Podium Cuts New Hire Ramp Time in Half with Real-World Training

50%

Faster ramp time

33%

Increase in resolution speed

Industry

Customer Engagement & Communication Software

Customer

Marissa Taylor

Manager Product Support

User since

Feb 2025

Podium provides customer engagement and communication software that helps businesses manage messaging, reviews, and payments in one place.

As their support team grew, Podium needed a faster, more effective way to ramp new hires and ensure agents felt confident troubleshooting real customer issues. Their existing training relied heavily on slide decks, documentation, and passive learning, which was useful for foundational knowledge but insufficient for building real-world troubleshooting skills. By implementing hands-on simulations and a more structured coaching framework, Podium cut ramp time in half, improved first-contact resolution rates, and made training more engaging, practical, and performance-driven.

The challenge

The Challenge: Speeding Up New Hire Confidence & Troubleshooting Skills

New support reps needed a safe way to practice resolving customer issues without worrying about making mistakes. But with limited hands-on experience before going live, many hesitated to dive into troubleshooting, slowing their progression and contributing to inconsistent performance. Training lacked real-world practice opportunities, and there was no structured, ongoing program to help agents stay sharp as processes and products evolved.

"New hires were scared to really dig into troubleshooting because they didn’t want to make a mistake. We needed a way to help them shake that hesitation before dealing with real customers."

Marissa Taylor

Manager Product Support

WHY SOLIDROAD?

Creating a More Practical Training Experience

Before adopting Solidroad, Podium’s training relied on WorkRamp, slide decks, and Google Docs. This was helpful for knowledge transfer, but inefficient for preparing reps for live interactions. Managers needed real-time feedback to identify where agents were struggling, and agents needed engaging, hands-on practice that mirrored real customer scenarios. Solidroad offered custom troubleshooting simulations, clear performance tracking, and the ability to iterate training based on real data. This gave managers a way to quickly pinpoint skill gaps and provided reps with a safe, structured environment to build confidence.

SOLUTION

Real-world experience from day one

Podium integrated simulation-based training into both their onboarding and ongoing development programs. New hires now complete troubleshooting simulations based on common customer scenarios, allowing them to get hands-on practice immediately. These simulations are tied to required certifications that new reps must pass before handling real customers, giving managers a clear picture of readiness and areas for targeted coaching. For ongoing training, Podium uses scenario-based modules to reinforce product updates and technical skills, and even uploads actual customer call recordings for analysis and refinement. This continuous cycle of practice and feedback helps reps stay sharp and evolve with the product.

"After reviewing a rep’s certifications, I realized they understood troubleshooting but needed help with tone. A quick coaching session improved their customer interactions overnight."

Marissa Taylor

Manager Product Support

RESULT

Faster ramp time, more confident agents

Even before full cohorts completed their 90-day programs, the impact was clear. Ramp time dropped by 50%, with new hires resolving 90% of issues within 60 days instead of the previous 90-day timeline. First-contact resolution rates improved as agents diagnosed and solved issues more efficiently. Customer interactions sounded more natural and confident, driven by reps who had already practiced dozens of realistic scenarios before going live.

CONCLUSION

The future of training at Podium

By adopting hands-on, real-world training powered by Solidroad, Podium doubled the speed at which new hires reach readiness, created a structured and scalable training process, and built a more data-driven coaching culture. Reps now enter live support with confidence, clarity, and real troubleshooting experience, while managers gain the insight needed to coach more effectively.

"This approach has transformed how we train our team — more efficient, more engaging, and ultimately better for our customers."

Marissa Taylor

Manager Product Support

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