I have recently had cause to reflect on the direct link between an organisation’s level of customer service and the amount of in-house ‘trainers’ who have not attended train the trainer training. With the recession has come an increase in the number of organisations wanting to improve customer service and reduce complaints. When we start to research and analyse where the organisation is at and conduct a training needs analysis it comes to light that many staff are being trained. However, often the training is ineffective and delivered by ‘trainers’ who have never attended formal train the trainer training.
In many cases, customer service representatives get promoted to team leader level or first line management roles, where they succeed and add benefit to customer service departments. Their knowledge of the department, company products and services and the required levels of service are unparallel however, in most cases, having the knowledge alone, does not qualify them to develop this knowledge and appropriate levels of skill in other people.
Understanding what goes on behind developing skills and confidence in other people requires a though appreciation of how adults learn and what motivates people to learn. Knowing how to design material in line with different learning styles, using different media, knowing how to assess learning, support delegates with the transfer of learning from the training room into the workplace, knowing how to evaluate and monitor learning and keep learning records demands skill on the part of the trainer. If organisations are going to assess their levels of customer service they first need to consider the standard of their in-house training and ensure that all working in a trainer capacity have attended train the trainer training.
By Kasmin Cooney | Righttrack’s Managing Director