While traditional didactic training methods have their merits, they often lack the depth required to deeply engage employees. Adult learners need to be motivated to learn and ideally have immediate applications for workplace-based learning. This is where experiential learning techniques shine. By offering hands-on, practical experiences, they ensure that training outcomes are seamlessly integrated into daily tasks.
Our solution to this challenge (when considering customer experience training) is the "Images of Customer Experience" activity. This set of metaphorical cards captures a spectrum of emotions and scenarios tied to customer experiences, creating a dynamic and interactive platform for exploring the nuances of customer experiences from the delegate's perspectives.
We've found this image deck is highly effective at helping training session facilitators with:
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Engagement: Image-based training materials are adept at seizing attention and fostering discussions. They infuse training sessions with a dynamic element, making them more engaging and memorable.
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Cultivating Empathy: Utilising images allows trainees to visualize customer emotions vividly, fostering a deeper understanding and empathy towards customer needs and expectations.
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Encouraging Diverse Perspectives: The interpretative nature of the images encourages a plethora of perspectives, enriching the discussion and expanding viewpoints.
The activity is adaptable and can be used as an ice breaker, as part of a larger programme of customer experience training, or as the main discussion driver amongst a team.
Anticipated Outcomes
Workplace training sessions should always be aimed at improving identified aspects of performance. It's vital to always have a clear vision for how your training activities or learning programme design will improve the required performance objectives.
For customer experience training, performance outcomes could potentially include improving customer experiences in order to increase repeat business and average customer value. Your training programme may therefore seek to:
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Heighten Customer Empathy: Participants develop a nuanced understanding of their workplace's relationship with customers, individually and collectively identifying workplace strengths and areas for ensuring specific improved customer experiences.
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Enhanced Team Dynamics: Teams become more receptive to the pivotal role collaboration, fostering improved communication and mutual support during customer experience challenges.
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Strategic Customer Service Management: Armed with a deeper comprehension of customer emotions and needs, teams can devise more effective strategies to address concerns and elevate the overall customer experience.
How do we achieve this with remote teams?
Post pandemic remote work is the norm for many businesses- or if you operate across many sites, your business is 'remote' by default. How can we efficiently conduct customer experience training?
Online tools, such as Images of Customer Experience, combined with video conferencing platforms like Zoom, offer a solution that is affordable and with a low barrier to entry. With these tools there is no need for travel, it's easier to find space in crowded diaries, and there is no need to book or hire out a training room.
