Customer Service Training Program Plan

Melissa Pratt
AET/570
October 3rd, 2016
Dr. Gale Cossette

Customer Service Training Program Plan

In any organization where a service or product is produced, exceptional customer service
is imperative to success. Often times customer service expectations are discussed with staff but
they are not actively taught to employees. Customer service skills are essential in the wine
business. By providing customers with exceptional service they are more likely to purchase
product, share the product with others, and become loyal customers. Sunoo (2001) cites return
on investment for customer service training at three different companies. In every case positive
returns were illustrated in increased revenue and reduced costs and customer complaints, (as
cited in Thach & Olsen, 2003, p. 3). Employees who have exceptional customer service skills
feel more confident in their job and are more likely to increase sales in the tasting room. The
experience of the consumer in the tasting room is instrumental not only to sales in the tasting
room, but when the customer returns home and looks for the wine label in their local store,
(Thach & Olsen, 2003, p. 2). The development of the Customer Service Training Program is to
ensure that all staff at the Round Barn Winery provides exceptional service to all customers.
Scope
The Customer Service Training Program is designed to meet the needs of employees at
Round Barn Winery. The purpose of this training program is to provide employees with the
skills, experience, and knowledge to provide customers with exceptional service to increase
profits. This training program will run for 3 days face-to-face with online modules for
participants to complete at home. The training program will be divided into targeted sessions to
ensure that all areas are covered and employees master the goals and objectives of the training
program. Round Barn Winery values the continued growth and education of our employees. The
Customer Service Training Program is designed to provide employees with the skills and

knowledge they need to be successful in their positions. The training will encompass; creating
and maintaining the company culture, putting the customer first, building a personal connection,
closing a sale and creating a return customer.
Audience
The Customer Service Training Program is designed for tasting consultants, wait staff,
managers, and employees that directly work with customers on a day-to-day basis. These staff
will vary in age between 18 and 60 years of age. The mixture of staff that will participate in this
training will also range from new employees to employees who have been working for the
organization for 10+ years.
Goals
1.

Participants will apply customer service techniques to increase sales.

2.

Participants will exude Round Barn Winerys company culture elements.

3.

Participants will provide customers with a personalized experience to meet their needs.

4.

Participants will show an increase in sales due to the application of sales techniques.

Objectives
1.

Participants will be able to choose successfully and demonstrate three customer service

techniques.
2.

Participants will identify three ways to incorporate Round Barn Winerys company

culture elements into their day-to-day job.

3.

Participants will apply 2 sales techniques when closing their tasting with customers as

measured through an observation checklist.

4.

Participants will score 80% or above on the Customer Service Training Program quiz.

Creating a personalized experience for customers can lead to an increase in profitability.

Offering a training program for employees that increases their customer service skills will enable
them to better create these personalized experiences for customers. Quackenbush (2001) states,
Training in personalized customer service and reading the needs/level of the customer is also
important, (as cited in Thach & Olsen, 2003, p. 6). If participants are able to master the goals
and objectives outlined for the program, they will be more effective in the tasting room and will
create more positive experiences for customers.
Needs and Gap Analysis
In order to develop an effective training program, it is essential to identify the true needs
of an organization. A needs analysis was completed to identify the gaps within the company.
After the needs have been identified then a plan can be built to appropriately target the needs and
bridge the gap between where we were and where we want to be as an organization. There are
many techniques that can be used to determine the needs and gaps within an organization. These
methods include but are not limited to questionnaires, interviews, observations, performance and
product reviews, and social indicators. For the purpose of Round Barn Winery, the following
techniques were used to conduct needs and gap analysis on customer service for Round Barn
employees.

