Training is profoundly strategic. It’s a process aimed at improving the single most important resource in the organization: people. Nothing affects customer loyalty more than the behaviors and competencies of employees.

Training is the most effective way to communicate the correct behaviors and competencies that will keep customers coming back. At its core, training is very straightforward: Figure out what competencies are required for personnel to effectively serve their customers, and take action to address gaps in competency. The challenge comes in trying to build a system that will deliver. With good intentions, organizations often build unwieldy systems that are both confusing and doomed to failure. That’s why training process must be carefully designed, with an eye toward relevance, simplicity and customer expectations.

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