Businesses often need to pay more attention to the best customer service training tools. They put in place the bare minimum (a call center with limited hours of operation or a frequently asked questions page on their website) and concentrate on marketing.
However, this disregard for customer service usually reflects a disregard for the consumers. Customers will turn elsewhere if they need help reaching a brand or if the support staff cannot resolve their issues.
Customer service nowadays is much more than fixing problems; it’s also crucial to bringing in new business and keeping existing customers happy. Amazingly, 38% of customers say that their trust in a company is significantly affected by the quality of service they receive daily.
Companies that aim for excellent customer service invest in training and equipping their support staff to handle various inquiries and problems. That begins with developing a strategy for teaching customer service skills.
The nature of customer service is constantly changing, and as a result, companies are always seeking new methods to improve their services.
In 2023, firms may teach their customer care personnel various free online customer service training tools. You may use tools like this to teach people complex skills like providing excellent customer service, effective communication, and problem-solving.
This post will review 10 no-cost, web-based resources that can assist firms in 2023 to enhance customer service.
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Table of contents
Why is Customer Service Training Important?
Misunderstandings and errors occur even with the finest intentions and products. A client has a query regarding an item they recently purchased, a new user needs clarification about
how to operate a piece of software, a package goes missing in the mail, or the wrong item is put on the customer’s account. We’ve all been there as customers, so we know how it feels.
The customer support staff is responsible for fixing any significant or minor problem. When executed correctly and effectively, they have the potential to smooth over even the most difficult of difficulties.
A once-loyal consumer may only return if the procedure is easy enough.
This highlights the significance of training for customer support representatives. Having a well-trained support staff allows you to:
Provide a better customer experience.
A team of friendly, knowledgeable representatives is standing by to answer any questions. People who are adept at communicating, who are resourceful, and who strive to find the silver lining in a potentially dark situation are attractive.·
Shorten support resolution times.
Without proper training, customer service representatives will have to resort to using online resources or transferring the call to a colleague who can better assist the client, which will only increase the latter’s level of dissatisfaction. Agents can more swiftly investigate and resolve client concerns with the proper training.
Retain more customers.
You might lose an estimated $9.5% of a company’s yearly revenue due to poor customer service. It is possible to keep customers from defecting to rivals owing to a lack of care and attention in providing adequate training to customer service agents.
Gain more customer referrals.
Online reviews, digital forums, and social media have expanded referral networks beyond the traditional “friends and family” circle, making word-of-mouth marketing even more potent in today’s consumer environment. If consumers have a positive experience with a company’s products, they are more inclined to spread the word about them.
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When Should Customer Service Training Occur?
Training in customer service can only be done once and remembered. It’s a continuing process that necessitates a regular reflection on the team’s and individuals’ use of customer service resources, practices, and approaches. This is possible only by implementing a solid plan for learning and development.
Regarding customer service, these are some of the most crucial moments to impart knowledge.
- Induction of new workers. Training during employee onboarding is essential for setting up a recruit for success, regardless of how much prior experience they may have had with customer care. Recruits require hands-on experience with the systems and software your business uses and a thorough understanding of the features and benefits of the goods and services they will be selling. Implementing an effective onboarding strategy is possible to guarantee first-rate service to clients.
- Developing one’s abilities to adapt to changing market demands. Good customer service adapts to the needs of the client base over time. Also teams providing customer service require constant training on the latest tools, channels of communication, and even terminology and tone expected by modern clients.
- After implementing new procedures, staff productivity and efficiency may be maintained by continuously improving internal processes and procedures. Also, after every change, you must revise your customer service training handbook, instruct your staff in the new methods, and record those procedures to back up their work.
- Constant practice and improvement. The fact is training is never-ending. A team always has room for improvement, and the adage “practice makes perfect” certainly applies here. Regular training programs can help employees improve their skills by reviewing previously learned material or pointing out ways To enhance their current methods.
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What’s the Best Way to Provide Customer Service Training?
There is no silver bullet when it comes to educating your customer service staff since there are several approaches with their advantages and disadvantages.
It can cover all bases with a complete training program using several approaches. The four most frequent methods of teaching customer service are as follows:
#1. Instructor-led training.
Training conducted by an instructor is available in the same fashion as in a conventional classroom setting. A trainer (often an outside consultant or a high-ranking company employee) will instruct the class in person or online.
The most time-consuming type of training is instructor-led, as it necessitates the total focus of students for a certain amount of time. New personnel and significant process changes benefit most from this type of training.
#2. Online learning.
A typical online learning experience consists of courses, or modules students may go through at their own pace. Prerecorded lectures and online assessment services are common in online education.
Online learning shines when it comes to modest modifications or regular testing. If the worker is self-motivated and can learn without close supervision, it may teach them new skills.
#3. Blended Learning.
Blended learning integrates face-to-face classroom instruction with self-guided online study to provide students with a more well-rounded education. Trainees can participate in both live and online training sessions.
Blended learning combines the advantages of in-person instruction with the flexibility of online study to offer students the best of both worlds.
#4. On-demand performance support.
With the help of on-demand performance support, groups may quickly gain access to relevant information, tools, and resources when they need them for their regular workday.
When workers forget how to do something or encounter a difficulty they haven’t seen before, they may use on-demand performance assistance to get back on track.
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10 best Customer Service Training Tools in 2023
To ensure that your staff provides excellent customer service, we have created a list of customer service training software. These programs offer tools that make it easier to design and implement training initiatives and monitor participant engagement and progress to evaluate training efficacy.
#1 – EdApp
Those needing top-notch customer service training software will find everything they need in EdApp. The package includes a course library to learn about Customer Service: Handling Complaints, Call Center Customer Service, and Effective Communication in Customer Service. Top-notch materials are available in these free, modifiable courses. Courses like this provide essential instruction for working in a contact center, including how to interact with clients appropriately and solve their problems.
Use EdApp’s Rapid Refresh quiz creator to check your staff’s retention of training material afterward. Enter your questions and answers into the user-friendly spreadsheet and see it change into an engaging test. You may use the spaced repetition feature of EdApp’s Brain Boost to ensure that students retain the information they’ve learned. To permanently save crucial details, this function allows for its repetition.
Features:
- Library of Courses
- Create a quick review test.
- Spaced repetition software for a mental boost
Cost: Free
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#2 – Enyota Learning
Enyota Learning is simulation-based training software for customer care professionals. You may use this space to give your staff a feel for your business without requiring them to leave their homes. With the ability to generate risk-free virtual settings, training may be conducted in which students can experiment and make mistakes from which they can gain insight. Enyota Learning can develop bespoke training for you if you need more time to do it yourself. You may access these lessons from any computer or mobile device.
Features:
- Adaptability to both mobile
- and desktop simulators
- Individualized lesson planning
Cost: Available upon request
#3 – BranchTrack
BranchTrack is the appropriate choice if you need customer service training software that also can generate scenario-based training materials. Its browser-based simulation builder allows you to create branching scenarios well suited for modeling interactions between customers and employees. To give your characters personality, you must select them from the pre-existing character and location library or upload your own files and record voiceovers. To encourage student participation and discussion, consider using digital role-plays and setting up virtual classrooms.
Features:
- Simulation creator
- Asset library
- Digital role-plays
Cost: Free, paid plans (starts at 999 USD/year)
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#4 – AcademyOcean
You may create courses for your training sessions with AcademyOcean, a customer service training software. Text, images, slideshows, videos, and audio may all be uploaded here, or you can start from the beginning and make your classes.
It also includes a quiz maker for making engaging buyer-seller role-playing exercises. AcademyOcean can be accessed from any mobile or desktop computer, making it convenient for students to finish their courses wherever possible.
Features:
- Course creator
- Quiz Builder
- Mobile Accessibility
Cost: Starts at 225 USD/month
#5 – Compono
Compono’s course builder is modular, so you can easily construct new courses from scratch or import SCORM courses created in other environments. You can generate path modules in the style of a pick-your-own-adventure game, as can other learning pathway forms that lead students to the appropriate materials at the proper
time.
The reports and analysis this customer-facing training program provides ensure that you are constantly aware of your staff’s development and success.
