Corporate training continues growing and customers continue to benefit. According to Forbes.com the corporate training industry grew by more than 15%, in 2014, eclipsing more than $70 billion nationwide. Josh Bersin of Forbes.com says this trend will continue, in order to limit the "capability gap," facing corporations, as the global economy becomes more competitive, while meeting customers' needs.

5 Reasons Professional Development Benefits Customers:

1. Offering professional development makes your company more appealing to future clients. According to Human Resource Consulting Firm, Robert Half International, "When you offer professional development opportunities, you're building a positive reputation as an employer that cares about its workforce and strives to employ only the best." 

2. Robert Half International reminds employers their employees are their best brand ambassadors. The HR experts go on to say, thanks to professional development, "Your clients will benefit, too, from the high level of efficient, tech-savvy service delivery they receive." 

3. According to Customer Service Profiles (CSP), “Customer interactions tend to go more smoothly, and issues get resolved more easily when employees feel empowered to take action.” CSP says empowered managers and employees feel valued by their employers and are more likely to stay with the company. CSP says strong employee engagement in turn, directly influences the customer experience. 

4. Improving the employees' knowledge and skill set boosts confidence and morale, says Wranx, an industry training app. Wranx says, improved morale leads to better relationships and better customer service and better customer satisfaction.  

5. Managers and executives MUST continue training employees in the Four C's. According to the American Management Association almost 75% of 768 managers polled say the Four C's (critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity) are crucial to their company's success throughout 2012-2017.

A corporation's commitment to training its employees, in order to benefit the customer continues to trend in the workplace. Now is the time to find out, how this will help you make the most educated purchasing decisions, based on just how much the company you are about to do business with is willing to invest in its employees.