The ultimate guide to training for customer service

According to Gartner, only 13% of customers can resolve their issues through self-service as the only channel of support. Therefore, you must train your customer service agents to resolve issues quickly and effectively. Since modern customers expect priority and personalized customer service, failing to deliver either may increase the possibility of churn.

What is customer service training?

Customer service training is a comprehensive program designed to equip employees with the necessary skills, knowledge, and competencies to provide exceptional customer support. This training covers communication techniques, problem-solving strategies, product or service knowledge, handling difficult situations, and utilizing customer service software tools. The primary goal of customer service training is to ensure that employees are prepared to meet and exceed customer expectations, turning every customer interaction into a positive experience.

The importance of customer service training lies in its ability to influence customer perceptions and satisfaction. Through training, employees learn how to respond to customer inquiries efficiently, resolve issues effectively, and engage with customers in a manner that promotes trust and loyalty. This training is not a one-time event but a a continuous journey that adapts to new challenges, technologies, and customer expectations. As customer service representatives grow and evolve, ongoing training provides them with the latest best practices and innovations in customer service, ensuring that the business remains competitive and responsive to customer needs.

Moreover, customer service training plays a crucial role in shaping the company culture and reinforcing the importance of customer-centricity within the organization. By prioritizing customer service excellence, businesses can foster a positive work environment where employees feel valued and empowered to make a difference. This focus on continuous improvement and excellence in customer service enhances the customer experience and contributes to the overall success and reputation of the business in the marketplace.

Why is customer service training important?

Well-trained customer service agents are better at building customer relationships using emotional intelligence and communication skills. Not only does this result in a happy customer base, but it also leads to a loyal customer base. When customer service is good, people remember. They tell their friends they feel loyal to your brand and are likelier to trust you with their money.

Today, people are more connected than ever, constantly sharing their positive and negative experiences. Hence, it's important to develop a strong customer service department with well-trained, dedicated agents and equip them with the necessary resources to do the job well.

You can also train and manage remote teams using online customer service training programs, but first, let’s start by hiring the right people for your team.

They become brand advocates

When customer service agents are well-trained, they embody the brand's values and mission in every interaction. This transformation turns them into brand advocates. Agents who believe in the brand and understand its value proposition will likely convey enthusiasm and confidence to customers, fostering a positive brand image.

This advocacy is crucial, as customers are more inclined to trust and engage with brands represented by passionate and knowledgeable individuals. Through effective training, agents learn the technical aspects of their role and how to champion the brand and make every customer interaction an opportunity to reinforce the brand's reputation and values.

Becomes a competitive advantage

Exceptional customer service training can elevate a company's customer service from standard to extraordinary, becoming a key differentiator in competitive markets. Outstanding customer service can make or break customers choosing your brand in industries where products and prices are similar.

Training programs that focus on enhancing soft skills, such as empathy, patience, and effective communication, enable agents to exceed customer expectations, thus creating a competitive advantage. Companies known for excellent customer service are often cited in positive reviews and recommendations, attracting more customers based on their service reputation.

Increases customer retention

Quality customer service significantly impacts customer retention. Well-trained agents are more adept at solving problems efficiently and turning negative experiences into positive ones. This ability to swiftly and effectively address issues resolves immediate concerns and builds trust and confidence in the brand.  When customers feel valued and understood, they are more likely to remain loyal to a brand, even in the face of occasional challenges or mistakes.

Increased profits

Investing in customer service training directly correlates with increased profits. Satisfied customers will likely repeat purchases and try new offerings from a trustworthy brand. Happy customers also often become brand advocates, recommending products or services to friends and family, which can lead to increased sales through word-of-mouth marketing. 

Remember, it's much more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. Companies that enhance customer loyalty through excellent service can expect a substantial return on their investment in training programs.

Boosts employee retention

Employee retention is another critical benefit of quality customer service training. Agents who feel competent and confident in their roles are more satisfied with their jobs, reducing turnover rates. Training programs that provide clear pathways for advancement and skill development can also enhance job satisfaction by showing employees that the company is invested in their growth. Investing in your employees will help you retain skilled staff and reduce recruitment and training costs associated with high turnover, further, contributing to the organization's overall health and stability.

