Much like the world of sales enablement, customer service enablement provides support agents with the information, content, and tools they need to best care for customers. That’s why the best teams create a customer service enablement programme that focuses on equipping reps and agents with virtually everything they need to deliver exceptional service. In fact, teams with a well-designed customer service enablement programme tend to see increased productivity, lower turnover, lower operational costs, and improved service levels. Now that we know why customer service enablement is so important, let’s take a closer look at what that includes.
Customer service training
As customer needs and preferences continue to evolve, customer service training has become even more important. And while many customer service teams provide basic training by following the traditional training playbook, it isn’t enough. While free customer service training materials are a great place to start, these programmes typically feature standard, antiquated information from free customer service materials they found years ago. The best customer service training programmes go beyond the basics to create world-class customer service enablement. This means that reps and agents receive continuous training that focuses on both technical knowledge and customer service skills.
Customer service tips
In addition to customer service training, retail customer service tips and customer service tips for staff are very helpful when enabling teams for success. Because service reps and agents handle different types of interactions on a daily basis, they may find a customer service tip of the day helpful to their role. Leaders can also empower employees to share their own customer service tips and tricks with one another as a way to share best practices across the team.
Customer service coaching and feedback
Reps and agents also need effective coaching and feedback on their current performance and how they can improve in their role. For example, the growing popularity of self-service channels means that customers are turning to these channels for simple, transactional interactions. When it comes time for a customer to reach out to a rep, it’s likely because they didn’t get the help they needed via self-service. Therefore, the phone call tends to be more complex and unique. To adapt, leaders need to share customer service phone tips and coaching strategies that prepare employees to handle higher-effort or more stressful interactions. This strategy maximises performance across the entire workforce.
The Importance of Training in Customer Service
Resource to help enable your customer service team
Planning and building a training programme that enables customer service reps and agents doesn’t have to be difficult. That’s why we created a number of resources to help you create a phenomenal enablement programme.
Improve Customer Service in an Omnichannel World with our Ebook
For truly great customer service, leaders need to identify innovative customer service ideas as they expand their omnichannel strategy. Gone are the days when a customer picks up a phone to talk to a rep. Now, team members have to adapt to new channels and customer preferences. By continually asking how to improve customer service in the workplace, customer service enablement leaders will set their team up for success as they adapt to the continuously evolving service industry.
Our ebook, Enabling Customer Service Success in an Omnichannel World, features the advice and knowledge of six customer service experts that any support team can benefit from. This guide will show you how to transform training, equip reps and agents excellently, and measure what matters when it comes to customer service.
Free Customer Service Training Manual
Consistent and thorough customer service training is essential—even when customers already seem satisfied. That’s why internal customer service training must be standardised to avoid serious discrepancies that result in customer churn. Without a single training plan in place, managers and co-workers may train each staff member to use different techniques. This can lead to conflict or dissatisfaction when every employee treats customers differently. Our Customer Service Training Manual Template can help your organisation provide consistent training to employees, identify important training topics, and ensure customers are created equally.
Customer Service Training Guide
With a rapidly changing industry and ever-increasing customer expectations, it’s time to rethink customer service training. If companies want to figure out how to improve customer service in the workplace—and impact their bottom line—they need to build, deliver, and measure customer service enablement and training efforts like never before. That’s why we worked with numerous customer service experts, thought-leaders, and practitioners to explain why customer service training programmes are the foundation of good customer service. Our customer service training guide also includes customer service tips and tricks, best practices, free customer service training activities, and other helpful resources so teams can learn, practise, and grow.
The emerging role of a customer service enablement manager
As you can see there’s a lot that goes into customer service enablement. To make this effort as successful as possible, it may be helpful to hire or designate an enablement manager. A customer service enablement manager provides reps and agents with the training, content, processes, and tools they need to deliver great support. This includes working with different teams like quality assurance, marketing, and management to increase productivity and customer service levels. The role includes a wide range of different responsibilities and priorities like those we’ve listed above. Since CS enablement managers oversee and work on so many different functions and tasks, you may see similar or related job titles such as:
- Customer Service Manager
- Customer Service Training Manager
- Director/Head of Service Enablement
- Enablement Programme Manager
Enable your customer service team
If you’re ready to enable your customer service team, we’re here to help. Seismic Learning (formerly Lessonly) is training and coaching software that frontline support teams use to decrease onboarding time for new agents, practise essential skills, and deliver coaching at scale. Get a demo to learn more.