Questionnaires
Performance and Product Reviews
Interviews
Observations
Questionnaires
The questionnaire for employees of Round Barn Winery was devised using the Survey
Monkey website and App. The survey was designed to target our customers input on their
experience during their time at the winery. The survey was composed of 5 questions that targeted

their customer experience in various parts of their wine tasting experience. The organizations
expectation is that 85 % of customers are satisfied with their experience at Round Barn Winery.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Average Rating

Performance and Product Reviews

As an organization that provides both products and services to our customers, taking into
consideration performance and product reviews is a necessary part of determining organizational
needs. According to recent reviews on Yelp, Facebook and Tripadvisor,
Interviews
Employees that work on the sales floor every day provide the organization a valuable
perspective on the needs and gaps within the company. During the needs and gap analysis, ten
employees were selected to participate in an individual interview on Round Barns customer
service policies, procedures, and vision. These employees ranged from new employees to 10year employees. Employees from every area of the organization (that works with customers on a
daily basis) were represented. At the end of the interview, employees were asked to give a final
rating on their satisfaction with current customer service training. The overall score from these

employees, their customer service satisfaction was 4.3 out of 10. The feedback from the
interviews has also been collected to provide the biggest take away points for future training
development.
Observations
Observations can provide essential information to the needs and gap analysis process.
Observations were conducted over a period of 5 days. During these days, observations were
completed on the following roles: hosts, welcome staff, tasting consultants, and checkout staff.
The purpose of the observations was two-fold: 1. To see from a customer perspective, how they
are treated throughout their tasting experience 2. To create a role profile of a high performance
employee. According to Elliot (2008), The role of the analyst is to capture and document the
high performance system that allows the worker to be successful. The documentation is referred
to as the role profile. It includes data such as the results produced, the success criteria for those
results, the key activities or tasks used to produce the results with their success criteria, and
system facilitators and barriers that the stars have discovered, (p. 111). Over the 5 days of
observations, several gaps were brought to light.
1. Customers are unaware of the options when they arrive at the winery
2. Welcome staff run through tasting process quick- customers seem confused and have to ask
many questions after.
3. Welcome staff begin typing in reservation information for tasting, staring at the computer, while
they are still talking to the customer about the tasting
4. Tasting consultants running through their process without creating a dialogue with customers
5. Employees directing customers to places - customers confused about where they are going
6. Employees standing around
7. Employees leaning on the counters when they dont have customers
8. Employees on their phones in front of customers
9. Employees hoping for the sale, not asking for it
10. Tasting consultants hurrying to clean their station instead of closing the sale and tasting process
with the customer

Summary of Findings
After each of the techniques listed above were completed, the information was compiled
and analyzed to determine the needs for a Customer Service Training Program. Questionnaires
completed by customers provided significant information to determine needs of our staff and
where training is necessary. In the comment section of the survey, 12 out of 30 customers
commented that they did not like the feel of the welcome tent but their tasting overall was good.
These types of comments could be directly related to the tent structure or the climate that they
staff are setting for customers. Only 61% of customers were satisfied with their welcome tent
experience. Since the tent is where customers gain their first impression of Round Barn Winery,
there is a need to implement better customer service skills to make customers feel welcomed,
ensure they understand their options for tasting, and are taken care of in a timely manner.
The performance and product reviews highlighted that many customers felt that staff
were not knowledgeable about our products, (welcome) staff were rude, and overall that they
were unhappy with the customer service they received during their time at Round Barn Winery.
Individual interviews with employees throughout the organization showed a discrepancy
between host staff and tasting consultants view on the customer satisfaction policies, procedures
and vision currently presents. Tasting consultants overall were more satisfied with their current
training than welcome hosts.
The observation information listed above showed some significant areas that require
improvement in order to provide customers exceptional service. The areas that were identified
include but are not limited to: creating a relationship with customers, taking care of all customer
needs, creating a welcoming feeling, putting customers first, and ensuring customers have all the
information they need.