Can boost sales

Effective customer service training can indirectly boost sales by equipping agents with the skills to identify and capitalize on upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Trained agents are better at reading customer cues and offering additional products or services that may enhance the customer's experience or solve a problem. This approach to sales is often more welcomed by customers, as it comes from helping rather than selling.

Creates great customer experiences

Training programs focused on customer service excellence create consistently great customer experiences. Standardizing service quality and ensuring every agent has the skills to meet customer needs enables businesses to ensure that every customer interaction is positive. This consistency is key to building a strong brand reputation and ensuring customers have the same high-quality experience no matter whom they interact with.

Increased productivity

Finally, well-trained customer service agents are more efficient and productive. Training programs that include time management, customer service software, and problem-solving strategies help agents handle inquiries more quickly and effectively. 

Improves customer satisfaction by reducing wait times and resolving issues faster, but it also allows the customer service department to manage higher volumes of inquiries without sacrificing quality, making the organisation more resilient and adaptable.

Who should be involved in customer service training?

Customer service training is not just for frontline customer service agents; it can also benefit various organizational stakeholders. An inclusive approach to training is essential to create a truly customer-centric culture and ensure the highest service standards. This approach enhances the skills and knowledge of individual employees and aligns the entire organization toward common customer service goals and values.

Customer service representatives are the frontline of any customer service operation and primary participants in customer service training. These individuals directly interact with customers through various channels, and comprehensive training equips them with the necessary skills to handle inquiries, complaints, and feedback effectively. Training for these team members often focuses on communication skills, product knowledge, problem-solving, and handling difficult situations with empathy and professionalism.

However, customer service training should include team leaders, managers, and supervisors within the customer service department. These individuals play a crucial role in setting the tone for customer interactions, coaching and mentoring agents, and making strategic decisions that affect the overall quality of service. Leaders who participate in the training can ensure their strategies and feedback align with the organization's service standards and objectives. Leadership training might focus on managing teams, developing customer service strategies, analyzing performance data to identify areas for improvement, and fostering a positive work environment that encourages continuous learning and improvement.

Finally, executive leadership should also engage in customer service training, albeit at a strategic level. Their involvement underscores the importance of customer service within the organization's priorities and workplace culture. It also ensures that top executives know the challenges and successes within the customer service operation, enabling them to make informed decisions about resources, policies, and initiatives that support excellent service.

Types of customer service training

Customer service training helps your team handle different situations well.

When your team understands the basic principles of your customer service approach, they can use that knowledge with every customer.

There are different ways to do customer service training. The specific methods depend on your company, employees, and other factors. The main goal is to teach your team how to provide excellent service and delight customers.

New hire customer service training

Training new customer service hires is important for their success in your company. It helps them learn their job, company values, and how to talk to customers. Here are the steps:

• Get to know the team: New hires should meet and work with their team members. They can have lunch together or do team-building activities.

• Set clear expectations: Tell new hires what they need to do during training and their first month of work. Give them a guide with their tasks and a schedule of meetings.

• Provide tools: Give new hires the tools and software they need to do their job. Make a list of all the apps and logins they'll use.

• Teach about the company and product: Teach new hires about your company, its values, and your products or services. Show them how to talk to customers in a consistent way. Let them practice with each other.

Following these steps will help new customer service hires succeed in their roles. Start with a few things and add more later.

Regular customer service training

Regular customer service training is important for all team members, whether they're new or have been with the company for a while. It helps them stay updated and do their best work. Here are some examples of regular customer service training:

• Skills check-in: Every few months or once a year, have a training session to review and improve customer service skills. This keeps the team fresh and aligned with the latest trends and customer expectations.

• Best practices workshops: Have monthly meetings where the team discusses common issues and shares successful solutions. Create an agenda with topics like identifying problems, discussing how to handle them, and practising different scenarios. This helps the team handle challenges better.

