Train Your CSRs – Second in a Series

Tonight I had to go to an electronics store and was not really looking forward to the trip because the people in our local store are usually somewhat unfriendly. I could not, however, resist the siren call of the sale.


To my pleasant surprise, I was waited on by a very friendly, polite and enthusiastic young woman. She did just about everything right. She greeted me pleasantly, but didn’t pounce. She let me browse for a bit before coming over to ask if there was any way she could help me. Then she listened to what I needed in the way of recording equipment – really listened.

After a few minutes she suggested a few options. When I asked what the differences were between the models, she replied, “I really don’t know. I’m so sorry, but this is only my 5th shift and I have not yet been given any training on the products.” As you can imagine, this caught my attention.

I spoke with Linda for a few minutes and found out that everything this grade 12 student knew about the products she had learned by reading labels when the store was quiet and by looking up things online at home. Clearly this young woman wanted to do well and took pride in her part-time job.

Sadly her employers didn’t think it necessary to give her this input. They had been more concerned about making sure she knew how to spot a shoplifter and not to take a break until cleared by her supervisor. No wonder the employees in that store are they way are; they’re working blind.

Contrast that with the people at La Senza. The employees there are trained and given a large binder to study that tells them everything about the products, how to fit under garments properly, how to do just about everything to help the customer. I have always had good experiences in that store – and the women leaving usually have white bags over their arms and smiles on their faces.

In the same vein, let’s look at what happens at Montana’s. My eldest daughter works at this family-style bar and grill after school. She has just been promoted from hostess to expo, which means that she is now responsible for putting the garnishes, sauces and other extras on the plates before they are picked up by the servers.

For a week before she took on this role, Kris had sheets to study that told her what goodies went with what dishes. When she started in this position, someone worked alongside her to help guide her if necessary. Tonight she soloed (and was excited about it as she left the house) and was helped by the servers when needed.

Montana’s trains its staff in all other areas, too. For instance, when a new menu comes out, the managers hold a tasting/ training night where everyone learns about the new items and gets to try them. Making sure their employees know how to do their jobs well makes a big difference in how people feel about working there – and it translates into better morale and a better overall customer experience.

Lesson to employers: Invest in your customer service people and it will pay dividends.