KCS v6 Certified Internal Trainer Instructions

Process to Become a KCS v6 Certified Internal Trainer

1. Attend a KCS v6 Practices Workshop (full 2.5 day version)
2. Be KCS v6 Practices Certified.
3. Fill out the Application to Become a KCS v6 Certified Trainer.
4. Organize and co-teach (virtually or in-person) a KCS v6 Practices workshop with a KCS Certified Trainer:
   • The Co-Instructor (the KCS Certified Trainer) must complete the Certified Trainer Candidate Assessment Form, verifying the candidate's training capabilities including: understanding of the KCS Practices, ability to articulate the KCS Practices with examples, ability to handle objections, ability to debrief the workshop exercises and draw out the key learning points.
5. The sponsor organization must sign the Unlimited Use License Agreement for Internal Use. This is an agreement between the Consortium for Service Innovation and the sponsor organization and includes the name(s) of the KCS Certified Internal Trainer(s). The sponsor organization must maintain at least one KCS Certified Internal Trainer on their staff in order to use the KCS training materials.
6. Register, pay for, and schedule the KCS v6 Trainer exam. $650 proctored exam of about 36 fill-in-the-blank questions with a 90 minute time limit. Exam is scored by and reviewed with a staff member from the Consortium for Service Innovation. Be sure to select the correct exam delivery method:
   • Online Proctored Exams Registration Instructions
   • Go to a Kryterion Test Center and find a location near you
   • Trainer/Instructor will proctor the exam at the end of a workshop
7. Pass the KCS v6 Trainer exam
   • Review the KCS v6 Trainer Certification Study Guide!
   • If the candidate's exam registration was paid for by the candidate's company (sponsor organization), that company has the right to receive the Pass/Fail exam result. Registrations paid for by an individual candidate will be kept confidential.

Costs

Access to the KCS v6 Fundamentals Online Training is not included as a part of the KCS v6 Certified Internal Trainer program. An unlimited use license for this training can be purchased separately.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for the certified trainer program are expected to have experience with:

• Teaching/facilitating in a classroom or workshop environment
• Customer support and be familiar with current processes, structures, management practices, and metrics
• CRM and knowledge management tools in customer support organizations

Membership in the Consortium for the sponsor organization is not required, but is strongly recommended as it will allow the Certified Internal Trainer(s) access to the Consortium's KCS team meeting discussions on the evolution of KCS, as well as opportunities to interact with other Certified Trainers.

License Agreement

Completing the KCS v6 Certified Internal Trainer program and having your sponsor organization sign the Unlimited Use License Agreement for Internal Use means you are qualified to manage a KCS training program within your sponsor organization.

Certified Internal Trainers are authorized to:

• Use the Consortium for Service Innovation's KCS training materials to teach a variety of KCS workshops for functions within your organization, including:
  • KCS Overview
  • KCS v6 Practices (1.5 day, 2 day, or 2.5 day)
  • KCS v6 Leadership Workshop
  • KCS v6 Design Session
• Develop and designate other trainers within the organization to use the KCS training materials (under the direction of the Certified Internal Trainer)
• Proctor the KCS Certification Exams
• Participate in the KCS Certified Trainer conference calls hosted by the Consortium

As a Certified Internal Trainer, you have the right to use the KCS v6 Internal Trainer logo on your business card, LinkedIn profile, email signature, or website as long as you are employed by the organization that sponsored you as a Certified Internal Trainer, and you sign and abide by the Logo Use Agreement.

Certification Requirements for Additional Workshops

The Unlimited Use License Agreement for Internal Use does not include the KCS Coach Workshop, KCS v6 KDA Workshop, or the Intelligent Swarming Insights Workshop. These workshops have separate trainer certification and license requirements.

•  KCS v6 KDA Workshop: participate in a KDA workshop by attending prep meetings  and the workshop with a KCS Certified Trainer who is certified to teach the KDA and update your Workshop License Agreement. (at this time, no additional license fees apply)
• KCS Coach: contact Beth Haggett

Exam Topics and Objectives

To prepare for the exam, see the Trainer v6 Certification Study Guide. 

The Trainer Certification exam consists of 36 fill-in-the-blank style questions and must be completed in 90 minutes or less. It follows the KCS concept of complete thoughts or phrases, not complete sentences.  The exam is scored based on the candidate’s understanding of the KCS concepts and principles. Responses do not have to be exact words from the KCS documentation, but they must appropriately convey the KCS principles, concepts, practices, and techniques.

Where there are multiple correct answers, the complete list of correct answers is not required. For example, there are numerous reasons why "search early, search often" is important.  We may only ask you to list two of the reasons. You are welcome to list all of the reasons you believe to be correct. There is no "extra credit" for providing more than are asked for. However, incorrect answers, that expose a lack of understanding, will detract from your score. Certified Trainers must possess a deep and thorough understanding of KCS.

Audit Process

By applying to be a KCS v6 Certified Internal Trainer, you are agreeing to comply with the terms of the audit process. All candidates are subject to audit, although only a percentage will be randomly selected.

Terms of the audit include:

• A Consortium staff member will contact the reference listed on the Assessment.
• Additional contact information will be requested for references and supporting documentation.
• The certification process will remain in progress until all the audit requirements are validated.

Inability to provide contact information or requested documentation will result in failure of the audit and the candidate must reapply. Misrepresentation of information on the application will result in loss of certification status and exclusion from the KCS network at the Consortium's discretion.

Renewal

Certification begins on the date of completing all certification requirements and ends 24 months later. In order to maintain an active certification status, you must:

• Deliver at least two (2) one-day or longer KCS workshops within 24 months of becoming certified.

If this requirement is not met within 24 months of certification, you must apply for reinstatement. The need (and requirements) to upgrade your Trainer Certification to a potential future version of KCS will be determined when a new release of KCS becomes available.

Rules of Conduct

Please read the Consortium's Member Rules of Conduct. Lack of adherence to these rules of conduct will be grounds for loss of certification status and exclusion from the KCS network at the Consortium's discretion.