Training Plan for Phone-Based Customer Service

This plan will help you train employees who serve customers over the phone.

It guides you through the Phone-Based Customer Service course on LinkedIn Learning. Make sure your team has access to LinkedIn Learning before you begin.

Phone-Based Customer Service focuses on essential phone skills:

  • Building rapport

  • Exceeding expectations

  • Solving problems

The course is ideal for anyone who serves customers over the phone. This includes contact center agents, customer support representatives, and office receptionists.

This training plan uses a unique approach to training videos.

It divides the lessons into short segments, spaced out over four weeks. This approach maximizes learning and application while minimizing the disruption to your regular operations.

This guide covers:

  1. Resources Required

  2. Preparation

  3. Pre-work

  4. Week 1: Kick-off

  5. Week 2: Building rapport over the phone

  6. Week 3: Exceed expectations over the phone

  7. Week 4: Solve problems over the phone

Resources Required

You'll need these resources to use this training plan.

  1. Access to Phone-Based Customer Service for all participants. (via LinkedIn Learning)

  2. The exercise files from the course.

  3. Workshop planning tool (free download).

Contact LinkedIn Learning for pricing and subscription options if you don't already have access.

Estimated time needed: 1 hour per week

  • Group activities: 30 minutes per week

  • Individual learning: 30 minutes per week

Prepare for Training

Get ready for the training by preparing yourself and your team.

Step 1: Create a training plan. Use the Workshop Planner to create an action plan.

  • Identify a goal for the training

  • Decide how to prepare your team

  • Create a plan to help the team use their new skills

Use this how-to video for more details:

Step 2: Announce the training. Tell your team about the training and what to expect. Address three questions for participants:

  1. What is the training about?

  2. Why is it important?

  3. How are employees expected to use what they learn?

Keep your announcement simple. Consider sharing it in a team meeting. Follow-it up with a short email that contains the pre-assignments.

Step 3: Schedule team meetings. You'll be meeting with your team once per week for four weeks. Each meeting should take 30 minutes.

Step 4: Share pre-work. Share the pre-work with your team. I've included that in the next section.

Pre-work

Ask participants to complete two short assignments before the first meeting.

Assignment 1: watch these videos:

  1. Phone service still matters

  2. Understand the phone's unique challenges

Assignment 2: Complete page one of the Learning Plan worksheet that's included in the course's exercise files.

This includes:

  • Discussion questions

  • Learning objectives

Week 1: Kick-off

The initial meeting should set the tone for the course. Start by reviewing the overall goal for the training that you identified on the Workshop Planner.

Next, discuss the following questions:

  1. How is this course relevant to the team?

  2. What are some opportunities to apply new phone skills?

  3. What are some unique challenges when serving customers over the phone?

It's helpful to share a few best practices for getting the most out of this course:

  1. Watch just one video at a time.

  2. Complete the activity that goes with each video.

  3. When possible, try using what you learned from the video before moving on to the next module.

Assignments for next week: Ask your team to watch the following videos and complete the activities described in each one. Videos with an activity at the end are marked with an "A."

  1. Develop the perfect phone greeting (A)

  2. Create personal connections (A)

  3. How to fill dead air (A)

  4. Manage holds and transfers

  5. Control the call with friendliness

  6. Complete the quiz at the end of Chapter 1

Week 2: Building rapport over the phone

This week's theme is building rapport with customers.

Rapport is a process of getting customers to know, like, and trust you. Start by reviewing the week one assignments.

Discussion questions:

  1. What impact does your phone greeting have on customers?

  2. What is one way that you build personal connections over the phone?

  3. How have you filled dead air?

  4. Describe one takeaway from the holds and transfers module.

  5. What is one technique you can use to move the call forward while still being friendly?

Assignments for next week: Ask your team to watch the following videos and complete the related activities.

  1. Tune out distractions

  2. Listen over the phone

  3. Use advanced communication techniques (A)

  4. Deliver moments of "wow" (A)

  5. Complete the quiz at the end of chapter 2

Week 3: Exceed expectations over the phone

The focus is understanding customer needs so you can consistently meet or exceed their expectations. Start by reviewing the week two assignments.

Discussion questions:

  1. How can you tune out distractions?

  2. What are examples of listening techniques you use to understand customers?

  3. How have you used visual references when communication with customers?

  4. What is one opportunity you've had to delight a customer?

Assignments for next week: Ask your team to watch the following videos and complete the related activities.

  1. How to express empathy (A)

  2. De-escalate angry calls

  3. Friendly follow-up (A)

  4. Stay focused while you work (A)

  5. Create your action plan (A)

Week 4: Solve problems over the phone

The final week is focused on service recovery. Start by reviewing the week three assignments.

Discussion questions:

  1. How can you express empathy with customers?

  2. What techniques have you used to de-escalate angry calls?

  3. How can you apply the friendly follow-up technique?

  4. What have you done to stay focused at work?

  5. What is your top takeaway from the course?

Remind participants that they can earn a certificate for their LinkedIn profile by doing the following:

  1. Watch all the videos

  2. Complete the chapter quizzes

This how-to guide provides additional help with accessing certificates.

