Customer Service Training for Small Businesses
Customer service training is critically important for small business since most small businesses have a limited number of customers and the loss of one customer can have a significant financial impact on the business. It is also important to assure more return business from customers and to promote a positive image of a company so current customers will refer other prospective customers to a business, according to the website ATC training.
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Assessment
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According to the website ETR Direct, a first step is understanding your customers' current perception of your level of customer service. This is important because for every bad experience a customer has with your company's service, they will tell five other potential customers.
For the assessment, one approach is to have a survey company mail a confidential survey to your existing customers or a subset of those customers. If the budget is not available, another approach is to conduct the survey without using a third party. Consult books to get guidance on how to do this.
The survey should first ask for an overall assessment of the level of customer service you are providing and then should be a ranking of specific areas such as how quickly the phone was answered and how quickly the customer service rep helped to resolve a customer's problem.
Although some companies view a customer service assessment as a one-time event, this assessment should take place at least once a year as a report card of how the company is performing.
Develop a Program
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Review the assessment and then develop a customer service training program to strengthen the identified areas where the company is weak.
According to the website Customer Care Coach, some of the topics covered in a customer service training program could include interpersonal communications, creating a service-oriented culture, customer problem and conflict resolution, and continuing service improvement.
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Types
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There are several types of training, or a combination that can be offered. Training can be offered live in a classroom or on a computer. Live training offers the advantage of the trainer interacting with the class using such methods as practice customer complaint handling sessions. Computer-based training has the advantage of letting students proceed at their own pace.
Considerations
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According to the book "Customer Service Training 101," when you are ready to begin training, consider over what calendar time frame you will provide the training and also during what hours. In deciding the hours, consider the operating hours and avoid busy periods for the business.
Warning
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If you decide to do training in-house, if you don't have someone who has trained before, have that person go through a practice session so you can evaluate her effectiveness and make sure they will do a good job.
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References
Resources
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