KQ Article

Let’s be honest. Sometimes training hurts.
This truth is especially apparent when it comes to customer service training. Employee training on dealing with angry customers isn’t always fun. Nor is learning not to take the things they say personally.

But it is important to always keep our eyes on the prize. On the other end of short-term training discomfort is a more satisfied and loyal customer over the long term. And happy customers have a way of making employees feel more fulfilled about what they do.

Easier to see in hindsight, however. When HIPAA hit the medical industry in the late 1990s, employees were very reluctant to receive training on the subject. They viewed the whole thing as a hassle, and it wasn’t clear how patients would ultimately benefit from the new skills they were learning. Well, patients did benefit.

Now we transition to the regulatory changes currently impacting our industry — and yet another round of mandatory training that some employees will dread sitting through.

As a trainer, how do you make the most of subject matter for which staff enthusiasm is low but potential positive impact on the customer is high? By structuring your training so that it’s a win-win-win situation for your customers, employees and your financial institution.

Here are three ways to do just that:

1. Communicate your training externally. The public is generally positive about the new banking regulation, because they see it as additional protection for their money. If you’re training your staff on this subject, why not share the news with your customers or members? Position it as part of your ongoing commitment to protecting their financial well-being. They’ll really like the sound of that.

2. Put a positive internal spin on it. You can treat the training as a necessary pain. Or, you can focus on how it will positively impact customer relationships. You must choose your words carefully in describing this training. For example, names like Customer Protection Training or Member Care Seminar will evoke a far different reaction than Mandatory Regulatory Training.

3. Certify those who graduate. Give the learning effort a tangible reward with a formal certification to staff members who successfully complete it. Such a designation will not only motivate your employees, but will help build credibility with customers. Who wouldn’t feel better being helped by somebody with a Customer Protection Training Certificate framed on his or her wall?

_{© 2010 Mark McCarthy}