MindBox VR Receives 2 Learning Management System Accolades from Directory for Business Software

MindBox VR

In today’s digital era, technology has been used to foster various ways to improve education. MindBox VR aims to further enhance and accelerate the learning process for employees in a fun and immersive manner, and according to independent software review platform FinancesOnline, we managed to achieve just that. In recognition of MindBox VR’s capabilities as an effective learning management system, FinancesOnline awarded our VR-ready training  platform their Great User Experience and Rising Star awards for 2018.

While implementing virtual reality technology might sound costly and daunting at first, FinancesOnline stated that our MindBox VR features reduces the need for costly on-site training as it offers “flexibility to create specific simulation scenarios.” All of this is possible without the need for in-depth technical knowledge, as scenarios can be prepared alongside its built-in universal modules and customize them to fit your needs, stated FinancesOnline.

The aforementioned remarks paved the way for MindBox VR to get commended as an effective learning and talent management platform and distinguished as a Great User Experience for 2018, a testament to our platform’s ease-of-use for both businesses and learners. MindBox VR

MindBox VR was reviewed under FinancesOnline’s best learning management system category, standing out from the rest thanks to its interactivity, modern keyword detection technology, mobility thanks to Android and iOS support, gamification, and much more. Overall, “you can achieve desirable training outcomes at a quicker pace and give your employees the ability to set their own training velocity,” stated FinancesOnline.

FinancesOnline also praised the software for its technological innovation that provides users flexibility in creating their learning courses. Examples of these, based on FinancesOnline’s review, include voice recognition to convert speech to text for response analyses.

Lastly, MindBox was also awarded the 2018 Rising Star title in our niche for garnering positive traction from clients and continuing to grow in popularity on the market.

MindBox VR

These awards have truly motivated our team to continue developing effective modern technologies to make trainings both fun and engaging. Visit FinancesOnline for the full review and leave your thoughts on how MindBox VR aspired your employees to learn.

Training in Call Centre: A Comparison of Traditional Training Versus Simulation Training

Training in Call Center

There is not an unusual phenomenon when customers knew more informations about products or services as a call centre agent. You’re offering training sessions for your agents and giving them all the information they need to know. But when the time comes for them to apply their knowledge, they don’t seem to have retained much. As a result, performance is lower than expected. This may be solved with focused training in call centre.

Call Centre Problems

First, when calling the customer to support centre, customer support agents supplied distinct answers in 41% of the instances. Agents didn’t know the response 34% of the time and 31% of the time a response couldn’t be located on the business site. Such findings suggest that businesses don’t care with regards to training agents on the right way to deal with a customer call. In reality, agents will not understand all question or can’t provide correct answers.

Agent’s should simply access the content they need and making decisions based on not on a limited information. But they should be able to build the knowledge base which would allow them for providing relevant responses to customers.

Another problem is the high turnover of staff in the call centre (turnover rate of between 30 and 45 per cent). Replacing a call centre employee costs approximately three to four months of the position’s pay (combined cost of recruitment and training plus lost productivity). For new employees, quick and efficient training is needed to provide relevant information to customers.

Training in Call Centre

Call centre agents are the customer’s entry into the company. Continuous training in call centre should be an important part of the training strategy.

Traditional Training vs. Simulation Training

The most popular training in the call centre is a classroom training, where the focus is on product knowledge training, how to use mainframe information systems, customer service etiquette. The typical classroom training end of role-play training to provide “real-life” experience to trainees.

One or more customer calls are scripted and enacted, where one party plays the role of a customer (typically the instructor or another trainee) while another party plays the role of the call centre agent. The contact is face-to-face allowing the parties in the role-play as well as other onlookers opportunities for observation. The participants obtain feedback from the instructor when mistakes are made.

Emerging technologies led to the development of simulation training methods, which offer enhancements to behaviour modelling that are absent in role-play training. Simulation training, similar to role-play training, relies on the principles of behaviour modelling for influencing performance.

