The Paisley Group Ltd. develops customized training programs for its clients, with the goal of helping operations personnel develop the skills and judgment they need to meet everyday challenges in their specific environment. Effective, modular training programs provide operators with a solid grounding in the essential principles and maximum utility of systems, data, and service, integrated with your company procedures and products.

We work with our clients on training programs in several ways, ensuring that training makes the most of systems, data, and operations. We can design complete training programs from scratch for your new systems, services, or operations. Or, new modules can be developed to address specific needs (such as enhanced geographical knowledge). Existing training programs can be analyzed and optimized based upon specific recommendations. We can train your overall operator workforce, or can conduct train-the-trainer sessions. Finally, we can augment training programs with measurement and observation processes for ongoing performance management.

•   TECHNICAL TRAINING

PGL has a number of technical training packages available off the shelf. These focus on providing operators with practices and protocols that drive accurate outcomes and efficient call-handling. To support productivity and service objectives, technical training practices must be synchronized with the systems and the databases they interact with. PGL’s technical training evolved from the work we perform to optimize DA systems, practices and databases. For this reason, it has been proven over and over to provide the skills and practices that fulfill and care for customers and support business objectives.

• TRAINING TO ACHIEVE CUSTOMER DELIGHT – Communicating with C.L.A.S.S.^SM

All of PGL’s quality and training programs consider 3 stakeholders:

THE CUSTOMER

THE WWWWWWWWWWW THE
WWWWWWWOPERATOR WWWW W WCORPORATIONWWWWWW

To effect a culture change, training on how to delight customers must improve operators’ quality of work life and improve or maintain work time objectives. Communicating with C.L.A.S.S.^SM training is a balanced approach which teaches communication skills that delight customers in ways that will not increase operator work time coupled with call-handling skills which streamline each and every call. C.L.A.S.S.^SM also teaches operators what mental attitudes and physical dynamics improve their overall well-being. C.L.A.S.S.^SM teaches operators that being happy on the job improves their own lives and their customers’ call experiences. In 1 large LEC which deployed C.L.A.S.S.^SM, the operators insisted that “the customers got nicer!”

So….. in the short span of one customer interaction, how can a factor of customer delight be added to really set apart the service?

The answer : It is the customer's perception of service levels that truly set apart any service. The key to making powerful customer impressions is through enhanced-communications skills training for operators. When operators efficiently fulfill a customer’s request (provide an accurate report), control the subtle call-handling nuances of the call and demonstrate that they are engaged on the customer’s behalf, customers can be delighted.

C.L.A.S.S.^SM is a high-impact training program based upon the concept that every call is an opportunity to delight a customer by using newly acquired vocal instruments and enhanced call-handling skills. When operators put “smiles in their voices" on every call, showing customers a high level of confidence, competence and interest, customers' perceptions of quality and satisfaction increase because good calls have been transformed into extraordinary ones.

C.L.A.S.S.^SM is a one-day classroom-based training course using a variety of theory, practice, and exercise techniques that train operators on call control and how to control their attitudes and environment.  It is based on the actor/actress metaphor of being "in role" and "the show must go on."  Operators, like actors, have a role, a script, an audience and a voice that should be trained to effectively communicate with their audience (their customers).  C.L.A.S.S.^SM also includes a holistic approach to maintaining operators' physical and mental well-being. The overall result is operators who are professional communicators, feel positive about their jobs and their roles, are expert call handlers and listeners (obtaining and processing call details more quickly) and handle calls more efficiently.

C.L.A.S.S.^SM consists of 5 sections:

• Clarity
  • Concentrates on teaching operators how to be professional communicators
• Listening
• Teaches active listening, memorization and processing skills to reduce searches per request and operator work time
• Teaches operators to streamline calls via expert questioning techniques and numerous active listening behaviors
• Aplomb
  • Teaches skills that demonstrate competence, confidence and customer care through effective questioning, suggesting and identifying techniques
• Showing Interest
• Teaches operators how to effectively acknowledge and use their vocal instruments to “give eye contact over the phone”
• Showmanship
• Puts the whole package together and sends graduates out for their debut
  
  
• THE UNDER-PINNINGS OF PGL’s TRAINING PROGRAMS

The C.L.A.S.S.^SM training must be purchased and implemented based upon PGL’s training concept that culture, and not just practices, needs to change to ensure that training is embedded and is not just perceived as the “program of the month”. Where trainers buy into the training and are certified as qualified Instructors and supervisors are trained to become more effective Coaches, culture change does occur. For that reason, the following Training Modules must be trained to the Trainers and Supervisors in every call center receiving C.L.A.S.S.^SM training.

 C.L.A.S.S.^SM and How to Train C.L.A.S.S.^SM

 C.L.A.S.S.^SM and How to Coach C.L.A.S.S.^SM

Note - PGL Coaches are on-site as operators exit C.L.A.S.S.^SM training to assist the client’s Supervisors and Coaches in observing and providing operator feedback.  This helps them become more confident and effective in their coaching skills.