The data from the needs and gap analysis directly impact the goals and objectives of the
Customer Service Training Program. This program will provide employees with training on the
identified needs to close the gap in performance and improve consumer feedback as well as
sales. Making these improvements and providing employees with a Customer Service Training
Program that meets their needs, will have a positive impact on their learning experience with the
organization and make them more likely to attend trainings in the future.
Budget
Expense
Personnel

Item/Cost per Item

Training Director
(salaried at 53,000)
General Manager
(salaried at 48,000)

Number Needed
Training Director (1)
General Manager (1)
Managers (2)
Support Staff (5)

Total Cost
$26,000 (Training
Directors time for 6
months)
$11,960 ( of GMs
time for 6 month
period)

Managers (hourly at
$16.00)

$2,560 (Managers
days of program and
marketing time)

Support staff (hourly

at $11.00)

$1,320 (support staff

for days of program)
Fringe Benefits

None

0.00

External Staff

Technical support$55 per hour

Built in backup
budget for 10 hours
of service
$550

Materials

Video (video
production salaried at
50,000)
Trainer materials

Video Production (1)

$960 (5 days of
filming and editing
video for the training)
$250 (trainer
materials)

Technical Support

$55 per hour

See above (external

staff)

Equipment

Projector (owned by
the company)
Computer (Training
Directors)

Computer- 1

$750.00

Travel

$0.00

$0.00

Facilities

$500 per day

Will be using the

upper portion of the
winery- closing off
for tastings and used
for training

$1,500

Supplies

Folders- $0.20
Pens- $0.16
Notepads- $0.20

180 of each

$100.80

Miscellaneous

Certificates- $0.50
each

180

$90.00

Total Cost

$46,040.80

Personnel
The sessions within this training program will be held in a variety of formats. The
personnel needed to complete all training sessions are: training director, general manager for the
winery, winery managers and support staff. Each of these roles will be further explained in the
staffing plan.
Fringe benefits
There are no fringe benefits for employees or participants in this training program.
External staff
A $550 budget is built in to ensure service from technical support if any issues arise.
Materials
Videos are required for both the in person and online training. A video production is
required and $960 is budgeted for this portion of the project. For the portion of the course that is

conducted online, paper materials are not required. $250 is allowed for the trainers instructional
materials.
Technical support
The online portion of this program will require technical support to be available if
needed. Our freelance tech support will be available 24/7 during the training period. They charge
$55 per hour for service. $550 has been allotted as backup for 10 hours of service if needed
during training. Internet service is required for staff to complete their training at home. If staff is
unable to complete this at home, they are allowed to come to work early to complete this portion
before their training as planned with their trainer.
Equipment
Computers and a projector, which is already owned by the organization, are the only
equipment required for this training course. Employees will use their personal computers during
the online portion of the training. If they do not have access to the computer, accommodations
will be made to allow them a company computer to complete this portion.
Travel
Travel expenses are $0. All staff and participants will not need travel expenses, as the
training is located at their place of employment.
Facilities
Facilities outside of the winery are not required for this program. For the face-to-face
training, the organization will use its locations to host training (the Estate upper round barn).
Employees at their choice of location will complete the online portion of the training.
Supplies

Folders, pens and notepads will be provided to all participants to take notes during their
training and keep all of their information organized.
Miscellaneous
Program completion certificates will be given to participants that have completed the
course.
Income Source

Explanation

Total Revenue

Parent Company

A majority of the income for this training

program will come from the parent company.
The parent company supports this training as it
recognizes the need for all employees to
increase their customer service skills. The
company will provide 41,840 for the training
out of the training budget. This amount will
cover the cost of all in house employees who
will be responsible for developing and
delivering the training.

$41,840

Participant Fees

In order to encourage all employees to

participate, the organization has chosen to
waive participant fees for all current
employees of Round Barn Winery.

$0.00

Sponsorship

There are several local wineries that will

contribute a sponsorship to the program.

$1,000

Miscellaneous

If a non-employee wishes to participate, they

will be charged a $75 registration fee. This
training will be marketed to local businesses to
encourage non-employee participants and to
increase revenue from the program.