The traditional simulation training consists of three parts:  paced observation, modularized practice with feedback and integrated practice with feedback. In the first step, the simulation provides an integrated audio-video presentation of played conversations between customers and call centre agents. The trainee is only an observer in this stage. In the second step, the trainee handles a part of the call and the computer handles the rest. The third step involves an “integrated practice with feedback,” wherein trainees field the entire call, with the computer prompting the right course of action in case of trainee error.

The difference between simulation training and role plays

There are three training environment factors on which simulation training differs from role-playing training — realistic context, guaranteed feedback with the less threatening environment for repetitions, and a paced learning environment.

In realistic context simulation training in call centre for agents mimics the job context more strongly than role-play training, thereby leading to the superior transfer of skills and behaviours.

Feedback established connections to previously learned skills and knowledge. Empirical research demonstrates that, by and large, seeking feedback is difficult because of impression management concerns. In role-play contexts, feedback is not guaranteed and, further, the feedback provided by the instructor may or may not address a trainee’s individual concerns. In a simulation training is an inbuilt feedback mechanism. If a trainee makes an error, the system show or suggestion the right course of action.

Simulation training allows trainees to go through the different training steps at their own pace and own comfort level. Simulation training allows trainees to continually refine and develop their knowledge structure as they practice, backtrack and practice again until their compilation of the procedures is sound.

The research shows that simulation training results in a significant reduction in call duration relative to role-play training. The average call duration for simulation trainees is 20% lower than that of role-play trainees during their first two weeks on the job.

Regular knowledge-building for agents by simulation training

Simulation training offers the ability to mitigate ill effects. Create for your agent your own simulation training content by MindBox VR solution.

MindBox VR solution is designed to give agents targeted assistance to boost their knowledge and performance. Instead of watching videos, or listening to a recorded interaction, you can place agents in the simulation of situations where they gain hands-on-experience and practice their skills. It is the great solution for preparing focused training in call centre for agents. 

mindboxvr training app

Learning employees through the mobile app.

Feedback and hints are a part of MindBox VR platform. Help trainees develop procedural knowledge, have a complete cognitive understanding of the task, and strengthen cognitive organization and retention. It helps to accelerate learning.

Summary

It is important that new agents perform well from day one to build their confidence. If agents are not off to a good start, it can increase their stress and anxiety and result in high turnover. It is well documented throughout the literature.

Simulation training is highly scalable once the simulations have been developed, offers the ability to mitigate these ill effects. Not only does simulation training result in greater call accuracy for new hires, it is also much more scalable than role-play training. It also provides training on a continuous basis to reinforce good practices and fix problems mentioned in this blog.

 

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How to Implement On the Job Training to Improve Customer Service Skills?

on the job training

Great customer service leads to customer loyalty, increased profits, and a better brand image. We’ll share with you how to implement on the job training for improving customer service skill with new technology.

 

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ON THE JOB TRAINING

Workers learn the job in the real working site in the real-life situation. Under this technique, it places the person on a regular task and taught the skills required to do that job. The trainee learns under the oversight and guidance of a professional employee or teacher. On the job training has the benefit of providing firsthand knowledge and experience under real working conditions. Whilst the trainee learns how to perform work, he’s also a regular employee rendering the professional services for which he’s paid.

DISADVANTAGES OF ON THE JOB TRAINING

However, on the job training can be time-consuming for the trainer, new employee and other existing employees. The next disadvantages are:

  • Costly – on the job training method is costly in the sense that the workers are disturbed by training activities
  • Disturbance – the existing employees may feel disturbed due to the trainees and the lector.
  • Low Productivity – the trainees are taken at the workstation for preparing; subsequently, they are in the process of learning skills. Therefore, the productivity profitability will be lower.

New technology is changing the way employees learn on the job and are improving the process. With a mixed approach, employers can cut the costs and time of spent training employees at the workstation.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN THE TRAINING PROCESS

Technology has revolutionized the learning industry in the past. And continued to improve the learning process at the present.

According to a new report by Accenture in collaboration with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives states that Canadian companies must act to take greater advantage of new technologies to deliver better workplace education and training.

