Even as employees return to offices, remote work is here to stay. While more employees are spending time in person, most companies continue to offer remote and hybrid workplace models. Over the past few years, organizations have adapted in-person activities for remote work settings. Customer service training is one of these growing areas.
While many leaders believed that customer service training was an in-person activity, the rise of remote training software has made it easier to train employees anytime, anywhere. This evolution in training is extremely beneficial to customer service agents at a time when they’re requesting more access to training. In a recent survey, 76% of respondents said that having quick access to coaching and training content keeps them from second-guessing themselves.
Remote work has been one of the most notable workforce trends in recent years. With remote training here to stay, it’s critical for organizations to develop customer service training programs that will propel their agents today and for years to come. In this post, we’ll outline the importance of remote training and how organizations can deliver exceptional online customer service training.
Why training remote employees matters
Simply put, employees who receive role-specific training are more likely to stick around. In fact, 73% of respondents stated that they’re considering leaving their company due to a lack of training.
Trained employees, especially when communicated through customer service procedures and process guidelines, are more positive about their overall work performance. Similarly, a lack of advancement opportunities is likely to drive employees away from your company. This applies to engaging remote employees through an intentional training program as much as traditional, in-person employees. Providing your remote employees customer service training and organizing various hands-on learning activities will turn these individuals into a cohesive, consistent, and efficient team.
How to train remote customer service agents
A customer service training manual is a good place to start, but the best customer service training programs go above and beyond. Here are a few customer service training ideas to keep in mind.
Accommodate remote agents
Have your trainers create simple, easy-to-access customer service training sessions. Instead of long PowerPoint presentations, opt for training experiences that are bite-sized, interactive, and on-demand. Agents can learn when they need to and retain information by creating brief, always-available training courses.
Embrace video learning
Technology makes it easy for teams to collaborate wherever they are. Video learning can be beneficial for learners working outside of a traditional in-person environment. A growing number of organizations use video learning to capture and share internal practices and improve their learning programs. Video is also a highly effective way of creating a permanent resource that team members can access wherever and whenever they need to.
Create opportunities to practice
In the midst of remote work, it’s still important to encourage your customer support agents to keep their skills fresh. In a time where stress is running a bit higher than normal, key customer service skills like empathy and communication can make a huge difference during an interaction. Give your agents practice scenarios that require them to tap into crucial skills so they’re prepared for any situation with a customer.
Develop a career growth plan
When employees can see the next steps in their career path, they’re more engaged and more willing to learn in order to grow within your organization. If employees can’t envision a pathway for upward career movement, they’re more likely to pursue new opportunities elsewhere.
Encourage your agents to have fun
While it’s important to meet and exceed key metrics like customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), training customer service teams should be fun. Remember that remote training takes place at home, and in order to foster camaraderie, it’s important to create engaging experiences that your agents will enjoy. Agents who have the opportunity to learn and grow are more confident for customer interactions and more inclined to stay with their company. By keeping your customer service training courses light and approachable, your teams will continue to grow over time.
Train your agents with Lessonly by Seismic
If you’re looking to improve your remote customer training program, we’re here to help. The tips in this post are designed to help organizations like yours reduce onboarding times, improve CSAT scores, and increase agent performance. If you’re interested in learning how you can streamline access to remote training, get a demo today!
