Employee Training and Quality Customer Service Go Hand-In-Hand
Training is a vehicle for preparing employees to better serve their customers and is an essential component of any organizational culture that supports customer service. That is why the importance of effective training for customer service representatives cannot be overstated. Managers of customer-focused organizations and many customer service representatives realize this and pursue opportunities to continually hone the skills needed for quality service delivery.
To perform your job successfully and create a positive impression in the minds of customers, you and other frontline employees must be given the necessary tools to do your job. Unfortunately, during the recession, many organizations and individuals cut back on the amount of training that was received. That is unfortunate because typically when things slow down, that is a good time to ramp up your knowledge and skill levels to better compete and be prepared when things revive.
Depending on your position and your organization’s focus, training might address interpersonal skills, technical skills, diversity, organizational awareness, product and service knowledge, or job-specific skills. Most importantly, your training should help you know what is expected of you and how to fulfill those expectations.
To ensure that you are ready for the daily challenges and opportunities involved in serving a diverse customer base, take advantage of training programs offered by your organization. Check with your supervisor and/or training department, if there is one. If you work in a small company or nonprofit organization, have your own company, have a limited budget for training, or do not have access to training, look for other resources. Many communities have lists of seminars available through the public library, college business programs, high schools, chambers of commerce, professional organizations, and a variety of other organizations.
The Internet also offers a wealth of articles and information in the form of free podcasts to YouTube training videos on a variety of topics. Go to http://www.YouTube.com and search for “customer service training” and see what comes up. Tap into these resources to gain the knowledge and skills you will need to move ahead.
For additional information on developing knowledge and skills needed to serve your customers, check out Customer Service Skills for Success, How to Be a Great Call Center Representative and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.
About Robert C. Lucas
Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.
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