The report calls on more employers to consider the advantages of innovative “smart learning systems” that provide access to knowledge, anytime and anywhere. Often, these methods are more effective than classroom-based training while also costing less on a per-employee basis.

The method of technology-based training is more interactive and experiential for employees. In the past employees may have watched a video about communicating with clients. Today technology like speech voice recognition and voice recognition available to communicate with the avatar. Customer personas make your online training more effective.

on the job training

With MindBox VR it is simple. You choose one persona from a predefined list, choose the environment and choose the language you want personas to talk to employees. By editor, appropriate text for personas and a whole simulation for training is done. In simulation environment employees by voice interact with a virtual customer. In the method, on-the-job training is important an active role of employees.

KEEP ON THE JOB CUSTOMER SERVICES TRAINING

A study revealed that 85% of consumers will retaliate against a company if their needs are not met. And almost half will stop doing business with the company. The on the job training is one of the methods, which can ensure effective training for new and existing employees.

Prepare an employee handbook or customer service manual that details protocols for how to greet a customer, how to ask follow-up questions, how to resolve customer disputes. With MindBox VR you prepare scripts according to manuals of the typical situation and creates virtual on-the-job training. Scenarios provide real and live situational awareness of how customers interact with staff and what their expectations are from said employees.

MindBox VR can be used in the testing mode of allowing employees to individually demonstrate their skill set in practice. Using test mode will allow you to identify gaps for the training of existing and new workforces. Customer service skill tests help ensure that the new workforces you hire have the abilities and skills to do meet customer expectations.

Ensure practical training for your employees. Practice makes perfect.

 

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How to improve sales skills of the workforce in retail?

training sales skills

There’s simply no denying of fact that properly trained sales skills personnel deliver better results for the retailer. Unless of course your staff is better trained than the competition, armed with more product knowledge and strategies to solve client problems, your retail operation will compete on price. That’s not a good position for a retail speciality store to be in, because it is almost impossible to compete on price with the big box retailers and national chains given their enormous purchasing power and economies of scale. Sadly, retailers investing in marketing and advertising campaigns designed to drive people in their stores only to encounter personnel who do not have the right training. And that’s an outcome no retailer can afford for long.

Product knowledge training

Product knowledge is crucial for your workforces. They must know exactly what they’re selling in order to be effective salespeople. They should know the features and advantages of the products sold in the store. Mix this knowledge about the product and enthusiasm to help people lead to winning combination.

It is important to provide a sufficient amount of product information to workforces. If you are lacking info on the products, you sell call up your product vendors and reps and get them to provide the info you need. Start reviewing this info with your staff and make it obligatory that everyone learns it.

The way to sell efficiently

Here are some problems should cover in your weekly exercise sessions:

  • What are the best qualifying questions to ask a customer?
  • How do you determine customer needs?
  • How do you overcome customer objections?
  • What are the best ways to ask for the sale?
  • How do you use deficiency and urgency to close the sale?
  • How do you create additional sales by recommending products that complement other items?

Role-playing with staff is a fantastic way to give them the answers to these questions in a real-world context. But for role-playing, it is necessary to reserve the time by colleague or manager and schedules a good date. Another problem is the attitude of people who play the role of customer. If the same person does this role often is boring for them.

How technology helps training sales skills

Technology-based training programs provide self-paced employee directed learning. The use of technology-driven training delivers benefits to employees and organizations. Technology offers ease of use, learning retention, evaluate learners, the ability to reinforce learning, employee training convenience, replace role-playing.

You can use speech-based learning to teach your workforces selling better. Created scenarios in 3D environment help learners better gain experience in selling to customers and quickly apply them in the real world. With the mobile application, your workforces can be training anywhere and anytime.

It is an effective method of learning because learners interact with virtual customers by voice. And it is more natural for improving sales skills. The combination of speech and voice recognition technology and analytics module allows to testing product knowledge of your workforces, teach better-overcome customer objections and correctly ask questions.

MindBox VR is a first speech-based learning platform allows prepare courses for workforces by voice and speech recognition technology. With our solution, you can ensure role-playing for your workforces more often.

