E-Learning as a CRM Tool

Carol Smalley
Managing Editor, CRMGuru
Member

Posted 22-Apr-2003 03:51 AM
Posted by Carol Smalley (Editor) on behalf of Yaki Gordon [yaki@skytraining.co.il]

We are considering e-learning as a major tool for the implementation of CRM. It seems that e-learning has special benefit for CRM considering the rapid changes of call center agents.

Can anybody contribute success stories, do and don't, etc.?

Yaki Gordon

Carol Parenzan Smalley
Managing Editor
www.CRMGuru.com
carol@CRMGuru.com

Carol Smalley
Managing Editor, CRMGuru
Member

Posted 25-Apr-2003 06:58 AM
Posted by Carol Smalley (Editor) on behalf of Michael Kiffmeyer [michael@knowledgevisions.com]

As a Learning Consultant I can offer some guidelines that may be very helpful to you.

1.) All people do not learn the same way.
2.) Putting information on-line is no guarantee that the information will be retained.
3.) Make sure you do an analysis first. The analysis will show you how people do the jobs and how they best retain information. End-user acceptance is the key. Consider custom applications where intellectual capital is being taught.
4.) Consider blended learning as well. Some people learn best my doing, others by listening and still others from a classroom environment. Consider a combination of all areas.
5.) Develop some parameters on what the en-users (learners) should take away from lessons and information.
6.) In a call setting environment consider the development of an Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS). This allows the user to practice procedures or to obtain information before they actually perform the task(s). The biggest problems in any training is "what do I do after the instructor is gone?" Empower your workers.
7.) Be prepared to change the training as needs change. The value of a custom application is that this can be done internally "on-the-fly" once it is developed.

Finally, remember to "humanize" the experience. People will use applications that help them and empower them to do their jobs.

Michael

Carol Parenzan Smalley
Managing Editor
www.CRMGuru.com
carol@CRMGuru.com

Vishal Sarkar
Member Council
Member

Posted 28-Apr-2003 07:51 AM
Yaki,

When you mention call agents, I would presume that due to high turnover of staff you would need to get the new agents up-to-speed with the processes, product/service features for which the call center offers support. This is where
you envision using an e-learning system ---- to minimize the learning curve for the new agents.

In addition to Michael's well thought reply, I would just like to add a few pointers on the relation between CRM and e-learning. I think you could use e-learning systems only as 'one' method to train your staff. To successfully roll out a CRM initiative, it is critical that the staff be trained properly on customer andling and developing a customer oriented attitude. I believe that e-learning can benefit this case by providing on hand and structured information about the products/services that the call center engages in. It can also help the agents in understanding and imbibing the processes that are a part of the call center operations.

What I don't think is quite achievable by e-learning is development of a customer oriented attitude. Here it would be more effective to have trainers have personalized sessions with a groups of agents to educate them on customer handling. This could involve role plays, case studies or even emonstrations. The 'human' factor is of great importance when dealing with training on topics like customer management or customer engagement --- especially if you have a voice based interaction channel wherein emotions and attitudes can be sent, received and sensed! Without this, the e-learning system will just remain another tool to get business done ---- I don't see it developing a more customer -oriented attitude, though it may help with customer-oriented 'processes' !

Another thought that I would like to seed here is for using CRM techniques towards better managing an e-learning program! This is towards better managing the training needs of your agents with one-to-one interactions with them, trying to track their needs and performance and then working out the best suited training tracks for them. Lets cover that I another discussion another time.

Best of Luck

Vishal Sarkar

Carol Smalley
Managing Editor, CRMGuru
Member

Posted 09-May-2003 07:44 AM
Posted by Carol Smalley (Editor) on behalf of Bob Trevelyan [trevelyan@trevelyan.com]

Good comments have been submitted so far—Michael (michael@knowledgevisions.com) and Vishal (vishal@thought-stream.com).

While I agree with both comments, there is a real dearth of good e-learning process/functionality in the market. We developed an enhanced EPSS system for several clients—and it came up lacking, partially because of the customer handling capabilities described by Vishal. More importantly, the tools that we provided were relatively passive in nature with the contact center agent having to request (by various methods) the e-learning help.

We found that agents who quickly grasped the concept would ignore the e-learning component. When it came to change the information the experienced agents often missed the updated information. We had to implement positive recognition of new information. That is, we electronically forced the agent to either attend a learning session (e-learning of face-to-face) when ever new or updated information was available or needed. Therefore the EPSS capability was being defeated by agents who could remember (or so they think) the 'how to'.

The other thing we found was that the e-learning content was expensive to create and maintain requiring trained professionals to do the work (coders, graphic artists, audio/video specialists and learning experts). There is definitely a need to bring e-learning content development closer to the contact center agent (or wherever) and be able to do so by an untrained or business savvy person.

Some work is being done in this arena. A small but effective company that we have been watching seems to be moving this "e-learning by business people" model ahead with some neat delivery capabilities (for web enabled contact centers) that offer textual, graphical, process flow' and other facilities, with multiple language support within a "follow me" trigger. When the agent puts a curser on a field the appropriate help info (format selected by the user to match their learning preference), the appropriate how to, appropriate learning content is delivered on a 'side-screen panel'. Once set up, the personnel in the field actually keep the content up to date and they also greatly simplify the 'professional' needs requirements for set up.

The facility provided by thinksmartps (www.thinksmartps.com) is really quite good and we are encouraged by people developing real valuable learning support for contact and other web enabled technology user. (This is a new company—the web site is under development. If you want to contact them directly please email me and I will provide direct contact information)

There is also, however, the real requirement to support the company customer facing personnel with information that encompasses all channels and contact points with the customer so that the job of answering the customers issues is not clouded by the need to re-ask the problem or other time-consuming customer unfriendly approaches. All information given to and by the company personnel should be from the customer's perspective and not derived from internalized approaches. That is another discussion.

Bob Trevelyan is the founder and managing director of Trevelyan Group LLC, an independent CRM Consulting organization specializing in creating sustainable relationship strategies for Global 1000 companies. Mr. Trevelyan is an authority on the role of CRM for airlines, financial institutions, retailers, hotel, global media, and telecommunications companies. He is the founder of two new businesses specializing in the delivery and management of appropriate information for customer relationship communications: Intify, LLC.—delivering on the promise of CRM; and DataDrawer, LLC—enabling competitive advantage for small and medium business.

For more information, please visit www.trevelyan.com

Best regards,

Robert J. Trevelyan
Managing Director

Carol Parenzan Smalley
Managing Editor
www.CRMGuru.com
carol@CRMGuru.com