Implementing a new cloud solution for customer service is one thing. Making sure your employees can actually work with it is quite another. Yet the latter is at least as important as the former. After all, the best technology is of little use if your team doesn’t know how to use it. Or if they simply aren’t familiar with it. In this article you will read how to train employees on new cloud customer service solutions, what often goes wrong and how to get it right.
Why is training so important with cloud solutions?
Cloud solutions for customer service are changing the way employees work. Instead of multiple separate systems for telephony, e-mail, chat and WhatsApp, they will soon be working from one central environment. That sounds like a win, and it is. But it does require a different way of working.
Employees who are not properly trained fall back on old habits. They manually look up information in systems they know, skip steps or make mistakes when recording customer interactions. The result? Longer handling times, frustrated customers and employees who feel that the new tool creates more work instead of less.
So good training in cloud customer service implementation is not an afterthought. It is the basis for success. And the sooner you start doing so, the smoother the transition will be.
What skills do customer service employees need?
Training customer service agents for a cloud environment involves more than just learning buttons. There are three types of skills you want to develop:
- Basic technical skills: navigate the new platform, record calls, access customer profiles and switch channels without losing information.
- Process knowledge: understanding how customer contact now flows through the system, who picks up what, and how escalations work in the new environment.
- Adaptive capacity: coping with change, daring to ask questions and willing to let go of habits that belonged to the old system.
Employees who are already strong in customer service have an advantage in this regard. The technology can be learned, but the attitude to really help a customer, that is the core of good customer service. Training must combine those two things: master the tool AND stay focused on what the customer needs.
How do you set up a training plan for cloud customer service?
An effective training plan for cloud telephony training and broader customer service training starts not with the tool, but with the people. First, ask yourself: who needs to learn what, when and at what level?
A practical training plan usually includes the following steps:
- Take stock of starting level: not everyone has the same digital skills. Differentiate between employees who move along quickly and colleagues who need more guidance.
- Phase in training: start with the basic operations that employees need on a daily basis. Only later build out to advanced features such as reporting or AI support.
- Combine learning formats: classroom sessions, short instructional videos, hands-on exercises in a test environment and on-the-job coaching work better together than one approach alone.
- Schedule repetition: one training session just before going live is insufficient. Schedule follow-up sessions in the first weeks after implementation to answer questions and allow for adjustments.
- Designate internal coaches: employees learn faster from colleagues than from external trainers. Train a small group as superusers who can support others.
Also, make sure the training plan fits with the cloud telephony infrastructure you are using. The better the training matches the actual environment, the smaller the gap between learning and doing.
What are common mistakes when training employees?
Many organizations make the same mistakes when onboarding customer service employees. It helps to know these in advance so you can avoid them.
- Starting too late: scheduling training only after the system is already live creates stress and errors in the first few weeks.
- Focusing only on technology: employees learn how the system works, but not how it fits into their daily customer contact process.
- One training for all: an experienced team leader has different needs than a new employee. Generic training rarely fits everyone well.
- No room for questions after going live: most questions don’t arise until employees are actually working with the system. If there is no support then, people solve it themselves, often in ways that are not convenient.
- Ignoring resistance: employees who are skeptical about the change will not be convinced by an instructional video. Those need a conversation, not a module.
How do you keep employees motivated during a system transition?
A cloud contact center implementation always brings uncertainty. Employees wonder if their jobs will change, if they will master the system and what will be expected of them. That uncertainty is understandable and deserves attention.
Motivation during a system transition begins with transparency. Explain why the switch is being made, what it will benefit both the customer and the employee. People cooperate more easily with change if they understand the reason and feel that their interests count too.
Practical tips to keep employees motivated:
- Involve employees early in the process, such as through a pilot group that first tests the system.
- Celebrate small successes. If a team runs the first week without any problems, name it.
- Make mistakes negotiable. No one learns in an environment where mistakes are punished.
- Give employees a say in how they learn; not everyone learns the same way.
Feeling seen and supported as an employee makes the difference between a difficult transition and a smooth adoption.
When will you know your employees are ready for the new cloud environment?
Being ready for a new cloud environment is not a moment; it is a process. Yet there are signs that employees are adequately prepared for going live with cloud solutions:
- Employees can perform basic operations independently without a manual.
- They know where to turn when they get stuck, internally or at the help desk.
- They understand how the new system connects to their daily work and customer contact process.
- Resistance turned to curiosity or acceptance.
After going live, it’s smart to monitor the first few weeks. Look at handling times, registration quality and the number of questions coming in to your internal coaches. That data will tell you more than a post-training evaluation form.
