EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ELEARNING
Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning development
Target Audience: Inbound Call Center Agents
Tools used: Adobe Captivate, Adobe XD, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
OVERVIEW
The inbound team reached out to me to help lower the amount of escalated calls. They wanted to understand why there was a spike in escalated calls and if training could solve the problem.
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Since some of the best practices around handling demanding customers are not intuitive, we determined a lack of knowledge and skill resulted in the escalated calls. The team felt the best area to start was using empathy when speaking with customers.
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I proposed an asynchronous-based eLearning solution linking to the internal database for references. It would allow agents to understand the importance of using specific tools when speaking with customers. This solution aligned with the messaging from leadership to use the resource tools. I proposed gathering examples from top-performing agents and using them throughout the training.
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The team recognized that this approach of using real-world examples would lead to more agents adapting empathy while on calls.
Process
I designed and developed this eLearning by starting with an analysis of best practices from top agents. Next, I set up 30-minute interviews with five agents, using their calls and referencing specific points for feedback. During the interviews, I used action mapping, SAM, and Adobe Captivate to develop a learning tool that all agents could use rapidly.
Action Mapping
After meeting with the agents and formatting my findings, I scheduled a kickoff meeting with the inbound team to identify other critical actions a representative could take to reduce the possibility of an escalation.
I asked questions about phrasing, computer screen setup, and tool use while working on a call.
With the key actions in front of us, our choice to focus on two practices, active listening and empathy statements, in the learning became clear.
Storyboard
Now that I had the direction and goals, I worked with subject matter experts to maintain the accuracy of the empathy statements to ensure they felt real and something that an agent could use to craft their own.
I decided to create choices for specific mini-scenarios within the learning. For example, the agent would choose between two empathy statements or select the correct emotional face.
Since the learning would be using the internal resource, I created links for helpful information that the agent could use.
I captured all of this in a text-based storyboard; it included the script, choices, and reference resources via links.
Prototype
Once the text-based storyboard was complete and approved by the team, I collected images, created a style guide, and developed an interactive prototype.
The prototype included the first five slides and branching actions. I delivered this to the inbound team for review and feedback.
Full Development
Once I gathered all the feedback from the prototype, I developed the final product. This development included slides, animations, branching scenarios, and quiz questions.
Since I had a completed and approved storyboard, moving the project to the finish line was straightforward.
Lessons Learned
The final product was well-received, and the inbound team found escalated calls dropped by 15% three months after representatives took the training. In addition, the team was able to reference the database and build on the skill of locating information.
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If I could change one thing about this project, I would have made it more scenario-based to allow agents a chance to flex their skills. In addition, I would have started the scenarios right from the beginning of the lesson to accommodate the seasoned representative's skill levels.
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Moving forward, I want to continue to build upon my instructional design skills and action mapping to bring the best information to learners.