What do you do if your customer service team lacks problem-solving skills?

Some people may think that money is what encourages people to do better, but I have found in my years in Hospitality here in Aspen that 75% of co workers appreciate more to have their managers listen, offer feedback and provide simple things as a nice uniform and some good training. People need leaders, not bosses. To be able to nurture people is one of the things I am grateful to be part of. I will continue to share more gems focusing each week on an aspect of Hospitality. Stay tuned! Carly Switzer

I suggest helping the clients on the phone instead of the quotas and length of calls. I worked for a call center where we were supposed to transfer calls over 4 min. People were already on hold for 30 or more min and I would hate transferring them.

The important thing about assessing skills of your team is to never assume that the only skills the person possesses is related to the role he/she is working in. In the past, I would ask staff how they wanted grow with the organization and how I could assist in helping the person achieve their goal. Working together collaboratively, skill sets were evaluated by involving staff in projects that supported the development of new skills. Staff were also encouraged to engage in tasks that continued to nurture existing skills. Pairing a staff person with stronger skills, in a specific area, with someone who needs additional support can foster improved confidence among the team ensuring that each person can succeed in doing better at their job.

Educate them from a trauma-informed community (TIC) perspective. It is essential to invest in training programs focused on TIC, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and decision-making. It is the organization's responsibility to foster a culture of collaboration and empowerment among the team so each feels responsible for seeking innovative solutions. Regular feedback to each team member, positive or coaching can also help enhance problem-solving abilities within the team.

To tackle the problem-solving skills gap in your customer service team, begin with a thorough assessment. Engage your team in a conversation to understand their current capabilities and identify specific areas that require improvement. Use open-ended questions to encourage them to reflect on their experiences and challenges faced while handling customer issues. This approach not only helps you pinpoint weaknesses but also fosters a supportive environment where team members feel valued and understood.

The composition of team members is diverse. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, once we learn all of them situation, then their strengths can be brought into full play.

Its so important to set clear expectations of not just the task but also timing and any other specific details. We all do things differently and I have learned that most times its not just wrong, its just different. So to avoid surprises, be precise and offer feedback so your team gets to know how you like things, they don't feel unmotivated and it also contributes to building trust.

- Implement targeted training workshops, provide real-life problems scenarios for practice, and encourage collaboration among team members to share strategies and insights for problem-solving success. - Focus on Root Cause Analysis.

One thing I have learnt to be efficient is being able to offer regular training, progression and feedback. It is viable to keep employees up to date with new industry trends as the service industry is constantly changing to digitalisation. A great way to do this is by allowing them to do online and/or offline training and then put it into practice in their job role. From there we can evaluate what they are excelling in and what areas they may need to improve in and make small goals to help continue their progression.

Offer trainings, role-play and case studies for the CS team in crucial for them to nurture the skill of problem solving, encourage solution-focused discussions could help to change the mindset little by little.

There is a quote which is famous in defence forces that "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war" it can actually true for businesses too... If your team is very equipped and well trained then they perform well.

Problem solving skills are essential for day to day productivity and successful operations. We need solutions and that need Problem solving skills. I would say training should be a regular feature and then being paired or teamed with an experienced colleague for on the job training and experience.

Working together which team work tends to help solve problems because sharing or ideas brings the perfect and fitting solutions to whatever the challenges may be to achieve the goal of any organization.

Build on each team members strengths, instead of focusing on their weaknesses. Teamwork makes each member feel a part of something bigger than themselves.

???? yes to teamwork! How? Providing team building opportunities that are intentional, productive and fun, like problem solving riddles/exercises. Here, colleagues can learn each others strengths and offers you an opportunity to further assess how they are individually, and how they collaborate together. Is it challenges with communication? Active listening? Executing brainstormed ideas?

Offering constructive feedback is a vital component of successful problem-solving, as it facilitates team members’ evaluation of their performance and recognition of opportunities for growth. Equally important is building a collaborative team environment that fosters mutual support, encourages learning, and values diverse perspectives, enabling members to tackle complex challenges together.

I agree with the above passage. I would add that asking subordinates for ideas and opinions makes them feel valuable and "seen" in the workplace which in turn creates loyalty and respect for everyone. Practically speaking, two heads are better than one, brainstorming, outside the box and collaborative thinking can solve a multitude of problems.

In addition to the above, make sure you as a coworker or a superior, especially, are always easy to communicate with and approachable.

- Share the customer feedback and reviews highlighting instances where problems were not effectively solved. This helps the team understand areas for improvement. - Recognize and reward team members who demonstrate exceptional problem-solving skills, fostering a culture that values and encourages improvement in this area.

Most companies tent to monitor progress and have 101 meetings quarterly or even yearly. I have found that monthly team meetings are as important to ensure continuation and set expectations short and long term.

When implementing strategies to improve teamwork, track relevant metrics to measure their effectiveness. This could include costumer satisfaction scores, resolution times, and the number is repeat contracts. You can also hold team meetings to discuss progress and brainstorm solutions to any challenges that arise.

Lead by example: As a leader, it's essential to show the team how to approach a problem, how to detect it, and how to think outside the box to solve it. They can also use the 5 Whys and other frameworks, but setting an example is a must as it gives teams a boost.

Monitoring progress both for yourself and your team is essential for ensuring excellent outcomes. Providing regular and ongoing feedback, allows for input from your team on what is going well and where challenges may exist. But it is also important, that your team is encouraged and is able to provide feedback to leadership regarding where support may be needed or where communication challenges might be preventing identifiable deliverables from being implemented. Being able to establish timelines to review assigned tasks, implementation of processes and reconsideration of reworking strategies that may need further evaluation due to lack of previous consideration become important to monitoring the progress and success of your team.

- Foster a supportive environment where team members feel comfortable seeking guidance and sharing innovative problem-solving approaches with each other. -Provide access to online courses, articles, and case studies to broaden their problem-solving knowledge base.

Recognize and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who demonstrate strong problem-solving skills. Publicly recognize their contributions and celebrate successes to motivate others to improve their skills.

From managing a team and having to teach both analytical and more empathetic problem solving the best thing to help is a combination skills. Encouraging the team to work together so that they have support and feel confident in their decisions. As well as providing intermittent feedback to help steer the solution when the team gets stuck. As a manager one cannot be the conscious on everyone's shoulder 24/7. But knowing that you are there if needed is a big help. Just as much as knowing their fellow colleagues are there as well should the team leader be unavailable.

We all have problem-solving abilities…. Believe in your abilities as a problem solver Learn skills needed that apply to your specific job role/ responsibilities Think of yourself as a capable problem- solver Act as a problem solver Identify your problem- solving results Evaluate and refine your skills