• Team-building activities: To strengthen relationships and keep everyone motivated, do team-building exercises regularly. For example, you can have compliment circles where team members appreciate each other's skills, brainstorming sessions to improve processes or fun activities like scavenger hunts. Lunch-and-learn sessions can also be organized to learn new things together. Cooking in-person or online classes can be a great way to bond as a team.

Regular customer service training helps the team stay engaged, improve their skills, and provide better customer service.

Emergency customer service training

Sometimes, unexpected situations require customer service training to happen quickly. This could be due to a product recall, rebranding, or a national advertising campaign. It could also be prompted by industry news that affects how customers perceive your company.

In these cases, preparing your customer service team to handle urgent situations is important. Customers value immediate responses, so your team needs to be ready to handle calls, answer questions, and resolve conflicts.

Emergency customer service training focuses on giving your team the knowledge and skills they need to support your customers. Here are a few examples of how you can provide urgent customer service training:

During a Crisis: During a recall, crisis, or emergency, keep your team informed about the situation and train them on how to respond. Transparency is key, so your team should know about the issue, the proposed solution, and how you address it. Make sure to communicate updates to your team effectively and prioritize these trainings.

Product or Company Updates: This type of training is less urgent but still time-sensitive. Whenever you release a product update, launch a major marketing campaign, or change your website, ensure your customer service team receives training on these updates. They should be prepared to handle any customer questions or concerns arising from these changes.

Emergency or time-sensitive customer service training ensures your team is prepared to handle unexpected situations and effectively support your customers.

Customer service phone training

Customer service phone training is crucial in today's business environment, as 48% of customers prefer phone calls for customer support. Focus on phone training:

• Maintain a positive tone and attitude throughout the call.

• Remain calm and professional, even in challenging situations.

• Speak slowly and clearly to ensure effective communication.

• Ask clear and direct questions that help efficiently identify the customer's needs.

• Present solutions in a way that is tailored to each customer.

• Use language that reflects your brand's identity.

• Be an active listener, paying attention to the customer's concerns.

• Show empathy and authenticity to build a connection with the customer.

• Take control of the conversation and guide the customer towards a resolution.

• Ensure all customer questions and concerns are addressed before ending the call.

• Express gratitude and thank the customer for their time.

One effective customer service phone training method involves role-play scenarios, where one person acts as a customer with a problem and the other as a customer-to-service representative providing assistance, empathy, and resolution. Scripts can also be helpful for specific issues, but it's important to balance structure and personalization. Consider providing bullet points or guidelines that allow team members to respond naturally while addressing customer needs.

Live chat customer service training

When it comes to training your customer service team for live chat, it's important to focus on specific skills that will help them provide excellent service. These skills can be divided into different categories:

• Interpersonal skills: Your reps should have a positive and empathetic attitude when interacting with customers.

• Clear communication: They should be able to explain complex ideas or concepts in a clear and concise manner.

• Assertiveness and directness: Reps should be confident in their customer interactions.

• Product knowledge: It's essential for reps to have a deep understanding of your product or service.

• Crisis management: They should know how to handle difficult or negative situations effectively.

• Team-building: Building a sense of camaraderie within the customer service team can increase employee retention.

• Customer advocacy: Reps should be able to advocate for the needs and success of your customers.

• Conflict resolution: Knowing how to de-escalate conflicts and find resolutions is crucial in customer service.

Training can involve providing scripts or bullet points that guide your team's responses during live chat interactions. By focusing on these skills, you can ensure that your reps are equipped to handle live chat effectively and provide exceptional customer service.

How to hire the right people for your customer service team?

Take your time and make careful choices when staffing your customer service team, as the people who make it up will be the foundation that allows for success and will have a significant impact on the culture of the team itself. While some skills can only be learned after being hired and developing over time - such as company and industry knowledge, certain experiences and traits will set a person up for success right from the start.

As you hire for your customer service team, look for these 4 characteristics in each candidate:

The fundamental skills

Pay attention to whether or not a candidate appears to have customized their application for you in particular, or if it's so generic it feels like it could've been sent to anyone. Ideally, a candidate should create a cover letter, resume, and supporting documents specifically for you, stating why they think they are a good fit for your organization.

While considering a candidate’s profile, assess whether they seem to know what you do and how they feel about it. Does the way they speak about your product/ service make sense? Are there any particular mentions about recent feature rollouts or content your team has created around your product? If they're passionate about the work you do or about helping people make the most out of your services, they’ll make a dedicated and driven customer service rep.

Excellent communication skills

Communication is key. That's why the interview process should include many opportunities to communicate with the candidate and is one of the simpler traits to spot. If applicants struggle to convey their thoughts to you, in person or across other communication channels, it’s probably a safe bet they’ll have trouble doing the same with customers. While customer service training can help with communication skills, the right questions can help you assess a candidate’s capabilities, including soft skills like problem-solving and conflict resolution.

To assess communication skills about your product or service, why not ask the candidate to pitch the product to you, as if you’re a potential customer starting from zero? If they can break it down into an understandable solution for you, they can do that for your customers too.

Experience in customer support

Experience in customer support, especially of a similar product or service, might not be necessary, but it would be a plus if your candidate has some experience in providing customer service. While you can train a person on the details of your particular product, it’ll be easier to do if they’re starting with an understanding of the general best practices in customer care and knowing how to deal with upset customers.

As you assess a candidate’s customer support experience, ask them for an example of when they dealt with a difficult customer or advocated for a customer and how it went. If they can share a story entailing a positive or negative interaction, it’ll highlight their ability to resolve conflicts or showcase their empathy in situations where they have gone the extra mile for a customer.

Strong people skills

Every member of your customer service team should possess strong people skills. They should be able to collaborate with team members and maintain positive, professional relationships with people across your organization.

While you discuss your team’s culture and internal communication style during the hiring process, pay close attention to the questions the candidate asks. Do they practice active listening? Are they curious about how people work together and the tools you use? Do they have ideas for how they’d do it or examples of similar experiences in the past? Simply put, it may be worth asking them directly for their thoughts on how your team works together and if they can see themselves fitting into that setup.

Once you’ve hired a new customer service agent, onboard them to your training program and instead of creating a bunch of training materials and dumping them all on a new employee on day one, consider creating an onboarding plan that is a healthy mix of intense training sessions and refresher modules.

What hard skills should customer service training teach?

Product and Service Knowledge:

Agents should have a deep understanding of the products or services offered by the company. This includes features, specifications, pricing, and troubleshooting procedures. A thorough knowledge base enables agents to provide accurate and helpful information to customers.

Communication Skills:

Clear and effective communication is crucial in customer service. Agents need to learn how to articulate information clearly, listen actively to customer concerns, and adapt their communication style based on the customer's preferences. This includes written communication (emails, live chat) and verbal communication (phone calls).

Technical Proficiency:

Depending on the industry, agents may need technical skills to navigate software, CRM systems, or other tools used for customer support. Training should cover the use of customer relationship management (CRM) software, ticketing systems, and any industry-specific tools.

Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking:

Agents must be trained to analyze and solve customer problems effectively. This involves identifying the root cause of issues, thinking critically about possible solutions, and making informed decisions. Problem-solving skills contribute to a quicker resolution of customer concerns.

Time Management:

Customer service often involves handling multiple inquiries simultaneously. Agents should be trained in effective time management to prioritize tasks, manage their workload efficiently, and ensure timely responses to customers. Time management skills are crucial for maintaining high service levels.

What soft skills should customer service training teach?

Empathy:

Empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of customers. Customer service representatives should be trained to put themselves in the customer's shoes, acknowledge their emotions, and respond with genuine concern. This skill helps in creating a positive customer experience, even in challenging situations.

Active listening:

Effective communication begins with active listening. Customer service agents should be trained to listen attentively to customers, allowing them to fully express their concerns. This includes not only hearing the words but also understanding the underlying emotions and needs. Active listening helps in providing more accurate and relevant solutions.

Patience:

Patience is crucial in customer service, especially when dealing with frustrated or upset customers. Training should focus on cultivating a patient demeanor, and teaching agents to remain calm, composed, and focused on resolving the issue, even in high-pressure situations.

Adaptability:

Customer service representatives often encounter diverse situations and different types of customers. Training should instil adaptability, enabling agents to adjust their communication style, problem-solving approach, and overall strategy based on the unique needs of each customer. Being adaptable ensures a personalized and customer-centric response.

Problem-Solving Abilities:

Effective customer service requires the ability to analyze issues, identify root causes, and develop practical solutions. Training should emphasize problem-solving skills, teaching representatives to think critically, make informed decisions, and resolve customer concerns efficiently. A strong problem-solving approach contributes to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

What to include in a customer service training program?

You need to create a customer service training program that encompasses the three Cs for agent productivity and customer satisfaction:

• Customer service skill training

• Competency tests

• Consistent monitoring and feedback

We recommend your customer service training course should include an onboarding guide for new hires, a walk-through of each stage of customer support, online training modules to learn new skills, and information about the company, product, and services. This empowers agents to deliver a great customer service experience.

How to create a customer service training program?

Here’s a guide to get you started with the creation of your customer service training program:

Map end-to-end processes

Since your customer service training materials will walk your new hires through their job role, you must map end-to-end processes. By mapping end-to-end processes, new agents are able to connect your company policies directly to their customer service role.

Customer service training materials that should cover all daily and routine tasks, as well as the protocols for exceptional circumstances or escalation. This way, you can prepare comprehensive training materials that cover what the customer service representative should be doing and why these steps are important in upholding the company’s values.

Interview your current customer service team

Your current customer service team can provide the best insights into the type of customer service skills training that will benefit new hires. 

Ask your customer service team about typical customer needs and problems, along with the customer service skills that help them deal with difficult customers. Make note of all the things each customer service rep found hard to manage when they first started, as well as what they feel needs to be added to the current customer service training program. This approach will help you identify the training gaps for your customer service team.

Speak with customer service managers

Customer service managers are responsible for dealing with any escalations from their frontline customer service reps, identifying trends in customer or agent behavior, as well as providing a remedy for any slip-ups by the customer service team.

Interview with your customer service managers to identify common customer needs that get escalated because the team isn't equipped to deal with the problem. You can leverage these insights to create training materials that would enable customer service teams with the necessary product knowledge and customer service skills.

Pull data from your customer service bot

If you’re using a customer service bot, you’ll be privy to in-depth insights on your customers’ needs before you even start talking to them. 

For instance, all interactions with Freddy Assist Bots are recorded and analyzed. This data is extremely useful in determining why customers typically seek support from a customer service rep. You’ll be able to pinpoint the top problems escalated to your customer service representatives and the questions your chatbot could not answer. This will give you the list of issues that might plague a new customer service employee and help you craft exceptional customer service training materials.

Monitor reviews

Take a look at the customer service reviews about your company - whether this is collected via feedback surveys or independent forums. Customer complaints will identify areas of poor customer service within your team. You’ll want to address this feedback in your training materials to encourage exceptional customer service right from the beginning.

However, in addition to introducing a holistic customer service training program, you need to focus on how to engage with your team to help them make the most of their training program. Their feedback and customer feedback will help you analyze your team’s strengths and if the training program successfully enables them to exceed customer expectations.

Use the following guide to onboard new team members and underline the service standards a new team member should deliver.

How to onboard agents on your customer service training programs

As you develop your customer service training module, consider the following steps:

#1 Start small and gradually increase complexity

Don’t give a new hire every piece of training they’ll need to complete to be up-to-speed all at once. Instead, start with a few small tasks for them to tackle and build over time. If possible, consider starting a new team member on only one support channel at a time so they can focus on learning that tool and its processes. If your incoming support tickets are sorted by billing, login problems, and technical issues, pick a topic for a trainee to focus on, then gradually extend the scope over time.

 #2 Train directly in the support channels an agent will use

Don’t let your training be theoretical. While it’s okay to start explaining the basics in training software using text documentation or videos, ensure it’s not the only way your new agent learns how to work in a particular support channel. Each support channel has its challenges, and a new agent will need to be trained on the specifics of the type of support they’ll extend and the best practices for each support channel. For example, if an agent handles live chat, their training should include a section on chat-specific skills. This will enable them to handle multiple chats using effective communication to help customers find the information they need all at once.

#3 Assign mentors to new hires

When an agent starts, assign them a mentor to check in and help them grow over the for the first several months in their new position. While they’ll certainly have their teammates to go to for assistance, setting up a mentor-mentee relationship they can count on and regularly utilize will go a long way in helping them settle in. Consider making someone on a different team the mentor to help your new employee branch out and meet other people, as well as give them a space to talk openly and honestly in a way they may hesitate to do within their team at first.

#4 Make sure new agents learn the tools

When a new customer service agent completes the training module, ensure they do not neglect practical training on the tools they’ll use. An agent may learn the product inside out and train on how best to conduct conversations with customers. Knowing how to use the customer support tool is essential for productivity and customer interaction management. Understanding best practices, knowing the most useful features and their shortcuts, and developing a high level of comfort in your support tools will result in a more confident agent who performs their best.

#5 Teach them about your product and services

No matter how much training an agent receives on communicating with customers and using the right tools to monitor interactions, analyze problems, and optimize processes, if they don’t know the product very well, they’ll struggle when it’s time to help your customers. Give them time to try out the product and services, and encourage them to check out the knowledge base. Devise ways for agents to assess their knowledge from time to time, incorporate gamification techniques such as a quiz or leaderboards into training modules, or have a teammate quiz them on how they’d be able to help a customer with a handful of common issues.

 #6 Establish a “learn on the go” culture

Don’t limit training to a specific tool or portal. We recommend you set up a culture that includes experiential learning. Your agents should approach customer support as an opportunity to assist customers and learn and improve continuously. Work on creating a team culture that feels welcoming and open to questions. Now, whenever an agent gets stuck while working with a customer, they won’t hesitate to reach out to a peer for a second opinion on how best to handle a particular situation.

Track training progress

When creating your customer service training system, including a way to track progress and complete milestones. A seemingly never-ending batch of training materials can be demotivating and make it hard to know how it’s going. As a new employee works through the training, including pop quizzes and other quick assessments to track progress, it will give them a sense of accomplishment and completion.

Allow for autonomy

If you’ve hired someone, we hope it’s because you trust their ability to do the work and think they’ll be a good fit for the team. Keep that in mind as you create your customer service training program. You’ll soon have to trust them to communicate directly with your customers, so start from a place of trust with training too. Give them the freedom to complete the training, reach out when necessary, and establish the style of work you want them to develop from day one. This doesn’t mean you ignore them, though. Track their progress, watch for signs of a problem, and be ready to offer encouragement and motivation when needed.

Create a rewards and recognition system

Many people are motivated by rewards, and most are happy to have their high-quality work recognized. Create a training program that includes ways to acknowledge a solid performance and reward top performers. If you’re training a batch of people, look for ways to introduce peer recognition of fellow trainees. If you’d like to offer a reward, have the trainees decide who deserves it. Even when you’ve got a single trainee, encourage them to compete against themselves by setting goals to improve personal scores over time, or give them a way to compare themselves to previous trainees as a simple way to assess where they’re at and reach for specific benchmarks.

Make motivation and encouragement part of the plan

While rewards and recognition can be great motivators, make sure a new employee who’s not doing so well isn’t left to struggle as they might end up feeling discouraged. Instead of criticizing, look for ways to encourage and guide your agents. Chances are they’re struggling with a specific area, so work with them to identify the problems they’re facing and suggest training materials that are relevant to them. You may even consider tagging them to a mentor who can guide them wherever they get stuck.

#7 Use an agent assist bot for on-the-job training

An agent assist bot, such as the Freddy Assist Bot is a highly effective customer service training tool for offering on-the-job guidance to new customer service representatives. Not only does this speed up agent onboarding, but agent assist bots also help new reps learn the most appropriate response that will turn each customer complaint or issue into a positive experience. 

