Leeds Building Society is providing an even more positive experience for all customers, including those in vulnerable circumstances, with a training solution designed to bring complex scenarios to life. The impact: A 25% reduction in negative customer experiences.
25%
reduction in negative customer experience
73%
knowledge gap closure
4x
repetitions per module
4 out of 5
colleagues enjoyed the training
“Colleagues who completed the Attensi program have improved their performance versus those who didn’t.” Andrew Crowe People, Technology, Insight & Learning Lead ⎹ Leeds Building Society
Leeds Building Society (LBS) has been helping people save money and have the home they want for over 140 years. Owned by its members (the people who have savings and mortgages with LBS), Leeds Building Society prides itself on being run entirely in the members’ interest.
In 2023, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced Consumer Duty, a new set of even more robust standards for financial organizations to hold themselves to when it comes to the level of care they give their customers.
LBS used the introduction of Consumer Duty to spark conversations about how staff can go further to spot and support customers in vulnerable circumstances. That’s where Attensi came in, and a new training solution, “Hear to Help” was born.
As with most sectors, the customers who interact with LBS could be experiencing a wide range of circumstances, such as losing their jobs or bereavement. That means that staff could find themselves having difficult conversations that need to be approached sensitively.
“What we found with standard training was that it was very difficult to give our colleagues that exposure,”no matter their location.” says Mark Scullion, Senior Regulatory Trainer at Leeds Building Society.
“We were doing things like role plays, which didn’t emulate exactly how you feel when you’re having those sensitive customer conversations.”
Plus, standard training solutions like seminars or role-playing are difficult to scale across a large organization. LBS needed consistent training that all customer-facing staff could get stuck into any time, anywhere.
Working alongside Attensi, Leeds Building Society developed Hear to Help, an immersive simulation that engaged staff in realistic virtual customer scenarios.
That means that staff can practice having difficult conversations in a safe environment, where they can make mistakes without any real-world implications. Immediate feedback allows staff to see the areas where they can improve, and they can repeat the scenarios as many times as they feel necessary to reach a place of confidence and competence.
Working closely with the Attensi games design team, Leeds Building Society created a highly realistic simulated environment, helping staff to seamlessly apply their learning to real-world scenarios and make a tangible impact on customer experience.
“I was delighted at how immersive, how realistic, and how engaging the solution was.” Andrew Crowe People, Technology, Insight & Learning Lead ⎹ Leeds Building Society
Hear to Help is a blended solution that combines interactivity, gaming elements and simulated scenarios to engage staff in their training. The modules are broken down into mini-games that staff can play on mobile or desktop, allowing them to build their knowledge and skills in small, manageable chunks.
Learners earn points as they go so they can drum up some healthy competition between themselves, encouraging repetition to build more points and increase their understanding of the modules.
“When I first saw it, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d kind of just gone into it thinking it was another e-learning. I quickly realized that wasn’t the case!” Lavinia Croft Branch Manager, Harrogate ⎹ Leeds Building Society
25%
reduction in negative customer experience
73%
knowledge gap closure
4x
repetitions per module
4 out of 5
colleagues enjoyed the training
“It was a pleasure to work with Leeds Building Society to ensure that their colleagues not only mastered the knowledge and skills in the simulations, but that they could confidently apply that learning in real-life cases.” Thomas Niven Managing Director, Professional & Financial Services ⎹ Attensi
Leeds Building Society has seen the positive results it set out to achieve, both in terms of employee engagement and real-world impact. Not only are staff enjoying the training and coming back to it time and again, but the solution has led to a huge reduction in negative customer experiences.
“As a whole, it’s a great addition to our learning package when it comes to customers in vulnerable circumstances. People who have lost their job or gone through a bereavement – they can be quite difficult conversations to have. The Attensi solution makes you think and it gets more challenging as you go through.” Kevin Bowes Learning Development Consultant ⎹ Leeds Building Society
