Onboarding and continuous skill development are both critical to how well a customer service agent delivers for customers. Both call for a clear plan: a learning management system (LMS), named owners for each area of knowledge, a split between customer-facing content and internal material, and recognition for the staff who share what they know in a contact centre.
Set up a learning management system
An LMS is where successfully training customer service agents starts. It captures, organises and distributes what the team needs to know:
Content capture: training materials, policies and procedures sit in one place and are easier to update, so agents have access to the most current information.
Progress tracking: you can see how far each agent has got, which shows where more training is needed and how well the onboarding process is working.
Knowledge testing: assessments and quizzes can help gauge how much of the training customer service agents have retained.
Connect the LMS to the Customer Experience (CX) platform. This integration gives agents direct access to training content while they work, so product information and troubleshooting guides from the CX platform are on hand during a customer interaction.
Appoint knowledge champions
Give each area of expertise a named owner. A knowledge champion writes and updates the training materials and guidelines for their area. Assisting other agents in understanding complex topics falls to them as well, along with promoting knowledge sharing among their peers.
Separate customer knowledge from internal information
Categorise and separate customer-facing knowledge from internal information, policies, procedures and work instructions. Agents can then handle customer interactions without searching through internal documents, which eases onboarding and helps them give accurate and consistent answers.
Reward the people who contribute
Acknowledging and rewarding employees for sharing knowledge helps keep ongoing learning alive. Some options:
Recognition programmes: publicly celebrate top knowledge contributors and champions.
Incentives: bonuses, promotions or additional paid time off for agents who consistently contribute valuable knowledge.
Performance Metrics: build knowledge capture and sharing into performance evaluations.
Implement a learning management system and link it to the customer experience platform. Customer service agents are critical for delivering exceptional customer experiences, and ongoing training can assist agents in adapting to customer needs and industry changes. A contact centre that keeps its knowledge current gives agents the material for excellent customer service.
