Achieving Superior Customer Service Through On-the-Job Training

In the retail industry, there is nothing more critical to a business's success or failure than the ability of the customer service representative (CSR) workforce. Even the product line is not so important; a retailer can offer the best products in the world at the best prices, but if the CSRs aren't up to the task of taking care of the customers' needs, then the business will not make sales.

Suppose, for example, that a retail store that specializes in cutting-edge technology might have a touch-screen cash register. If an employee isn't capable of using that kind of system, the retailer literally cannot make any sales. Clearly, full training in a company's technological systems is absolutely vital.

Beyond simple capability, there is knowledge. Generally speaking, that means knowing the product and being able to answer any customer questions about any item in inventory as might arise. But, beyond the routine, in today's age, every CSR must be able to successfully troubleshoot any non-routine situation. This necessity runs the gamut from being able to manually operate said cash register, should the touch sensors fail, to dealing with a hostile customer.

With advances in retail technology, from the rise of the Internet to tomorrow's automatic check-out lines, it is negotiating that final scenario successfully that will make the difference between whether a retailer lives or dies. With more and more of the retail industry becoming automated and standardized, there is no more crucial aspect to the CSR's job - and the fate of the business - than the workforce's customer relations skills.

Here, we will present an overview of a three-day training program that ensures the workforce is fully capable of rising to the high standards of this ultra-competitive era. First, we will go over basic orientation. Next, we'll cover product knowledge. Then, we'll explore that most vital area of training, the element unchanged since time immemorial: customer service. Finally, we'll discuss methods of evaluation, to determine that the training took root.

Before we begin, it should be made clear that this is by no means a comprehensive guide. Industries and individual businesses vary, and even a single enterprise will host a wide array of specific procedures, technologies, and techniques. Rather, these words should serve as a road map of sorts, a skeleton that can be fleshed out based on a business's needs. Only you know the ins and outs of your business; it is up to you to develop your own perfected training program.

Day 1 - General Orientation

Every company in the world starts out the orientation process the same way: paperwork. There are many reasons why; most people believe that this is solely to get the unproductive part out of the way. However, there is a better reason: familiarity with the company's forms, procedures, and filing requirements will be a basic necessity during each one of those workers' terms of employment. It all may be legally required stuff, but it does serve a purpose, and an important one. If an employee isn't prepared to handle proper procedures, he/she will inevitably fail.

Once the documentation is finished, it's time to familiarize the new CSRs with the basics of the company. This is where the mission statement, brief history, goals, and rough overview are presented. Employees need to know what the company is all about, and what it expects of them, if they are going to work toward those ends.

Next, employees should be familiarized with their work areas. For CSRs, that means the sales floor, warehouse, and possibly the offices, depending on the nature of the business. Certainly, a computer store doesn't need a 'bull-pen', but a car dealership does. Employees in those industries where a CSR's job involves active sales efforts need to understand what tools are available to them, and how to use them.

The final leg of the first day is a follow up to that, and the point where the real training begins. In this stage, employees should be taught how to use their tools. These can run from the basic telephone (which can be surprisingly complex) to that touch-screen cash register mentioned earlier. Many companies use computer-based learning modules to cover this part, but a trainer must be able to answer any questions. Also, whether this training is manually conducted or automated, some time should be spent in hands-on experience because doing is 60% of learning.

Day 2 - Advanced Product Knowledge

Now that the new employees have a rough understanding of the how to doing their jobs, they need to learn the what. In retail, that means facilitating sales, either through active or passive means. In our car dealership, employees are expected to seek out and approach customers, asking them for the sale. In the computer store, employees generally assist customers, helping them find what they're looking for. In both cases, customer satisfaction with the experience is the only controllable element of whether they purchase or not, and a necessary component of their satisfaction depends on whether all their questions and concerns are answered.

To that end, a good CSR needs to know more about the product than the average shopper. In any business, that means knowing a product's capabilities and limitations, and being able to draw comparisons to competitor offerings.

