pratikkk

MP Guru
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ, NASDAQ: VZ) is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It started in 1983 as Bell Atlantic (based in Philadelphia) with a footprint covering New Jersey to Virginia and NYNEX (based in New York City) with a footprint spanning from New York to Maine that emerged as part of the 1984 AT&T breakup into seven "Baby Bells." Prior to its transformation into Verizon, a result of the Bell Atlantic–GTE merger, Bell Atlantic merged with Regional Bell Operating Company, NYNEX, in 1997. The name Verizon is a portmanteau of veritas and horizon,[2] and its pronunciation rhymes with horizon. The company's headquarters are located in the Verizon Building at 140 West Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Verizon Wireless understands the importance of proper training, and for the past few years we have been recognized as one the country’s best training organizations. This year Training magazine ranks our company No. 4 among its top 125 training organizations in America, noting especially our Data Certification program. We don’t have all the answers to training but, as this recognition shows, what we have learned can be of help to other companies as they develop their training.

Through Data Certification and our other training programs, Verizon Wireless strives to achieve four specific goals. They are to: 1) motivate employees to learn through incentives; 2) establish training goals that align with company business objectives; 3) provide a strong combination of training methods; and 4) ultimately help the company deliver better service to our growing customer base.

The Data Certification program is divided into four stages: Learn it consists of classroom and online instruction; Show it requires employees to demonstrate what they’ve learned to their managers; Prove it involves a certification test and attainment of certain sales and customer-service quality goals; and Earn it is designed to give employees recognition and financial rewards for hitting their sales targets.

Use Certification Programs as Incentives
Certification programs, like ours, which reward individuals who master new products and services, can help employees overcome their resistance to change and keep them excited about the influx of new devices and applications. Moreover, giving employees recognition, financial rewards or other benefits for completing certification programs can be a powerful incentive for them to stay with your company. Employees are more likely to stay when they have tangible evidence that their expertise is appreciated. The results are obvious. The company has better trained, more experienced employees and lower employee-turnover expenses.

Tie Training to Company Objectives
To make sure our training efforts are closely aligned with our ever-changing array of products and services, Verizon Wireless has placed the training function in the Marketing department rather than in Human Resources, where it typically resides. Marketing is a lot closer than HR to our products and services so our training is better able to focus on those we have identified as key to our company’s growth. As a result, the success of our training program is measured by an increase in sales of these key products and services. That is, training is tied directly to company business objectives.

We have also learned that a flexible infrastructure is essential for training programs to be successful. This is especially true if you have third-party partners who sell and service your products, because they represent the face of your company to customers. Extending training programs through online learning portals, for example, further ties training to your business goals.

Customize Your Training Methods
Another reason our training is effective is that we customize it to particular audiences. Specifically, we reach out to our sales and customer service departments and gather their input as we develop our programs. Training is then tailored to their specific needs—in terms of both content and delivery method.

While many of our training programs are still conducted in classroom settings, a new generation of electronic training tools is beginning to supplement or replace traditional classroom instruction. Among the electronic tools we’re using are online learning, training CDs and e-learning (computer-enhanced learning such as CD-ROMs, websites and online simulations). Today, we are evaluating even newer training delivery methods, such as m-learning (using mobile devices as the delivery method or actual training device) on wireless phones, PDAs and MP3 players.

These high-tech training methods offer a great deal of flexibility and convenience for marketers of almost any product or service. In addition, as we have also learned, they can be particularly useful for companies selling high-tech products that can be incorporated right into their training programs. For those individuals who benefit from a hands-on approach to learning, Verizon Wireless is piloting a new program through which employees can check out particular devices for up to 30 days. Once they’ve become familiar with a device, they simply return it and wait for the next one in their queue to arrive. Through this hands-on experience, our employees are developing a thorough and lasting understanding of the products they are selling.

A major benefit of this program is that it incorporates what the employee feels he or she needs to learn rather than just what the curriculum dictates. This focus on the learner improves both the training itself and our employee retention rates. Of course, the better our employees understand our products and services, the more effectively they can educate our customers and offer them more value.

