Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience: Training- What Are You Afraid Of?
Finding the customer experience in everyday life is just something I look for. It was a Monday morning in late August, and as I was getting ready for work, I snapped on one of the morning news and entertainment shows. They were doing a story on preparing parents for the stress their children would experience as we got closer to the start of the new school year. The reporter explained that children have many issues with the start of school and that parents need to be sensitive to these and support their child through the process. Of course the part of the story I liked the most was when they interviewed the kids to find out what their thoughts were on this subject and what they had to say brought back some memories for me. Some of the more popular responses are listed here:
- “I’m afraid of failing.”
- “I’m afraid I won’t know where to go in my new school.”
- “I heard the teacher I am going to have is really tough.”
- “I am afraid of getting lost.”
- “I am nervous about learning three digit numbers.”
The thing that really struck me is that corporations are a lot like the kids who were interviewed for this report. They fear getting lost in the sea of vendors. They fear failure – and in this era, it’s not an option if you want to keep your job. They fear being exposed as bad managers. They fear the unknown and complex.
One of the things I tell clients and prospects is that our fears are often irrational. They hold us back from experiencing life and growing to our fullest capacity. Instead, I ask that they think of the new things in their organizations, like mystery shopping and training and development programs aimed at customer retention, as adventures that will always have a positive impact on the employee and the customer.
As you budget for the new year, don’t be afraid to appropriate funding for the training and development programs you know are needed in your organization. Your employees will be better prepared to handle all the things that come their way and your customers will notice the difference!