How Pegamento helps train employees on cloud customer service
We believe that technology only works if people can actually work with it. That’s why at Pegamento we offer not only the cloud solution, but also the guidance needed to get your team working with it successfully. Everything under one roof, without having to manage multiple parties.
What we specifically offer in implementation and training:
- Custom adoption and guidance: no standard onboarding, but an approach that fits your organization, team and systems, composed of proven modules.
- Superuser programs: we train internal coaches so that knowledge continues to grow after going live.
- Knowledge support integration: through our Expert Engine, employees get real-time access to the right information during customer calls, without having to search through lengthy documents.
- One point of contact: from strategy and implementation to training and management, you work with one partner who oversees the big picture.
Want to know how we can get your team ready for a new cloud environment? Contact us and together we’ll look at what your situation calls for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hoe lang duurt een gemiddeld trainingstraject voor een cloud klantenservice oplossing?
De duur hangt sterk af van de complexiteit van het systeem en het startniveau van je medewerkers, maar reken gemiddeld op twee tot vier weken voor een volledig trainingstraject. Dit omvat de basistraining vóór de livegang, gevolgd door begeleiding op de werkvloer in de eerste weken na implementatie. Houd er rekening mee dat leren pas echt begint zodra medewerkers dagelijks met het systeem werken, dus plan altijd follow-up momenten in.
Wat doe je als medewerkers na de livegang toch terugvallen op oude werkgewoontes?
Terugvalgedrag is normaal en betekent niet dat de training heeft gefaald. Zorg eerst dat je interne superusers actief beschikbaar zijn op de werkvloer om collega’s direct bij te sturen. Analyseer daarnaast welke specifieke handelingen of situaties de terugval veroorzaken, want dat wijst vaak op een gat in de training dat je gericht kunt aanvullen met een korte refresher sessie of extra instructiemateriaal.
Hoe betrek je medewerkers die weerstand hebben tegen de nieuwe cloud omgeving?
Weerstand heeft zelden te maken met de technologie zelf, maar vrijwel altijd met de onzekerheid die verandering meebrengt. Voer individuele gesprekken om te begrijpen waar de weerstand vandaan komt en geef medewerkers een actieve rol, bijvoorbeeld als testgebruiker in een pilotfase. Mensen die vroeg betrokken worden en merken dat hun feedback serieus wordt genomen, worden vaak de sterkste ambassadeurs van de nieuwe werkwijze.
Is het verstandig om alle medewerkers tegelijk te trainen, of kun je dit beter faseren?
Gefaseerd trainen heeft duidelijk de voorkeur boven een big bang aanpak waarbij iedereen tegelijk wordt opgeleid. Begin met een kleine pilotgroep van enthousiaste en digitaal vaardige medewerkers, leer van hun ervaringen en pas het trainingsplan waar nodig aan voordat de rest volgt. Dit bespaart tijd, vermindert fouten en zorgt ervoor dat je al een groep interne ervaringsdeskundigen hebt op het moment dat de bredere uitrol plaatsvindt.
Welke meetpunten kun je gebruiken om te beoordelen of de training succesvol was?
Kijk verder dan tevredenheidsscores op evaluatieformulieren en meet concrete prestatie-indicatoren zoals gemiddelde afhandeltijd, first contact resolution en het aantal escalaties in de eerste weken na livegang. Aanvullend geven het aantal vragen bij interne coaches en de registratiekwaliteit van klantinteracties een goed beeld van hoe goed medewerkers het systeem daadwerkelijk beheersen. Vergelijk deze cijfers met de baseline vóór de implementatie om de impact van de training zichtbaar te maken.
Hoe houd je kennis up-to-date als het cloud platform regelmatig updates krijgt?
Cloud platformen worden continu doorontwikkeld, waardoor training geen eenmalig project is maar een doorlopend proces. Wijs je superusers aan als eerste aanspreekpunt bij nieuwe functionaliteiten en zorg dat zij updates als eerste ontvangen en kunnen vertalen naar de werkvloer. Korte microlearnings, zoals een instructievideo van twee minuten bij een nieuwe feature, werken veel beter dan het opnieuw plannen van grote trainingssessies telkens als er iets wijzigt.
Wat is het verschil tussen een superuser programma en reguliere training, en heb je beide nodig?
Reguliere training richt zich op het basisniveau dat elke medewerker nodig heeft om zelfstandig te kunnen werken met het systeem. Een superuser programma gaat een stap verder: het traint een selecte groep medewerkers tot interne experts die collega’s kunnen begeleiden, vragen kunnen beantwoorden en als brug fungeren tussen de werkvloer en de IT- of implementatiepartner. Beide zijn nodig: reguliere training zorgt voor de brede basis, het superuser programma zorgt dat die kennis ook na de livegang blijft groeien en verankerd raakt in de organisatie.
