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Employee Customer Service Training Class

Introduction

Customer service is among the most fundamental activities in the value chain of modern

organizations. Therefore, developing appropriate customer service skills and attitudes among

employees can be noteworthy source of competitive advantage. This paper presents a plan for

implementing a customer service training program for newly hired employees. The paper offers a

discussion on the importance of need assessment, a plan for implementing the training program,

rationale for the selected methods, strategies for motivating employees, and a survey for

collecting feedback.

The use of Need Assessment

Need assessment is a tool for planning employee training program. Need assessment in

essential in the planning of training programs for various reasons. First, it enables trainers to

identify skills gaps making it possible for them to develop relevant and useful programs. A

training program should add value by improving employees’ skills, attitudes and competencies

(Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). A training program that focuses on skills and competencies that

employees have already mastered does not add value. Need assessment enables human resource

practitioners to identify areas that employees have already mastered and those that need

improvement. This knowledge enables the practitioners to develop training programs that add

value to the company. The need assessment exercise is of a particular importance in this case

since the training program target new employees whom the organization knows little.

Secondly, the use of need assessment enables planners to prioritize training needs. At any

given time, employees are bound to have diverse skill gaps (Sherazi, Ahmed, Iqbal, Umar &

Rehman, 2011). The gaps may also vary from one employee to another. Need assessment

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enables human resource planners to prioritize training needs by identifying the most frequent

gaps and the most significant skill gaps. Prioritizing training need allows the human resource

department to make optimal use of training resources. Since training resources such as funds are

limited, the department can focus on needs that will have the greatest effect on the organization.

Customer Service Training Implementation Plan

1. Identify customer needs

The customer service training implementation plan is divided into four steps. The first

step entails identifying the needs of customers. The ultimate goal of the customer service training

program is to enhance customer satisfaction so as to boost the firm’s competitiveness. Therefore,

it is paramount for the training team to understand what customers expect from the company and

the company’s staff. The training team will implement this step by conducting a quick survey

where they will provide customers with a comment card that inquires about the customers’

experiences and wishes.

2. Need assessment

The second step in the training implementation plan entails conducting a need

assessment. The need assessment is necessary because it will enable the trainers to identify skill

gaps and prioritize training needs. The trainers will assess each new employee individually using

methods such as interviews, survey, and observation. The trainers will hold belief interviews

with the new employees with the aim of soliciting information about the skills and attitudes. The

survey will entail providing the employees with semi-structured questionnaires that also solicit

information about employees’ attitudes and skills. The questionnaires will capture the

information that was left out during the interview as it will facilitate anonymity of responses. The

observation method will entail asking the new employees to complete a task and observing his or

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her performance. The performance will be assessed using an observation checklist. The need

assessment process will focus on identifying the gap between the present attitude and skills of

employees and customers’ expectations, which the trainers identified in step one.

3. Select and implement training methods

The third step in the training implementation plan entails selecting and implementing

training methods. There is a broad assortment of options when it comes to the process of

selecting training methods. These options include presentation, discussion, case study, discovery,

role play, simulation, modeling, or on-the-job training. Each of these training methods is suitable

for different training subjects. The planned program proposes the use of on-the-job training. This

method entail having the new employees learn in the work setting by observing managers and

their peers performing the job tasks.

4. Evaluation

The final step in the training implementation plan entails evaluating the gains realized

through the training program. Evaluation is the process of comparing the outcomes of the

training program with the intentions of the program (Kaufman, Keller & Watkins, 2006). The

planned program proposes the use of Donald Kirkpatrick framework of training evaluation. This

framework evaluates training program at four levels; reaction, learning, behavior, and results

(Anderson & Tremlay, 2008).

Rationale for Selecting the Training Method

This training program intends to apply on-the-job training methods for various reasons.

The first reason is that the training program targets new employees. On-the-job training is a

useful method of training newly-hired employees as it helps to orient the new employees with

their jobs (Noe, 2010). This method gives new employees real-time and live awareness of how

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employees interact with customers. The second reason is that on-the-job training enables the

human resource department to tailor the training process to the abilities and experiences of

employees. Each learner proceeds at his own pace until she or he achieve mastery of the job.

