Basic Customer Service Training Program Project
Needs Assessment
It is said that the philosophy of human resource management is based on the simple belief that human resources are the most important asset in achieving and sustained business success. This realization became the driving force behind the creation of human resource management resulting in organizations taking a strategic approach to the management of their people.
The true worth of human resource management is becoming more widely understood as human resource management steadily interweaves all aspects of people management and development within the company (1995).
Today most companies find that it impossible to create any kind of sustainable competitive advantage based on product alone. It is common knowledge that every one of the successful companies sought and found a precise understanding of how it could create a customer-centered competitive advantage ( 2001). Hence, this paper presents a basic customer service training program which can be used by business organizations to improve and increase customer satisfaction through interpersonal skills along with considerations on training resources and readiness for training.
Training Design
Along with the changing business world, customers change as well, becoming more demanding and knowledgeable than before. In turn, company management had shifted their focus on their clients or customers so as to stay successfully in business. This transition meant that organizations have to completely reformulate their conventional business aims and purposes from being process-focused to customer-centered (1997). In line with these, the goals of the designed customer service training program focus on the aspects of interpersonal skills, persuasion, as well as pacifying customer complaints for the effective delivery of services and products of the company.
It is then important to enumerate the purpose and objectives of this particular basic customer service training program. Among the set objectives of the training program highlights issues on (1) maintaining professionalism regardless of personal or professional stress; (2) identifying one’s own personality style and the personality styles of customers; (3) applying personality knowledge to communicate more effectively with customers and improve rapport; (4) choosing vocabulary that is calming and persuasive even when the message is unpleasant; (5) improving vocal quality to increase credibility and perceived authority over the phone; (6) developing a personalized strategy for improving listening skills; and (7) referring to a recovery system for turning angry customers into happy repeat customers.
Training Method and Transfer of Training
In the present day work environment, expectations exceed regarding the workloads and task requirements among employers and employees. Multi-tasking defines the current situation in most of business organizations as advances in technology especially in the use of the computer and the Internet continues. As the Microsoft and other office tools computer programs increase in number, administration management keep on investing on measures like trainings, seminars and conferences that will exhaust the potential of every employee ( 1980).
For the basic customer service training, the ideal attendees are the (a) executives, (b) mangers, (c) salespeople, (d) customer service representatives, (e) technical support, hot line, or help desk professionals, (f) operators, receptionists, administrative and sales assistants, (g) team professionals, and (h) everyone in a customer focused organization. The training program follows the structure of a seminar following lectures and courses on (1) appreciating how customer service efforts impact company profits; (2) understanding that internal customer service is just as critical as external customer service, (3) prioritizing and focusing on the top expectations of customers, (4) identifying one’s own personality style and the personality styles of customers, (5) applying personality knowledge to communicate more effectively with customers, (6) having influence in the organization by documenting customer concerns, (7) making better choices to improve attitude, (8) developing a personalized strategy for improving listening skills, and (9) practicing a three step system for maintaining professionalism and composure when dealing with irate customers.
The training session is designed for two days, in which activities will include individual and group exercises, situation-based communication practices, personality tests, as well as objective assessments for the comprehension and aptitude of the trainees along with lively discussion approaches from skilled and expert lecturers.
Training Evaluation and Actual Training Program
Several frameworks have been used to develop and update performance measures. Each of the following frameworks gives new ideas and approaches that seek to improve the utilization of performance measurement systems. But the performance improvement measurement methodology framework will be used to assess the learn techniques of the attendees and the effectiveness of the training program. This is a tool designed to measure organizational performance. It is structured to measure progress against defined near-term and long-term goals, to use customer inputs in setting those goals, and to have an internal quality check. There are three facts of measurement used in this framework which include objective achievement, cost performance, and technology risk reduction ( 2001).
Meanwhile, the program logic model framework will be used for collaborative setting in which program staff, partners, and customers create a model describing the course of action a program takes to achieve its vision and strategic goals. Finally, benchmarking allows attendees to compare themselves with others, to identify their comparative strengths and weaknesses and learn how to improve so as to find and adopt the best practices available. The approach goes beyond the comparison of data-based scores and conventional performance indicators as it looks at the processes by which results are achieved (2001).
The actual training program will be organized as an event in which participants will be provided with accommodation and food for the duration of the training. Registration will be required from the attendees by the people behind the training activity. Upon completion of the training, all the participants will be provided with certificates along with recognition and awards for their excellent performance and participation in the activities during the two-day training session. Moreover, their companies and respective organization and affiliations will provided with support frameworks and system for them to facilitate effective and appropriate means of applying the discussed basic customer service along with customer service software packages for the entire company.
Conclusion
Most of the successful business endeavors depend greatly on good interpersonal communication and relationship between the service or product providers and their clients. Persuading customers on trying the offered services and products is only a start on putting up a successful entrepreneurial activity. Gaining the trust of the clients and maintaining patrons is very important to ideal business transaction flows. Encouragement of wider work responsibility of basic skills such as development and learning courses should be given to employees on specified times of the year. This will restore fresh knowledge to old employees. As such, employers should enroll their staff in annual or quarterly training courses to upgrade their skills and enrich their knowledge so as to foster individual and personal development and improvement.
Since workplace learning and training programs in business organizations is a common practice nowadays, more trust should be given to the work team of the company. Entertaining and respecting solicited opinions and ideas of ordinary employees will be of help in setting the corporate goals of the company since the staff is encouraged to think as owners of the business enterprise. In conclusion, workplace learning benefit both the employee and the employer in attaining the same work goal of the business company, that is, to gain higher productivity through good working conditions between and among qualified and competitive work teams.
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