Conclusion

It helps to go back to your original goals for this training and note the team's progress.

Your employees should show improvement in their phone skills, but it's likely they also have areas for continued growth.

Set aside time to provide each person with coaching and feedback. You can also give them weekly reminders from the Customer Service Tip of the Week.

Customer Service Foundations Training Plan

This training plan is for customer service managers and trainers.

It helps you use the Customer Service Foundations course on LinkedIn Learning with your team. Make sure everyone has access to LinkedIn Learning before you begin.

Customer Service Foundations focuses on the three essential skills:

  • Rapport

  • Understanding (includes listening)

  • Solving (includes serving upset customers)

The course is ideal for people new to customer service. It also helps experienced customer service pros refresh their skills.

This training plan uses a micro-learning approach. Micro-learning divides the lessons into short segments. It makes training easier to schedule and improves retention.

Here's what this guide covers:

  1. Resources Required

  2. Preparation

  3. Pre-work

  4. Week 1: Kick-off

  5. Week 2: Building Rapport

  6. Week 3: Exceeding Expectations

  7. Week 4: Solving Problems

Graphic featuring a profile photo of the author, Jeff Toister. He is wearing a blue shirt and sport coat and is smiling at the camera. The graphic reads, "Customer Service Foundations, Facilitator's Guide."

Resources Required

You'll need these resources to use this training plan.

  1. Access to Customer Service Foundations for all participants.

  2. The exercise files from the course.

  3. Jeff's workshop planning tool (free download).

Contact LinkedIn Learning for pricing and subscription options if you don't already have access.

Estimated time needed: 1 hour per week

  • Group activities: 30 minutes per week

  • Individual learning: 30 minutes per week

Preparation

Get ready for the training by preparing yourself and your team.

Step 1: Create a training plan. Use the Workshop Planner to create an action plan.

  • Identify a goal for the training

  • Decide how to prepare your team

  • Create a plan to help the team use their new skills

Here's a how-to video:

Step 2: Announce the training. Tell your team about the training and what to expect. Address three questions for participants:

  1. What is the training about?

  2. Why is it important?

  3. How are employees expected to use what they learn?

Keep your announcement simple. Consider sharing it in a team meeting. Follow-it up with a short email that contains the pre-assignments.

Step 3: Schedule team meetings. You'll be meeting with your team once per week for four weeks. Each meeting should take 30 minutes.

Step 4: Share pre-work. Share the pre-work with your team. I've included that in the next section.

Pre-Work

Ask participants to watch the videos listed below before the first meeting.

Some videos have an activity at the end (marked with an "A"). Those activities should also be completed. Many of the videos have downloadable exercise files that go with them.

  1. Keeping your customers happy

  2. Creating your customer service learning plan (A)

  3. Defining customer service

  4. Identifying your customers (A)

  5. Making a difference for customers (A)

  6. Avoiding burnout by staying focused (A)

Suggestion: It's a better experience to watch just one or two videos at a time. That also makes it easier for employees to fit the videos into their busy schedules.

Week 1: Kickoff

The initial meeting should review the pre-work. The focus is on the value of outstanding service.

Discussion questions:

  1. What does outstanding service look like?

  2. Who are our customers?

  3. Why should we try to provide outstanding service?

  4. How will you earn a thank you letter from a customer?

Assignments for next week: Ask your team to watch the following videos and complete the related activities.

  1. Connecting rapport to outstanding service

  2. Implementing techniques that build rapport (A)

  3. Starting a conversation (A)

  4. Enhancing your likability (A)

Week 2: Building Rapport

This week's theme is building rapport with customers. Rapport is a process of getting customers to know, like, and trust you. Start by reviewing the week one assignments.

Discussion questions:

  1. When can we build rapport with customers?

  2. How can we build rapport with customers?

  3. What questions can we use to break the ice?

  4. How can we make it easier for customers to like us?

  5. Have you earned feedback that matches your thank you letter?

Assignments for next week: Ask your team to watch the following videos and complete the related activities.

  1. Uncovering customer needs

  2. Actively listening to customers (A)

  3. Identifying emotional needs (A)

  4. Managing expectations (A)

  5. Going the extra mile (A)

Week 3: Exceeding Expectations

The focus is understanding customer needs so you can consistently meet or exceed their expectations. Start by reviewing the week two assignments.

Discussion questions:

  1. How can we actively listen to our customers?

  2. How can we uncover our customers' emotional needs?

  3. What can we do to manage customer expectations?

  4. How can we go the extra mile?

  5. What skills have you used to build rapport in the past week?

  6. Have you earned feedback that matches your thank you letter?

Assignments for next week: Ask your team to watch the following videos and complete the related activities.

  1. Taking ownership of problems (A)

  2. Empathizing with customers (A)

  3. Preventing negative emotions (A)

  4. Defusing angry customers (A)

  5. Anchoring your own attitude (A)

  6. Expanding your influence (A)

  7. Becoming a customer advocate (A)

Week 4: Solving Problems

The final week is focused on service recovery. Start by reviewing the week three assignments.