Tailoring the training program to employees’ experiences and abilities increases employees’

motivation; thus, facilitates learning. Thirdly, on-the-job training facilitates learning by allowing

the trainees to exercise and practice what the trainer expects them to learn. In this training

method, trainees can apply the skills they acquire in their job immediately. They also use actual

equipments and tools, and engage in real interaction with customers. These real-time experiences

facilitate greater acquisition of skills. In addition, on the job-training allows employee to acquire

tacit knowledge that cannot be transferred through formal training methods. In this method, new

employees get a chance to interact with experienced employees. This interaction facilitates

sharing and transfer of experiences, which is not possible in a formal training program. On-job-

training method also allows the employees to learn the company’s culture and values, things that

trainees cannot learn in a formal setting.

Ways of Motivating Employees

Human resource experts need to develop systems that motivate employees to learn, apply,

and share knowledge in order for the training program to be successful (Noe, 2010). The first

way of motivating employees to learn is by providing them with a learning environment that has

features that are critical for learning to occur. The human resource team must provide the new

employees with the requisite resources and the right environment so as to realize the goals of

training. The organizations must offer meaningful materials, tools and equipments for the new

employees to learn and apply the knowledge that they acquire. The organization must also

provide the new workers with technologies for sharing knowledge and experiences.

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The second way of motivating employees to learn is by rewarding change in behavior and

performance. The human resource department must develop compensation programs that reward

employees for positive changes and improvement in performance. Rewards can either be

intrinsic or extrinsic (Anderson & Tremlay, 2008). Extrinsic rewards include salary increment,

promotion, bonuses, and other material rewards. Rewards need not material in nature. The

human resource department can also use intrinsic rewards such as recognition and praise to

motivate employees to learn and change. Intrinsic reward also entails assisting employees to

develop skills that are congruent with their personal values and interests (Noe, 2001). Employees

will be highly motivated to learn when the training program gives them skills that also advance

their personal interests.

Survey for Collecting Feedback

The survey for collecting feedback takes a semi-structured form. The data collection

instrument comprises of the both open-ended and close-ended questions. The first section of the

questionnaire carries the close-ended questions. The section requires the trainee to indicate the

level of agreement with the statement provides. The second section comprises of the open-ended

questions.

1- Strongly agree, 2- Agree, 3- Neutral, 4- Disagree, and 5- strongly agree.

Statement 1 2 3 4 5

The training program had a clear objective

The program encouraged interaction and participation

of employees.

The issues we learned in the program were relevant to

me.

Experiences employees were supportive of the

training process.

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The tools and equipment that the organization

provided were useful in the training process.

The training experience will add value to my work

The coaches and mentors were knowledgeable in

their respective areas.

The time for the training program was sufficient.

1. What aspects of the training program did you like most?

2. What aspects of the training program did you like least?

3. What aspects of the program should the company improve?

4. How do you think the training will influence your practice?

5. Please share any additional comments about the program.

Conclusion

In the modern business environment, training is not a luxury but a necessity. Modern

organizations need to develop their workforce in order to develop a sustainable source of

competitiveness. The proposed training program comprises of four main steps; identifying

customers’ needs, assessing skill gaps, selecting and implementing training methods, and

evaluation. Training programs are only effective when they add value to the organization. The

need assessment exercise helps to create training programs that add value by identifying and

prioritizing training needs. It is also essential to motivate employees in order to facilitate

learning. Providing the right environment for learning and rewarding employees are some of the

strategies that the planned program will use to motivate employees to learn.

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References

Anderson, M. & Tremblay, M. (2008). Evaluation of the executive training program for research

application. Health Policy. 4 (2), 136- 148

Ferreira, R., & Abbad, G., (2013). Training needs assessment: where we are and where we

should go. Rio de Janeiro. 10 (1), 77-99

Kaufman, R. Keller, J. & Watkins, R. (2006). Evaluation beyond Kirkpatrick. Available from

http:// u.edu/~rins/articles/whatwork.PDF

Noe, R., (2010). Employee training and development. USA; McGraw-Hill Companies.

Sherazi, S., Ahmed, I., Iqbal, M., Umar, M., & Rehman, K., (2011). Training needs assessment

practices in the corporate sector in Pakistan. African Journal of Business Management. 5

(28), 11435- 11441