Today, the CSR should learn as much about the products as possible. Everything, from what they are for, to how they work, to what they can do, what they can't do, and how they do it differently from other alternatives, should be addressed. Ideally, a CSR should also know what can go wrong, and how to fix it.

There will be occasions where a customer will return, looking for help after the purchase. They don't like to be handed off, transferred, or sent packing with a toll-free number, and the CSR, being the public face of the company, is who they are probably going to see first.

A good experience here will earn the business a customer for life, and probably many, many referral customers. As they say, word of mouth is the best advertising of all - and you need to make sure that the word is positive.

Day 3 - Customer Service

It is unreasonable to expect that employees will become technical experts in a single day; day 2 only lays the foundation for future growth. Today's efforts focus in on and reinforce that final aspect of the CSR's job that was touched on yesterday: giving the customer the most positive experience possible.

To do that, CSRs have to have two skills: salesmanship and public relations. Salesmanship covers everything from product presentation, as in what to say when while a product is shown, to negotiation. This doesn't include price haggling, but is the skill of giving a customer more reasons to buy than not. These come in two forms: proving the product against the competition, and proving the product against buyer resistance.

Experience shows that pushing a customer doesn't work. Less than one customer in ten will buckle under a pushy sales-oriented CSR, and none will be happy about it. Pushiness can also lead to conflict, hostility, and animosity, all of which will poison a business's public image. Make sure the new CSRs understand that they should never push a customer.

Rather, they should be taught to address concerns in a helpful way; that is what the public relations aspect is all about. If a customer is hesitant to buy, they should find out why. Almost always, this is the result of one or more unasked questions, or an unresolved misconception. Being a CSR is about helping the customer, and everything the CSR does should follow from that principle.

Today, CSRs should also be taught how to handle unhappy customers. There's a lot of material to cover here. They need to smile in the face of aggression, be able to lighten the customer's mood (being in your store shouldn't just be less aggravating than the competitor's, it should be a pleasure, something customers look forward to), and be able to isolate the issue and resolve it - fast.

There will be times that a customer just cannot be satisfied. They might want to exchange a non-returnable item. They might want warranty service on an unwarranted item. They might just want something for free, just because. A CSR should always assume the best about a customer, and help them in every way they can (think of everyone as a best friend). But not everyone can be helped. Turning a bad situation to a positive one is the ideal solution. Failing that, a peaceful solution is acceptable.

Evaluation

There are a number of methods that can be used to evaluate the success of the program. The first is questioning. This can be a written test, an oral interview, or anything that allows a definitive assessment of the employee's retention.

Next is a skill demonstration. The CSR should be able to use all the necessary tools, and any gaps in understanding will become obvious in this process. Questions should be encouraged, because they serve not only to provide an answer to the employee, but to reaffirm the exact level of understanding to the trainer.

After that, the employee should be put into the field for some live experience. Any remaining 'hiccups' in the understanding of routine knowledge and skills will quickly emerge, so they can be corrected. Additionally, the trainer can evaluate the effectiveness of the training itself in this stage, allowing refinements to be made for the future.

Finally, the CSR should be presented with sample scenarios. These encourage critical thinking and build the CSR's adaptive skills. As they say, you can never tell how a person will react under pressure until the fecal matter hits the rotating blades. This way, you can find out first, and make any necessary corrections.

Conclusion

We've seen how CSR skill training can be built like a house. General orientation serves as a foundation, and brings new reps into the company. Product knowledge is the ground floor, the basic level of usefulness. Customer service skills are the roof and steeple, the final touch that enables a retailer to rise above the rest. And evaluation lets us be sure that every CSR is now fully equipped and ready to enter the field. No training alone can make a CSR 'the best that's ever been', but it is the one thing that will give them the chance to reach that point, someday.

References:

All information presented here is drawn from the personal experience of the author. No outside sources were used.

Bryan Belrad is an expert trainer, having had the honor of training some of the most successful individuals in the world in industries that span the fields of retail sales, information services, and even repossession. He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration, and specializes in customer service/operations hybridization.