The DCS Difference: How Our Training Team Goes Above and Beyond for Every Customer

In previous blogs, my colleagues have shared stories of DCS’ customer service team stepping up when the unexpected happens. Those stories frequently center on minimizing disruptions during projects or providing emergency support during a critical event.

But going above and beyond doesn’t only happen in a crisis. Just as often, it happens quietly, in the weeks leading up to a system’s go-live. That’s when our training specialists work to make sure a customer’s team is ready to run their new warehouse automation system with confidence.

Training is one of the most important services DCS provides. It’s also one of the easiest to take for granted, until something disrupts it. Here are two recent examples of what our customer service and training team does when plans change and the stakes are high.

When the Calendar Turns Upside Down

Early in one project, the customer’s project manager informed our team that DCS warehouse management system training would not be necessary for this system. Based on that direction, we allocated our resources accordingly. No training presentation was developed, and no time was reserved on our training calendar.

Several months later, just prior to the system’s go-live date, that same project manager reached out again, this time with an urgent request. The client had reconsidered and decided their team did need DCS training after all. By then, our training schedule was fully committed for the next six months. Traveling to the site on such short notice appeared impossible.

Rather than tell the customer no, however, our training specialist reorganized her own workload to build a full training presentation from scratch, on short notice, around a schedule that was already full. Then — to eliminate the need for last-minute travel altogether — she coordinated and delivered a remote training session for the local maintenance team. Additionally, the DCS trainer worked outside normal business hours to match the customer’s go-live timeline.

The result? A customer who had reversed course months into a project still walked into go-live with a properly trained maintenance team, exactly when they needed it.

When a Communication Gap Threatens a Week of Training

A similar situation unfolded on another project. This time, DCS was ready to deliver a series of warehouse automation system training sessions to a major client’s engineering team.

The goal was to give that team the knowledge, confidence, and hands-on understanding needed to independently operate, troubleshoot, and support their new automation system. This wasn’t about simply handing them a manual and walking away. It was about helping them own their long-term success.

The trip began exactly as planned. Our trainer arrived onsite for a scheduled walkthrough and preparation day. There, he reviewed the warehouse automation system, confirmed the training objectives, inspected the training facilities, and tested all media and presentation equipment. Everything was on track. Then, during a final coordination meeting with the local leadership team, we discovered a problem.

Although the customer’s project manager had confirmed the training dates with the DCS training team, that information had never made it to the supervisor responsible for scheduling participants. The engineering personnel slated to attend our sessions had already been committed to other training activities that same week. There was no one to train.

Adjusting the Schedule

Instead of letting that derail the visit, our material handling customer service team worked collaboratively with the client and internal DCS stakeholders to determine the best path forward. All of the preparation work, the system walkthrough, the facility checks, the equipment testing, had been completed successfully. What remained was simply a scheduling conflict outside of our control, and we treated it as something to solve together with our client.

Two weeks later, our trainer returned to the site. This time, there was universal stakeholder alignment, with every participant available. Our trainer delivered the sessions as intended. That allowed the client’s engineering team to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to operate, troubleshoot, and support their warehouse automation system moving forward.

Two Stories, One High Customer Service Standard

While these two situations look different on the surface, they share a common theme. In both cases, something outside our control threatened a customer’s ability to get necessary training. In both cases, our team adapted, reorganized, and found a way to deliver anyway. That meant working after hours, building a presentation from scratch, or making a previously unplanned return trip.

It might appear that these are simply examples of two individuals who happened to go the extra mile. In reality, however, going the extra mile is a mindset built into how our entire customer service and training team operates.

At DCS, we believe training is not complete until the customer’s team can confidently run their system on their own. When circumstances change — whether it’s a customer reversing an earlier decision or a scheduling gap on their end — our job is to find a way to still deliver on that promise. We equip, empower, and expect every member of our team to do exactly that.

This is a natural extension of the customer-first culture I described in an earlier post about how DCS delivers high quality customer service. Comprehensive training isn’t an afterthought at DCS. Instead, it’s one of the ways we ensure a system’s success extends well beyond commissioning and go-live.

Whatever it takes to get a customer’s team ready, that’s what we do. That’s the DCS Difference.

Want to see what a true training partnership looks like? Connect with our Customer Service Team to learn how DCS prepares your team for long-term success with your warehouse automation system.

Author: Stephen Burk, Customer Service Trainer, DCS