Customer service video training - a case study

Summary

In 2000, Dubai Holding Group and Shamsie Holdings embarked on a fast-growing retail journey across the Middle East, aiming to elevate customer service. Despite high staff turnover, they sought a new way to deliver training. Their solution was TT20, a tailored training program that evolved into a multimedia experience combining English, Arabic, video, and presenter-led content. After a successful pilot, the program's content was transformed into high-quality modules that were accessible on demand. This collaboration improved service consistency, enabled flexible training, and allowed the 845 TV team to master Arabic language content.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Dubai Holding Group (DHG) and Shamsie Holdings are fast-growing retail organizations with over 100 stores across the Middle East.
• 😀 Despite rapid expansion and typical retail staff turnover, the groups aim to make in-store customer service a key differentiator.
• 😀 With a staff of 2,000 employees across the UAE, the training team faced challenges in delivering effective face-to-face training.
• 😀 The training program, TT20 (Uniquely Tailored Training), focused on retail customer service and included topics like attitude, dealing with complaints, and fashion knowledge.
• 😀 While the content of TT20 was successful, the method of delivery needed improvement, which led to the development of a new approach.
• 😀 A pilot program was completed, after which a team visited Dubai to observe, film, and absorb the training content to become experts in retail customer service.
• 😀 The raw training materials were transcribed, edited, and storyboarded before being signed off by both DHG and Ash teams.
• 😀 Mark Copeman, an independent presenter with a preferred Western accent, presented the final training modules on green screen.
• 😀 The production included a mix of English and Arabic on-screen words, images, voiceovers, and video elements filmed at Dubai-based stores.
• 😀 After two months of post-production, 20 modules totaling over four hours of high-quality content were finalized and signed off.
• 😀 Hundreds of employees now have access to the training content anytime and anywhere, providing consistency and flexibility in training delivery.

Q & A

When was the Dubai Holding Group (DHG) and Shamsie Holdings established?

The Dubai Holding Group (DHG) and Shamsie Holdings were established in the year 2000.

How many stores does the Dubai Holding Group (DHG) represent across the Middle East?

The Dubai Holding Group (DHG) represents over 100 stores across the Middle East.

What challenge did DHG face despite its rapid expansion?

Despite rapid expansion, DHG faced typical retail staff turnover, which made maintaining consistent in-store customer service a challenge.

How many staff members does the group have, and how is the training team structured?

The group has 2,000 staff members spread across the United Arab Emirates, with a small training team responsible for staff development.

Why was face-to-face training not working for the company?

Face-to-face training was not effective due to the small size of the training team and the widespread distribution of staff across the region.

What was the name of the training program developed by the training team?

The training program developed by the team was called TT20, which stands for 'Uniquely Tailored Training'.

What areas did the TT20 program cover?

The TT20 program covered areas such as attitude, dealing with complaints, fashion, and the competition, aiming to enhance retail customer service.

What change was needed in the delivery method of the training content?

The delivery method of the content needed to change, as face-to-face training was not scalable. The team sought a more efficient, accessible solution.

What was the result of the pilot phase of the training program?

After the pilot, the 845 team visited Dubai, filmed, and absorbed the training content, quickly becoming experts in retail customer service.

How was the training content adapted for wider use?

The raw training materials were transcribed, edited, storyboarded, and then filmed with a green screen presentation by Mark Copeman, with English and Arabic elements incorporated.

How many training modules were produced, and what was their total duration?

Twenty modules were produced, totaling over four hours of high-quality training content.

What benefits did the retail groups gain from the new training delivery method?

The retail groups gained consistency in messaging, and store managers could facilitate training sessions on demand. Employees could access training whenever and wherever needed.

What additional skills did the 845 TV team acquire through this project?

The 845 TV team gained experience in working with Arabic language content and adapting their approach to a diverse audience.