Engineering Success with Customer Service Training

You may already offer customer service training, but is it fit for purpose?
I was recently invited to discuss customer service training with an engineering company. They had previously invested in customer service training resources, but now felt it was time for an update. Fortunately, my services were recommended.

The What, How and Why of Customer Service
Training is most effective if it is relevant to the industry and more specifically to the company. Rather than generic examples, good training will link to processes and practices that are faced by employees.  Your team need real examples of how they can implement the training, along with an understanding of why they should bother. 
In short, good training explores the what, how and why. The training resources that I’ve provided for the engineering company cover:

What the Customer Expects
This spans every aspect of the interaction with customers, from an initial enquiry, through the delivery of services, to after service care. For any company, this includes being polite and professional at all times.  Effective training will also consider examples that are directly relevant to the business. In the case of the engineering company, it also includes safe, compliant installation.

How to Deliver to Expectations
Being told what the customer expects is one thing, but how do individuals put the concept into practice? The next stage of training is to share ideas on how the theory can be implemented.
In the case of a safe and compliant installation, the customer is unlikely to have the technical knowledge to check the work. The engineers need to demonstrate their professionalism in other ways. These include organised and efficient working practices, the wearing of personal protective equipment and taking time to share associated paperwork with the customer and answer questions.

Why focus on Customer Service?
The third aspect of customer service training is to impart some understanding of why this is an important part of the job. It ties in with the values and goals of the company. It explains that meeting customer expectations is central to business success. It clarifies that every individual has a part to play in the company’s achievements.
An engineer may not understand the need to convince the customer of their competence. They know they are doing a good job, what difference does it make if they didn’t wear branded workwear, or if it was a bit untidy when they left the premises? However, if they understand the impact of their actions, they are more likely to pay attention to the details that build stronger customer relations.
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Customer Training Resources
If the time has come for an update, I deliver customer service training on your premises. This can be tailored to the specific needs of your company and employees. Alternatively, I provide resources to support in-house training, for example my Confident Telephone Handling manual.
For further information, or to book a FREE initial consultation, please contact Helen Pettifer Training: info@helenpettifer.com or 07704 221241