Customer Service Training Plan for Retail HR Departments

Introduction

Human resources management requires constant and persistent maintenance in order for an organization to thrive. Much like a garden needs tending, so do the skills of professionals dedicated to enhancing the work experience through human resources management. The purpose of this essay is to describe the needs and processes of training from the point of view of a member of an HR department at a small retail company. Upper management has requested that a new employee customer service training class be created and conducted in order to improve the organization and establish a stronger competitive advantage within the market.

To accomplish this goal, a needs assessment will first be described, addressing five ways in which a training program can expose existing performance deficiencies. Next, the customer service training plan will be discussed along with how to best implement this change. Issues of employee motivation and justification for the methods chosen will also be presented to add context to the discussion.

Needs Assessment

Assessing the strength of an organization is the first step in finding comparable solutions to problems identified by organizational leadership. The most important issue in discussing human resources strategy is that it be firmly aligned with the general strategic outlook presented by the organization's leadership. The needs of the company originate from this source, and human resources managers adjust their goals and objectives accordingly. In this case, customer service improvement appears to be the most pressing need that leadership has established in working toward the growth and stability of the organization.

In order to determine where the organization stands, it is necessary to identify ways in which a needs assessment will expose what is actually being done correctly and incorrectly within the company's standard practices. One way an assessment proves valuable is that it reveals the general environment of the company. It is difficult for managers to grasp the totality of a situation without pausing to consider the big picture. This pause in management helps gather fresh perspectives and approach challenges in new ways.

Another benefit of identifying training needs is that it helps organize the work environment. The proficiency level of an entire group can be gauged by offering standardized training that tests their skills. A third way the needs assessment process assists human resources managers is by revealing opportunities for growth and improvement. Rouda and Kusy (1995) identified this as essential in discovering the potential within the process. They wrote:

"The largest expense for HRD programs, by far, is attributable to the time spent by the participants in training programs, career development, and/or organization development activities. In training, costs due to lost production and travel time can be as much as 90–95% of the total program costs. Direct and indirect costs for the delivery of training are about 6% of the total cost, and design and development account for only about 1–2% of the total. Realistically, it makes sense to invest in an assessment of needs to make sure we are making wise investments in training and other possible interventions."

Assessments also expose threats to the organization. Deficiencies are sometimes easy to disguise and cannot be readily detected in normal everyday routines. The mere act of conducting training sessions reveals an employee's ability to be flexible and open to growth. Conversely, the weak spots of poor-performing employees are far more likely to surface during such events, and these weaknesses pose real threats to the profitability of the organization and undermine opportunities for team building.

Customer Service Training Plan

The customer service training plan will be implemented in three phases. The ultimate aim of this plan is to bring about transformative change in the customer service skills of each employee, ensuring that all staff perform competent, productive behaviors that support sustained organizational growth. Liao and Chuang (2004) underscored the importance of such efforts, noting that "empirical evidence shows that, to the extent that employees are able to deliver high-quality service, customers are more likely to generate favorable evaluations of service encounters, experience higher satisfaction, and increase their purchases and the frequency of their future visits."

The first phase of the training plan is the walk phase, in which rudimentary skills are delivered in lecture format. This phase will be conducted over one day and will consist of a series of lectures aimed at improving customer service skills. Employees are expected to take notes and ask questions during this receptive phase of the plan.

The second phase is the practical application, or jog phase. In this phase, employees will practice their skills in a series of situations performed in both small and large groups. This phase gives employees fundamental opportunities to apply what they learned in the first phase. It will also last one day.

The third and final phase, the run phase, involves evaluation and assessment through two methods. The first method is a written examination testing the information learned during the walk phase. The second method is a practical exam in which each employee faces a customer service challenge and is evaluated on how they handle the problem. This phase will last one day, with written testing in the morning and role-playing evaluations in the afternoon.