Employee training

Employee training is critical to success for companies of all sizes.

Developing an effective plan

Helping your staff develop on-the-job skills as well as soft skills that will serve them well in the workplace and in their everyday lives can translate into higher sales and brand loyalty as customers notice and appreciate a positive and upbeat shopping experience.

The first step is to have a training plan, one that is designed for your industry sector, tailored to your specific company, and flexible enough to accommodate customer-facing employees as well as those who work behind the scenes.

Though focusing on the basic skills of handling sales transactions couldn’t be more important, an effective and efficient plan will also include cross-training and an emphasis on employee engagement.

Engagement is key

The essence of engagement is an employee’s commitment to actually invest their time and energy helping the company to reach its goals. It goes beyond the paycheck, beyond any promotion. Survey after survey has shown that companies with the highest levels of employee engagement experience:

Increased morale, motivation, and productivity
Lower work stress and staff turnover
Increased sales growth
Higher operating profit

The engagement-building process begins with onboarding, continues through performance reviews and constructive feedback, and is cultivated (or not) by team and management interactions every workday, no matter the workplace. Before addressing the details of the employee’s position, it’s wise to foster a sense of “belonging” by describing:

The company’s founding concept, history and goals
How your products or services should be represented and promoted
Your expectations for the shopping environment and the total customer experience
The importance of demonstrating and developing soft skills, such as honesty, work ethic, communication, teamwork, and dependability

The basics and beyond

Whether on the floor or remote, employees of course must learn how to process a sales transaction quickly and smoothly. But be sure to impart the importance of understanding store policies, maintaining the checkout area, and efficient solution of customer issues, such as:

Returns parameters/requirements
Refund vs store credit policy
Handling (and preventing) disputed charges (chargebacks) see Disputes
Recognizing possible fraud – see Preventing Fraud
Security alerts and procedures

Upselling

Teaching staff to become ambassadors for your enterprise includes coaching on the “art of suggestion” to increase customer awareness of your total payments acceptance scope and the importance your company places on customer ease, convenience, and satisfaction. Some topics to consider:

Card payment brands/mobile wallets accepted
New conveniences you may have recently adopted (e.g., order online/pickup in store or at curb or front-of-store kiosk ordering and payment)
Contactless payments, including the security and speed of tap and go-ready cards

Mix and match training methods

There are many options for effective training methods. Your program design may include several:

On the job vs. remote facility
Face to face vs. online
Audio and video learning modules
Mentoring structures
Cross training as part of a management pathway

Request product training

Learn the basics and beyond

If you're new to Chase, have recently upgraded or just need a refresher on your product's capabilities, you can request additional training by calling 1-800-473-5331 Monday through Friday, 8AM — 5PM (Central).