Research summary from the Ascent Group's recent benchmarking study of training practices for frontline customer service employees. Find out how companies engage employees through new hire and ongoing training and development.

1. Improving Front-line Training 2008
Customized and Personalized
Training and training delivery systems are changing, evolving to take advantage of the power of
the Internet, mobile communications, and handheld technologies—the technologies that are
changing society itself. Technological advancement has made it possible and practical to shift
from classroom training to individualized learning. In turn, corporations are expecting trainers
to become performance consultants, with the goal of developing custom learning content to
help individual employees achieve their desired outcome.
As a result, companies are spending more per employee on training and the average number of
hours of formal learning per employee is increasing. The use of technology to deliver learning
content has increased and companies are also spending more on external services like content
design, development and delivery or technology infrastructure.
More and more subject matter experts are assuming the training role. More live instruction is
being delivered remotely or online and more and more self-paced or computer-based training is
being offered to busy employees, making it even more convenient to brush up on skills or learn
a new procedure. Training that is portable, self-directed, and available on-demand is becoming
popular, through pod casts, PDAs, or even mobile phones. Simulation technology is also being
widely implemented, allowing learners to realistically “try the job” before actually on the job.
Companies are expecting more from their training organizations—to maximize results while
minimizing resources; to prove that the investment in training is paying off in employee
performance; to develop content more quickly; and to deliver learning in such a manner that it
is more accessible, even seamless with work duties. More so than ever before, an organization’s
training function is being run like any other business function with increased attention on
operational efficiency, accountability, and connection to organizational strategy.
These challenges are reflected in the top concerns identified by training and development
professionals in recent industry research:
• Managing training costs and funding
• Getting the most out of e-learning, learning development systems
• Linking learning to performance
• Increasing training comprehension
• Aligning learning with business needs and individual employee competency needs.
It's no longer acceptable to hope an employee learns something at a training session. The best
performing companies are thoughtfully developing and engaging their most important resource:
the people they employ.
Engaged employees are the key to excellent customer service. Engaged employees are
employees that feel as though they are truly valued at work; that their efforts directly
contribute towards the mission and success of the company. Engaged employees are more
productive and less likely to look outside of the company for employment.
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 1

2. However, employee engagement is beginning to deteriorate due to the failing economies of the
U.S. and elsewhere around the world. A recent national study by Modern Survey revealed that
that 21% of U.S. workers actively disengaged. Poor employee engagement can lead to
absenteeism, a lack of teamwork, poor morale, and low productivity, among other concerns.
It is becoming more and more difficult to find and engage the right employees. Tight labor
markets are making companies think twice about compensation packages, benefits, and
incentives. Turnover and competition are pushing companies to focus on ways to keep qualified
employees happy and motivated. Customer service management’s top priority is attracting and
engaging top-performing customer service employees.
Learning plays a key role in helping employees to get and stay engaged. Many organizations have
begun to rely heavily on the learning function for engagement support. While new-hire training
can initiate an employee’s engagement with the company, refresher training and other personal
development opportunities can help keep employees engaged. However, training and
development alone does not guarantee employee engagement.
Additionally a good relationship between employees and immediate supervisors is recognized as
a top driver of employee engagement. Yet this is a problem area for many customer service
organizations—frontline supervisors and managers lack the skills to effectively engage
employees. As our study found, many customer service organizations do not offer basic
supervisory training to frontline supervisors, much less tactics to improve employee
engagement.
Benchmark Study of Front-line Training Practices
With all this in mind, the Ascent Group conducted research in mid- and late-2008 to better
understand training and development programs for front-line customer service employees. This
research was conducted in concert with additional research into the recruitment and hiring of
front-line employees and performance measurement.
The main objective of the study was to identify “best practices” for front-line customer service
training. In particular, focus was given to understanding how best-in-class customer service
organizations train and prepare their front-line, customer-facing employees.
Secondary objectives included understanding:
• What initial training programs are used? Duration?
• What on-going training programs are used? Duration? Frequency? Pass/Fail?
• What job rotation processes are in place? Are they effective in increasing productivity
and customer satisfaction?
• What technologies are improving the training process?
We asked companies to describe and define the training provided to new hires and existing
front-line customer service employees. Companies were asked to indicate the number of days
of new hire training, both in the classroom and on-the-job.
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 2

