Running head: TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Training Program Plan

Gerardo Moreno
AET/570
December 13, 2016
Dr. Nahid Nariman

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Training Program Plan

Customer service to every organization is necessary. The importance of how its

employees/volunteers represent themselves and they're friendless is an essential element to the
success of the organization. Every year, thousands of dollars are invested by profit or non-profit
organizations for their employees to participate in training/workshops/seminars on customer
training. By participants attending these training, the goal is that customer service support
increases and customers/guest return to the organization.
Every person working/volunteering in an organization needs the right tools to execute
their role efficiently. Providing best practices scenarios, as well as designing a particular model
which will meet the needs of its organizations. If employees/volunteers have the skills or are
better equipped to handle certain situations, their role will be seamless. Due to training not being
accurate enough to support every organization, this training is specifically designed for Church
organizations. Creating training that provides realistic approaches will be beneficial to the
organization to ensure that all customers needs are met/addressed.

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

PART I
Scope
A REFRESH Model training program is designed for Church organizations for young
adults and adults. The purpose of this training is to provide ushers and other guests, tools to
lessen their stress and enhance their customer service skills. An Usher is a person who shows
people where to sit upon entering a sanctuary and provides information about services and
support the church offers. This training will be conducted in person, for a total three hours.
Audience
The REFRESH model training program is designed to for Ushers and other interested
guests that are part of a church organization. The goal is to begin the program in a church setting
then move to other entities. The age range of participants is from18 to 65 years of age. Due to
the range, course material will be presented in various forms to ensure understanding throughout
the participants.
Goals
1. Participants will apply service skills techniques to respond to customer
inquiries/complaints
2. Participants will use SMART goals to plan success
3. Participants will prioritize their time more efficiently to be available for others.

Objectives
1. Participants at the end of this course will be able to identify goals and
priorities of the Usher auxiliary with 100% accuracy.
2. Participants will pass the final test with at least 9 out of 10 questions correct
to receive a certificate of completion
3. Participants will communicate the importance of customer service in 1o
words or less.

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PART II
Needs Analysis
A needs analysis was conducted to ensure that customer service is important within the
organization. The techniques listed below are used in the analysis:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Observations
Interviews
Questionnaires, and
Informal interactions

Informal Interactions
Informal interactions with members of the Usher auxiliary are the first indicator to be
reviewed. To ensure that ushers have the opportunity to assist everyone who is coming through
the door, it will be important to know their roles and responsibilities. Areas of concerns for this
auxiliary is that ushers are not providing its best customer experience to visitors who are coming
to church for the first time. A primary concern is that ushers must provide the best possible
experience to visitors, so they feel comfortable and come back to church. The Ushers must
remember that a first impression, is an everlasting impression.
Observations
Observations of Ushers performing their duty will take place. Observing their role and
responsibility will help with identifying why they are not excelling in their service area. These
observations will be conducted in an informal setting and will be addressed with each person at
the end of the observation. Observations details will be recorded so that a conversation can take
place after for validity and support. The goal is to have enough evidence collected to provide to
ushers and staff about the tasks executed by the Ushers.
Informal Questionnaires

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Informal questionnaires will be given to Ushers post training via survey monkey (on-line
survey). iPads will be available to those who have not accessed to the internet at home or on
their mobile device. The goal is to obtain at least 80% of questionnaires completed. The
questions are informal, and results will only be shared with staff used during the training. A total
of 10 questions is asked to help Ushers recognize that their service time appreciated and valued.
One of the major goals is to address the needs of the visitors, according to Chatman,
organizations are "exploring in developing their customer experience programs to drive better
business results. Although the church is not a business, it must handle its visitors as important
clients. Once questionnaires are completed, they will be analyzed, and data will be used to help
guide conversations during the training.
Interviews
Interviews will be conducted with the group before the training with those who are
currently volunteering as ushers as well as those who were identified as previous ushers and
wished to provide feedback. The questions will be conducted in person and via phone. The
interview will be open-ended which will allow participants to freely discuss how they are
currently feeling while they provide their service contribution.

