Overview

With over 1200 customer experience representatives worldwide, VRBO has a need for expanding its knowledge sharing methods to include more e-Learning opportunities.

To help them in this endeavor, I converted a 3 hour traditional in-person Customer Experience (CX) training course into a 1.5 hour training by creating e-Learning modules.

The topic of the course is Change Management, which teaches CX employees at VRBO how to navigate difficult interactions with customers regarding business changes within VRBO’s two-sided marketplace, which consists of home owners and travelers.

Below is a short video which demonstrates some of the material covered in the course, as well as the interactive elements implemented to keep learners engaged in the material as they participated in the course:

Goals

• Research, design, develop, and implement e-Learning modules following guidelines delineated by Adult Learning Theory.

• Collaborate with subject matter experts and members of the training team to ensure accuracy of content.

Process

Research

• Attend the traditional in-class training

• Interview trainees and subject matter experts about their in-class experience

• Analyze survey data from previous students that rates their satisfaction with the course

• Review material used to develop in-class training

Storyboard

• Develop e-learning modules through detailed storyboards of all course material

A storyboard like the one displayed above was carefully curated for every aspect of the course, then reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure quality and accuracy of content.

Design

• Design e-Learning modules with interactive elements in Articulate 360

• Record voice over

• Integrate into LMS

Interviews and survey data from students revealed that the ADKAR model of change management was the most impactful part of the training.

ADKAR is an acronym for:

• Awareness

• Desire

• Knowledge

• Ability

• Reinforcement

Each of the words in the acronym represent a stage in coping with change. The e-learning modules guide CX employees through each of these stages, and the feelings that accompany them, to create a sense of empathy and to give CX employees the resources to guide their customers through change successfully.

Results

The training ultimately consisted of two e-Learning modules (20 mins. each), and 1 hour of in-class training. The Change Management e-Learning modules I created are still used for the CX Passports Program at VRBO, which is a professional development program used to educated employees, which also makes them eligible for promotion.

Benefits:

• The Knowledge Management team at VRBO is responsible for training CX employees, and 3 hour trainings for a a 1200 person global CX team can burn through a lot of their resources. The e-Learning modules saved them 2 hours of training each time the class was taken, which was at least twice a month.

• The modules also saved the CX employees 80 minutes of their time to focus on their work or to attend other trainings.

• The e-Learning modules are more accessible for a global CX team who may not always have someone on location to give in-person training.

• The training provided a way for CX employees to use professional development as a means for promotion within the company.