Being a Mentor

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

― Benjamin Franklin

Remember when you started training? Remember your first day taking calls with your mentors beside you?

For some of us, the feeling is still fresh in our minds, but for others it was a very long time ago. No matter if you graduated yesterday or three years ago- the feeling is still the same- very nerve wracking.

After the first few calls, with your mentor by your side, you start to relax and build confidence. Your mentor guides you and soon you get the hang of it and need their guidance less and less. Feels good? You bet. How do you think your mentor feels? You are partly their investment. They took the time to help guide you and direct you into being able to handle those calls. They are the ones that help the transition from trainee to a CSR on the floor. So what exactly is a mentor?

They are the ones who have worked hard on their overall performance, work ethics, and their ability to make people feel comfortable and welcome. They play a very important role in training. When trainees listen to your calls, they are discovering how to apply the information they learn in the classroom to actual situations. They will be learning what types of questions to ask, how to phrase bad news, shortcuts for working more effectively, and most important that they can do this too.

We don’t expect you to be perfect, but it is important to set a good example at all times. Most of the time, your trainee will sit beside you and listen to your calls. As you help customers, point things out on the screen, show them where you found the information in the modules. They are instructed to take notes and bring questions back to class for everyone to review together.

After a couple of weeks, your trainee may feel confident enough to use the keyboard while you speak to the customer. This is perfectly acceptable, but it is your choice. If you find it frustrating, or feel that it’s impacting...