How We Define Customer Service

by Shannon McKenzie

Many companies claim they provide "great customer service." But what does that mean in the learning and development industry?

As a small but rapidly growing business, IdeaLearning Group intently focuses on client satisfaction for every project. And no matter how large our business becomes, we intend to keep it that way. The key is not handing a client a product from our inventory that seems to meet most of the requirements, but instead building exactly what the client needs, from the ground up.

Here's what customer service means to us:

We do the research. To us, research is more than just reading the given source materials. We immerse ourselves in the relevant topics, which often means having meetings with subject matter experts, learning a new software program, asking clarifying questions, and writing use cases based on what we discover. The result is a confident training plan that addresses the exact audience needs.

We maintain open communication. Instead of simply taking notes, giving a diagnosis, and writing a prescription for an off-the-shelf solution, we have multiple interviews to listen and determine the solution we'll create. We make an effort to keep in touch with clients throughout the entire process.

We use an iterative design process. We build multiple opportunities for client review into every project. So instead of writing a script, letting the client review it once, and then posting it online and calling it "final," we involve our clients in the entire process with many touch points and opportunities for feedback and revisions along the way.

We offer flexible solutions: We start every project with open minds. What our client thinks is needed at the beginning phase of the project might evolve in an unexpected direction once we get moving. For example, a client might think she wants classroom training. But when she engages us in the project, we uncover needs that lead to a different training approach, like eLearning or a blended learning program.

We sincerely love what we do. Finding the best training solution can be confusing and complex. All our team members share a passion for unraveling information and extracting the most important nuggets to create the best learning experience possible.

We ask for feedback. At the end of the project, we ask, "How did we do?" You'll notice that companies that don't value customer service rarely ask this question. Check here and here for some examples of our successes in providing excellent customer service.

How do you define customer service in your business? Tell us your story in the comments section below.