Customer Retention Through Customer Training

Customer training is a very integral part of any business to ensure that the company survives in this age in which everything and every business have stiff competition. This is most applicable for products sold that require technical skills to set up. Many customers or en udders need software programs or hardware devices that they are not really familiar with. Once they get home, they get frustrated for failure to use it not because the product is defective, but they do not have the ability to utilize it.

One common example in itself is the computer or any hardware attached to it, such as external drives. Once a customer purchases a computer, it is not always an expectation that the customer knows how to set it up or troubleshoot it. There has to be someone who will guide the customer or offer a walk through the process. And it does not end there. There will be computer upgrades soon and the very same customer will need the same assistance, either from the manufacturer or from the retailer.

Many businesses are wise enough to provide 24-hour customer service phone numbers. These hotlines are manned by capable customer service representatives who can resolve any possible issues with the product. Once a customer’s issue has been resolved, it also educates him and reduces the possibility of a call back. Thus, customer education is also tagged as customer training. There are also software programs that have live affiliates in many parts of the country. What these companies do is they route the customers to their state branches and classes are held or scheduled so the end user will be educated on how to use the product. These trainings include—but are not limited to—basic product knowledge, basic trouble shooting, installation guidelines, how to use the product, etc. These classes are normally free of charge, as long as only the basics are covered. As far as the deep technical procedures are concerned, some companies charge a minimal fee to cover for other expenses.

Customer education has become more and more a growing concern for many companies. In that light, almost all companies have call centers that people can contact if they need guidance. Also, it is widely believed that customer service representatives are required to offer additional assistance or additional education for each customer other than his original concern. This is to ensure that related issues that may come up are addressed and this guarantees a one-call resolution process or standard. This also reduces the numbers of customers who will call again, just because they forgot to ask something that is critically relevant to his primary concern.

As the world becomes more advanced in technology, it is quite difficult to imagine how massive customers can get with all the new products we see everyday. These products are more technologically inclined, and as such, need more attention and customer care. And as information becomes more readily available, the greater challenge it will be for businesses to keep abreast with customer training needs on a 24-hour basis.