PART III

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Below you will find the projected budget for the REFRESH Model training (1 day 3 hours):
ITEM
Personnel Cost
Director
Trainer I
Trainer II
Support Staff

COST PER UNIT NUMBER

Daily Rate
Daily Rate
Daily Rate
Daily Rate

1
1
1
0

$ 500
$ 500
$0

Rate
Rate
Rate

1
1
0

$ 57.50
$ 57.50
$0

Lot

$ 250

Nights
Daily

4
2
2

$210
$ 400
$75

Daily

$0

Lot

$0

Fringe Benefits
Trainer I (11.5% of daily rate)
Trainer II (11.5% of daily rate)
Support Staff (21% of daily rate)
Books and Supplies
Instructional Supplies
- Paper
- Pens
- Easel Paper
- Markers
- Name Tags/Badges
- Certificates
Travel
Hotel (2 nights)
Flight (round trip)
Per Diem ($15/$25/$35)
Misc.
Facility (includes breakout
rooms)
- Use church facility
Admin/Indirect Costs
Admin fee (waived)
Donations

COST

Income Estimates
Donations

$0
TOTAL

Justification for Expenses

Personnel Cost (Personnel Cost/Fringe Benefits)

$ 3,155

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Trainers receive a compensation of $500 per conducted training. This cost incurs the cost
of the presenter's fee as well as preparation for the training. The trainer is responsible for setting
up 1.5 hours before scheduled training as well as striking after the training. The training given is
strategically presented so that all participants obtain the information depending on their learning
style. The presentation includes visuals, handouts and questions and answer session. Fringe
benefits associated with this cost for health insurance, fed/state tax, and union contributions.
Books and Supplies
Instructional supplies are required for this particular training. Participants are not asked
to bring their personal writing materials to avoid distractions. During the workshop, participants
will be provided with instructional materials to write down notes or complete an activity. Upon
completion of the training, materials will be handed back to the organization for future use or
discard. Once the training has been completed, a certificate of participation will be provided to
those who completed the pre/post survey and successfully completed the 3-hour training.
Travel
Travel cost incurs for outside presenters for the hotel, flight, and meal per diems. It is the
responsibility of the organization to arrange ground transportation to/from the airport as well as
to/from the hotel to the event and to/from event location to restaurant (meals).
Misc.
There is no cost associated with the use of facilities since training takes place at church
facilities. It is the church responsibility to provide access to central hall room; additional
breakout rooms; Wi-Fi access; water; tables; chairs; easel stands; microphone; microphone stand;
LCD projector and white screen.
Admin/Indirect Costs

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No admin/indirect costs for this training, contributing in-kind support for a 501c3
organization.
Income Estimates
Organization does not charge for participant's attendance to training. Since it's a nonprofit entity and members of the church, no fees are incurred to participants.
PART IV
STAFFING PLAN
This training will take place in person with trainers and participants. The training is
scheduled for 3 hours. The tools and-and resources required for this class are the member's
engagement. The trainers for this course are experienced experts, who worked with multiple
organizations to help them strength their usher teams. The minimum requirement to work for
REFRESH Model company:
Director

Director of REFRESH Model Company is for the purpose of

providing leadership and strategic direction for training; coordinates
and monitors; builds the capacity of trainers by offering high quality

Trainer

and differentiated learning.

Provides training to participants using strategies learned to support all
learning styles. Must be able to be an active listener and sensitive to
people's concerns. Be an effective communicator and able to work
with multiple people, in a large setting. Preferred experience in

Support Staff

Education and close related area.

Provide clerical support in preparation for the program,
but not limited to copying, filing and arranging travel
(in/out the country).

