The Fragrance Shop: Game-based training helps close 98% of the knowledge gap
Award-winning game-based training solution answers complex learning needs for major perfume retailer.
“Training is an integral part of The Fragrance Shops ethos. So, we invest a lot into training … what we found with Attensi is that we can do gamification training which actually is a lot quicker for them to absorb the information” Sanjay Vadera CEO | The Fragrance Shop
Scentsational success
Attensi enjoyed the sweet scent of success when we helped train the workforce of national retailer, The Fragrance Shop (TFS).
The solution we created with The Fragrance Shop earned the Innovation in Learning Prize at the annual Learning Awards – and more importantly the business and its staff love the impact the training makes on their job satisfaction and performance.
As with all Attensi learning, the solution wasn’t about filling people’s heads with facts and expecting them to remember them all by heart. With Attensi, TFS improved its staff’s knowledge of the company’s culture and its history as well as its products, including a fuller understanding of the science of scent notes.
Speaking to the success of TFS’ work with Attensi, Sanjay Vadera MBE, CEO of TFS, said:
“We are proud to have partnered with Attensi to deliver an innovative, cutting-edge training programme that has made a real difference to our team members and customers.”
Interactive platform
Together we created ScentBox – an industry-leading innovation which introduced mobile-first 3D simulation training to the business and its staff.
TFS also adopted Attensi’s PORTAL product to create a centralized hub where business updates are shared regularly.
The development and launch of ScentBox transformed learning for TFS. Attensi’s game-based training allowed TFS’s workforce to learn on an interactive platform that made training fun, accessible and memorable.
It’s all about impact
The training proved a huge success with exceptional results, including:
98%
knowledge gap closure
98%
of staff said they would apply product knowledge in their daily work
82%
of staff like this way of training
7x
repetitions per module on average
2.1M
times has the content been accessed since launch
Service comes first
This level of impact was critical for a business that relies on its customer experience to keep their noses ahead of the competition.
As a holder of the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, TFS is well known for its fantastic service, consistently scoring above 98% for customer satisfaction. With over 200 stores across the UK, a robust training system is essential to consistently maintain this level of service.
TFS stocks over 150 brands at any one time, and the range changes constantly. That represents a huge amount of knowledge for staff to absorb, and to stay on top of.
Breadth of learning
Fragrance retailing is inherently interactive, and with the tactile and olfactory elements impossible to replicate online, the in-store experience must be first-class. Customer service, product knowledge and delivering an unforgettable shopping experience were the key requirements of the training.
The answer was the creation of the 160+ modules of learning content, all of which can be rotated to help keep ScentBox’s training fresh and relevant.
- Product Knowledge modules include ‘bestsellers’, ‘brand in focus’ and ‘new in’.
- Process Training modules feature ‘safe working practice’ and ‘cash control’.
Making this breadth of learning available in one space, rather than by using multiple in-person sessions with multiple teachers, allowed TFS to coach staff efficiently.
Building skills
During the Covid-19 pandemic when stores were closed, staff stayed engaged with their roles via ScentBox and through business updates on email.
That continuous link with the business and engagement with its operations paid off when high street stores reopened after lockdown.
The use of training skyrocketed and customers received brilliant service from Day One.
Employees were happy to engage with the training and improve their performance, showing that Attensi’s training is enjoyable and fun to follow, as well as being a brilliant way of building skills and staff confidence.
Fresh content
Product knowledge improved across the entire organization, ensuring that customers get consistently friendly, expert service whether they are online or in-store.
Knowledge across various areas such as brand, fragrance and products improved from 39% on their first attempt at the training to up to 99% on their last attempt.
Attensi’s technology allows TFS to update ScentBox with new modules and fresh content, to ensure the app is continuously used by staff to learn new roles or refresh their skills and expertise to boost performance.
“Game on!” – what they say about Attensi
“From customer service to product training, there is nothing that Attensi SKILLS doesn’t lend itself to.
“Not only is it engaging and fun for the teams to learn via gamification – they really retain the information. Nothing showcases this more than the increase from only 60% staff engagement when we used traditional e-learning platforms to our current level of engagement at over 90% with Attensi.
“Our teams look forward to new game releases and are passionate in their goal to be top of the leaderboards. It’s so simple to create the games and we challenge ourselves to make each module as diverse and compelling as possible.
“The products and services we sell are luxury and desirable and require a high degree of expertise and knowledge. SKILLS has enabled us to achieve high attainment levels in these fields.”
Joan Batley | Retail Project Manager
Warm comments
“We also find it really useful to reset and have our teams replay existing modules – that way we can provide and track refresher training.
“SKILLS makes training effective, engaging and our results speak for themselves.”
Staff were happy too, with warm comments in a post-training survey:
- “A very effective, informative, yet fun way of learning.”
- “Fun, visual and helps me remember better.”
Use on the go
- “Easy to use on a smartphone and good to use on the go.”
- “Training is straightforward and we are kept up to date regularly with fragrances.”
- “Enjoyed learning new skills. Using this method of training made it fun.”
“Partnering with TFS provided us with the opportunity to prove how game-based learning can drive real-world impact. Game on!” Krister Kristiansen COO & Chief Commercial Officer
Share on:
