Concept IT Launches a Customer Communications Training Programme to Enhance Soft Skills Among Field and Installation Engineers.
05 November, 2007 – Concept IT, a leading independent provider of recruitment solutions to the field services industry across the UK, has launched a scheme to provide complimentary customer awareness training for all field service and installation engineers who have secured permanent positions through the company.
The aim of this scheme is to encourage engineers to combine their technical skills and knowledge with ‘soft skills’, such as an acute awareness of customer service techniques. Concept IT hopes that the training will enable engineers to become ambassadors for their employers while out in the field, delivering added value to customers and identifying new business opportunities.
During the two day session, which is delivered by leading training provider Festo, engineers learn how to engage with the customer to build a trust relationship, increase end-user loyalty through good customer interaction, and ultimately, how the delivery of a break/fix service which focuses on the needs of the customer will result in brand differentiation.
Chris Short, MD of Concept IT, explains why his company is offering this additional training service: “The break/fix market has changed significantly over recent years as businesses realise the potential of using service engineers – essentially the face of the company – as brand ambassadors. This changing environment has resulted in employers requesting soft skills as core competencies during the interview stage, but few engineers understand what these soft skills are, let alone how they can be applied in their everyday working environment. Importantly, these skills can also be used effectively by individuals to support career progression.”
Following a successful trial of the initiative with Festo earlier this year, Concept IT felt it was important to commit to providing this training opportunity to the industry in the long term. Chris continues: “Training engineers to become outstanding brand representatives will reflect well on the companies in which they operate, and, due to the transferability of these skills, will have a positive impact on the industry as a whole. By delivering this training programme free of charge to the benefit of engineers we have placed and the companies they work for, Concept IT is initiating the process of aligning the requirements of the industry with the abilities of engineers.”
Mark Hemming, Senior Consultant at Festo, comments: “We are delighted that Concept IT has chosen to partner with Festo, and has committed to supporting the training needs of today’s field services and installation engineers. The traditional culture of the industry has encouraged engineers to have little or no contact with the customer. This meant that any form of miscommunication between the customer, the company and the engineer would result in a job not being completed successfully.
“The customer communication training programme delivered by Festo on behalf of Concept IT, however, puts the engineer at the centre of the company’s customer communication strategy by encouraging dialogue and ensuring this is appropriately captured for future use. Most importantly, by knowing what questions to ask, and clarifying the problem with the customer before commencing any work, an engineer can position themselves as a trusted advisor, someone who can be called upon again to deliver outstanding value. The ability to apply these soft skills in the future will not only differentiate companies, but also engineers.”
