CER Training Program Assessment 2025

ASSESSMENT

CER TRAINING

October 2025

prepared by: Amy A. Palmer

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE VISION

To provide a Superior Customer Journey across every interaction, in a single contact and regardless of the customer touchpoint in a way that nurtures the customer relationship, improves loyalty, satisfaction, retention, demonstrates value, and creates competitive differentiation

Today's Conversation

Let's take a look back over this past year, and apply our learning to the path ahead.

Map out the path ahead

Review the 2024 goals and recommendations

Additional Thoughts & Recommendations

Discuss progress and hurdles

'What is the best way to move forward with a best-in-class training experience for all cEr's?'

#why?

#goals

Current reality

Strengths

• STEP (Striving towards excellence program) team is a well-functioning, passionate and cohesive unit ~ team is showing renewed energy under Marykate's leadership!
• STEP has repeatedly been the catalyst for improved change resulting in more efficiency, cost-savings, and impact on retention.
• SME's and leaders have been generally willing and able to contribute and support efforts.
• L&D team member, (Sarah L. and now Jordan) have been an integral addition to the team.
• CERs have been open and receptive to more training
• STEP team has produced high-quality, comprehensive and effective courses.

Current reality

Opportunities

• The time it takes to standardize a process or protocol was underestimated in our initial assessment.
• Our pace of progress has been affected by the concurrent rollout of Superior Delivers and Fuel Forward initiatives.
• Impact of massive changes out in the field (on both the front line teams and the supervisors/managers), resulted in less bandwidth and energy to support a training program creation.
• We still do not have a comprehensive new-hire onboarding curriculum (currently in progress with new prioritization and uber quick progress). Further disruption has happened as a result of recent structure changes.

best news

A stellar Service Excellence team has been assembled consisting of instructional designers, subject matter experts, project managers and facilitators. Superior Delivers and Fuel Forward have been rolled out, and our path forward will be smoother than ever!

2024 recommendations

• Content
• Delivery
• Ongoing Development

Content

*Processes and procedures needs to be standardized and consistent as best as possible *Training tools and resources need to be created with an emphasis on supervisor / manager / trainer tools *CER curriculum defined- then matched up with existing content. Confirm accuracy and identify gaps and then it can be redesigned & uploaded to SuperiorU *SOPs need to be elevated: ease of use (naming conventions), fleshed out with customer service elements (conversation) and end to end process

Consistency & Accuracy is key

UCT request:

• Emergency SOP (quarterly and after a Flex leave)
• Cargas – new and improved or tip & tricks (Following any Cargas updates that we should be informed about when IS roles them out – and Spring/Fall
• Payments Methods (1x pymt, autopay, budgets)
• HEAP – Yrly/Fall
• PURL – Yrly/Spring
• Retention/Pricing & Promos – Spring/Fall
• Note Inquiries/Note Templates - Yrly
• Access to: Salesforce, Monitors, LUT, Pipeline, Cargas, Budget Tool, Teams, Sharepoint, PURL, Email Assist – (Flex returns)
• Rebills – Spring/Fall
• LUT – (Flex return and as Changes to format occur)

Priority List updated and adjusted in early 2025

Refresher* topics

Here are just a few of the topics suggested by the teams in Summer 2024.

Course progress

Live session feedback

Delivery

• Current foundation created by the L&D team for Canadian team is interactive and current, but they are currently making do with a variety of sources on the US side.
• Training should consist of eLearning via SuperiorU, Live Teams sessions for Q&A and guided discussion, 1:1 shadowing and hands-on practice (buddy/mentor system)
• Trainers need tools to support the shadowing and practice. Checklists for how to proceed, what to look for. Scenarios to use for role play.
• Anyone delivering training on a regional or national level needs experience as an engaging and effective facilitator and trainer.
• Support given for how to follow up & reinforce learning
• Trainers and Supervisors should be prioritized

#ideas

#input

#feedback

#teamwork

#growth

What does the CER team like?

#ideas

#input

#feedback

#teamwork

#growth

What doesn't the CER team like?

ongoing development

• Leverage existing team huddles / lunch and learns with prepared topics, perhaps delivered remotely by role

• Seasonal in-person team meetings with development. (Tools supplied to the managers to conduct.)

• Annual refreshers on key topics

• Micro-learning flash decks created for most critical topics.

Advisory Board

Goal: to gather feedback from key areas about courses we are building and delivering. Not only to create the best quality program possible, but also to foster buy-in across departments and gain support.

This was effective in the beginning, but members became too busy and weren't really able to prioritize or focus on what we were doing. We canceled the last couple meetings, and we haven't yet discussed a future plan/vision for using this resource. I do think it's an effective resource to assist in building the best program possible, however, we need to possibly rethink a) who serves on this board and b) how we utilize them. I recommend using CERs from across the company- maybe they serve on the board for 3-6 months so we can rotate them. But it would be an opportunity to really incorporate the front-line voice.

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team"~Phil Jackson

STEP Team

Cara - strong communication, creativity, initiative, always looking ahead. May become inpatient for growth opportunities. Katie - very strong as we map out processes and define the details. Needs more urgency to move projects forward. Elizabeth - stellar project manager! Challenge is when she has too other competing priorities. This role could evolve into a "Training Coordinator" position. Jordan - brings new energy and creativity to the team! Very innovative and gets things done. (Tonya, Ashley, Josée: I have worked with Tonya a bit, but not much. Have not yet interacted with Ashley and Josée.)

recommendations

5. Develop facilitators to deliver world-class sessions 6. Establish systematic approach to course feedback and evaluations. 7. Continue and expand the "Fueling Your Knowledge" series with flash decks for most critical topics. 8. Support "buddy system" and supervisor training.

1. Continue the process to complete a comprehensive CER curriculum (pace can be elevated)
2. Create an annual training plan / calendar
3. Implement Marykate's vision of a site that establishes the role and method of the STEP team.
4. Determine a blend of onboarding approach utilizing best practices from Canada & United States.

Designer Continue to work as a member of the STEP team to design courses and bring them to completion.

#design

Consultant / Coach Contribute to the plan (behind the scenes) to designing what the overall training process will look like. Also provide facilitation coaching / development.

How can I help?

#expertise

Culture-building podcast produce & launch a weekly podcast focused on the people, culture and mission during this time of massive change.

#expertise

Professional development training ensures our employees are empowered to deliver the best service to our customers. A consistent training program allows us to define specific performance metrics tied to career progression.

To determine a holistic approach to elevate the training of customer interacting employees at Superior Plus Propane, leading to a world class customer experience and increased customer retention.