Customer Service Training Tips Preparation
Customer Service Training Tips preparation always pays off for you and your participants. Standing in front of a group of people can be a very lonely place if you have forgotten something, or are not fully prepared.Preparation is vital to help you feel confident and be in control, so that when the participants arrive, and the
session begins,
you can concentrate on them and only them. They are after all your customers!!
Often,
customer service training
can be a barometer for the organisation. Most people believe in the importance of
good customer service,
but will give you the reasons that prevent them delivering these, be it systems, processes, organisation or morale. So our
customer service training tips
preparation focuses on what you need to do so you can focus on the participants from the offset.
Customer Service Training Tip Preparation # 1
Email or send joining instructions to people so they are clear where they need to be, and at what time. If your participants aren't used to "training" include messages which will settle them down, so that they come as open-minded and relaxed as possible. Put yourselves in their shoes what would they want to see or read which will help them feel open to the training?
Customer Service Training Tip Preparation # 2
Check all your equipment is working, everything you will need for your training course or session. If preparation time is tight,for whatever reason, make sure you have everything you need and in working order to get you to the first break.
Customer Service Training Tips Preparation # 3
Play good lively music while setting up to get you and any early arrivals in the mood.
Music
is a great way if getting people to feel good and put some energy in the room. Make sure you have the necessary licenses to broadcast music.
Customer Service Training Tip Preparation # 4
What do you want your session or course to achieve? What is most important for the participants or the part of the business they represent? Is it awareness knowledge attitude skills enthusiasm buy-in commitmentBe realistic with your expectations, will just one morning with you really change peoples attitude, behaviours and skills for ever? Focus on what needs to be achieved and work towards that. If you try to do too much, your messages will be diluted. Think this carefully when you are planning your training sessions. If you are an experienced trainer working in skills development, there is a very useful paper over at intelligent dialogue which talks about successful design. I really like the fact that it talks about our need as trainers to prove we "know our stuff" or prove "our worth" so we end up cramming material into a training session. As companies and organisations are trying to do more with less - a two day training course may now need to be run in one day. The paper helps you think through your appraoch to design, and not to cram in the same amount and rattle through it. Click here to view more details
Customer Service Training Tip Preparation # 5
Have a checklist to hand. Include all the things that you need for the beginning of the course. We have a list of everything that we could need for a training session, laminate it and tick on the right hand side if it is needed for this course, and tick on the left handside when it goes into the training box - A list likeCourse notes / handouts Name tags Pens Marker Pens Flipchart Paper Projector Powerpoint Blutak ipod ( for playing music ) Speakers Training Video / DVD Exercises Post-it notes
Customer Service Training Tips Preparation # 6
Ask yourself
"how can I be most useful to the people I will be working with?"
One of the most powerful questions any training or development specialist can ask themselves as they start to work with an individual or a group of people
Customer Service Training Tips Preparation # 7
Sometimes, your set up time doesn't go to plan. Traffic Problems, equipment failures, lost room keys,all can conspire against us. However challenging your schedule, take five minutes to go to the bathroom, take some deep breaths, check your appearance and focus yourself on the session ahead.
If you have found this Customer Service Training Tip - preparation useful, have a look at the next in the series
Opening a Training Session
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