The Advantages of Technology-based training

technology-based training

Technology has revolutionized business. Nowadays, most people must learn more than ever before in the past. Particularly for global organizations, classroom-based training is becoming too pricey and cumbersome. Even when workers had the opportunity to attend all the classes along with seminars along with to read all the materials and reports, they need to stay up-to-date in their field of work. The price of such a learning is prohibitive. The need to save costs led to organizations to applied technologies in the learning process. The technologies are changing the way corporations and individuals obtain skills.

 

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The Influence of the Technologies on Education

The internet has become a major technology to influence learning. The rise of the World Wide Web, top capacity corporate programs and high-speed business desktop computers make learning accessible to people 24/7 hours around the world. Employees can then access training when it’s convenient for them, at home or at the office. When delivered via technology-based solutions, training is cheaper per end user as a result of scalable supply and the elimination of top salaries for coaches and advisers. According to Training Magazine, companies save between 50-70% if replacing instructor-led training with electronic content delivery. Employees may also enhance productivity and utilize their own time better, as they no longer have to journey or fight rush-hour traffic for at a course.  

Information can be retrieved just before it’s required, as opposed to being learned once in a classroom and subsequently forgotten. Technology-based solutions allow more room for individual differences in learning styles. They also supply a high level of simulation that may be tailored to the learner’s level of proficiency. With 24/7 access, people can understand at their very own pace along with review course material as frequently as needed.   

Higher retention

Trainees can tailor the learning material to their very own needs. They can more control over their learning process along with may better comprehend the material, leading to per 60% faster learning curve, compared to instructor-led training. The delivery of content in smaller units, called microlearning, contributes further to per more lasting learning effect. Whereas the average content retention rate for an instructor-led course is only 58%, the more intensive technology-based training experience enhances the retention rate by an additional 25 – 60%. Higher retention of the material puts per higher value on each dollar spent on training. In times when little instructor-led courses have a tendency to be the exception, electronic learning options can supply more collaboration along with interaction with experts along with peers, and a higher success rate compared to the live option. Distance education can be more challenging and encourage more critical thinking than a conventional large instructor-led class because it enables the kind of interaction that takes place most fully in small-group settings.     

The role of technology in the education of the future

Utilizing technology in the right way can help improve employees performance. The using technology-based solutions in training of employees has a huge impact on their skill development and employees performance improvement. Their utilization can benefit trainees by adding personalization and increase the interest of the learning.

New technologies like virtual reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and voice recognition technology aren’t just changing the field for trainees, they’re shaking up the part of instructors to changing their role.

 

 

The platform like MindBox VR adapts to market demands and allows lecturers to easily apply new technologies in the training of employees in the company. With a combination of 3D environment, voice recognition technology and application (for mobile devices or virtual reality) is possible replacing the role-playing of the training process in the classrooms. Trainers can devote time to evaluate the training of any trainees and suggest training that they need.

 

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Effectiveness of virtual reality training

Can virtual reality trick your brain? Even if yes, why should we do it? A brain is an incredible tool capable of learning, adapting and coping with everyday challenges. But usually, first you need experience a challenge to be able to learn from it and adapt. And, of course, the first attempts are also not usually successful, right? So how can we challenge ourselves and so facilitate your skills, flexibility, and the capability to habituate to recurring stressful situations you encounter? Well, we can use some tricks and at MindBox VR, we made a little research and experiment.

Most everyday challenges stem from social interactions – giving a speech in a public or media, present a product, negotiate an important contract and so on. Actually, anxiety, fear, and worries related to such social stressors are the most prevalent in our modern society. Given these facts, we were interested whether it would be possible to trick our brain to respond adaptively and learn how to cope with such situations using virtual reality. Our idea was to take some of the well-established psychotherapeutic and coaching methods (e.g., systematic exposure, desensitization, training) and use them in the virtual environment to facilitate social skills and performance. What was the setup?

