What do you do if your customer service skills aren't improving after continuing education?

1 Assess your learning style

One possible reason why your customer service skills aren't improving is that you're not learning in a way that suits your preferences and needs. Continuing education courses come in different formats, such as online, in-person, self-paced, or instructor-led. Some people learn better by watching videos, others by reading texts, and others by doing exercises. To maximize your learning potential, you need to find out what kind of learner you are and choose the courses that match your style. You can take a free online quiz to discover your learning style and get tips on how to enhance it.

2 Seek feedback and coaching

Another possible reason why your customer service skills aren't improving is that you're not getting enough feedback and coaching from others. Continuing education courses can provide you with valuable information and guidance, but they can't replace the real-world experience and insights of your peers, managers, and customers. To improve your skills, you need to seek feedback and coaching from these sources on a regular basis. You can ask them to rate your performance, point out your strengths and weaknesses, and suggest areas for improvement. You can also ask them to mentor you, shadow you, or role-play with you to practice your skills.

3 Apply what you learn

A third possible reason why your customer service skills aren't improving is that you're not applying what you learn from continuing education courses to your actual work. Learning new skills is only half the battle; you also need to put them into action and make them part of your habits. To apply what you learn , you need to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for yourself and track your progress. You also need to review your results and reflect on what worked and what didn't. You can use a journal, a checklist, or a dashboard to document your learning journey.

4 Experiment and innovate

A fourth possible reason why your customer service skills aren't improving is that you're not experimenting and innovating with your service delivery. Continuing education courses can give you the foundation and the framework for customer service excellence, but they can't cover every possible scenario and situation. To improve your skills, you need to be flexible, adaptable, and creative in your service approach. You need to try new things, test different ideas, and learn from your failures. You can use a brainstorming, a prototyping, or a feedback loop process to generate and implement innovations.