There’s no doubt that agent training is critical for making call centers more effective and more productive.
At the same time, most call center managers are the ones responsible for creating and running the programs to train their agents. But if you’re a call center manager, we’d like to suggest a different approach that might seem a bit radical:
Don’t be the one to lead your team’s training sessions.
Yes, it goes against the norm, but along with choosing the best call center software for your company, delegating your agent training to an outside organization could be the most impactful decision you ever make. More specifically, it might be the key to making your training lessons resonate well enough to transform your team’s entire performance.
Why You Should Outsource Call Center Training
When you’re the person who knows your team the best—including how your agents work and what they need to know to do their job well—handing off your training responsibilities to someone unfamiliar with the organization can seem risky.
That said, here are some key reasons to consider doing it anyway:
Not All Good Managers Are Good Trainers
It might be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s true. Just because Brett Favre was a good quarterback, doesn’t mean he’d make a good coach.
Similarly, you could have the best training plan in the universe, but if your delivery doesn’t land well enough, your agents might not get the full benefit.
That’s where the pros come in because outsourcing your training to people who specialize in it can make a major difference. They know what to teach agents and they also have the experience to share the material with your team in ways that will last.
Outsourcing is Perfect for Ongoing and Specialized Training
Even if you have an all-encompassing training program for onboarding new agents, they’ll eventually need to learn more as your products, services, and the markets change.
This includes ongoing training to keep up with changing call center software as well as specialized learning to stay up-to-date on new compliance requirements.
When you consider all of this, it makes a lot of sense that managers won’t always have the time, in-house resources, and know-how to cover all of those bases at all times.
Call center training companies, on the other hand, are built specifically to have all the tools necessary to keep your people up to speed with continuous improvement of requisite skills.
Offsite Training Can Ignite Creativity and Motivation
When agents spend most of their time in the office working, the daily call center grind can wear them down. This means that doing extracurricular training in the workplace can add to their fatigue, which can negatively impact their ability to focus on learning.
To avoid this, many call center training companies offer in-person training options at locations outside of the workplace. As a manager, keep in mind that this represents a built-in way for you to give agents a break from the office, which you can offer every once in a while as necessary.
Since the learning environment can make all the difference in the world for effective training, remote training sessions can be a breath of fresh air for your agents—like a mini retreat to reignite their creativity and inspire a new zest for improvement.
Choosing The Right Outsourced Call Center Training Partner
Not all outside training services are equal, so it’s important to take some time to find the best partner for you and your team.
Look for a Local Training Center First
Since offsite training can provide a big boost for agent learning, finding a training company that’s somewhat nearby can make offsite adventures much easier to set up. Likewise, having a local partner can also make it easier to run training sessions more often.
That said, working with a training company located far away from your area isn’t the end of the world. A trip to their location every quarter or so can be a great bonding experience for your team.
Choose a Company That Does Hybrid Training
Off-site training might be great, but it’s not always practical, and there might be better choices for your team.
For example, you never know when you’ll need to train just a few employees who are new to the team or when something big happens and you need to get the entire squad up to speed. That’s why it’s important to have a live, virtual option as well as the ability to offer pre-recorded, self-service courses.
Try to find a company that offers both in-person and online training options. It will give you flexibility and the ability to accommodate a range of skill levels and training types.
Find a Partner That Can Train Agents of All Skill Levels
Many training companies claim they can help any agent improve their skills—and that’s what you want, but you still need to know they can deliver the goods.
Before you cut a deal with a training service, do your homework and check out plenty of online reviews. You can also ask to chat with some of the company’s trainers and perhaps get a sneak peek at a session.
Ultimately, you want to feel confident that these trainers can support everyone on your team—not just a handful of your star players.
Final Thoughts
If you’re not too proud to outsource your call center training, it’s a crafty move that could drive real growth and ultimately lead to your call center’s highest levels of quality assurance yet.
But remember, it’s not just about offloading a task—it’s also about bringing in experts who can make the learning experience more effective and enjoyable for your team.
