Build a Better Customer Service Training for your Techs
June 3, 2019 | Read: 6 minutes
At the core, your customers are really only looking for one thing: for you to fix their problem. But it is how your techs fix their problem that will determine if you’ll get the call back for next time.
That’s where customer service training comes in.
To find out if you are solving their problems, ask yourself:
- Do your technicians follow correct procedures?
- Do they get the job done – and efficiently?
- Are they safe?
- Are they friendly?
If you can say yes to all of these questions, then your field workers deserve some gold stars.
The only way to be sure of these things, though, is to properly train your employees.
Employee training and development is one of the foundations of a company’s long-term success.
That’s why we turned to the experts at Coalmarch, the top people management and hiring platform for the field service businesses, to share tips to develop a more effective training program for your team:
Outline your key objectives
Neglecting to train your team is one of the most expensive missteps you can make – but training just for the sake of training is also costly in both time and money.
The most effective training plans are centered on your goals. What tasks need to be performed to achieve business goals? Which training activities will help technicians learn to perform those tasks? What training can help them do it more effectively or efficiently?
As you build a training program, consider:
- What performance gaps exist for current employees? How will employee performance improve after this program?
- Do training initiatives lines up with business goals?
- How will this training program prepare employees to take on leadership roles?
- Will this training program improve employee retention rates?
Make customer service training mandatory
Experts agree that technicians bring your business’ mission to life.
They are the ones actively fixing your customers problems, interacting with them on a daily basis. Your technicians are the face of your company – and you want the face of your company to instil credibility in your services and deliver positive experiences that will keep customers coming back season after season.
Consider customer experience training for technicians that will enhance:
- Security of your customers: Your techs are invited inside and around customers’ homes, so it’s important that they understand expectations when it comes to friendliness and professionalism. 68% of customers report that one of the most important components of a customer service experience is a polite representative.
- Autonomy in the field: Technicians encounter a wide range of situations in the field, so it’s likely that they’ll come across an unhappy, stressed, or rude customer. Preparing them with the right skills and knowledge of what they’re able to offer on the spot to make things right can salvage a sour situation before it goes sideways.
- Cross-selling opportunities: Technicians face the grunt of customer questions and concerns, and they’re the ones who have a first-person view of a customer’s home. Not only should they be knowledgeable about the problem at hand – it’s important that they understand the other services your business offers and have training to prepare them to discuss
Your technicians – and your bottom line – benefit immensely from customer service training; but don’t be afraid to flip the script on your customer experience team, too!
Your sales and customer experience team members are important players in building your brand’s reputation. Technicians may be the face of your business to current customers – but CSRs are the front line for new customers.
Adding technical pest training for your sales and service team members can help them answer questions, recommend the right solution, and build credibility with your customers.
Digitize your training
Are you still handing new hires a binder? Working with a learning management system (LMS) to digitize training can be simpler to manage, execute, and update.
Coalmarch allows you to create a curriculum for each position on your team. Then it rolls it out automatically for new hires to make onboarding a breeze. You can also build exams to prepare your team for certification exams, test comprehension of safety protocols and important processes, and keep skills sharp on best practices.
Additionally, the community library even contains materials shared by other top industry leaders, so you can borrow existing reviews, inspections, and training materials, or customize practice exams without having to create a training program from scratch.
Not only is a digital training program more convenient for technicians who are spending time in the field. But it also allows you to measure each team member’s mastery of important topics. It can also be useful for collecting data about the overall success of your training.
Evaluate your training
There’s always room to improve, and that philosophy rings especially true for your training program.
In addition to measuring training completion, pay attention to the impact your training is having on your ability to meet business goals. If the number of callbacks is increasing, it may be time to revisit what training principles could help your team be more effective. Then if production is slow, are there additional trainings that could help technicians be more efficient?
Proper training for your employees can have lasting effects on your business’ reputation, customer satisfaction, production, revenue, and profit. Also, not to mention the satisfaction and engagement of your team.
After all, a well-trained team of engaged employees is one of the best competitive advantages to have on your side.
Transform your technicians with excellent service training
Every interaction your customer has with your business plays a part in their overall experience.
No matter how small it is, it can easily tip the scales in your favor and lead to rave reviews and social media shares together with referrals.
