Have you ever said “we need to send [insert name] for customer service training?”
If so, this episode may offer you a different perspective on just exactly who might need the training and how to better support your employees.
Transcription
I’m so happy to have you here. Today, I want to talk about a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: customer service, customer service training, and where that training actually needs to happen versus where we might think it needs to happen.
In recent years, we’ve all probably noticed that in some cases, customer service can be lacking. That may be true. I’ve had the opportunity to work with multiple teams over my career, and sometimes I’ve been asked to help with their customer service. In fact, one time I was sent on a customer service facilitation training myself, and I remember asking, “Why me? Do I really need this?”
Before that experience, I was pretty sure the right answer wasn’t simply sending someone to training. Customer service often starts within — it begins with the culture of your team or organization. It’s rarely about pointing fingers or telling someone they need a course.
Sometimes, challenges with customer service are really about resources or tools. Maybe a team doesn’t fully know how to use the tools at their disposal, or maybe they’re dealing with an overwhelming volume of work. It’s not that they don’t care or can’t provide good service — they’re coping with what they have.
I often find myself drawing parallels between this and the work I do with horses. A lot of my stories and lessons for people come from my experiences with them. Over the years, I’ve started a couple of colts. I wouldn’t call myself a colt trainer or starter professionally — I’ve also worked with other horses I’ve purchased along the way. My main project, though, was Ozzy.
When I was facing challenges with him, I realized that sending him off to training wasn’t the ultimate solution. Yes, specialized training like barrel racing work can be important, and I did send both Ozzy and my mare for it. But the day-to-day handling, understanding their cues, and helping them work through challenges — that had to come from me.
I had to look within myself first. I needed to examine my own approach, my own skills, my own shortcomings. I realized that if I wanted Ozzy to do better, feel better, and respond better, I had to be better, feel better, and respond better. I had to facilitate his “customer service,” so to speak.
The same principle applies in the workplace. Sometimes, the most effective training happens on site, within your culture, using the tools and resources your team actually works with. It’s not always about sending someone to a course. Almost everyone believes they’re providing good customer service. They’re giving what they know and coping with the circumstances.
So if you notice struggles in your team, take a step back. Look within. Examine your processes. Ask yourself: do you have enough staff? Do they have the right resources and knowledge to do the work effectively? Often, the answers lie internally before you decide external training is the solution.
Next time you think about sending someone on a customer service course, consider whether the solution might actually be looking inward first.
Until next time, be oz-some!
