Provide Top-Notch Customer Service

Provide Top-Notch Customer Service

When it comes to delivering outstanding customer service, ongoing training for staff is critical for any small business. Before you and your staff walk through the door for any customer service training, whether it is in-house or off-site, there are several key elements that need to be in place to get the best results, according to Katie Frank, trainer for Ann Arbor, Mich-based ZingTrain, which offers public and private sessions for all kinds of organizations on a range of business-related topics, ranging from customer service and leadership to marketing and human resources.

Create a Training Compact

Frank says all managers and staff at ZingTrain’s parent company Zingerman’s review a training compact before every training class and shift. One half of the training compact describes what managers and leaders agree to: clear performance expectations, training resources, and recognizing and rewarding performance. The other half of the compact says just one thing: Staff will take full responsibility for the effectiveness of their training. “People are adults,” explains Frank. “You can’t make them learn unless they want to. The difference between training and education is the expectation that there will be a change in behavior.”

Answer Four Training Questions

To ensure changes in behavior, Zingerman’s answers the following questions to inform the manager and leader agreements in the training compact and guide staff through their trainings. Small-business owners can tailor these questions for their own specific needs and goals.

1. What is expected as a result of the training and when?

Managers need to set clear expectations and then put them in writing. “People have in their minds what they want; if you don’t document it, then it’s open to interpretation,” says Frank.

2. How will the information be made available?

The training can be in the format of a seminar, in-person or online. The sessions should include the opportunity to practice (in role plays) how to handle customer complaints.

3. How do you know if training expectations have been met?

Training outcomes can be measured by written and performance tests. “Performance tests can be more telling, like at the deli, supervisors can see if people are packing the cheese properly, using the scale and register properly,” says Frank. Demonstrations need to be observed and given feedback. “It’s a safe environment, a chance to practice until you understand,” says Frank.

4. What are the rewards and consequences?

Successful trainings can be rewarded with opportunities for advancement, as well as other creative perks. Moreover, Zingerman’s staff are not able to receive their employee benefits until they meet their orientation training expectations, nor are they eligible for raises.

Once you have answered these questions, you are ready to start training. There are many training options. You can choose from formal training centers, like ZingTrain, or you can look into local community colleges or small-business development centers. Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Mich, for example, offers no-credit professional-development training, including customer service. Open to the public, classes are available online and in the classroom, with offerings during the business day. “The price is competitive for a small-business owner who has an individual who needs customer service training,” says John Carlson, director of Workforce Development at Washtenaw Community College. “All courses are industry-led and taught by people in the industry doing customer service.”

A small-business development center can also be a great planning resource for business owners to think through the overarching training goals at a management level and at no cost to the business. “I primarily work with business owners through one-on-one counseling,” says Charlie Penner, regional director, Michigan Small Business Development Center at Washtenaw Community, one of 12 regional offices statewide, providing services and support to the Michigan small-business communities in Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw counties. “Whatever their needs are or desires for growing, diversifying or turning around their businesses, I can help explore training options, figure out topics, determine whether it was useful and make a database assessment.”

By creating a training compact, answering the four training questions outlined here and seeking outside consultation – if needed – you can ensure the best return on one of your most important investment: your employees. In return, you can rest assured that your staff will not only meet, but also exceed, all customer service expectations.

SooJi Min is a freelance writer and nonprofit executive based in Ann Arbor, MI. She has written on small business topics for Crain’s, Imagination Publishing and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

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