The term “customer service” is typically applied to external customers, but trainers don’t have “customers” in that traditional sense. Their customers are employee learners. And it’s imperative that they see their learners as customers they should be kept satisfied if they want their programs to be successful. Why? Because unsatisfied learners won’t continue to take required training, or will tell others all about the inadequacies of their programs, among other things.
Below are some tips for providing excellent customer service as a trainer.
Know Your Courses Inside and Out, and Their Purpose
Never blindly create or administer a course if you don’t know how it’s going to benefit your organization. Know whether it’s intended to increase sales, productivity, or something else. At some point someone will ask you why they’re taking a course. And if you’re able to provide a real answer, they’ll be more likely and willing to learn. In addition, learners will ask you questions about certain course content, too. They’ll want to know why one answer in a quiz was correct rather than another. They’ll want to know how long each assignment takes. And so on. Be ready with answers, or at least know how and where you can quickly find them.
Listen and Request Feedback
If you want to keep your learners engaged and satisfied with your training programs, ask them what they think about them on a regular basis. Did they like the medium you used to administer the course? Did they find a certain course challenging but not impossible? And when a learner comes to you with a concern, listen, really listen to them. For instance, some learners may have more issues with accessing course content in various platforms than others. Help them access the content. If you see enough learners with the same concerns, use those concerns to provide further help or to develop future course content.
Provide Helpful Feedback and Be a Resource
Just as you should be receptive to receiving feedback, be prepared to give feedback, too. If learners aren’t using a platform properly or need help with completing their courses, offer feedback to them. In addition, when learners have questions about which courses they should take, or what will help them, be a helpful resource for them. Even if you don’t know the answer to their questions, steer them in the right direction of where they can find the answer they’re seeking.
Be Responsive and Friendly
Always be pleasant and respond as quickly as you can to concerns, even if you don’t think they are important to your immediate task at hand. Although John is having problems with accessing his course for the fiftieth time, be patient and friendly, and help in the best way you know how. Don’t let concerns fall through the cracks or your learners will check out or become offended because they don’t feel that anyone cares.
Keep Individual Needs and Goals in Mind
Remember that everyone doesn’t learn at the same pace or in the same way. So, there may be times you’ll need to help individuals on a one-on-one basis. Sue may need help with more technical issues, while James just doesn’t really get the purpose behind a course and isn’t able to get adequate scores on his assessments. Remember that everyone also has different motives for joining a certain program or for learning new skills, too.
At the end of the day, to provide excellent internal customer service as a trainer, view your learners as real people who have individual concerns and needs that need to be heard and understood.