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Time Requirement
The Director responsibility to ensure the program is running effectively, and be available
for questions during actual training (in person/phone). Post data from surveys will be reviewed
by Director first for evaluation, then presented to designated trainer. Director will work with
trainers to incorporate survey results/feedback into the custom training session. The goal is to
align what the auxiliaries are doing with the leader's mission/vision; as well as meeting their
departmental goals. Technical support will be available through the entire training and 30 days
after. Director can also be a presenter whenever no other presenters are available. Survey results
will be kept for five months after completion of the training, then discarded.
Internal Resources
Trainers are employed by REFRESH Model company. They are aware of the company's
policies and regulations. The trainer has been screened and figured printed for security
measures. Internal resources during the training are the participants themselves. This is a unique
training that the experts are the participants. Participants will be engaging in conversations about
how to better their support to their customers.

External Resources
The external resources are the two trainers who will be conducting the training. The
external staff are experts in this field and can manage time efficiently. Participants will have
plenty of time to complete the training, ask pertinent questions and have a dialogue with other
attendees.
Additional Resources

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The REFRESH Model company is available for outside support Monday-Friday 9:00
a.m. 5:00 p.m. (Pacific time) by calling 1-800-REFRESH (733-7374). After business hours,
voice mail will be available, and calls will be returned upon commencing of next business day.
Strategies to Fill Resource Gaps
A survey will be given to all participants at the end of the training to see if it met their
learning needs. Participants will be sent a second survey six months after to follow up on
progress and see what other needs they might have (no cost to the organization).
Staff performance evaluation
Performance evaluation will be done upon completion of each training. Assessments will
be used to review training models and for the effectiveness of program staff. The goal is to
always provide the best possible support and experience to each training session.

PART V
Stakeholders and Goals
Stakeholder
Participants
Church Staff

Director

Trainers

Partnership Goal

Ways to build support

Patience with staff going

Be supportive with usher staff

through the training, its a

and acknowledge the effort

process and time to execute

and progress the are making

new ideas/concepts
Its focus is to continue in
providing support to trainers
and staff

in moving forward
Follow up with phone calls,
emails, etc. to ensure that
client/potential clients are
happy
Give real world scenarios and
establish trust in confidence
with participants.

Empower participants to
provide best customer
service, and provide
additional trainings

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PART VI
Communication Plan
Slogan
First Impressions are lasting impressions. --Unknown
Fact Sheet
Who
Ushers and/or any other invited guests
What
The REFERSH Model training
What
January 7, 2017
Where
Bay View Baptist Church Multi-Purpose Room
Why
To deepen conversation and reach authentic understanding of the service being
executed (Ushering).
How
Learning strategies on how to support and engage with new visitors to the church
Benefits
This REFRESH training is a model that supports current church organizations in their
auxiliary's department (Usher's) with their customer service skills and improvement of services
they provide.

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This training is designed to engage adults in conversations about how to assist

newcomers to their place of worship. When people come to a location of worship, they come for
different reasons, some for guidance, support or a place to feel safe. Having staff available to
assist them is important in every organization. This course is designed to help Usher's
understand the importance of customer service skills and ensuring that the first impression
visitors have an everlasting positive impact.
Instructional Practices
A positive benefit of this training is that it's face to face with a trainer as well as its
interactions with peers. Participants can engage in dialogue and hold conversations with peers
on how to enhance what currently is in place. Although there are other methods to receive this
type of training, REFRESH believes that face-to-face is more efficient for this kind of setting.
According to Byham, W. C. (2008) "Without question, the pulse of face-to- face delivery is
reliable and its prognosis excellent." Some participants are comfortable to have done their
training in a familiar setting, to be able to visualize the future tasks.
The instruction provided varies on the type of audience attending. It is standard practice
that a list of participants (not required) is asked in advance (name, gender, age). This helps the
trainer prepare for the session as well as know what type of activities/icebreakers will take place.
The instructor makes material/resources for all kinds of audiences, such as visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, etc. Also, looks into the types of generations that will be present, such as GI, Baby
Boomers, Generation X and Millennial. The instruction will vary to accommodate the learning
of all groups. It includes relevant examples so that all participants are engaged and apply them
to real world situations. Having such scenarios, conversations cross over between generation
gaps and open dialogue occurs amongst peers. An example could be using their mobile devices

