View this online Hey Reader, "How can I tell if employees are fully trained?" A customer service trainer recently asked me this question. She was preparing for a workshop and wanted some advice. It was an important question. We went through her training plan. She had solid content and some good exercises planed. There was also one thing missing: verification. Part of a trainer's job is to verify that each participant has been trained. This week's tip walks you through doing that. Start with...
6 days ago • 2 min read
View this online Hey Reader, You trained your employees. Now, how do you get that training to stick? To understand the science behind retention, let's go back to high school. You likely had a book or physical education locker with a combination back then. How quickly could you open your locker back then? Seconds, maybe? Today, most people can't remember their old combination. What changed? Three factors explain why you could open your locker so quickly back then buy likely can't today. These...
13 days ago • 2 min read
View this online Hey Reader, I love In-N-Out Burger for its remarkable consistency. The service is the same every time I go. There's a warm and friendly greeting. The cashier takes my order and confirms it. They conclude the transaction by handing me my receipt, telling me my guest number, and thanking me. It always happens. Each step has a purpose. The greeting establishes rapport and makes me feel welcome. Carefully walking through my order ensures they get it just right. The conclusion...
20 days ago • 1 min read
View this online Hey Reader, Do you have remote employees? My experience with virtual training started in the late 1990s, and I ran my first full-time virtual training program in 2002. I've learned a lot of lessons the hard way so I can share them with you. In this week's tip, I'm going to share three principles that will make remote training easier and more effective. Principle 1: Objectives first Every training program should have clear, measurable learning objectives. Remote training gets...
27 days ago • 2 min read
View this online Hey Reader, Customer service is full of judgement calls. What does it mean to be friendly? How do you know someone is a good listener? Was that employee being helpful? Judgements are hard to train. What exactly would you tell someone to do if you wanted to show them how to be friendly when serving customers? The secret is observable behaviors. What is an observable behavior? An observable behavior is something you can actually see. For example, what would an employee actually...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
View this online Hey Reader, A training log is a must for multi-day training programs. You might have a learning management system (LMS). Those systems typically track whether someone completed a course or passed a quiz. A training log captures more granular information during training. It can help you: Track learner progress during a course Quickly identify learners who are struggling Document any issues Hand-off a class to a substitute trainer In this week's tip, I'll show you how to create...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
View this online Hey Reader, There's never enough time for customer service training. You've already got your hands full between daily operations and putting out fires. Any training you do is focused on technical topics. Policies, procedures, products, etc. The stuff you have to do. There is good news: you don't need to create more time. Forget disruptive half-day workshops. Ditch plans for an all-staff customer service retreat. (Which, be honest, wasn't ever going to happen.) I want to show...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
View this online Hey Reader, Two clients asked for customer service training. Both called it the same thing, but their needs were completely different. One client needed customer service skills training. The other needed service culture training. The two are very different. They have different goals. How the training is developed, who facilitates it, and how it's evaluated all vary by type. The one you choose could have major implications on your business. I'm going to break it down for you:...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
View this online Hey Reader, Two clients had the same challenge. Customers tried to call but couldn't get through to a customer service rep. For one client, the issue had nothing to do with training. The phone system wasn't working! It was a training issue for the other client. They had installed a new phone system and employees didn't know how to indicate they were available to receive calls. One issue would never be fixed with training. The other issue was resolved with a five minute "quick...
2 months ago • 2 min read
View this online Hey Reader, Where are your employees on the learning curve? The are four stages. Collectively, they're called the Four Stages of Competence. Each stage has unique characteristics and poses a different challenge. Identifying where an employee is on the learning curve will make you a better customer service trainer. In this edition of Service Training Tips, I'm going to walk you through the four stages of competence. I'll show you how to: Identify where an employee is on the...
2 months ago • 3 min read