ARTICLE
TEXT:
"IT'S RAINING
TRAINING"
A
great train of thinking.
To
train or not to train. That is not a question. It is a dividing
line, between those who will strive and thrive, and those
who will wilt and fade away.
There
is growing evidence that investing in training is one effective
avenue to develop business and to counter depressing levels
of sales and revenue leakage.
There
have been many lessons learnt since the onset of the GFC
(Global Financial Crisis) in August 2008. Among those are:
•
Price discounting is ineffective in achieving sustainable
sales increases.
•
Sales events have themselves been discounted in
value and integrity.
•
Bargain pricing has inflicted irreparable damage
to many brand names.
•
Reduced inventory and staff numbers have made conspicuous
impacts on customer service standards.
•
Customer loyalty cannot and will not be “bought”
by loyalty card points.
•
On-going multi-channel communications between businesses
and customers are imperatives, not options. (Hello!
on-line and social media.)
•
The rate of change and innovations is increasing.
•
“New” and “local” have become the black in marketing.
•
The cornerstone for establishing, maintaining and
developing relationships with existing, prospective
and (yes) past customers is PERSONAL.
It
is these points and more that constitute the parameters
and framework within which truly effective training must
be formulated, documented, implemented and supported.
CALL
TO ACTION
The
findings of a recent comprehensive study of some 2000 chief
executives of companies and departments throughout North
America, Europe and Australia by an international finance
group were stark and compelling.
Some
62% of respondents nominated internal and external customer
service as the primary need for training and enhancement.
A total of 43% contended “corporate culture” was an area
of concern and in need of improvement.
Both
those factors rated higher in the priority listing than
the wish and need to improve “productivity”.
On
balance, upgraded customer service standards and an enhanced
corporate culture will and do inevitably lead to greater
cohesion, pride, self motivation and productivity.
Clearly,
it is important to look closely at and respect the importance
and value of the “bottom line” in preference to a single
focus on the top line.
Most
sobering were the conclusions of those chief executives
who participated in the study. Some 71% stated it was difficult
if not impossible to quantify any increases in customer
satisfaction, sales, profits and productivity as a direct
result of recent training activities. Some 18% believed
there had been “marginal” or short-term improvements in
performance standards.
Just
9% of respondents concluded that training in customer service
and corporate culture effected and sustained significant
enhancements. (Note: 2% did not respond). The lesson here
is that the “right” training, to the “right” people by the
“right” trainer, for the “right” reasons and the “right”
desired outcomes is essential.
LESSONS
LEARNT
Business
leaders who have decided upon and are committed to undertaking
training to address the prevailing market-forces and to
achieve a sustainable competitive advantage are to be applauded.
However,
the findings of the study among their 2000 corporate peers
are worthy of reflection.
Training
in and of itself is not the answer. The keys to effective
people and skills development are numerous, complex and
integrated.
At
a recent public event in Australia an executive from a public
listed training company proudly declared his accredited
and registered training group was most effective in securing
government funding for the training of client company staff-members.
Subsequent
detailed and specific probing about the skills of the trainers
and their comprehension of the diverse aspects of service
excellence and positive corporate culture revealed a disturbing
and significant inadequacy in skills and knowledge.
This
was another case of waste in terms of money, time and resources
– soothed somewhat by the realisation that it would be government
funded. As if Australia needs more government waste!
Another
case study is equally enlightening. An international hotel
group sought training in customer service for its high turnover,
typically casual and part-time hospitality service providers.
It
transpired that the female executive who initiated the approach
was not qualified or experienced in Human Resources Management
or training. She appeared to have little or no authority
and would need to refer all matters requiring decisions
to an unnamed senior executive.
The
two hotel brands had no formal job specifications (which
detail the human attributes necessary to fulfil differing
employment duties and functions), no formalised induction
procedures, little structured or scheduled and customised
training programs for individuals, groups or departments,
and no infrastructure to support, reinforce and complement
any training undertaken.
The
professional trainer who had extensive skills and experience
in consulting to businesses and conducting interactive workshops
on corporate culture and quality customer service was then
advised he would not be paid a set professional fee. Remuneration
would be a percentage of the increase in sales revenue from
those hotel departments whose staff-members would be involved
in the integrated and structured training schedule.
The
negotiations ceased immediately.
In
the first instance, the value of the professional consultant
was not recognised or quantified. Secondly, how could a
trainer have faith in the ability of a hotel group which
was so evidently deficient? This was not training in customer
service or corporate culture. Rather, it was un-abased drive
to improve the sales closure skills of staff-members.
Moreover,
the activities were ill-focused.
The
most immediate training needs lie within the ranks of senior
executives.
ESSENTIAL
STEPS
Corporate
executives and professional external and internal training
experts who seek, expect and, indeed, demand successful
outcomes in their training activities, especially relating
to customer service excellence, need to progressively address
the following issues:
CORPORATE CULTURE
Ensure
that the overriding corporate culture (both formal and
informal) is understood by all people, is documented,
verbalised, respected and adhered to. In essence, the
corporate culture is an expression of the personality
of an entity. A fun learning experience is to have team-members
express the culture, of which they are part, in terms
of humanoid characteristics.
It
is and can be a revealing exercise.
RECRUITMENT
PROCESSES
Each
company should review and refine carefully JOB DESCRIPTIONS
(detailing the duties to be undertaken, the authorities
to be exercised and the responsibilities which are assigned
to each position).
Job
descriptions should be cross-referenced to each JOB SPECIFICATION
(the human attributes necessary for the performance of
each position to be fulfilled).
Care
must be taken in the differing phases of recruitment to
recognise that fewer than 24% of adult Australians have
an appropriate psychological profile to be an effective,
efficient and engaging service provider.
NOTE:
Promotion of the above listed factors is an excellent
means to generate interest in employment by the best available
recruitment prospects, who are typically keen to be involved
with the best prospective employer.
INDUCTION
PROCEDURE
A
comprehensive, disciplined induction procedure develops
an appreciation of the values and nature of an entity.
The
first step to achieving higher planes of customer service
standards is for team-members to think and state: “I understand”.
Full
understanding of the interdependence of positions, departments
and duties contributes to optimal outcomes of customer
satisfaction and productivity.
TRAINING
NEEDS ANALYSIS
It
is imperative that each training experience be customised,
that the training objectives be defined and shared, as
well as the commitment of each participant be secured
from the outset.
“Singing
from the same hymn book” has a certain harmony about it.
Understanding
WHY the specific training is being undertaken is an imperative
prerequisite if the WHAT and the HOW are to be embraced
and subsequently implemented.
INTERACTIVE
SESSIONS
Rightly
or wrongly, to greater and lesser extents, each individual
believes that he or she has much to contribute to the
training exercise.
Everyone
should be given the scope and opportunity to provide input,
analysis and to give connection to the jointly determined
outputs.
DEFINED
OUTCOMES
The
initial euphoria, motivations and aspirations which flow
from training programs are usually extinguished within
72 hours, three weeks or six weeks, unless benchmarks
are set, monitoring processes are installed, on-going
feedback is provided and regular refinements are encouraged.
External
trainers, catalysts and change facilitators need to be
complemented with internal project leaders, or “Concept
Champions”, if you will.
The
best results are achieved and maintained when someone
is assigned the authority and delegated the responsibility
to ensure focus, cohesion and commitment are retained.
THE
EASY PART
Now
for the relatively easy part...that of conducting the
training. The sentiment correctly reflects the importance
of planning, research, preparation and selection.
One
final checklist
•
Right training
•
Right people
•
Right trainer
•
Right reasons
•
Right outcomes