Verizon Business earns top honors for customer satisfaction for large businesses in J.D. Power’s annual “Survey of Small, Mid-size, and Large Business Customers”. The study measured customer satisfaction with providers of data services such as cable modems, DSL, T1, T3/DS3, Ethernet, and frame relay. The large business customer category measured such customer satisfaction measures as: performance and reliability, billing, cost of service, company image, sales representatives/account executives, offerings and promotions, and customer service. Bell South and Sprint ranked second and third, followed by AT&T/SBC, Time Warner Cable, and Quest.
Verizon Wireless received high marks in J.D. Power's "2006 Wireless Customer Care Performance" study. Verizon performs well above the industry average for three point-of contact measures: telephone contact with a service representative or automated response system, walk-in contact at a retail store, and an online contact via Internet connection. Problem resolution and hold-time duration were also measured in point-of service contacts.
Verizon Wireless ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Wireless Service” in the second annual J.D. Power and Associates "2006 Business Wireless Satisfaction" study. The study surveyed 2,725 businesses regarding overall customer satisfaction. It looked at factors such as call quality, performance, reliability, and brand image.
Verizon Wireless, along with T-Mobile, has the best customer care according to J.C. Power in its “Wireless Customer Care Performance" study. This semi-annual study reflects customer experiences with the five largest wireless companies. Verizon performed well on many measures including: customer services representatives, hold times, and resolving inquiries with one contact.
Verizon Wireless is tops among five national wireless providers in J.D. Power’s “Wireless Call Quality Performance Study Volume 2”. Verizon performed well above average in several measures including: call with static drops/disconnects, voice distortion and calls not connected on the first try.
Verizon Wireless is tops for wireless call quality in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Regions according to J.D. Power's "2006 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study". Verizon Wireless tied for first place with T-Mobile in the Northeast Region. Factors measured by the study include: voice mail notification, dropped/disconnected calls, no static/distortion or echoes, and initial connection.

Although it may seem counterintuitive to some, in today's economic climate, it's especially important for companies to invest in their employees.

Verizon Wireless is doing just that through its onsite tuition-assisted college program called Learning Link. The program offers classes in nine of its contact centers, and over the next two years it will expand to 14 additional contact centers. Learning Link differs from other corporate tuition programs in that it doesn't require any initial employee cash outlay and supports up to $8,000 per year in tuition. Employees are responsible for any cost over that amount.



Dorothy Martin, national program manager for Verizon's Learning Link, says the impetus for the program is simple: Successful employees build a successful company. "[Investing in staff] gives a sense of security to employees in uncertain times that a company is doing well and profiting well," she says

Since the company first introduced the tuition-assistance program in 2005 more than 900 customer service representatives, nearly half of whom are contact center employees have received degrees. Of those, many have been promoted or have made lateral moves to other departments. As of the end of 2008, Verizon Wireless reported a job transfer rate of 28 percent for participants of the tuition assistance program, compared to just 13 percent for other employees. Of the participants, one third received promotions or career development moves.

"There are a lot of leadership opportunities within customer service," Martin says. "Some people have gone to marketing...sales is another area. It gives them a more well-rounded perspective on the business as well."

In addition, retention rates for those who have participated in the program are more than double that of Verizon Wireless' overall workforce. Martin says the company conducted a survey in 2006 among participants in the program, and 96 percent said they plan to stay with Verizon Wireless at least two years after receiving their degree. "It's saving them the time and trouble to go to a college campus," she says.

This program not only benefits employees; it's good for business. "By having a well-educated workforce, our employees are able to do a better job of meeting customers' needs," Martin says. "Happy employees are engaged and committed employees, which transmits to excellent

Retention
Turnover is a costly problem for many employers. Verizon is particularly affected by this issue, given that 80 percent of its workforce is in customer service and retail sales, areas that traditionally experience very high turnover rates. Isolating the direct cause of improved retention is a tricky proposition — there are often complex reasons why an employee chooses to stay — but Verizon suspects that LearningLINK may be one important factor.

A striking finding for Martin was that the general workforce is more than twice as likely to leave the company than are LearningLINK participants. This is reinforced by survey data showing that 96 percent of LearningLINK participants said they intended to stay with Verizon for at least two years after completing their degrees. When factoring in the cost to the company to hire new people, LearningLINK’s role in contributing to employee retention demonstrates that it likely pays for itself while also reducing overall rehire costs.
 
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