Customer service horror stories are all too common, and to buck the trend, organizations must provide training and development opportunities to coach employees on a satisfying customer service experience, according to Impact Achievement Group, a training and performance management consulting company.

“Training is indispensable — not only does it provide context and skills for dealing with customers, [but it also] clarifies expectations for customer care and connects the customer to the business,” said Julie White, Ph.D., senior managing partner at Impact Achievement Group Inc.

This training will leave no doubt as to what is expected of employees when interacting with customers. Their failure to demonstrate an acceptable level of subject knowledge or to make proper choices in customer situations becomes a performance issue that can and must be managed.