Discussion questions:

  1. What was a problem you solved for a customer? (How did you do it?)

  2. How did you help an upset customer feel better?

  3. What are ways you can help customers avoid getting upset?

  4. How did you build rapport with a customer in the past week?

  5. What did you do to understand your customers in the past week?

  6. Have you earned feedback that matches your thank you letter?

Conclusion

Ask participants to watch the final course video and complete an action plan to implement new skills from the course.

Participants can earn a certificate for their LinkedIn profile by doing the following:

  1. Watch all the videos

  2. Complete the chapter quizzes

  3. Pass the exam

Here’s a how-to guide if you need help accessing certificates.

Simple Training Plan: Serving Upset Customers 101

UPDATED: June 14, 2023

I often get calls from customer service leaders who want to do some training for their team, but face a few challenges:

  • Budgets are limited.

  • It's an operational nightmare to get everyone scheduled into a class.

  • A single workshop won't produce sustainable results.

That's why I'm experimenting with a series of training plans that take a novel approach. They're inexpensive, easy to implement, and they produce lasting change.

Best of all, you can implement them without hiring an expensive consultant or trainer like me. The first topic is my most requested: Serving Upset Customers 101.

Overview: Serving Upset Customers 101

Participants will be able to do the following at the end of this training:

  • Recognize natural instincts that make it difficult to serve angry customers

  • Listen to upset customers with empathy

  • Retain more customers by neutralizing negative emotions

The course is designed to minimize disruption of normal work schedules:

  • Short weekly team meetings

  • Individual, self-paced assignments between meetings

This course is the first in a three part series:

Resources Required:

  • Worksheet: Workshop Planning Tool, cost: $0

  • Training Video: Working with Upset Customers. You'll need a LinkedIn Learning subscription for each participant. (You'll get access to the ENTIRE library, which is a huge bonus.)

  • Exercise Files: The Working with Upset Customers training video comes with a set of downloadable exercise files to help implement concepts from the course. You can access the files once you login.

Time Required: <1 hour per week for 4 weeks.

 

Pre-Work: Do This Before You Begin

You can boost the impact of any training program by properly preparing. Here are two simple assignments you should do before starting the training.

Assignment #1: Create a training plan. Use the Workshop Planning Tool to create a training plan:

  • Identify your goal for the training.

  • Determine what needs to be done to prepare for success.

  • Create a plan to sustain your progress.

Assignment #2: Announce the Training. Tell your team what to expect by announcing the training via a team meeting, one-on-one conversation, email, or some other form of communication. Make sure you address three things:

  • Tell participants what the training is about.

  • Explain why the training is important.

  • Share how you expect participants to use the training in their daily work.

 

Training Plan: Serving Upset Customers

This plan is divided into four lessons that each take place one week apart.

Week 1: Kick-off. Call a 30 minute team meeting to kick off the training program. Hold it in-person or via Zoom, Teams, or another web conference platform if your team is remote.

  1. Review the purpose and goals for this course.

  2. Discuss situations where customers get angry.

  3. Assign training videos and activities for the next meeting.

Participant assignments for next week:

  • Watch video: Helping the customer be right

  • Watch video: Recognizing your natural instincts

  • Exercise: Find the Fight or Flight Symptoms Checklist in the packet of downloadable exercise files (you'll need to be logged in to access this). Use it to identify one situation where you experience the Fight or Flight instinct while serving a customer.

 

Week 2: Recognizing Our Instincts. Call a 30 minute team meeting to check-in on the training program. Hold it in-person or via Zoom, Teams, or another web conference platform if your team is remote.

  1. Discuss the importance of helping customers be right.

  2. Discuss situations where we experienced the Fight or Flight Instinct.

  3. Assign training videos and activities for the next meeting.

Participant assignments for next week:

  • Watch video: Listening with empathy

  • Watch video: Apologizing effectively

  • Complete the Empathy Worksheet from the Exercise files.

  • Complete the Apology Worksheet from the Exercise files.

  • Apply the LAURA and apology techniques when serving an angry customer.

 

Week 3: Empathizing With Customers. Call a 30 minute team meeting to check-in on the training program. Hold it in-person or via Zoom, Teams, or another web conference platform if your team is remote.

  1. Discuss situations where participants used the LAURA technique to express empathy.

  2. Revisit list of situations where customers get angry (from Week 1). Discuss the root cause of each one.

  3. Assign training videos and activities for the next meeting.

Participant assignments for next week:

 

Week 4: Conclusion. Call a 30 minute team meeting to check-in on the training program. Hold it in-person or via Zoom, Teams, or another web conference platform if your team is remote.

  1. Discuss situations where participants helped a customer become right. 

  2. Discuss situations where participants used the acknowledge and refocus technique.

  3. Discuss appropriate actions if a customer becomes abusive.

  4. Discuss ways to sustain the learning.