Compassionate Geek FAQ

Compassionate Geek customer service training teaches IT teams how to get along so they can work together, get things done, and take care of customers.

There are many different types of customer service training. This can include but is not limited to video training, instructor-led training, webinars, eLearning programs, mentoring, role-playing, etc. Compassionate Geek features online training courses with videos and quizzes led by IT customer service speaker and author, Don Crawley.  

IT customer service training should teach people the importance of both technical skills and people skills. It should include training on compassion, empathy, good listening skills, and how to treat people with dignity and respect.

You train customer service skills by starting with why customer service is important, both to the business as well as the individual. Compassionate Geek customer service training includes stories, logic and reason, quizzes, and thought exercises to help the learner understand why it’s important and how to implement it.

Compassionate Geek courses are delivered in an online, on-demand format.

It varies greatly, depending on the course and the learner. Long-form courses are designed to be completed in six hours. It's possible, however, to get through the entire course in about three hours. Short-form courses are designed to be completed in one hour. For learners who are more curious and committed to self-improvement, it could take considerably longer. Learners who are less motivated may complete courses in less time.

Yes, students earn a certificate upon successful completion of the course. It's a downloadable PDF, customized with their name, the course name, and the date of course completion.

Each section of each course concludes with a quiz. Learners are required to score 100% on each quiz before being allowed to move to the next section. Additionally, there is a final exam on each course.

When you select group enrollment, you are given access to our group management console where you can monitor learner progress and add new learners.

No.

Compassionate Geek courses are appropriate for any individual or group of IT staff members who want or need to improve their customer service skills, including their listening skills, their ability to deal with challenging end-users, their ability to work well with co-workers, and their people skills in general.

We recommend that managers and supervisors prepare their team members for this training by explaining the importance of customer service, that even people who are excellent at customer service can improve, and that this particular training was designed and written by an IT person specifically for IT people.

Most of the examples are from the IT/computer/digital tech world. The concepts of competence, compassion, empathy, listening, and respect apply to all people. Organizations who include non-technical people in our training prepare those team members by telling them the importance of the lessons and explaining that some of the examples and stories may not be as relatable for them as for their technical coworkers.

Five principles are the foundation of customer service. They are technical competence or product knowledge. That’s knowing your stuff. Next is compassion. That’s caring for others, especially when others are acting badly. Next is empathy. That’s putting yourself in the position of the other person, imagining what you would want if you were them. Next is listening. It’s listening to the other person in a way that makes them feel dignified and respected, without interrupting them or talking over them. The fifth principle is respect. It’s not about the respect you feel for someone who has earned your respect. It’s about acting in a dignified and respectful manner and treating others with dignity and respect, even when they’re acting disrespectfully.  Learn more in this blog post. 

Customer service is important because it improves productivity, creates a positive work environment, solves problems, promotes teamwork, promotes customer loyalty and repeat business. For internal IT departments, customer service helps improve CSAT scores and other types of evaluations. In short, customer service is the bridge between your customers and the products and services you provide. Learn more in this blog post.

Seats are assigned permanently to a single individual. They may not be shared, nor re-assigned. For more information, please visit Compassionate Geek Website Terms and Conditions of Use.

Students have access to the training for one year following enrollment. They can revisit lessons as often as they want during that one year period.

Seats are assigned permanently to a single individual. They may not be shared, nor re-assigned. For more information, please visit Compassionate Geek Website Terms and Conditions of Use.