Having an effective training program is crucial in enabling your brand to deliver consistent customer service. All members of your organization must be constantly reminded about how their roles can influence the quality of your customer care. Devising proactive training programs helps empower your staff to have better customer focus, a strong sense of teamwork, and dedication to do their jobs effectively.
Depending on your company size and available resources, there are many types of training methods that you can choose from. One of the latest trends among brands in honing employee skills is taking customer service training online.
Benefits of having web-based training
Adding web-based customer care training to your current training program can make your educational landscape more comprehensive and progressive. Since all training materials can be found online, learning can happen anytime your employees wish to access your resources. Learning at their own convenience helps your employees absorb and appreciate all content you provide. And since online tools allow you to track their progress, it s easy to remind employees about accomplishing learning modules before deadlines.
Online training is also relatively less expensive than classroom training since it requires no training room, instructors, or learning materials. You just need to invest in developing a good online training platform and constantly update it from time to time. If you’re outsourcing to an offshore call center or if you have employees working from different remote locations, online training can make simultaneous learning possible without having to spend more time or money on travel expenses.
Pointers for setting up an online training program
At present, many companies are starting to build virtual campuses where they offer a variety of training courses to their employees together with other supplemental learning tools and media. Some even offer certificate programs to members who accomplish a certain number of courses.
Another option would be to purchase online training software from an outside vendor. When doing so, make sure that your provider has proven its expertise in developing online educational programs. Take time to review its content, and make sure it matches the specific learning goals that you have for your staff.
Whether you develop your own learning system or purchase software externally, you need to take advantage of your training program’s interactive features. Make sure that it allows your employees to do things other than just listening or reading. Being interactive means that they can do exercises online, type in search words or questions, watch videos, highlight important notes, and so on. Allowing them to do more actions makes learning more hands-on and not passive.
Your web-based customer service training programs wouldn’t be complete if it doesn’t have a tracking feature. Knowing how far they have gone can guide your employees in knowing how much more they have to learn. It can also help you in incentivizing employees who accomplish their learning modules ahead of time. A good tracking system must also consist of knowledge test or exam at the end of every module. This will help you determine if learning was indeed successful. Employees can also use their scores in deciding whether they should move on to the next module or go back to the previous ones.
Online customer service training can be a cost-effective way of keeping your employees customer support skills in shape. If you currently use the traditional classroom method, it doesn’t hurt to give your employees more options. But just like any other major moves, you must make sure you have a solid online learning platform before rolling out this new educational approach to the entire company.