3. Other items surveyed included:
• Average Class Size, training budget, number of trainers
• Days to Standard
• Percent Instructor-based Training versus Computer-based Training
• Use of training simulation software, training videos, and computer-based training
• Use of assessments and certification during training process (testing)
• Number of days refresher training – OJT and Classroom
Participants were also asked to share management tactics and strategies, as well as identify any
improvement in performance. The study also asked companies to include considerations,
successes, and plans moving forward. The result of this effort is captured in this report.
Study Findings
The Ascent Group received 44 valid survey responses from a diverse group of companies.
Study participants ranged from 2 to 6,000 frontline employees and from 1 to 1,900 new hires
per year.
Based on our survey, newly hired front-line customer service employees average 122 days to
achieve standard performance. This figure varied widely among industries with Consumer
Products averaging 45 days (quickest) to the Government sector averaging the longest (360
days).
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 3

4. We asked participants to share any challenges overcome or lessons learned regarding their
training program for front-line customer service employees. Overwhelmingly, more employee
engagement through hands-on experiences is the most reported “lesson learned”. Additionally,
participants reported more success with training customized to individual learning styles,
smaller modules, and more self-paced training.
Streamlining and revamping top the list of our participant’s plans for the future (68 percent).
Participants report plans to:
• Designing a new training model
• Reducing training time by moving nice-to-know material to CBTs
• More OJT in-between training modules
• Progression-based training/pay program
• Modularizing training
• Adding accelerated learning module
• Refining the demos/examples in the training module
• Video taping subject matter experts
• Revising supervisory training
• Delivering more refresher training to employees.
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 4

5. Recommendations
1. Hire for Attitude, Train for Technical Skills. The best foundation for service excellence is your
people. It is easier to teach proficiency than it is to change attitudes. Best-in-Class
companies look for motivated and enthusiastic people who demonstrate a propensity to
serve—hire for attitude and train for skill. Consider potential, not necessarily experience.
Best-in-Class companies have turned hiring into an art form, not only the process but also
the identification of the right type of employee. In a service business, the employees are the
company and hiring is critical. Work with your recruiters to find the right candidates.
2. Communicate Job Expectations Throughout New Hire Training—Do as much as possible to relay
expectations to students during the new hire-training program. The more a new employee
understands about the job, the work environment, performance expectations, and culture,
the quicker they will be able to achieve standard. Use job shadowing, peer mentoring, or
simulation to relay culture and expectations. Revise training content so the appropriate
expectations are conveyed. Survey new students to better understand how to continually
refine the process and minimize new-hire surprise.
3. Emphasize the Importance of Customer Service in the Training Process—Make sure that students
know up front about your organizational commitment to customer service. Stress the
importance of customer service and customer satisfaction throughout the new-hire training
program. Do as much as possible to integrate the “Customer Experience” into Training
Program—so students understand customer expectations and appreciate the customer
perspective. Use simulation, role-playing, and mentoring to convey the correct “customer
experience”. On average, our participants spend about 20 percent of new-hire training
hours on soft-skills, usually integrated into the new-hire training program.
4. Engage New Hires with “Hands-On” Training, Customized to Individual Learning Styles—We’re
seeing a growth in more interactive, hands-on training opportunities for new hires—role
playing, simulation, peer mentoring. Hands-on experiences help internalize learning,
incorporate more “learning by doing” opportunities into your new-hire program. Hands-on
learning can also be used to drive assessment so that trainers can measure both factual
knowledge and comprehension. Additionally, training comprehension is increased through
individualized training—training tailored to each students individual learning style. Smaller
class sizes, modular training, and self-paced activities help students learn at their own pace.
5. Mentoring Monitoring Ease the Transition to the Floor—Participants use a combination of
one-on-one mentoring and frequent call monitoring to help new hires transition to the
floor. Many companies also employ “nesting”—pod on the floor dedicated to new hires—
to facilitate more extensive coaching and one-on-one assistance until the team is up-to-
standard. Another approach that has been successful is the creation of an OJT manager to
shepherd new-hire and ongoing OJT efforts.
6. Maximize Intranet and Internet Resources and other Technologies to Enhance Training and Job
Aids—Newer technologies offer the opportunity to customize learning and make it more
accessible. Investigate opportunities to deliver online or computer-based training. Self-paced
training is inherently customized to individual learning speeds and styles. Training that is
portable, self-directed, and available on-demand, through pod casts, PDAs, or mobile
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 5

