Volvo Used-Car Finance
Despite Arthur Daley and Terry McCann's efforts to persuade us otherwise, second hand car dealers are not all dodgy dealers. In fact, most car salesmen are actually very well trained. Proof of this are the 600 salesmen working at Volvo used car showrooms. Experts in data protection, the consumer credit act and customer service, they have all been trained using games-based learning.
With employees spread out across the UK, many in dealerships run as franchises, training can be a real challenge, but Volvo wanted everyone to be trained so that they would all be able to offer the same level of service and expertise.
Recognising that classroom-based training wasted a lot of time conveying information - when their real focus was skill development, and that distance learning would help people gain knowledge before they set foot in a classroom, they developed a training programme to help employees learn key financial and regulatory information.
Using an online learning game based on a simulated car showroom allowed players to work their way through various levels, solving puzzles and answering the questions of characters they encountered on their way.
Developing the game was no more expensive than developing a conventional online learning application, - and a games-based system may well turn out to be cheaper in the long run.
Being web-based, it is easy to update and create new courses, and all the elements of the game can be changed, right down to the visual design detail of the virtual showroom. And every time the legislation changes, the application can, too.
The experience is mirrored at cosmetics giant L’Oreal, which introduced online games to train its junior brand managers, challenging players to build and manage a portfolio of beauty brands. Participation in training among junior brand managers rose from 25 per cent to 88 per cent, with 99 per cent of eligible employees completing the course.
