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Training customers: an organizational experience

Training customers: an organizational experience Purpose – To analyze, through a case study, the essential premises on the basis of which a training plan for the customers of any given firm can be designed, implemented and evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – This paper starts with a review of the literature on customer service training, which is followed by a discussion on how a training plan for customers could be elaborated. After that, the case method is applied (mainly through semi‐structured interviews) to a firm that approaches this type of training in an innovative way. Findings – Concludes that a training plan for the firm's internal staff cannot be extrapolated to customers. Describes how training plans must be modified so as to adapt them to customers. Research limitations/implications – It will be nesessary to identify other cases and check to what extent the methodology resembles the one we have applied and how successful it is, so that a standard action protocol can be established. Practical implications – Presents a real case of success at customer training in an industrial firm and provides a model, not only for future research, but also for the direct implementation of these techniques by other firms belonging to any industrial sector. Originality/value – The accurate description of a training plan for customers made by an industrial firm and its treatment based on the study of a real case. The establishment of action guidelines that will pave the way for further academic research in this field as well as its clear business applicability. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Industrial and Commercial Training Emerald Publishing

Training customers: an organizational experience

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References (40)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0019-7858
DOI
10.1108/00197850610653144
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – To analyze, through a case study, the essential premises on the basis of which a training plan for the customers of any given firm can be designed, implemented and evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – This paper starts with a review of the literature on customer service training, which is followed by a discussion on how a training plan for customers could be elaborated. After that, the case method is applied (mainly through semi‐structured interviews) to a firm that approaches this type of training in an innovative way. Findings – Concludes that a training plan for the firm's internal staff cannot be extrapolated to customers. Describes how training plans must be modified so as to adapt them to customers. Research limitations/implications – It will be nesessary to identify other cases and check to what extent the methodology resembles the one we have applied and how successful it is, so that a standard action protocol can be established. Practical implications – Presents a real case of success at customer training in an industrial firm and provides a model, not only for future research, but also for the direct implementation of these techniques by other firms belonging to any industrial sector. Originality/value – The accurate description of a training plan for customers made by an industrial firm and its treatment based on the study of a real case. The establishment of action guidelines that will pave the way for further academic research in this field as well as its clear business applicability.

Journal

Industrial and Commercial Training – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 1, 2006

Keywords: Training methods; Customers; Customer service management; Customer orientation; Spain

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