Customer Service Training Is For Managers Too

Good managers know that customer experience is the lifeblood of any successful company. It’s expensive to run a business that relies on “new” customers. It is much more profitable to focus on converting customers into repeat/loyal customers through consistent and exceptional customer service.

Given this, it is not surprising that many companies invest in customer service training. What is less obvious, but probably even more important, is that training is not just for the front line; it’s for managers, too, and for good reason.

Knowing how to greet a customer, how to handle a complaint, or how to make a customer feel welcome and valued are the building blocks of a memorable customer experience. When employees understand and consistently deliver this level of service at all times, it makes all the difference to a company’s bottom line.

Ensuring that employees understand and follow a company’s customer service strategy depends on many factors, but among the most important are management’s approach, attitude, and behavior.

People learn more effectively by example. Resource kits, tip sheets, educational tapes, role plays, and presentations are great ways to train staff, but it’s hard to beat the positive learning advantage that comes from teams whose managers model attitudes and behaviors. ideals that the company wants. And nothing kills a great training initiative like a manager who doesn’t support the new direction.

For managers to “walk the talk,” they must first support and then master the desired behaviors, and that can best be achieved through manager-specific training.

It is wise for any business to first recognize that there may be a certain mindset in many management groups around the need for management training. Many managers believe this is a front-line issue that only requires front-line training.

The problem with this line of thinking is that management personnel are key to the success of frontline training and managers cannot model excellent customer service behaviors without, in most cases, going through the training themselves. .

To increase managers’ participation in training, it is important to emphasize to managers the importance of their leadership role in any customer service strategy.

The following points should be emphasized in communications and presentations to management regarding your unique contribution to the company’s plan for success:

• Managerial careers depend on the success of the people they manage. Managers can position their teams for success by mastering best practices and serving as a role model and motivator for employees who look to them for direction and answers.
• For managers to be the model or example of customer service excellence for their staff, they must have the most appropriate and comprehensive training they can get. Specific training for managers will cover the necessary content and the particular perspectives that managers will appreciate in their role as supervisors and mentors.
• The training develops many soft skills, such as the ability to listen well, be empathic, and keep promises. These types of skills are often very difficult to learn in the workplace, but they have the greatest impact on customer service and the goals of the manager. Managers have a unique opportunity to develop this valuable skill set in their teams through their own strong understanding and modeling of these essential customer service attributes.

When companies engage their managers in customer service training, the organization receives practical reinforcement for its sales and marketing infrastructure and empowers a key group of people who can play a significant role in the sustained success of the company.