| Customer service is becoming the dominant driver in | | | | "Wow" customer service is often thought of as people |
| businesses across all categories. And more and more | | | | going 'above and beyond.' Research tells us that this is |
| companies are investing in training programs. But what | | | | not really the case. Service that creates positive word |
| should a customer service training program look like? | | | | of mouth is most often when a bad experience gets |
| Whether you are developing the program internally for | | | | turned into a positive one. That's a critical set of skills |
| your company, or contracting an outside training firm to | | | | that needs to be in every training program |
| build and deliver it, here are the eight must-haves to | | | | 5. A format that is 85% interactive |
| make it successful: | | | | Lecture is not an appropriate delivery mechanism for |
| 1. An entertaining trainer | | | | customer service training. We are, after all, talking |
| While instructional designers might take issue, this is | | | | about interpersonal skills here. Get interpersonal! |
| unquestionably the most important element. A large | | | | 6. Delivery that's not cutesy |
| part of customer service delivery is about attitude, | | | | Too many trainers rely on games and 'icebreakers' |
| passion and the ability to connect with people. The | | | | that seem to come out of a 3rd grade classroom. |
| trainer has to be able to display all that and then some. | | | | Exercises need to be plentiful - but enjoyable on an |
| 2. Content that targets non-negotiables | | | | adult level. The moment people feel an exercise is trite |
| Before you begin your program, decide what | | | | or simplistic, the whole program begins to lose |
| behaviors are non-negotiable, and target them. Don't | | | | credibility. |
| just throw spaghetti against the wall to see what | | | | 7. Mechanisms to transfer skills into practice |
| sticks - pick 3-5 core things, and drive them home. | | | | Customer service skills, at their core, are often |
| 3. Content that is not cutesy | | | | perceived as 'common sense.' Because of this, people |
| Far too many customer service training programs are | | | | often believe "I already do that," and consequently don't |
| built around awkward acronyms. Someone comes up | | | | make the effort to change behaviors in the live |
| with a word, like "Stellar Service", then tries to turn | | | | environment. Make sure your program has built-in |
| 'stellar' into a training program: ("S"ay hello; "T"ake your | | | | mechanisms and metrics for measuring and promoting |
| time; "E"voke a response; etc...). This approach is | | | | performance. Rewards, consequences, etc. |
| absolutely unproductive. Choose the content based on | | | | 8. Participation by everyone |
| "2″ above. Period. If it coincidentally turns into an | | | | Customer service delivery has to be consistent |
| acronym, that's fine - but don't build your content | | | | throughout an organization. If you really want to send |
| around a random acronym. This is too important to | | | | the message that everyone is involved and buying in, |
| play games with. | | | | everyone, from the CEO on down, has to be part of it. |
| 4. Content that includes service recovery skills | | | | |