Features:
- Course authoring
- Learning pathways
- Comprehensive reporting
Cost: Available upon request
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#6 – Proprofs
Create engaging and effective training materials easily using ProProfs, a platform designed specifically for customer service educators. You may schedule your own
courses and quizzes using the built-in course creator by selecting from various premade templates and media.
If you’d instead not create a customer service course from scratch, Proprofs’ premium course library covers you with ready-to-use modules on various topics. Learners may interact with each other and share their knowledge and experiences through the platform’s
virtual classrooms and discussion boards, which you can use to foster more fantastic teamwork.
Features:
- Course maker
- Template library
- Course Library
Cost: Starts at USD 25/month
#7 – WorkRamp
WorkRamp is a comprehensive education system that doubles as support staff education software. Its online course collection includes materials you may use for training purposes, such as lessons on communicating well, learning about products, and dealing with customers appropriately.
To further ensure that your staff receives pertinent knowledge, you may design individualized learning pathways based on their specific jobs and levels of expertise. Blended learning is supported on WorkRamp so that you can take online courses and live webinars. These are opportunities for students interested in sampling the perks of a hybrid office/classroom environment.
Features:
- Online course library
- Personalized learning pathways
- Live webinars
Cost: Available upon request
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#8 – etrainu
etrainu is an e-learning portal featuring in-depth, well-crafted courses on providing outstanding customer service. Experts in several fields make up their team, and
you may request unique e-learning creation if needed. Documents may be uploaded and stored in etrainu’s built-in library.
For instance, individuals might go over company regulations and procedures to do their tasks effectively. You may evaluate employee performance by reporting their course completion and progress, which might reveal gaps in their knowledge or training.
Features:
- Prebuilt courses
- Custom elearning development
- Document Library
Cost: Available upon request
#9 – Axonify
It is Axonify’s specialty to provide complementary training materials that are useful and relevant to employees interacting with customers. They provide
a content market where you can import premade or custom-made training modules and alter them to your liking.
If something other than these solutions meets your needs, they have a staff of skilled instructional designers that can develop courses just for you. Also, you may construct guided learning paths to help your team find the most relevant and valuable resources.
Features:
- Content marketplace
- Structured learning path
- Content Creator
Cost: Available upon request
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#10 – iglooo
Last but not least is iglooo. It allows you to bring fun to your customer service training sessions. It’s an e-learning interaction builder where you can create different types of activities to test your teams’ knowledge.
Create drag-and-drop quizzes, memory games, flashcards, and more using its cloud-based editor, which safely stores interactions you created online. iglooo also
supports real-time editing, so there’s no need to re-upload your interactions.
Features:
- Interaction library
- Interaction builder
- Cloud storage
Cost: Free, paid plan starts at 9.99 USD/month
Frequently Asked Questions
CCSM. An in-depth knowledge of the concepts behind quality customer care and the customer lifecycle may be yours once you complete the Certified Customer Service Manager (CCSM) program. It may help you grow as a manager or leader and prepare you for a customer service promotion.
One of the most cutting-edge resources businesses utilize is CRM (Customer Relationship Management), a system of interconnected technologies and approaches to enhance interactions with customers.
Take a look at this list of essential talents for your customer care agents to have.
Patience.
Effective Listening.
Attentiveness.
Time Management.
Willingness to Improve.
All you have to do is follow the 5As: apologies, acknowledge, appreciate, act, and audit. If a consumer calls in unhappy, your first step should be apologizing.
If you go above and above for your consumers, they will likely stick around as regulars.
A Proven Quality Management System (QMS)
Customer Service (and Relationship) Management.
Direct Communication.
Feedback Management and Collection.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 10 free online customer service training tools in 2023 are invaluable resources for businesses of all sizes. They provide an effective and affordable way to train customer service staff and ensure they have the skills and knowledge necessary for success.
These tools offer a variety of features, such as interactive learning modules, customizable content, and detailed reporting. With these tools, businesses can ensure that their customer service staff are well-trained and prepared to handle customer inquiries and complaints. In addition, these tools can help enterprises to save time and money by reducing the need for in-person training. With the right training tools, businesses can ensure that their customer service staff have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide excellent customer service.
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References
- https://www.edapp.com/– Free customer service tools
- https://whatfix.com/ – Customer service training
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