ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Description: A major financial institution needed to improve agent performance and customer outcomes during high-stress service interactions. Modifications included scenario-based practice, call evaluations, and role-play, reinforced by on-the-job reference tools and manager coaching.
Result: Agents demonstrated stronger skill transfer and confidence in real customer interactions. Unacceptable calls decreased by 33%. Customer placement into appropriate payment plans increased by 7%.
Delivery: Originally delivered as instructor-led training, I also redesigned the course to support asynchronous learning.
Course Highlight: Participants evaluate recorded customer calls using the course’s rating criteria and methodologies, then compare their scores with management’s official ratings. The lesson concludes with an improved version of the original call demonstrating best practices.
Tools
Articulate Rise 360, AI Assistant
Audacity: to remove NPI and anonymize agent identity on poorly rated calls.
Microsoft Word, PPT (Rebuilt w/ Google Docs)
Skills
Instructional Design/Adult Learning
eLearning
Instructor-led Training
Audio Editing
The organization provided instructor-led training to all agents that was passive and mostly informational. The course defined expectations for customer engagements including an overview of great customer service, its six customer experience principles, and methods for defusing tough situations.
Needs Analysis w/ triangulated feedback (agents, leadership, and customers) - we identified and built the following course enhancements:
Learner Agency and Self-Direction: Agents actively defined effective and ineffective customer experiences through small-group activities, identifying common challenges and mitigation strategies. Guided activities reinforced alignment with the organization’s customer experience principles, strengthening understanding and ownership.
Reflective Observational Learning: Agents evaluated real call recordings using a standardized 1–4 rating scale, identified strengths and improvement opportunities, and discussed insights as a group. Calls not rated “Outstanding” were reenacted through role-play to practice improved approaches. Supervisor evaluations and notes informed facilitation and guided targeted discussion.
Practice: Agents practiced additional realistic role-play scenarios based on actual customer calls, rotating between customer and agent roles to build empathy, skill fluency, and real-world application.
Performance Support: Quick Reference Guides summarizing customer experience principles, effective listening, and strategies for defusing tough situations were provided to support on-the-job performance and reinforce key skills.
Supervisor Enablement: A required companion course equipped supervisors with the skills to reinforce agent learning through effective feedback and coaching, ensuring readiness before agent training launched.
Change Management: Leaders at all levels were engaged early to shape the need analysis, strategy, and design. Executive leaders reinforced the change through pre-launch communications and visible sponsorship at course launch, driving alignment and adoption.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
Define customer service in the context of the contact center and explain how it directly impacts call effectiveness, job performance, and customer experience.
Differentiate between good and bad customer service behaviors by identifying key attributes and providing real-world positive and negative examples.
Identify all customer types (e.g., borrowers, authorized third parties, realtors, attorneys) and demonstrate how to deliver consistent, respectful service to each.
Recognize customer expectations and agent responsibilities during calls, and explain how mismatched expectations can affect customer satisfaction and outcomes.
Apply The Company’s Customer Experience Principles by demonstrating observable behaviors that align with QA scorecard requirements.
Use active listening and empathy techniques to uncover root causes, manage customer emotions, and prevent call escalation.
Effectively defuse difficult or hostile situations by selecting and applying appropriate de-escalation methods (e.g., acknowledge, apologize, empathize, validate) during role-play and call evaluations.