Using Technology to Improve Service Department Training

Service Departments across the Kohler distribution network are facing the same dilemma. They need to provide training to an increased number of dealers without increasing their current budgeted training costs. Adding additional “in-person” schools can be cost prohibitive, so many companies have turned to advancements in technology to provide the solutions. One of the leading solutions is web based meetings and training seminars. Online meetings and seminars are the most effective new tool to provide the needed training without raising costs.
The use of online hosting companies such as www.gotomeeting.com and www.webex.com, allows for added benefits that in-person classes do not. As Gabriel Warren (2013) details, hosting meetings online eliminates the need to travel. This will eliminate much of the hidden costs of the meeting that come with traveling from town to town putting on seminars both for the host and their attendees. This will make inviting expert guest speakers more feasible as they will not have to travel either.
Expert guest speakers are a great way to break up the monotony of any meeting, and add a greater sense of importance to the material covered. “A guest speaker conveys current, realistic information and a perspective on a subject that is not available from textbooks” (Mullins, 2001). Online meetings are the perfect format to host these experts. They can call in and attend the complete event, or they can jump in before their portion and leave once they are done, without ever leaving their respective homes or offices. This format allows for multiple guests speakers if needed. Sometimes this is needed to lengthen an online meeting.
Online meetings allow for additional labor cost savings by shortening the meeting itself. The host can choose to allow participants to instant message each other, which greatly reduces the chit-chat interruptions that can drag a traditional meeting to a halt. Additionally, since there is no need to stop for lunch and potty breaks, it is possible to shave up to two hours off of each class, taking what was a six hour seminar, and turning it into a four hour walk in the park.
With the meetings being shorter, but more packed with information, online meetings lend themselves to being recorded very well. Most online hosting sites allow the host to record and archive their training session for play back at any time in the future. This is a great tool for use in training dealers that join the network mid-season, but still require the information that was provided in the previous years’ training. It is also a great resource for training new employees at the distributor level or retraining existing employees.
Online training seminars also allow the host to have a flexible schedule that allows for greater attendance of the target audience. Most of the technicians earn their living by commission; if they are not turning wrenches they are not making money. Many skip the meetings held in the spring since this is the busiest time of year for the Lawn and Garden industry. These meetings can be hosted or replayed at any time of day to allow for greater participation. With the shortened class length, the service manager could conceivably host two meetings a day with no additional cost to the host.
The average cost for a distributor to host a traditional live training event is roughly 1700.00. This figure includes travel expenses, conference room rental, incentive door prizes, and meals for the attendees. According to Brent Arslaner (2009), online meetings can reduce that cost from 50% up to 80%. Online hosting sites can charge companies anywhere from a few hundred dollars a year for a basic membership, and upwards of 1500.00 a year if they need to host large groups. Throw in a decent webcam and microphone, and the distributor can host all of their online or virtual training year round for the cost of one in-person school.
Most detractors of the online meeting format point at the loss of face to face interactions as the biggest pitfall of the format. But with the ability to host more meetings throughout the year at no additional costs online, the communication between technician and distributor will actually be strengthened. Service Managers can now host smaller meetings to address hot button issues that pop up throughout the year such as mandatory reworks on defective parts or implement new procedures for existing repairs.
There are many reputable companies making it easy for anybody to host a virtual training seminar, regardless of computer knowledge, which is important, since most Service Managers cut their teeth on wrenches and not on keyboards. Combine that with the increased need for additional training opportunities for a growing dealer network, and budgets that are frozen or shrinking, it is clear that hosting training online is a convenient and fiscally sound way to increase a distributor’s training presence at the dealer level.

References

Arslaner, B. (2009). Virtual meetings will erase face to face. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2009/01/virtual_meetings_will_erase_face_to_face.html

Mullins, P. A. (2001). Using outside speakers in the classroom. APS Observer - Teaching Tips, Retrieved from http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/1001/tips.html

Warren, G. (2013). The benefits of web conferencing: How web conferencing can help organizations. Retrieved on 12/7/2013 from http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/conferencing-and-collaboration/a/benefits-of-web-conferencing.htm