Experiment & Procedure

41 healthy young adults aged between 19 to 33 years participated in the study with average age 21,8 years. The experiment was attended by 13 males and 28 females.

The individuals were randomly divided into either control condition (15 participants) or a social challenge (26 participants) in virtual reality. Prior to any VR exposition, participants of the both groups completed three self-reporting measures in order to evaluate their degree of trait anxiety (i.e., an individual tendency to respond anxiously in stress or difficult situations), fear of negative evaluation (individual tendency worry about others’ evaluations and overestimate their impact), and state anxiety (the current intensity of self-perceived anxiety). Thereafter, the participants entered into virtual reality simulation while their heart rate was monitored and recorder. This physiological measure was used as an objective index of arousal and degree of challenge.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality was simulated using Oculus Rift and two touch sensors monitoring the relative position of participant’s hands.

Image 1: Oculus rift with touch controllers and sensors

Firstly, participants were provided 5 minutes to familiarize with the virtual environment and functionality. Next, they were comfortably seated and asked to relax for approximately 12 minutes. During this period a relaxing virtual simulation was projected. This treatment was introduced to let the participants’ arousal recover to the baseline level (the last 4 minutes of the relaxing period was used to estimate participants’ baseline heart rate).

Challenge group

After the relaxation, the individuals in challenge group was introduced into a simulated medium-sized virtual lecture hall filled with virtual audience.

Virtual audience preview

Image 2: MindBox VR virtual audience

 

Briefly, after the simulation started, the participants were required to:

  1. introduce themselves in front of the audience,
  2. describe their current occupation or field of study,
  3. evaluate how successful they think they are using examples, where they see themselves in 5 years and why,
  4. name three of their positive and negative personality traits that affect their job or university outcomes,
  5. describe how they react to and cope with workload or stress in their workplace.

The guided structured questions took approximately 8 minutes. This period was split into two 4-minute intervals that were evaluated separately.

Control group

The conditions in control group were kept as similar to the stress group as possible, with exception of the actual VR simulation. Instead of the interview in front of the virtual audience, participants in the control group were asked to provide their subjective feeling about a set of virtual scenes on using a simple scale. Indeed, this condition was much less ego-involving and evaluative.

Results

Interestingly, although both groups were equal in their levels of trait anxiety and fear of negative evaluation and although both groups felt equally anxious prior the stimulation, their physiological response to the virtual reality experience was substantially different! First of all, the heart rate – our measure of psychophysiological arousal – was the same at the end of the relaxation. However, when put into either the control or challenging simulation, their course of physiological arousal started to diverge. The individuals who gave an interview in front of the virtual audience responded with a sharp increase in physiological arousal, suggesting they were more challenged and perhaps stressed, which remained increased also in the second half of the interview. On the other hand, the group of participants which rated the virtual scenes responded only a mild physiological activation, which disappeared later on. With this results, virtual reality training focused on interpersonal communication and presentation can be more effective than ever.

physiological arousal chart

Image 3: Physiological arousal chart

Implications

What do these findings demonstrate and how to use them? Well, first, the findings suggest that performing in VR can mimic the real world challenges, which is neccessary for virtual reality training. But this is really important! By such exposures, we provide our brain with the possibility to adapt and habituate to such situations. When systematic, this virtual reality training can be used to desensitize our fears, concerns, and anxiety related to social challenges and hence improve our social skills and work performance without the actual experience of a failure or insecurity.

Acknowledgements

The experiment was implemented in collaboration with Department of Behavioural Neuroscience from Centre of Experimental Medicine of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Arts from Comenius University in Bratislava.

What Does the Future Hold for Virtual Reality in E-learning?

Training employees require qualified trainers, time and, of course, money. There is no assurance that each employee receives the same level of know-how and will be fully prepared for their role. Entrepreneurs are now looking for solutions that are cost and time-effective. E-learning opened doors to self-paced learning and flexibility. Virtual reality offers automatization, individual approach and a safe environment for trial and error without consequences.

Is VR the future of e-learning?

