DRIVERS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of training within an organization is to improve knowledge, skills, attitudes and ultimately financial performance. Learning at individual and organizational levels is not a goal in itself but a major foundation in providing a successful interaction with the customer and ensuring that the organization prospers and survives into the future. There are a number of primary drivers for call centre training.

Business opportunities

Commercial organizations are frequently looking to expand provision and increase market size and share. Thus, each contact with the customer is o en used as an opportunity to sell new or upgraded products and this may result in wider and more complex demands on CSRs, requiring different knowledge and skill sets.

Problems

Problems within the organization are o en addressed through focused training, which can provide a quick solution to unanticipated situations. This form of reactive training may reduce resources and limit the potential for delivering ongoing development training. Furthermore, it can be stressful for trainers because of the need for rapid responses to the sudden challenges.

Management planning

Managers have responsibility for the smooth operational running of centres and for this reason need specific knowledge and skills as well as generic management skills. In particular they need training in the specific technologies, systems, so ware, planning, queuing principles, industry developments, etc.

Changes in technology

One of the main reasons for the growth of the contact centre industry has been the advancement of technology and this continuing development means that employees need to regularly update their knowledge and be able to use the various systems and technologies. In addition, as the number of communication channels increase, eg e-mail and text chat, agents will need to develop new skills in written communication. Furthermore, the so er skills of selling and customer service may alter when provided with different contact media.

Changing customer requirements

Customer expectations of quality of service are continually increasing, o en as a result of competition. For this reason increased knowledge, skills and rapport need to be developed to attract new customers and prevent existing ones from defecting to alternative providers.

Political/regulatory changes

As the main point of contact for the organization with the customer, CSAs (customer service agents) must be up to date in order not to put the organization at risk of negative publicity or legal action. New legislation, product recalls, etc need to be conducted accurately.

Labour issues

Training is o en used to address agent attrition and when the labour market is tight good quality training is used to attract potential advisers. The delivery of induction training has been found to retain new recruits for longer if the induction programme is provided at intervals rather than in one intensive block. Staff who receive ongoing training feel that their skills are progressing and recognize that this may then enable them to advance within the organization.

Reward

Training is also provided as a form of reward rather than being essential. It can be motivating in its own terms without being directed at specific issues. In one organization it was reported, ‘The mentality of training used to be that it was a reward not a necessity’.

High involvement work practices

In high performance work organizations  that have integrated human resource functions, productivity and profits tend to be higher. Also, in high involvement work practices ‘unions are likely to spend less time in workplace grievances and more time on initiatives such as joint training programmes’.