Customer service agents need finely-honed communication skills and the ability to anticipate the interaction they will have with a customer. Even the most experienced agent can benefit from additional training, which is also an opportunity to pass their experience along to their newer team members. This training often takes place online and can range from a quick, free lesson to a structured course lasting for weeks. This post covers some of the most effective online customer service training available in 2019.
1. Customer Service Refresher Training
The objective of the Customer Service Refresher Training from Business Training Works is to re-energize agents who have become burned out over time, which is a common occurrence in customer service. It does this by focusing on the ongoing changes in customer service and customer expectations. It also covers topics such as best practices in customer interactions and problem-solving techniques. This class consists of a three-hour session that’s taught over a half-day period and may be taught online in a virtual classroom or at the customer’s site.
2. Support Professional Training
Service Strategies primarily offers this customer service training for agents who provide technical support. It focuses on maintaining effective communication while providing technical solutions, which is often a challenge when the customer’s technical knowledge is limited. This course lasts for two days, and students can attend on-site, in a public setting or online. On-site training involves sending the instructor to the customer’s premises, while public training requires a maximum of 15 students to be sent to a Service Strategies facility. The online course is self-paced, although the student must complete the training within 60 days after registration
3. Customer Service Advantage by Bonfire Training
Bonfire offers this course to groups, although it’s highly personalized for each student. Its objective is to motivate agents to find effective solutions to challenging problems rather than simply apologizing. Bonfire continually updates its training mediums, but they include on-site training where the company sends the instructor to the customer. They also offer traditional online courses with unlimited access for 60 days. Another option for Bonfire’s courses is a series of real-time streaming sessions with an instructor that last for 90 minutes each.
4. Call Center Customer Service
Universal Class offers accredited courses on a variety of topics, including customer service. This Call Center Customer Service course is one of their most popular, which covers a customer service agent’s skills and responsibilities when working in a call center. It also discusses many of the roadblocks that agents can expect to encounter in customer service. This online class currently costs $50 and may be completed over a six-month period. It also has a final exam that covers the entire course.
5. Customer Service Training by Alison
Alison’s customer service training is an online course that requires one to two hours to complete. It shows agents how to handle challenging interactions by explaining why they occur and also covers basic concepts. This course also promotes a customer-focused approach and covers topics such as handling complaints and identifying stressful situations. It’s designed for employees in all stages of their careers.
6. Culture of Services: New Perspective on Customer Relations
This customer relations training class from edX teaches attendant customer service by using videos of actual interactions in industries such as food service, hospitality, and retail. It focuses on the analysis of these interactions and draws corollaries with the students’ own industries. This free course requires two to three hours to complete over an eight-week period.
Summary
In addition to training, a successful contact center also requires the right tools to analyze data you may already be collecting. Aceyus understands the need for accurate data analytics across multiple channels to improve the experience of both customers and employees. Contact us today to find out how we can help you make your contact center more successful.