TrainingPros Earns Brandon Hall Group Award for Best Competencies and Skill Development
Atlanta, GA – August 14, 2025 – TrainingPros is proud to announce it has been honored with a prestigious Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award in the category of Best Competencies and Skill Development. The recognition highlights the company’s contribution to the design and delivery of an award-winning program created in partnership with a large real estate client to strengthen frontline employee skills in handling escalated customer interactions.
This award underscores TrainingPros’ expertise in building tailored learning solutions that drive measurable business outcomes. For nearly three decades, TrainingPros has provided Fortune 1000 companies with highly skilled Learning and Development consultants. This win showcases the company’s unique ability to combine practitioner insight, proven instructional design strategies, and deep client collaboration to solve complex workplace challenges.
Tackling a Real Business Challenge
The program was born from a pressing business need. The client faced rising call volumes, longer resolution times, and declining customer satisfaction when escalated interactions weren’t managed effectively. Metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Overall Experience Ratings (OER) pointed to gaps in professionalism and empathy during customer conversations. At the same time, frontline employees reported high stress levels and low confidence when handling tense situations, leading to burnout and turnover.
The organization knew it needed more than just generic customer service training. It required a program that directly targeted the competencies most critical to resolving escalated interactions, skills like active listening, empathy, service orientation, and conflict management. That’s where TrainingPros came in.
TrainingPros’ Role in the Award-Winning Program
TrainingPros consultants partnered with the client to design and develop a four-hour, instructor-led workshop that combined adult learning principles with real-world application. Rather than a lecture-style format, the program emphasized interactive, scenario-based learning where employees could practice de-escalation techniques in a safe, supportive environment.
Key elements of the program included:
- Role-playing real customer scenarios to practice empathy, tone, and call control.
- Root cause analysis activities using the “5 Whys” method to uncover systemic issues behind customer frustrations.
- Call reviews of simulated and actual interactions to highlight strengths and areas for improvement.
- Manager coaching playbooks and team huddle guides to reinforce learning beyond the classroom.
- Participant guides and call trackers to help employees apply and monitor their use of de-escalation techniques on the job.
By embedding reinforcement tools and processes, TrainingPros ensured the program created lasting behavior change, not just a one-time knowledge transfer.
Measurable Business Results
The program produced dramatic, measurable improvements across customer experience, operations, and employee confidence.
- Customer Satisfaction: Net Promoter Score increased by 26%, while Overall Experience Ratings rose by 0.37 points. Customers noticed a more empathetic and professional tone in their interactions.
- Operational Efficiency: First-call resolution rates improved by 53%, and average handle time decreased by 10 seconds. This meant faster, more effective solutions for customers and reduced strain on the workforce.
- Employee Confidence: Surveys revealed employees felt more capable and less stressed in handling escalated conversations. Managers reported stronger morale and more consistent service delivery across teams.
- Escalation Reduction: The number of calls requiring higher-level intervention dropped by more than half, freeing up resources and reducing customer frustration.
These results demonstrate how targeted competency development can have a direct, tangible impact on both people and performance.
Building a Lasting Culture Shift
One of the standout features of the program is its focus on sustainability. TrainingPros worked with the client to design reinforcement strategies such as weekly team huddles, structured coaching sessions, and ongoing call reviews. These elements turned the training from a one-day event into a cultural shift, embedding empathy, clarity, and professionalism into the organization’s daily customer interactions.
The program’s success has inspired the client to expand it into additional markets and integrate de-escalation practices into onboarding for new hires. As the initiative scales, it is expected to play a critical role in boosting customer loyalty and long-term retention.
A Recognition of TrainingPros’ Approach
“This award showcases what TrainingPros does best, partnering closely with clients to design programs that meet real-world challenges and deliver measurable business results,” said Leigh Anne Lankford, President of TrainingPros. “The program is a great example of how the right mix of instructional design, consultant expertise, and ongoing reinforcement can transform not just skills, but culture.”
For TrainingPros, the Brandon Hall Group award reinforces its position as a trusted partner for organizations seeking to elevate learning and development. It demonstrates the company’s belief that investing in people’s skills, when done strategically, creates measurable ROI and lasting organizational impact.
About TrainingPros
TrainingPros is a contract staffing company specializing in Learning and Development. Since 1997, TrainingPros has helped Fortune 1000 companies connect with highly skilled consultants in instructional design, eLearning, facilitation, leadership development, and emerging learning technologies. By combining industry expertise with a personalized approach, TrainingPros ensures that clients get the right consultant to start their projects with confidence.
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Ready to Work with Us?
Does your L&D team have more projects than people? TrainingPros has been named a Top 20 Staffing Company internationally by Training Industry, and recognized as a Smartchoice® Preferred Provider by Brandon Hall Group for 2025. We’re also proud to be named a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD)—an international honor that reflects our dedication to excellence in corporate learning. These accolades underscore TrainingPros’ unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored training solutions.
If your projects need virtual classroom producers, facilitators, or other L&D consultants for your custom content projects, reach out to one of our industry-expert relationship managers today.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the right consultant to start your project with confidence. Schedule a consultation today.
