Eliminate the Training?

I work for a department involved with tracking service level, average handle time, and staffing levels. The call center I'm involved with had a two week trend of low service levels. Anytime this occurs a leadership meeting takes place reviewing why the service level outcome has been below expectations. As the discussion progresses the topic about cutting office activity arises. Meetings, mentoring and coaching, projects, and training are all reduced in an effort to keep people at their desks answering the phones which will increase the service level.

One of the events that was talked about being eliminated or reduced was training. It always amazes me that this is one of the first events mentioned. My response was to keep training and reduce or eliminate other events. I suggested leaving training because sacrificing the potential to increase knowledge should never take place. Training is one of those non negotiable events that should never be reduced. What do you think? Can training be sacrificed if other office metrics aren't being met? If your answer is no why is it that training is often the first event to be reduced sometimes without hesitation? I'm curious at what you think.