, measure and improve consumer and employee satisfaction throughout organizations.
- Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Survey programs designed to measure and improve employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity.
- Field Representative Assignment Fees: Field representatives (mystery shoppers) are paid per assignment for completing evaluations. Some assignments include reimbursement for purchases (meals, items) plus cash payment. Field representatives can choose payment via PayPal, direct deposit, or gift card.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Mystery Shopping Programs |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Field Representative Assignment Payment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
BestMark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BestMark designs and delivers mystery shopping programs, customer intercept interviews, customer satisfaction research, compliance audits, competitive intelligence, and CX/UX consulting for multi-location businesses. Services are executed by 600,000+ independent field representatives across the U.S. and Canada and delivered through its proprietary BestMetrix business intelligence platform for real-time reporting and analytics.
Product overview
BestMark is a customer experience measurement company offering a comprehensive portfolio of research and analytics services. The core offering consists of mystery shopping services (in-person, phone, online, and mobile), customer intercept interviews, customer satisfaction research, competitive intelligence, and compliance audits. Supporting the core services are specialized modules including CX Consulting, UX Mapping, Employee Satisfaction Surveys, Internal Evaluations & Reporting, and Rewards & Incentives Programs. All services are powered by BestMetrix, BestMark's proprietary cloud-based business intelligence platform that delivers real-time reporting, analytics dashboards, performance scorecards, competitive intelligence reports, and API data integration capabilities. The company serves diverse industries including retail, restaurant, hospitality, automotive, banking, casino, grocery, fitness, and e-commerce.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mystery Shopping Services Undercover evaluations conducted in-person, over the phone, online, or via mobile application by 600,000+ field representatives who assess employee performance, service quality, and operational compliance for enterprise clients.
- Customer Intercept Interviews On-site customer interview service that gathers feedback from shoppers as they exit retail locations, restaurants, banks, and other brick-and-mortar establishments to understand purchasing behavior and unmet needs.
- Customer Satisfaction Research Survey program that captures customer feedback via web, SMS, or phone/IVR systems to measure satisfaction, NPS, and brand perception across multiple touchpoints.
- Competitive Intelligence Mystery shopping program designed to gather intelligence on competitors' performance, products, services, pricing, and customer experience to inform strategic business decisions.
- Compliance Audits Audit service that evaluates adherence to company policies, brand standards, product placement, pricing accuracy, merchandising compliance, and government regulations including tobacco and dispensary age verification.
- Customer Experience (CX) Consulting Consulting service that helps organizations define, measure, and improve customer and employee satisfaction through mystery shopping program design, employee engagement strategies, and customer journey optimization.
- User Experience (UX) Mapping Customer journey mapping service that visualizes the end-to-end experience across all touchpoints to identify pain points, opportunities for improvement, and drivers of customer loyalty.
- Employee Satisfaction Surveys Internal survey program that measures employee engagement, satisfaction drivers, and workplace culture to reduce turnover and improve productivity and customer service.
- Internal Evaluations & Reporting Manager-led employee evaluation system that trains supervisors to observe and measure specific behaviors driving customer delight and internal initiatives, complementing external mystery shopping data.
- Rewards & Incentives Shops Mystery shopping program where field representatives reward employees on-the-spot with gift cards or incentives for demonstrating exceptional customer service behaviors.
- BestMetrix Business Intelligence Platform Proprietary cloud-based business intelligence platform that provides real-time access to reporting, analytics, dashboards, performance scorecards, drill-down queries, competitive intelligence reports, Power BI interactive reports, custom alerts, action plans, and API data feeds for integration with client systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% completion rate guaranteed on all assignments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BestMark
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
BestMark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
BestMark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- One Tree PlantedminorBestMark has partnered with One Tree Planted, a global nonprofit that has planted more than 100 million trees across 80+ countries since 2014. This partnership supports BestMark's sustainability initiatives, with trees planted helping to restore forests, create biodiversity habitats, and make positive social impact worldwide.
