The talent development team at NCG is continually building our library of online courses that can help co-op staff get up to speed on best practices for an array of retail skills. Co+op U is a one-stop-shop for NCG training and professional development programs. Co+op U offers more than 100 interactive courses that can be taken at any time and allow staff to choose the topics they need most for their current situation or development needs. Here’s what’s new. 

Customer Experience Series

There are many factors that contribute to a customer’s experience in the co-op, but staff interactions are key. You play a huge role in how customers feel when they enter the store, are in the store and when they leave. In the new customer experience series in Co+op U, you’ll learn about the many opportunities you have to give people a great impression of your co-op. These interactive courses are intended for all co-op staff. They were created using actual customer feedback and ask you to actively look for ways to help customers have a more pleasant shopping trip. There are opportunities to practice your interactions with customers and create a personalized checklist of ways to make shopping easier.

• Customer Experience: Introduction
• Customer Experience: Customer Perceptions
• Customer Experience: Customer Conversations
• Customer Experience: Making Shopping Easier
• Customer Experience: Virtual Store

De-escalation Series

Do you know how to respond to difficult customers? Are your staff ready to deal with tense situations? Does your co-op have a protocol in place for when problems escalate? Positively responding to tense situations can be challenging, but the De-escalation Series can help!  

The series offers strategies and resources to support you and your staff. These interactive courses were created in collaboration with Stephanie Merriman from Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op using real co-op scenarios and teach you how to minimize risks and respond to situations before they escalate. Take these courses today to begin expanding your capacity and resiliency in coping with and handling tense situations.

De-escalation Series includes:

• Introduction
• Acceptance
• Building Mindsets
• Defined Boundaries
• Managing Yourself
• Building Skillsets

NCG Marketing Resources Orientation

The new Co+op U course, NCG Marketing Resources Orientation, presents the marketing resources available from NCG. Co-op marketers will be excited to learn about solutions to their marketing needs. Links to the resources are summarized in one page and available for download in the course. This course is a great addition to onboarding new marketing and member services staff.

Redesigned Courses: SMART Goals and 7 Ps: Your Brand in Action

The SMART Goals and 7 Ps courses have recently been revamped. The redesigned courses offer a fresh new look, are shorter and more engaging and include new thought-provoking interactions with more opportunities to practice.

The start of a new year means reviewing your goals from 2020 and planning your 2021 goals. Setting effective goals is one of the first steps to successful planning. Unsure how to make your 2021 goals effective? Make your goals SMART!  Check out the SMART Goals and Tactical Plans in Co+op U for tips to make creating your 2021 goals easier.

The 7 Ps: Your Brand in Action introduces managers to the 7 Ps framework for understanding the co-op brand experience. After taking this course, managers will be able to analyze their department through customers’ eyes, determine what their prices, products and processes are communicating to shoppers, and walk away with actionable ideas to improve the customer experience.

We encourage you to take these courses — even if you have previously taken them — to refresh your knowledge and skills. They are short and worthwhile!

New Co+op U Features: Playlists and Learning Details Page

Co+op U has added two exciting new features to enhance your employees’ learning experience: Playlists and the Learning Details Page.

Playlists

Playlists are visual groupings of courses for a suggested training path. With the addition of playlists, learners will be able to choose which courses to take in any order. NCG has created several playlists as general overviews for co-op departments. Learners can even build their own custom playlists.

Visit the Playlist FAQ page to learn more about following and creating playlists, or browse the Playlist Library under the “Browse Playlists” button on the Co+op U homepage.

The Learning Details Page

The Learning Details Page, where learners register for conferences and online courses, has a new look and improved functionality. This page now offers an intuitive and streamlined user experience where learners can easily browse and quickly launch courses. A new Related Learning section at the bottom of the page automatically displays courses based on what similar users have taken.

Start Learning Today

Co+op U’s on-demand offerings are convenient, more efficient and less costly than in-person training. There is no user license fee and no cost for the e-learning courses. Anyone with a Co+op U user account can take advantage of our ever-growing collection of education available on demand. Learners will need a user profile, which they can create on the Co+op U login page by clicking the Register here link. Any user profile that has not been used within 13 months will be deactivated but can always be reactivated if needed. Questions can be directed to talentdevelopment@ncg.coop.

Looking for more resources that can help you or your co-op staff learn and improve their skills? NCG offers a variety of self-paced, online and in-person training opportunities. Check out the course catalog to view all of our professional development offerings. Happy learning!