As a business owner, you probably know well enough that, when it comes to a knack for customer service, employees either have it or they don’t. Some people are seemingly born with the skill for knowing how to take outstanding care of customers, while others just can’t quite grasp how to do it properly.

Having said that, even the best CSR team needs proper training to be as successful as possible, and attract and retain customers. Setting up your CSR superstars requires a combo of hands-on training and proper equipment that will allow them to do their jobs as effectively as possible. Check out the following tips for doing just this:

Teach Them About Your Products and Services

Sometimes, when a manager hires a new member of a CSR team, he or she will spend more time explaining how the phone and computer systems work than really getting into the nitty gritty of the company. As GrooveHQ notes, a new customer service representative must be uber familiar with your company, product, who a “typical” customer might be and the rest of the team.

Before a CSR picks up the phone for the first time or helps a customer at the counter, make sure he or she spends time trying out and testing your products and services. Take them through the stock room, give them a sample or two to try and keep, and if possible, team them up with a “senior” member of your CSR team to help with training. Then, have your new employee shadow either you or the mentor for at least a day or two to listen and watch the way you interact with customers. This approach will not only help to educate your new team member about your company and products, it can also prevent him from feeling overwhelmed and unsure of himself.

Role Play and Monitor Calls

As part of your CSR training, try role playing with your new hires. Play the part of the happy customer, the grumpy customer and the guy who calls in with a bunch of questions. Take turns playing these roles and encourage your new hire to be a combination of helpful and empathetic. Then, once a new employee starts working directly with customers, Ameyo suggests monitoring the calls from time to time, or sitting nearby to make sure he or she is comfortable speaking with the clients and is answering questions correctly. You can do this in a way that won’t make the new hire nervous — explain that you do this with everyone and that it’s mainly to be sure your training system was thorough.

What has worked for you? Leave a comment and share!