Agent assist bots go a long way in helping with remote training and onboarding by:

• Boosting new-employee morale with a self-serve onboarding module

• Shortening the go-live time for new agents

• Reducing internal dependencies, especially in a remote work environment where getting help is not as easy as tapping someone on their shoulders and asking them a question

• Reducing costs, and the human effort involved in onboarding new agents

Hiring vs. training customer service representatives

You may wonder why simply hiring the right people for customer service roles isn't sufficient. While hiring talented individuals is important, it's not the end of the process. Teaching customer service skills is essential to ensure that your representatives effectively represent your company and provide excellent service to your customers.

It's also critical to help your team members understand your company's approach and methodology. This way, they can confidently serve customers with a clear understanding of why you take a specific approach.

Even experienced team members can benefit from ongoing training to stay up to date. As customer expectations and the world evolve rapidly, it's valuable to revisit skills and techniques with a fresh perspective.

Let's consider an example. When hiring for a content team, it's not enough to bring in individuals who know how to write. They need training on your company's style guide, how to represent the company's brand online, and how to maintain high quality standards for content.

The same principle applies to your customer support and service team. While you will undoubtedly hire highly skilled individuals, it's still crucial to provide them with onboarding and training. This way, they become part of a team with a common goal - serving and delighting your customers.

Tips to improve your customer service training course

Effective customer service training courses are imperative to deliver a seamless customer experience. With the right team and technology, creating an effective customer service training program is far easier using online courses, webinars, and Learning Management Systems (LMS). Here’s a quick guide for you to ensure quality customer service training.

Find out what works and what doesn’t

Your trainees are the perfect source for finding out what’s working and what isn’t in your training program. Ask the right questions! You may even want to include quick, simple assessments of the training materials throughout and finish up with a space for open-ended feedback. Keep in mind that people learn differently, so some training modules will work better for some people than others. As you develop these programs, try experimenting with various formats like text, video, panel discussion, role-playing, and more. This will help you create a well-balanced training program that works for everyone.

Document the process to prepare for the future.

Document your findings as you request feedback from trainees and check up on the training materials yourself, document your findings. While every bit of feedback may not result in an update to the training, keeping track of what people say about it will help guide you as you make changes to your training program for future trainees. Maintaining additional notes on how you handle situations when someone has trouble with a specific module will help you handle similar issues more effectively.

Set up a job shadowing exchange

One great way for customer service agents to continue learning throughout their career in support is by observing others doing the same job. Have your team pair up and indulge in experiential learning as they continue to watch each other work and learn new skills on the go. Customer service teams might even benefit by providing feedback to team members based on what they see. These one-on-one exercises act as great team-building exercises and are particularly good at helping teams spot best practices amongst themselves.

Share feedback with the team that creates training material

Once you’ve collected feedback on your training from new hires and documented the details, ensure the right people have access to the data. If your HR or onboarding team manages your training program, share the information with them to keep them informed about future updates. Make sure everyone involved in the process has a clear understanding of the existing training materials, as well as the information you’ve collected along the way.

Encourage quarterly or annual training

The training should continue even when an agent is established on a team. We recommend you create new materials to expand on the training done at the time of hire for all team members to complete simultaneously. You could even set it up as a periodic team exercise and make it a chance for a team to pause from support interactions and work together, away from the never-ending list of customer concerns, for a day.

Let your team members train each other

Your customer service team is your best asset and is full of people with varying strengths and interests. Why not use that to your advantage? Keep track of how your team members perform in various areas and ask anyone particularly strong in one to train others on it. For example, if you’ve got someone who consistently ranks at the top in providing social media support, set up a lunch-and-learn session or have them record a screen share of them working to share with everyone else.

Assess skills and product knowledge

Your product will change over time, so your agents will be required to update their understanding of it. Rather than leaving them to wing it and risk frustrating customers, create and schedule specific training for product updates for your team. Also, consider assessing the basic skills of your agents to identify areas that need improvement and identify opportunities to build new training materials for emerging issues.