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Where do you find customer service training material?
My company has finally grown to the point where we need a customer service desk. I'm so excited and have been drafting our policies based on the ideals of companies like the Virgin Group, Apple, and Amazon.com. It still is really broad, and I feel like I need some sort of handbook to give to our new recruits. Where do you find customer service training material that can be used in the onboarding process? Also, which method is best to disseminate this material? Online training? Lecture-style training? On the job?
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3 Answers
Regardless of the program, your service desk agent should receive comprehensive training. Hired with customer service, sales and technical support aptitudes and training your training should begin with a formal orientation where agents learn about employee guidelines, training methodology, and their roles and responsibilities to the company and customers.
For 2 leading publications see www.transcom.com/difference
Trainees should learn your “Anatomy” of typical calls, call control skills, objection-handling methods, and your method for diffusing difficult situations.
Then focus on Exceptional Customer Service, as it related to your basic corporate philosophy. In this training, the concepts of revenue generation, exceptional customer service, and efficiency should be consistently linked.
Develops your own training materials and use best practices developed by others.
I believe only 15% of learning is retained after typical classroom training. As well, most organizations lose valuable time analyzing scenarios that rarely, if ever, happen. The result is that agents often lose sight of what is important when faced with information overload.
Initial classroom training should be designed to focus on the key knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) that an agent must master to be successful on the job. Then focus on opportunities for continuous improvement using a variety of techniques that follow close on the heels of any classroom training. These methods include:
• Weekly Testing (Must pass regular online testing)
• Mystery Calling (targeted calls)
• Call Auditing (sessions per agent per month)
• Coaching (Both online and in-person)
• Data Auditing Feedback (Record accuracy is ensured)
• Formal Call Reviews (per agent/week)
While you focuses on “need to know” initially, the “nice to know” aspects of learning are quickly assimilated into the agent’s skill set using these ongoing measures.
Daniel G. Willis
Regardless of the program, your service desk agent should receive comprehensive training. Hired with customer service, sales and technical support aptitudes and training your training should begin with a formal orientation where agents learn about employee guidelines, training methodology, and their roles and responsibilities to the company and customers.
For 2 leading publications see www.transcom.com/difference
Trainees should learn your “Anatomy” of typical calls, call control skills, objection-handling methods, and your method for diffusing difficult situations.
Then focus on Exceptional Customer Service, as it related to your basic corporate philosophy. In this training, the concepts of revenue generation, exceptional customer service, and efficiency should be consistently linked.
Develop your own training materials and use best practices developed by others.
I believe only 15% of learning is retained after typical classroom training. As well, most organizations lose valuable time analyzing scenarios that rarely, if ever, happen. The result is that agents often lose sight of what is important when faced with information overload.
Initial classroom training should be designed to focus on the key knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) that an agent must master to be successful on the job. Then focus on opportunities for continuous improvement using a variety of techniques that follow close on the heels of any classroom training. These methods include:
• Weekly Testing (Must pass regular online testing)
• Mystery Calling (targeted calls)
• Call Auditing (sessions per agent per month)
• Coaching (Both online and in-person)
• Data Auditing Feedback (Record accuracy is ensured)
• Formal Call Reviews (per agent/week)
While you focus on “need to know” initially, the “nice to know” aspects of learning are quickly assimilated into the agent’s skill set using these ongoing measures.
Dear Jeff,
We have several books on the topic at www.human-technologies.com and very shortly will have a train-the-trainer in self directed format. We also have a complimentary newsletter on How to Kick Customer Service Up A Notch at www.HumanTechTips.com Feel free to email me for further information. Good luck and regards.
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