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to communicate with each. An important element to this is the feedback given on the instruction,
for various reasons. One of them to continue enhancing the program, and for ensuring that we
help meet the goals that we initially established.
Promotional Channels and Materials
The purpose of this communication plan is to use marketing channels to target specific
audiences such as current Ushers and potentially others who wish to join this group. The goal is
encouraging them to participate in this training by communicating that:

Inform of a REFRESH start for their current model

Encourage participants to attend and engage in conversation
Remind participants that customer service is key to the organization
Implement new strategies learned during church service time
Promote attitude of service to execute job effectively

By different generations working and attending this training, it will help with connecting them
together. Peers will have dialogue opportunity to address what are the needs of other generations
they are not entirely familiar.
How will it be achieved
The organization will communicate about this training using new and old methods. The
new approaches will be using technology such as social media (church website, facebook,
twitter, snap chat, etc.) expressing the importance of this training. Facebook as a great tool
called "closed group" where specific people assigned to this group have access to information.
Also, fliers will be available to post around the church and local community gathering places.
Promoting this event a few weeks in advance of scheduled date and sending reminders a few
days before commencing of the event. It is important that people emphasize the importance of
this training, for everyone to be on board. Having bought-in from peers is important because
everyone wants to be on the same page and reach the same goal together. Word-of-mouth is

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another powerful tool when used appropriately and the right people, it can be very powerful and
most effectively. And ultimately but not last, the support from church leadership. Providing full
support from the administration will make this training successful. Not only giving the 100%
okay but also participating in the program and engaging in the conversations about what to do to
better service its customers/visitors.
PART VII
Program Evaluation
Evaluation is key to the REFRESH Model training. The assessment determines what
worked and what didn't. Which strategies were used that were effective that helped participants
understand what needed to be addressed and revised? The assessment is a powerful resource
which provides value to the organization and its personnel. The staff who look at the
evaluation/results of the program are:
-

Director
Trainers
Potential clients
At the end of the training, the trainer will provide a post-test to determine if the material was

learned. A short 10 question survey will be provided via survey monkey. Participants can take it
on their mobile devices, or paper copies will be available for that particular generation that
refuses to use technology or their personal device
Upon completion of the training, a certificate will be handed out to those who completed all
required components. The trainers will review the information with leadership as well as a
director to ensure the goals were met. Participants will also have the opportunity in completing
an anonymous survey to express their experience in training. Also, some staff will be asked if

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they would like to do a video conference call with both trainers and Director to express any
concerns or talk about the experience of the training.
Evaluation Metrics
REFRESH team will follow up with leadership and inquire if the strategies used helped
with customer service after three months. After the conversation, the trainers will review the
evaluation/feedback forms after see if there was anything missed that could have been addressed
in case a negative remark was provided after the training. The goal is that all the participants
benefit from the program and enhance the type of customer service they offer both at church and
apply some of those strategies

Evaluation Metrics
Ideally, learners will implement strategies presented to them and reap its benefits.
Reaching out to management can be an indicator of the course contents retention. Support staff
will contact managers at least two weeks after course is completed.
Instructors performance and participant satisfaction will be measure and reviewed
through the use of reaction sheets and interviews. Result sheets will be available to participants
after completing the course. Interviews will be conducted approximately one month after course
completion.

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References
Customer service blog: 5 top customer service articles for national customer service
week (2015). . Chatham: Newstex. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1718894794?accountid=35812
Byham, W. C. (2008). Section IV: Face-to-face delivery-as important as ever - luminary
perspective: Face-to-face delivery-as important as ever. Alexandria: Association for Talent
Development. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/896137875?accountid=35812