- MSPA AmericascoreBestMark is an award-winning Elite Member of MSPA Americas, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. This partnership provides industry credibility, supports mystery shopper recruitment and training, and connects BestMark with the broader mystery shopping community. MSPA membership offers training videos and certification courses recognized by BestMark and other mystery shopping companies.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BestMark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Intouch Insight: Publicly traded Canadian company (TSX: INX) that provides mystery shopping, customer experience measurement, and customer intercept surveys for multi-location enterprises. Direct competitor with overlapping service portfolio and shared North American enterprise client base.
- Service Management Group (SMG): Customer experience management company offering mystery shopping, customer surveys, and location-level CX analytics for enterprise multi-unit operators. Competes head-to-head with BestMark in retail, restaurant, and hospitality verticals.
- Market Force Information: Mystery shopping and customer experience measurement firm serving multi-location businesses across retail, restaurant, financial services, and healthcare. Closely comparable service offering and target customer profile.
- MaritzCX: CX research and mystery shopping arm of Maritz, providing customer experience measurement, employee engagement, and competitive benchmarking for enterprise clients. Overlapping portfolio and enterprise GTM motion.
- Coyle Hospitality Group: Specialized mystery shopping and CX evaluation firm focused on the hospitality industry (hotels, resorts, restaurants, spas). Comparable delivery model via independent contractor evaluators and similar enterprise client base in hospitality.
- Service Evaluation Concepts (SEC): Mystery shopping and CX measurement provider serving multi-unit operators. Directly comparable business model delivering mystery shops, compliance audits, and customer feedback programs to enterprise clients.
- Reality Based Group: Mystery shopping and customer experience research firm focused on retail, restaurant, and consumer brand clients. Similar service mix (mystery shopping, audits, intercept interviews) and comparable enterprise target customer.
Broad incumbents
- Qualtrics: Large-scale customer experience management platform (owned by Silver Lake / CPP Investments) offering always-on digital CX, survey, and analytics tooling. Competes for the same enterprise CX measurement budget as BestMark but via software rather than in-person mystery shopping.
- Medallia: Enterprise CX and voice-of-customer platform serving global brands across hospitality, retail, financial services, and automotive. Overlaps with BestMark in CX measurement and benchmarking but delivers primarily via digital channels rather than mystery shopping.
- Ipsos: Global market research and public opinion firm with significant CX and customer satisfaction research practices serving the same Fortune 500 verticals as BestMark. Larger, more diversified competitor with broader research methodology portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BestMark social profiles
Digital presenceBestMark compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
BestMark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BestMark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BestMark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BestMark M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BestMark
What does BestMark do?
BestMark designs and delivers mystery shopping programs, customer intercept interviews, customer satisfaction research, compliance audits, competitive intelligence, and CX/UX consulting for multi-location businesses. Services are executed by 600,000+ independent field representatives across the U.S. and Canada and delivered through its proprietary BestMetrix business intelligence platform for real-time reporting and analytics.
Is BestMark a public or private company?
BestMark is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BestMark founded?
BestMark was founded in 1986. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is BestMark based?
BestMark is headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does BestMark make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Mystery Shopping Services are the primary driver. The others are customer Intercept Interviews, customer Satisfaction Research, compliance Audits, competitive Intelligence, CX Consulting, employee Satisfaction Surveys and field Representative Assignment Fees.
Who are BestMark's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Intouch Insight, Service Management Group (SMG), Market Force Information, MaritzCX, Coyle Hospitality Group, Service Evaluation Concepts (SEC) and Reality Based Group. Broad incumbents are Qualtrics, Medallia and Ipsos.
Does BestMark have an API?
Yes. BestMark offers a proprietary API that enables clients to pull data into their own systems via feeds and integrate customer satisfaction surveys directly into their consumer base. The API supports automated survey delivery and data export capabilities. Specific API documentation URL, authentication methods, rate limits, and versioning details are not publicly documented on the website. Developer documentation is at www.bestmark.com/about-bestmark/business-intelligence.
What industry is BestMark in?
BestMark's product category is Mystery Shopping & Customer Experience Measurement Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHALAB, Competitive Intelligence & Benchmarking, with a secondary code of HDAAAHAK, Real-Time Decisioning & Next-Best-Action Engines. Its NAICS code is 541910 and its SIC code is 8742.