Back in 2019, a little boy with autism named Ralph was having a rough day at Universal Orlando after he’d patiently waited in a noisy and crowded line just to find out his favorite ride had broken down. Upon realizing that he wouldn’t get to experience the one attraction he’d been the most excited for, he dropped to the ground and began crying and hyperventilating. While his parents did their best to help him up out of the way of foot traffic, he was inconsolable.
Then, just like in a comic book hero, one of the ride’s employees jumped into action. She laid down next to Ralph, coached him through a breathing exercise, and soothed him until he felt calm again. She expertly came to the child’s aid and created a viral customer service moment for Universal.
Afterward, Universal proudly shared some details of its customer service training for park employees. Even though one might only see a person in uniform seating guests in vehicles or managing a console of buttons, the company had built its knowledge base with best practices for various situations—including helping guests who have disabilities. This example is just one of many that can be used to demonstrate the value that properly trained employees bring to your products and your organization as a whole.
Other companies should take heed, especially those preparing for the complex process of launching a new product or service in the current climate. According to Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, over 30,000 new products are introduced every year, and 95% fail. Ouch!
It seems that no matter how solid your new offering is, your chances for success are rather slim. So, if you’re introducing a new venture to the world, wouldn’t you like to increase your odds of success by having a customer support team consisting of superheroes?
New Product = New Information
Half of the battle of a successful product or service launch is training on the new offering and implementing effective communication skills. While it’s important to make sure your marketing campaign informs consumers of the who, what, when, and where of your novel offering, don’t underestimate the necessity and great opportunity of offering customers one-on-one assistance.
Salesforce notes that you should expect your audience to flood your call center, inbox, and/or social media with questions, comments, and concerns—and it’s up to you and your team to meet and support them wherever they are. This is without even considering the different types of customers you might have to simultaneously support. This is where customer service and communications skills training comes in!
For example, a homeowner calling about their personalized cable package will have different needs and require a different playbook than a hotel chain looking to begin a nationwide contract. During a product launch, you’ll have to meet the needs of new customers while also maintaining long-running client relationships.
Creating and selling a quality product or service is just part of your success. The customer experience is effortlessly maintained when your staff has a thorough understanding of customer service and communication skills. If your employees have not been properly trained in customer care, consumers will begin to notice (and they might not stick around).
Thanks to the training this Universal employee had, they were able to treat this young boy with grace. While it’s likely different than the training your organization needs, it’s a timeless example of how proper training prepares employees ahead of the situation. Your organization must learn how to train its team members in a way that will resonate with your customers.
Empower Your Team
While it’s easy to focus on how customers will benefit from your teams’ pre-launch training, don’t forget about all the ways this training will positively impact your team itself. It might seem like a daunting task, but educating your employees on different possible client interactions is extremely important.
Everyone knows that the more you study for a test, the better you’ll do—and the better you’ll feel doing it. The same applies to your product launch: if your team is properly trained, they’ll have an easier time communicating with various audiences.
According to Close, the confidence from pre-launch training has the added benefit of lessening the emotional toll and stress of the launch itself while also minimizing post-launch burnout. Your team exists to help you navigate the challenges of introducing a new product, but they can only help if you empower them to do so. Take care of your employees by ensuring they’re well prepared for the complicated situations you may have to ask them to take on in the future. In short: help them help you (and your customers).
We have over 30 years of experience in training teams like yours for success, and we can’t wait to educate your employees so that by launch time, they are confident, expert product ambassadors (just like superheroes).
Contact us today to begin investing in your team and your product’s success.
Additional Resources:
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- Empower your agents to make every interaction a productive and successful one!
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- Increase the confidence of your team members so they can consistently deliver exceptional customer service.
- Build vital behaviors that enable your team to increase customer loyalty while improving morale, teamwork and commitment throughout the workplace.