Project Goal: Turn parking cashiers into "Customer Service Ambassadors"

Client:
Third largest municipality in California

Our level of responsibility:
I was responsible for the total design and implementation of this project, working with the city's Parking Administrator.

Duration of the engagement:
1 year.

The problem(s) presented to us:
How to train cashiers in city-run parking lots to use customer-focused language and behaviors that will encourage visitors to return to the city for events and shopping.

Our steps in solving the problem:

Held focus group with city and parking managers to understand their issues, and clarify their expectations.
Held focus group with parking cashiers to understand their issues, and clarify their expectations.
Interviewed additional cashiers to understand their challenges
Visited all city's parking garages to determine current level of service
Read the city's parking procedures and watched their current videos
Interviewed content experts
Determined training and design process for customized, self-study materials to fit the city's customer communications needs.
Wrote and designed self-study materials for the cashiers to understand customer service processes and concepts.
Created "practicums" for the managers to test the cashiers ability to apply the concepts to real situations.
Wrote leader's guides for the managers/supervisors
Created pre- and post-tests for the training
Designed customer surveys; created incentives for customers to return surveys
Wrote script and recorded the training material on audio tape so the cashiers could listen to the information again, after the trainings.
Designed and delivered group training for managers/supervisors
Designed and delivered group training for cashiers to explain program
Created job aids.

Results achieved
This program was launched with the group training of the cashiers. The supervisors, managers and cashiers were excited about the content and process of the learning. Each cashier completed the self-study guide, and was checked for understanding and ability to apply the information. The managers, supervisors, and city officers report observing cashiers using the skills from the program within days of beginning the training.