Search past winners/finalists


  • MESA logo

GES - Customer Service Training Team of the Year

 

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2019, Click to Enter The 2020 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Company: GES, Las Vegas, NV
Company Description: Event Organizers and Exhibitors from all over the world come to us for all their experiential marketing needs. At GES, we provide comprehensive event management solutions. Our services include inspired strategies, to brilliant creative designs. We have been the recipient of countless awards for our National Servicenter, as well as for our execution of flawless events and exhibitions.
Nomination Category: Customer Service & Call Center Awards Team Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Customer Service Training Team of the Year - Business Services Industries

Nomination Title: Learning Never Stops

Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved since the beginning of July 2017 (up to 650 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

GES is a global, full-service provider to events, and we are in a unique and fun industry, the business of live events! The Customer Service Representatives in the GES National Servicenter® answer questions regarding every event and trade show that GES produces within the United States. This requires knowledge of labor laws, a variety of venues in all the major cities, and the specific characteristics of each trade show. Our challenge and opportunity lies in the overwhelming amount of information we need our employees to learn during the initial training and beyond.

“Learning Never Stops” is our motto. We regularly meet with our front line staff, senior representatives, quality specialist, and our trainer to determine areas of opportunity, and we solicit stories of successes. This is a key component to our continuous improvement cycle. It is in the course of these conversations that we determined a need to revolutionize our training program. Our new process reflects a three-pronged approach: to leverage technology, improve processes, and better utilize our people, all while meeting the diverse needs of all learning types.

Our technology improvements include purchasing software called Articulate. This program allows us to custom design our training modules so that each individual can learn at their own pace. This has allowed our trainer to take on the role of facilitator versus a teacher. No longer does the class have to sit through 8 hours of lectures and PowerPoint slide review. This has helped tremendously with employee retention.

This has also had ancillary benefits with our existing staff that we did not anticipate. When a new product or services is introduced, we design a continuous training module and then employees can take the training on an individual basis. This has had a direct impact on our call volumes as we no longer have to pull groups of employees off the phones to deliver training en masse.

The second initiative for process change was centered on our quality monitoring program. While we recognized the continued need for feedback for our seasoned representatives, we knew they did not need to meet with the same person over and over for coaching. This led to the creation of “Peer Calibrations”. Groups of 3-4 representatives gather with our Quality Coordinator to listen to and evaluate each other’s calls. Guidelines were established to make this an overwhelmingly positive experience. Members of the management team do not attend these calibrations, which allows our representatives to be open with each other and provide constructive feedback. They are tasked with sharing what tips and ideas they take away from the learning session which can be shared with the rest of the floor.

Our third initiative is to leverage the knowledge of senior representatives in the center. We have a dedicated group of senior representatives, an internal “Support Desk,” who assist newer employees, as well as seasoned employeesin getting answers to questions they cannot find themselves. Previously the Support Desk was located in one corner of the center and our Inbound representatives would reach out to them via chat when assistance was needed. Our office is divided into four pods. We now station a senior representative in each of the pods so that they can listen for key words that signal someone may need help and assist immediately.

Improved technology, updated process, and better utilization of our most valuable resource, our people, has created a platform for learning success here at GES.