$75 for each nonemployee

participant

Total Revenue

(expecting 30 nonemployee
participants=
$2,250)
$45,090

To create the most positive and open learning environment for staff, this training program
will use facilities that participants connect to, will be able to directly apply their new knowledge

to and will ensure they can physically see how they can apply this in their day-to-day jobs. It is
believed that using trainers and staff that participants are familiar with, will also allow them to
connect with their trainer and be more receptive to new strategies and techniques for interacting
with customers.
Staffing Plan
The following breakdown explains the staffing needs for the Customer Service Training
Program for Round Barn Winery. Each role is broken down into the needs, requirements, and
importance of each role.
1. Training Director- The Training Director is an internal employee who is responsible for many
aspects of the training program. The director is responsible for determining the needs, developing
what needs to be done to meet the needs, and then to implement the session or program. Once the
program is developed, the Training Director will be responsible for preparing their team,
implementing the program, and following up to ensure that all employees are modifying their
behavior. The required skills for this position are curriculum development, ADDIE model
process, computer literacy, public speaking, and management.
2. General Manager- The General Manager (who is in charge of managers) will be working
alongside the Training Director to develop the training program to meet the needs of all
employees. The General Manager is responsible for working with the Managers to ensure all
staff that is involved in the program are prepared and scheduled. The required skills for this
position are computer literate, public speaking, time management, and delegating skills.
3. Managers- Managers must attend all sessions in the training program. The Managers are
responsible for assisting marketing the program with their employees. The Managers are also
responsible for assisting in implementation of the new skills and behaviors following training.

The required skills for this position are public speaking, time management, leadership skills, and
scheduling.
4. Support Staff (Team Leads)- Team Leads are wine consultants who have been with the company
for several years, have taken initiative to take on extra responsibilities, and have become leaders
within their peers. These consultants have been given the role of a Team Lead and are our most
knowledgeable staff. The Team Leads will be responsible for leading small breakout sessions
during the in-person training program. The required skills for this position are public speaking,
product knowledge, group management skills, and computer literacy skills.
5. Technical Support- An external technical support company (Need The Tech) will be available
during the course of the online training portion if technical assistance is necessary. They will be
willing to assist any participant with any technical issues. The required skills for this position are
computer literacy skills.
As a small organization, Round Barn Winery will be maximizing its internal resources
and staff to develop and implement the Customer Service Training Program. Since the wine
industry is somewhat isolated in Round Barns location in Baroda, Michigan, costs to bring in
support staff that specializes in the industry are excessive. Utilizing staff and local resources will
bring added value to the program. Staff, who have been outlined above, will be responsible for
ensuring new behaviors and techniques are being implemented within the organization following
training. Ensuring that participants are able to transfer their learning back to their jobs following
training is essential to creating a positive impact from the program.
Time Requirement
Depending on the level of involvement, each employee will be required to spend a
different amount of time dedicated to developing, implementing, or monitoring this program.
The Training and Development Director will be responsible for this program from the start to

completion and follow up. The schedule for determining needs, developing the program,
involving stakeholders, determining a budget, marketing the program and running the program is
a 6 month period. The General Manager will also be a part of this 6 month schedule but will not
be as actively involved at all portions. The GM will be a part of determining needs, developing
the program, and running the program. The Managers will be a part of the marketing the
program and running the program. The support staff/team leads will be a part of running the
program. The Training Director, General Manager and Managers will be responsible for the
follow up and evaluation of the program.
Filling Resource Gaps
Most of the program will be developed from internal staff at Round Barn Winery. Since
staff at the winery at not experts at every level of customer service, the Training Director will be
in charge of compiling research from top customer service organizations and implementing their
strategies within our training.
Staff Performance Evaluations
Throughout the program, there will be several types of evaluations. Participants will
complete evaluations of the program. Participants will also be completing evaluations to measure
their knowledge growth following the program to ensure that the program was effective. The
types of evaluations and staff who are responsible will be outlined in section 7, program
evaluation.
Stakeholders and Goals
Stakeholders

Partnership Goal

Ways to Build
Support

Producing Positive
Impact on Adult
Learning

Owners

Owners understand that

customers are more likely

Provide appropriate
budget for program.

Owner support
financially would

to purchase product and

become return customers if
they receive excellent
service. Owners support
training to change current
customer service strategies
that consultants are
implementing.

Share information
regarding training
session with other
local winery owners.

allow the program to

include better
resources and would
also show the
employees that they
support their work for
the organization.

