Ask The CRM Expert: Questions & Answers

Training call center agents using bad customer service experiences

Training call center agents using bad customer service experiences

By  Lior Arussy, President, Strativity Group

SearchCRM.com

Should we use examples of bad customer experiences when training new call center agents on the importance of the customer experience? If so, how should we work this in?
Examples of bad customer service experiences can be used by utilizing recordings of such calls and sharing them during call center agent training. You should use the recordings as case studies, having the call center agents analyze what went wrong and come up with ways to deal with the situation differently, while following the guidelines of courteous treatment and profitability.

However, I find that using examples of great customer experiences has a greater impact during training. While the bad experiences shows call center agents what not to do, seeing what they should do is much more helpful. It also shows call center agents that great customer experiences can be delivered at your call center with your current customer's requests. Again, stage the calls and analyze how and why they went well, explaining how to replicate such a performance in the future. This approach also allows the call center agents to address what is holding them back from such a performance and it gives call center managers a way of providing agents with feedback and strategies for addressing their obstacles.