Using an LMS to train your customers

Staff training and development isn’t the only use of a learning management system. You could also use your LMS to train your customers.

Learning management systems are now very well-established in the corporate world. Online learning is a key part of training development for people around the world. As a result, the LMS has become pigeon-holed as an internal resource.

Like the CRM, the intranet and the darkest corners of the fridge in the staff kitchen, the LMS is viewed as something that’s ‘in-house’ and never to be seen by customers.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

 

Train your customers with an LMS

A learning management system is actually a very effective way of getting key information to customers. If most medium and large businesses agree that it’s the best platform for getting information to staff, why would it be any different for customers?

 

The key benefits of using an LMS for customer training

 

Save time and money with a centralised information hub

Think of all the customer questions you field daily via email, telephone, social media and other channels. Now imagine that the answers to the majority of those questions were held in one place: your LMS. Not only do you empower customers to find the information they need – saving your organisation time and money – you also normalise your LMS as the quick and easy first port of call for information. Reliable, rewarding customer experience.

 

Easier onboarding

If you’ve ever scratched your head at a set of flat-pack furniture instructions, you’ll get this. There’s no excuse for your customers scratching their heads as they try to grasp how they’re supposed to use your product. No HR team in the world would accept a team of baffled and bewildered employees unable to comprehend what they’re asked to do in a training session, so we should afford our customers the same courtesy. Intuitive and engaging learning materials will deliver better results and greater engagement than bland or confusing instructions.

 

Community building for customer retention

With the forums, certification and gamification elements that are available in a learning management system, you have a wealth of tools available to encourage conversation, engagement and community around your brand. You’re far more likely to retain customers who have that sort of investment in your organisation. And having a ready-made community means you can easily reach a large chunk of your audience with important updates, new materials and your latest products.

 

Better product launches and upgrades

Why expect your customers to read a list of features about your new product or upgrade when you could build an intuitive and engaging learning experience around it? Again, we accept that this approach delivers better results when we’re training our staff: why would it be any different for our customers?

 

Measure your success

With an LMS, you’re not reliant on likes, shares or pageviews as a rough guide of success. You’re able to see, in great detail, how your customers engage with your products and how knowledgeable they are about them.

 

Using your LMS to train your customers: a case study

Scottish Water, Scotland’s publicly owned water supplier, has an LMS aimed at children – its customers of the future – to educate them on water supply.

The platform contains modules that children can work through, with certificates automatically awarded for completion. For the kids it’s a fun activity, but for Scottish Water it’s a great way to build community and drive engagement with its brand.

The learning element gives young people the information they need to be conscientious consumers of water and understand the challenges faced by Scottish Water. That’s information they can share with their parents now, as well as take into their adult lives.

 

Would an LMS improve your customer relations?

If you like the idea of using an LMS to train your customers, build a community and save time and money, we’d love to chat about your plans. Use the form below and we’ll be in touch.

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