The key to customer satisfaction is a team of well-trained, dedicated customer service representatives. This is why it’s essential to thoroughly and consistently train your customer service reps. One way you can effectively educate your team is with a customer service training manual.
As we begin a new year, it’s the perfect time to review the manual and update it to reflect new changes and trends. Read on to find out about how you can refresh your customer service training manual for 2022 and see some helpful customer service training topics that it should include.
1. The importance of customer service
One topic that every customer service training manual should cover is the importance of customer service. The goal is to inform every customer service rep and show them how their role affects the success of your business. This type of customer service policy is also a great motivational tool and your team members want to feel fulfilled, important and challenged.
2. Policy for customer service interactions
Your customer service training manual should also touch the standard process for interactions with customers. You’ll want to outline a process that includes the best customer service policies that are applicable to the most situations, in a way that’s easy to understand.
3. Different verticals and industries
If your company spans across multiple industries, it’s worthwhile to feature different sections in the customer service training manual for each one. There are many questions, complaints and requests that are applicable to all industries, and some only pertain to certain segments and could call for different types of customer service training manuals.
4. Definition of service
Every company defines customer service differently. It’s important that you include a definition of how your company defines customer service to keep your people on the same page. Most training manual templates includes a definition of service. This definition of service provides a clear direction for every representative to address customer needs as much as possible.
5. How to take a customer-friendly approach
Your customer service training manual template should emphasise a customer-friendly approach for customer service procedures and processes. The two major elements of a customer-friendly approach include communication and relationships. Give applicable and relevant examples of how reps should demonstrate these ideals in your manual.
6. A clear understanding of your customers
You should also have a section providing your customer service reps with information about the types of customers they’ll commonly work with. This will give your team the information needed to help customers feel cared for and understood.
7. Soft skills for a top-notch customer service rep to have
Every customer service training manual should discuss all the soft skills that a top-notch customer representative should embody. Some essential customer service skills include active listening, attentiveness, communication, confidence, decision-making, empathy, flexibility, positivity, problem-solving and being a team player. By making these soft skills tangible, reps know what they should be aiming for.
8. How to make a good first impression
There should also be a section on how your customer representatives can make good impressions with customers. For added context, consider showing reps what it looks like to create a positive impression versus a negative one. That way, your customer representatives will know which behaviours and actions to avoid.
9. Non-verbal communication
You should also include a section on non-verbal communication, because a significant amount of communication is non-verbal. This section should touch upon how customer reps can take advantage of non-verbal communication to satisfy customers. Some examples of non-verbal communication include smiling, eye contact and hand gestures, and posture.
10. Telephone etiquette
If you have telephone customer service reps, you should definitely have a section about telephone etiquette. Provide your team with information about how to best answer the phone and how to troubleshoot effectively.
Get started with our Free Customer Service Training Manual
Is it time to revisit your customer service training manual? Our free customer service training customer service training manual is a great tool to help your team deliver consistent customer service training and delight customers.