6. phones, will be more convenient and
more appealing for many employees.
Simulation technologies allow
learners to “try the job” before
actually on the job, creating a more
realistic training environment. We’re
also seeing a growth in the use of
web-based meeting applications, such
as WebEx, GoTo Meeting, and
LiveMeeting, to facilitate distance
learning and to reduce training costs.
7. Integrate Training with Quality
Assurance and Operational Excellence to
Facilitate Continual Improvement and Pre-emptive Targeted Training. To ensure successful
continuous improvement, encourage your training group to work closely with your quality
assurance and operational excellence groups. This will encourage the link between learning
and performance—making sure the training group is equipping employees to successfully
perform as well as making sure any operational changes are reflected in training. At the
same time, underperforming employees can receive targeted training.
8. Provide Supervisors with Training on How to Coach and Engage Employees. Organizations
reporting more highly engaged workers actively promoting a culture of engagement by
ensuring that organizational leaders, including immediate supervisors, are skilled in the area
of engagement improvement. After all, having a good relationship between employees and
immediate supervisors is a top driver of employee engagement. Yet, many frontline
supervisors are lacking in basic supervisory skills, much less tactics for engaging employees.
Our study found that only 57 percent of participants have a formal supervisory (coach)
training program for front-line customer service employees.
9. Evolve Your Training Resources. As technology becomes more specialized and learning
becomes more personalized, trainers will assume more of a performance consultant role.
Make sure your trainers have the appropriate training and resources to make the transition.
Many companies have a difficult time balancing the needs of the business to meet service
level goals and the need to train and develop frontline employees. Make the time to
adequately train your frontline customer service resources.
10. Make Time for Training. Many companies have a difficult time balancing the day-to-day needs
of the business and the need to train and develop frontline employees. Make the time to
adequately train and prepare your frontline customer service resources. Make sure they are
equipped and trained to handle all situations. Refresh training periodically to keep
employees in top performance and up-to-date on customer service and technical skills.
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 6

7. About The Ascent Group
The Ascent Group, Inc. is a management-consulting firm that specializes in customer service
operations and improvement, performance benchmarking, competitive benchmarking, work
management, and industry research.
Publications:
• Credit Collection Practices
• Call Center Strategies
• Improving Field Services
• Reward Recognition Program Profiles Best Practices
• Improving Front-line People Processes
• Meter Reading Profiles Best Practices
• IVR Improvement Strategies
• Billing Payment Profiles Best Practices
• Call Quality Improvement
• Achieving First Call Resolution
The Ascent Group offers other opportunities for your company to participate in benchmarking
and best practice discovery through its online benchmarking services:
• Call Center Operations
• First Call Resolution
• Call Quality Monitoring
• IVR Technology
• Credit Collection
• Billing Payment Services
• Remittance Processing
• Field Services
• Meter Reading
• Frontline Recruitment, Training
• Reward Recognition Program
If you are interested in participating in our research, please contact Christine Kozlosky at
ckk@ascentgroup.com or (888) 749-0001.
The Ascent Group, Inc.
120 River Oak Way
Athens, GA 30605
706-850-0508
www.ascentgroup.com
©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 7

8. ©2008 The Ascent Group, Inc. 8