Providing excellent customer service can be the difference between retaining customers and losing them to a competitor. To ensure that your employees are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge, customer service, training is essential.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the 8 best topics to include in your customer service training program.
Topic 1: The Importance of Delivering Customer Service Excellence
This topic should explain to learners why delivering a great level of customer service is so important. They should understand their role in relation to the bigger picture and how much value they are adding to your company. Employees should also gain an understanding of how their actions can potentially impact the company’s reputation, customer retention and customer loyalty.
Topic 2: Taking Individual Responsibility
During this topic staff will understand how and why it’s essential they take up their individual responsibility for customer service. In The Customer Service Excellence Course, we teach learners the 5 key areas where they can demonstrate their individual responsibility. The areas are:
- Taking full ownership
- Having urgency and efficiency
- Problem solving
- Adopting a positive attitude
- Engaging in teamwork
Topic 3: The Pillars of Excellent Customer Service
Great customer service is built upon certain pillars and foundations. These may be different for every organisation. Saying this, I think there are some universal pillars which every company should teach their customer facing staff. Here at The Experience Corporation, we believe the following 7 pillars are fundamental in delivering an elevated level of customer service:
- Patience
- Friendliness
- Knowledgeability
- Proactivity
- Organisation
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- A Servant’s Heart
Topic 4: Effective Communication
Those on the frontline should be taught practical skills in relation to telephone communication, email writing and face to face interactions where appropriate. This can include how to communicate with clarity, tips on body language and tools to improve their tone of voice.
Topic 5: Time Management Skills
Working with customers can be very time consuming especially in contact centres, busy retail stores and finance. Your team members need strategies to stay organised and on top of their work tasks. This can include time blocking, diary management and task prioritisation.
Topic 6: Complaint Handling Skills
Are your staff feeling confident and equipped to deal with complaints? I spent 7 years at the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service. Whilst working there I listened to, resolved and managed a 100’s of complaints. Complaint handling can and should be simple as long as your employees are equipped with a good process and complaint handling techniques.
Topic 7: Relevant Skills for a Changing World
The world has changed and continues to change with the after effects of a global pandemic, a new work from home culture and the ongoing evolution of technology. Your teams need to ensure they are equipped to help your customers in this changing world. In our latest course, we teach the following skills in depth:
- Advanced Empathy & Understanding
- Building Resilience
- Embracing Technology
- Remote Working
- Stress Management Techniques
Topic 8: Wellbeing at Work
Lastly, staff should be educated about the link between wellbeing and productivity. They should gain an understanding of how poor health can lead to a lack of motivation, a decrease in meeting goals and a drop in their mood. Equally, employees should learn how to ensure their mental health is looked after so they can be the best versions of themselves.
In conclusion, customer service excellence is critical to the success of any business. By including these 8 topics in your staff training program, you can equip your staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide outstanding customer service.
How We Can Help
The Customer Service Excellence Course: Modern Customer Service Training for a Changing World.
Our latest online course is designed to be a training and coaching resource for corporate organisations across retail, hospitality, financial services and more.
Get in touch to book a Discovery Meeting to see how we can help your frontline teams to shine with our course.
You can also send us an email using the following address:
hello@theexperiencecorporation.com.
Alternatively, send me a message on LinkedIn.