Customer Service for Day-Camp Counsellors
I designed this scenario-based eLearning project for newly-hired camp counsellors to practice customer service skills when dealing with challenging interactions with parents.
Overview
Audience: Newly-hired day-camp staff.
Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Visual Design, Storyboarding, Action Mapping, Prototyping.
Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, MindMeister, Google Docs.
The Problem
Camp Arrowhead (name changed for confidentiality) observed that their new counsellors struggled with addressing parents' concerns effectively, leading to customer dissatisfaction, enrolment decrease and potential negative word-of-mouth.
The Solution
After analyzing the problem, I identified that the counselors lacked the skills needed to navigate difficult conversations. I proposed a scenario-based eLearning experience where they could practice talking to parents and making appropriate choices in a variety of situations.
The goal was to improve the counsellors' communication skills and confidence by providing a risk-free environment where they could explore the impact of different approaches on customer satisfaction. I also suggested including a progress-tracking feature, mentor feature and providing feedback based on the learners' choices to reinforce key strategies.
My Process
With the end goal in mind, I worked through the ADDIE model to create an experience that would resonate with the learner by connecting to realistic scenarios that they would likely encounter, highlighting immediate job relevance, and focusing on a problem/solution format.
Action Mapping
I worked with both the Camps Coordinator and Assistant Camps Coordinator as my subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop the action map and establish the overall goal for this project. We decided to measure progress by monitoring the end-of-summer customer satisfaction survey data. We then identified the specific actions required to help camp staff de-escalate tense situations and reduce customer complaints.
Text-Based Storyboard
Once I identified the key actions that the staff needed to take to improve interactions with customers. I developed a text-based storyboard. I consulted with the SMEs to ensure each scenario was grounded in realistic daily interactions between staff and parents (i.e. customers). The learning experience follows the story of a newly-hired staff member working their first summer at camp.
When the learner reaches a decision-making checkpoint, the scenario progresses through the natural consequences of the chosen choice in a risk-free environment. This allows the user to make mistakes and connect actions with real-world outcomes. Both feedback for correct and incorrect choice was framed as a consequence of the story to maximize learner engagement.
For each scenario, the user has access to a mentor character who can provide advice based on the desired action of the scenario.
Visual Mockups
After the storyboard was approved, I began the visual design process by creating a set of wireframes for each type of screen the user would interact with, a mood board, and a style guide. While creating the visual mockups, I leveraged Adobe Illustrator and various vector background images to provide variation and interest without jeopardizing consistency. These preliminary design tools provided valuable guidance throughout the mockup process, ensuring consistency and high-quality aesthetics throughout the project.
Next, I created visual mockups in Adobe XD to experiment with elements like background scenes, characters, and prompts. I paid special attention to creating friendly and supportive visual cues, such as rounded buttons and encouraging feedback.
Interactive Prototype
Using Articulate Storyline 360, I developed an interactive prototype based on the visual storyboard. The prototype included the scenario introduction, mentor introduction, progress bar introduction and the first decision point with varying consequences based on the learner's choices. I incorporated smooth fading transitions and crisp animations for each prompt and slide element to maintain narrative immersion.
Full Development
Building on the interactive prototype, I developed the full training scenario. This involved programming all decision points, refining the visual assets, and incorporating subtle animations to enhance engagement. The completed experience allowed learners to see the consequences of their choices in action.
Features
Custom Visuals: I sourced and customized visual assets to create a cohesive look, using Adobe Illustrator to edit colors and elements. This included resizing, editing layers, recoloring individual elements, and merging assets.
Mentor Guidance: Sabrina, the mentor character, provides helpful advice to the learner on how to improve communication skills. I created the custom mentor button using Adobe Illustrator to incorporate the mentor cleanly into each question prompt. I animated the mentor ‘smiling hover state’ in Articulate Storyline 360 to encourage learners to seek guidance and help, both in eLearning and in the real world.
Gamification - Progress Bar: The training includes a visual progress bar that fills up as the learner navigates the scenarios and chooses correctly.
Results and Takeaways
The project was well-received and praised for its realistic scenarios and engaging design. The Camps Coordinator and Assistant Camps Coordinator (SMEs) who reviewed the training said it would be helpful in preparing counsellors for real-life conversations with parents. By the end of the summer, not only did we exceed our target of a 20 percent improvement in end-of-summer customer satisfaction survey results, we also lowered camper withdrawal rates and increased enrolment year-over-year.
In the future, I would explore adding more complex branching scenarios, videos and voice-overs to increase immersion. This project allowed me to collaborate with peers, integrate feedback, and, most importantly, have lots of fun growing as an instructional designer!