Any Answers Digest #7 - Training IT staff in customer service, values, SMEs

TrainingZone

Any Answers Digest #7 – Training IT staff in customer service, values, SMEs

By TrainingZone

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TrainingZONE Any Answers Digest - Issue 7
Wednesday 13 March 2002
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/community/anyanswers
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********** THIS WEEK'S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK'S TOPICS **********
... Internal customer service training for IT staff... models for
team roles and behaviours... trainers' values... getting into
online training... research on why SMEs should train...
directories of trainers...
********** THIS WEEK'S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK'S TOPICS **********

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What you asked this fortnight:
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New questions posted include:

Does anybody have any information on the role of the trainer as a
tutor, in addition to any references, papers or articles relating
to what may be described as professional trainer/teacher
principles and values? asks Kenneth Deane
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/74740

What job opportunities are there in online training and what are
the necessary qualifications? asks Elizabeth Clouston
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/74827

I'm looking for some research on SMEs and training. I'm after the
core stuff, the basic arguments as to why they should embrace
training, the positive effects, cost as weighed against profits,
and so on...
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/74600

In a large organisation, what roles have been used (and what are
their duties) to control the creation of new courses?
Frank McGoldrick
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/73995

Got a question you need answered? Post it now, free of charge at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/community/anyanswers

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Featured question: Customer service training for IT support staff
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Has anyone got any experience of delivering internal customer
service training to IT support staff? If so, did you use an
external vendor, what was covered/how and what was the impact?

Question submitted by Richard Rogers
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/74628

Members responses
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I recently ran such a course. After a generic overview on
customer care/service definitions etc, IT lends itself to various
modules:-
1. Systems and Procedures: conveying this technical "rocket
science" (at least to customer!)in laypersons terms
2. Image: using techniques to promote a positive a user-
friendly image based on benefits to the customer
3. Communication: oral/written and allied to 1 above
4. Management failures: training on product
5. Access: some key equality and diversity issues.
A course like this needs plenty of visuals drawn from marketing /
advertising material. A fascinating and fast developing subject.
Good luck!

Bill Chadwick

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(Edited response appears - see the site for full response)
1.Don't single IT staff out as a separate grouping, include them
in a Customer course with representation from other parts of the
Business that they work with.
2.In addition, include the topic of 'Customer Relationship
Management' as part of the day, presented in an imaginative
way. CRM in my view links into good Customer Service.

The success of CRM to some degree is influenced by IT, and IT
staff know and understand the importance of their contribution.
Its inclusion helped me win their interest and the respect for IT
by other depts. It also allowed me to then turn the basic CRM
philosophy on its head ,and apply it as a strategy to improve
internal customer service. The result was a set of agreed actions
to improve communication and service between IT and the teams
they service.

Vernon De Lord

Read the full discussion and add your own views at
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/74628

learndirect
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learndirect corporate offers a flexible, innovative approach to
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Any Answers Answered:
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This fortnight, new responses have been added to the following
questions:

Q - I am currently reviewing all the self study packs that are
available for our firm. I am wanting to do an overhaul of these
so does anyone have any ideas on creating fun and interesting
self study packs that are effective for technical topics which
are generally quite dry. Alternatively does anyone know of any
books that are available to help in this area.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Jane Bowen

A - Clive O'Donnell suggests a couple of tried and tested ideas
with engineering personnel of all ages and backgrounds:
Technical crosswords - with possible prize as an incentive.
Information treasure trail - where clues could be found on
intranet site, at specific departments, company notice boards,
bulletins etc.

To read the full responses, see
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/74443

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Q - Andrew Baillie asks: Does anyone have good ice-breakers to
use in training for manual workers? The training is in customer
care skills so the more relevant the better? Any suggestions
appreciated.

A - Bill Chadwick says: My best for this sort of group is based
on interviews in pairs. Each person asked to recount a recent
experience as a customer, good, bad or indifferent. Another -
more risky - is to get the workers to share their experiences
when trying to get service in
a- their working gear
b- suited and booted!
Can be lively, and good for exploring assumptions and prejudice.

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Q - Can anyone recommend a really effective appointment setting
course for sales people?
John Wright

A - Rather than suggest a Patent Remedy (which often only cure
the cash flow of the 'doctor'!), I'd suggest you should look at
WHY the Sales Staff are being "less than effective". Do they have
S.M.A.R.T. goals? Do they realise the effect of their actions on
your company as a whole? Have you looked at things like The LIFO
Method? Or at Buzan's creative thinking courses? Or even
something from Time/system?
Dave Bramwell

To read the full responses, see
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/73789

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Can anyone recommend any directories or online databases of
training providers/organisations?
Richard Rogers

A - Louise Redman suggests the National TrainingIndex

A - Katrina Edgar suggests the Training Managers Yearbook,
Keynote reports, and Plimsoll.

A - And there's TrainingZONE's own directory!

To read the full responses, see
https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/73743

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