While training those at the customer touch point (face to face in retail stores, garages, offices and on the phone etc.) is an obvious need, we must not forget that customer satisfaction is driven by the whole end-to-end experience and that this may include people outside your organisation, such as channel partners, agents and even delivery companies.
A break down in any part of the chain, from the first point of contact to the delivery of the service or product, will have a negative impact on the customer experience and ultimately on the reputation and standing of your business. Although I may be delighted with the service received from the airline check-in staff, if my bag does not arrive at the destination at the same time as I do, then my overall satisfaction level with that airline will go through the floor.
Many, but not all, of the online retailers have customer service licked by providing a wide range of products at competitive prices in a well-designed online environment, backed by excellent delivery logistics and simple product return processes. Why is this? It is because they have taken a whole life cycle approach to systems development, ensuring that they have quality assured partners (for deliveries) and that they implement high-quality training for all staff involved, from the web designers to call centre support staff and the warehouse team.
The acid test for customer service seems to be when something goes wrong or your requirements are just out of the ordinary. Have you ever tried phoning a call centre only to find out that you're passed from one agent to another and then you don't get the issue resolved, so that you have to call again and go through the same trail of agents? Is this a training issue or is it a systems issue or a process problem? The answer is often all of the above. As the Training Manager, your job is to help analyse the root cause of problems and, where learning has a part to play, design appropriate learning interventions and performance supports systems that drive improved business performance. Unless you are really engaged with the business line, this will not be possible and you run the risk that the training is inappropriate and ineffective, meaning that the customer service issue remains a problem.
When I was at Vodafone, I would spend time every year in the call centres, the retail stores and with the corporate sales team on the road meeting clients. Observing how customers interface with your business and talking with them about their requirements can provide you with valuable insights. Being aligned with the needs of the customers and also with the business strategy can provide the L&D team with the opportunity to make a real difference and, most importantly, to be recognised as being an added-value business function.
You may even be able to extend your reach to the customers themselves and provide valued support to the whole customer experience. Working with the product development teams, customer education can be built into devices or online systems. Many photocopiers today have sophisticated self-diagnostic systems and indicator lights to illustrate to the user where the paper jam is. On-device help and advice can guide the user to fix the problem themselves or tell them when an engineer is needed. The same can apply to mobile phones, washing machines and many other devices.
I recently added more memory to my computer to improve its performance. The online vendor used a downloadable hardware diagnostic tool to recommend upgrade options and the correct memory cards. All I had to do was click my option choice and pay at the online checkout. Once the memory was delivered, the website provided me with a detailed installation guide and, just in case, a troubleshooting guide. In addition, if I'd needed to, I could have phoned their call centre for support. The beauty of the online support information was that it was written for me as a user and not as a computer technician. Someone had brought their instructional design skills to bear and this had enhanced my customer experience, resulting in a successful upgrade.
In these difficult economic times, it is even more critical that, as a learning function, we align with the needs of the customer and the business. Thinking beyond training just the staff at the customer interface might just open up some interesting and value-adding opportunities for your team.
Gordon Bull
Gordon was Director of Global Learning Management at Vodafone and VP Training at American Express. He now runs Learning Forte, a consultancy supporting companies to align their L&D function with the needs of the business. He can be contacted on gordon.bull@learningforte.com.