We live in the world full of distractions. Attachment to our smartphones, checking out the e-mails, messages, notifications, scrolling the social media sites and reading the news caused a huge drop in the employee’s productivity. According to The Information Overload Research Group, distraction costs our economy around $997 billion annually. E-learning solves a lot of problems of a traditional classroom, yet it requires laptop or smartphone, what cause a new range of issues. Distraction is literally one click away.

Virtual reality, on the other side, usually requires a headset. A learner is immersed in the artificial environment. There is no space to wander the attention to Facebook or passively digest the information. VR also offers various scenarios that prompt the learner to find the best solutions. Imagine you’re training a customer support employee whose main job description is to communicate with clients. You can give them a pdf with questions and the best possible answers or you can do the role plays. VR offers an inexpensive and more effective alternative.

Supported by research and e-learning leaders

Studies suggest that VR is at least as effective as other forms of e-learning and a way more engaging. The interest rate for VR training is usually 50 % higher than for traditional forms of training. There is still a lot of research to be done. What we know now suggests that people react the same way to situations in virtual reality as they do in real life. This could also mean that they can retain the information from experience and recall it later when they need it.

Investors and tech companies see the potential in the future of VR learning. Goldman Sachs has forecast the growth of VR education up to $ 700 million by 2025. Udemy predicts that in 2018 the VR and AR (augmented reality) in e-learning will gain ground as costs come down, they also expect the growth of VR offerings from current 4% to 20% of all learning and development resources.

How are companies embracing VR in training employees?

Walmart is one of the pioneering companies who involved the latest technology in their training program for store associates – Walmart Academy. Thanks to VR they can prepare their employees for various situations they might face in their job and still provide the best shopping experience to the customers. Black Friday is one of those events when the thorough preparation is especially needed.

KFC took the employee training to a whole new level and made the onboarding VR experience little bit creepy, yet unforgettable. New employees are in VR closed in an escape room where they have to learn how to make signature KFC fried chicken. Narrator Colonel Sanders doesn’t make it easier for them. KFC understands that nothing can replace the real hands-on experience but VR initiation to KFC could speed up the learning process. The employees will definitely never forget their first experience of preparing the virtual chicken.

The rapid expansion brings a lot of challenges. Hiring a big number of employees in a short time span and losing the essence of the company are two biggest issues businesses are facing. Chain of healthy eateries, Honeygrow, identified potential risks of growing fast and distancing from their core values in the process. Their approach to expanding the business and avoid negotiating their original company culture involved the use of virtual reality. Honeygrow introduced VR to their training program in 2017 and they’re excited about the results. VR allows them to educate their employees continually, keep them committed to the company values, prepare them for challenges in their jobs and keep them engaged in a learning process.

How can you benefit from virtual reality in E-learning in your business?

The technical requirements for VR are usually the main factor slowing down the implementation of VR into the training program of employees. Comparing to a traditional approach to onboarding and training, VR still offers a cost-effective alternative. Prices for devices are expected to be dropping, the cheapest headsets cost already just a few dollars. Companies such as MindBox VR are offering platforms supporting VR for trainers to easily create VR training programs without a single line of code. MindBox VR platform, in particular, includes a unique voice recognition feature that allows the “real-life” interaction between the trainee and a virtual customer. Clients expect the ultimate solution that prepares the employees for their role in the company, simulation of a real-life conversation is especially beneficial for employees in sales and customer support departments.

MindBox VR training preparation

VR allows you to create a distraction-free environment, full immersion into the topic and individual approach to learning. Companies see VR as a useful tool for onboarding and training new employees, improving the response of operators as well as increasing the customer satisfaction, continually educating their sales team and therefore boosting their sales results. According to Udemy, organizations nowadays are widely starting to use VR for training the soft skills. VR can be very useful for training employees in areas such as diversity & inclusion, communication with customers, negotiation, sales or even innovation and problem-solving. The trainers are completely free to create a training program that suits the company’s needs.

Udemy claims that VR and AR are set to be the biggest disruption to learning since the Internet. The next few years could be crucial for the development of VR as an integral part of e-learning industry worldwide