One thing to think about when you’re developing a mystery shopping program using a company like Customer Perspectives is the age groupings of your employees, the ones who will be evaluated based on their customer service abilities.  To use the results of the mystery shop effectively, and to manage effectively, you’ll need to understand the varying needs of different age groups you might employ, according to this article form Confero Inc.com. The article offers 5 tips on using your mystery shopping evaluations effectively:

1)      Use a different approach to communicating the results

Younger workers, born between 1982 and 1996 for example, seem to need clear expectations and flexibility in how those expectations are met. So, you may evaluate their performance in a mystery shop based on a short list of expectations, and then provide scoring based on how many on those short list they achieved.

2)      When training employees, it may work well to share positive results of mystery shopping with the entire group. This helps the whole group see where there may be differences within the group. It may also liven up some boring training meetings. The younger group will appreciate a chance to participate in the discussion and offer opinions.

3)      Rewarding your employees by offering them incentives based on the aspects of mystery shopping that will be evaluated. Tailoring your rewards to the employees is an excellent way to increase motivation. Perhaps it’s iTunes cards for one group, or a half-day of vacation for another? Poll your employees to see what might resonate with them. Consider offering “on the spot” rewards when a mystery shopper visits.

4)      Talk with employees one-on-one, particular those you know don’t do well in group situations or may have totally missed the boat on their mystery shop evaluations.

5)      If you’ve done a successful mystery shop, you should be able to determine that some employees remember what they were trained to do and others need refresher tips. You might ask for employee input to help you determine the content of your next trainings.