Trainer

Teach consultants top

customer service skills to
ensure customer
satisfaction and increase
product sales.

Create an engaging
program that
consultants want to
participate in. Make
information relevant
to both consultants
and customer needs.

Trainer will develop

program that meets
the needs of learners
using adult learning
theories.

Managers

Managers will have fewer

issues to handle on a dayto-day basis if consultants
are able to meet customer
needs and provide
excellent service.

Managers will share

information with staff
and promote the
program.

Managers will review

program and provide
input on developing a
program that will
meet their employees
needs as well as be
relevant to their daily
job.

Wine
Consultants/
Participants

Our customers are the heart

and the soul of our
business. Our companys
passion is putting our
customers first and
ensuring that they are
satisfied with their
experience at Round Barn.
Knowing strategies for
working with customers
will create a happier work
environment where
employees can thrive.

Consultants will see

the benefits of the
program and
understand that
participating can
increase their
confidence and sales
at work.

Consultants will
engage in program
and their learning in
order to obtain new
skills and become
more effective at their
jobs.

Local Wineries

Customer service is the key

to our business. In the
small local wine business,
it is imperative to all
joining together to create
an exceptional experience

Build support through

marketing the
program to other local
wineries.

Local wineries will

build support for the
program and
encourage their staff
to attend in order to
develop their own

for customers to keep

people coming back to the
area.

employees customer
service skills.

Communication Plan
Marketing
Slogan

How to WINe and Dine:

The Key to Customer Service in the Wine
Industry

Who

Round Barn managers and wine consultants

Tasting room consultants of local wineries

What

Customer Service Training Program

When

Program runs April 3-6th, 2017 (one month prior to start of busy season for
local wineries)

Where

Round Barn Winery- Estate (Face-to-face)

Online

Why

To provide wine consultants with exceptional customer service techniques to

provide customers with top rated service

How

Participants will learn and explore new techniques and strategies for providing
exceptional customer service in both face-to-face training as well as online
simulations and learning.

Benefits of the Training Program

The Customer Service Training Program is designed to provide employees with better
solutions for working with customers. The program will provide employees with skills that can
create more efficiency in the tasting room as well as provide higher sales effectiveness. Using an

engaging and interactive format will allow participants to enjoy their learning experience and put
their new skills and knowledge to use.
Instructional Practices
The Customer Service Training Program is designed with employee needs in mind. A
mixture of face-to-face training and online training will be used to provide personal interaction
with staff as well as provide at home opportunities to further their learning. The time spent
during face-to-face training will be filled with educational lecture and discussions as well as
interactive, real world simulations for staff to engage in. These experiences will allow staff to
take their new knowledge and apply it immediately in a relevant format. Round Barn Winery
realizes that knowing and doing are two different skills sets. When implementing this training
program, participants will follow up their learning with hands on experiences to deepen their
understanding and physically try their new skills and techniques to create a positive impact on
their learning.
The online portion of the training program is designed to reinforce new skills and provide
participants with more individualized, self-paced learning. As this is the first time staff will
participate in an online format, the majority of the course will be taught face-to-face. A small
portion of the training will occur online to expose participants to the online format and reinforce
their face-to-face learning. The online portion will include training videos showcasing the top
skills taught and how to implement, quizzes, provide feedback forms, and provide resources for
employees to refresh on product knowledge, Round Barn Winerys policies and procedures, etc.
Promoting the Program
When developing a training program, is it imperative to also determine the channels that
will be used for marketing the program. The Customer Service Training Program will be

promoted to employees of Round Barn Winery as well as employees of other local wineries.
Since a portion of the revenue for this program will come from external employees, marketing
must reach those employees and persuade them to partake in the program. The goals of the
communication plan are to:

Inform employees about the customer service training program

Engage employees to learn about the program
Persuade employees to partake in the program
Inform employees the benefits of providing exceptional customer service and how it will impact

their job
Explain how the program is designed to meet their needs
Round Barn Winery will be using a variety of marketing strategies to promote the
Customer Service Training Program. The mix of strategies that were selected will assist in
informing both internal and external wine consultants about the program. In order to ensure
program success, it is imperative that employees are aware of the program and its benefits. The
strategies that will be the primary focus on promoting the program are:
Include information in the weekly updates (from Managers to consultants) that will inform
internal staff
Promote the program on Round Barn Winerys Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accountsattach link for people to sign up electronically
Create flyers to be placed in employee areas at Round Barn locations as well as be dropped off at
local wineries to be placed in their employee areas- provide phone number, website, and email
address in which they can use to sign up for the program
Banner added to the Round Barn Winerys website promoting the program- attach link for people
to sign up electronically
Encourage word-of-mouth promotion from Managers and employees
Owners will explain program to all Managers in monthly managers meeting- promote
excitement and ask Managers to share with their staff
Program Evaluation.

In order to determine the success of the Customer Service Training Program, Round Barn
Winery will be using a variety of evaluation strategies to gain a well-rounded view of the
training results. Results from the evaluations will be used to;
1.
2.
3.
4.

Determine areas to further educate participants in areas participants did not master
Adjust future trainings based upon participant feedback
Determine sales increases due to consultant participation
Analyze customer feedback on their experience and make changes to create a better customer
experience
Thach & Olsen (2003) explain...there are several metrics, which can be tracked in wine
tasting rooms. These can include the number of bottles/cases sold, total revenues, margin,
number of return customers, number of new customers, and wine club sign ups, (p. 3). As part
of the Customer Service Training Program, part of the program evaluation will be bottle sales per
consultant. Sales for the consultants who participate in the training will be compared from the 3
months prior to the training to the three months following the training. These metrics will be
used to see if the skills implemented by the consultants are increasing profits for the
organization.
One imperative portion of training evaluation is ensuring that the skills and strategies that
are being implemented into the consultant's work life. A checklist and observation form will be
developed to measure the implementation of the new skills and strategies. Managers will be
responsible for completing these evaluations for consultants who participated in the Customer
Service Training Program. Evaluations must occur within 30 day, 60 days, and 90 days following
the training.
Feedback from participants is another evaluation tool that can provide pertinent
information regarding the success of the training from the participants point of view. The
Training and Development Director will be responsible for ensuring all participants fill out the

survey, collect the information, analyze to find trends, and change future trainings based upon
the feedback.
Evaluating both the program and the participants transfer of knowledge is imperative to
determine if the program was successful. The outcomes of this program will improve employee
satisfaction, customer service satisfaction and profitability for Round Barn Winery. The
evaluation portion of this program will assist in making necessary changes to the program for the
future benefit of other employees.
Individual

Evaluation Responsibility

General Manager

Measuring consultant wine sales (3 months prior compared to 3

months following training) to determine impact of sales due to
training

Training and
Development Director

Collect feedback forms, analyze results and make adjustments to

future training. Director will also review and analyze customer
feedback on sites such as Facebook, Yelp, and Tripadvisor to
determine if customer satisfaction reviews are increasing.
Training and Development director will also be responsible for
analyzing evaluation forms regarding their implementation of the
program.

Managers (direct
supervisors of wine
consultants)

Managers are responsible for completing employee observations

following the training program.

Consultants (participants)

Consultants will be given a self-evaluation to measure their growth

(from their perspective) from the training. This evaluation will be
given both before and after training to measure changes that
participants marked.

Conclusion
The Customer Service Training Program will help enhance Southwest Michigans wine
experience. It is assumed that increasing the skills and knowledge of tasting consultants will also

increase sales and revenue for Round Barn Winery. In addition to profits, it is the expectation
that this training will increase tasting consultants effectiveness and confidence in their job.

References

Elliott, P. H. (2008). Section II: Assessing and analyzing needs - chapter 6: Identifying
performance and learning gaps. Alexandria: Association for Talent Development.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/896137908?accountid=458
Thach, E. & Olsen, J. (2003). Customer service training in winery tasting rooms: perceptions of
effectiveness by tasting room personnel [PDF document]. Retrieved from
http://academyofwinebusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/File-001.pdf