Valve technical training ensures right advice

Valves and fittings supplier Aqua-Gas AVK has further enhanced its comprehensive product and technical training programme for all staff in the customer-facing areas of the business

"Customers need to know that the AVK product they are proposing to buy will do the job they want it to do, and our staff need to be confident that what they are offering is appropriate for the application, so the training will be mutually beneficial," says technical support manager Tony Bedford.

More than 50 people from sales, customer support, marketing, logistics and accounts are participating in the first wave of the new training programme, which is customised to the needs of each individual by reference to a matrix that matches people roles to their training requirements and keeps track of their progress.

Already in the programme are 15 courses, beginning with induction, health and safety and quality sessions for new starters followed by introductions to sales and the core products and then training on each product group in turn.

Particular attention is being paid to building up the core knowledge of new starters, who will spend a month on training before they have their first contact with customers.

Training sessions conclude with a test for the participants to ensure that information has been absorbed.

Supplementary assistance is always available from the product specialists within the business.

The new training arrangements are part of a group wide programme which will collate collective knowledge across the whole of the business so that it is accessible to everyone who needs it.

To ensure consistency and correctness of response, there will be a bank of answers to technical FAQs that can be accessed by customers through e-mail and the Web.

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