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Mastering Efficiency: How 'Keyboard Ninja' Training Boosted Agent Performance with Keyboard Shortcuts

Client

Expedia Group

Audience

Customer Service Agents

Responsibilities

Design & Develop Training

Tools Used

Articulate Storyline
Adobe Illustrator
Reaper
Adobe After Effects

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Overview

To enhance customer support efficiency, agents needed training on using browser keyboard shortcuts. This initiative aligned with business goals to reduce average handle time and increase customer satisfaction by empowering agents to navigate systems faster and more efficiently.

The Problem

Agent observations revealed that many were not leveraging browser keyboard shortcuts, leading to longer average handle times and negatively impacting customer satisfaction.

The Solution

A self-paced learning course was designed to make agents aware of these shortcuts and provide hands-on practice, enabling them to improve their efficiency in supporting customers.

Key Course Features

Engaging Animated Video: This visually appealing video used storytelling and real-world examples to capture attention and enhance understanding, helping agents retain the information better.
Interactive Exercises: Agents had the opportunity to practice keyboard shortcuts in simulated real-world scenarios, reinforcing their skills.

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Action Mapping

Using action mapping, I identified the key keyboard shortcuts that would enable agents to meet our business goals. This involved conducting internal research, observing top-performing agents in contact centers, and interviewing them to gather insights. The data informed the design of targeted practice activities that helped agents master the shortcuts.

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Design Process

Text-Based Design Blueprint

I developed a detailed design blueprint with performance objectives based on Bloom's Taxonomy. These objectives guided the creation of assessment questions that aligned with the course’s goals. The blueprint ensured a clear connection between the training content and the final evaluations, leading to a cohesive learning experience with video content and interactive exercises.

Theme

The course adopted a fun and engaging ninja theme, which symbolized speed and precision—skills critical for mastering keyboard shortcuts.

The dojo setting provided an immersive environment for learning, while vivid animations, storytelling, and ninja stars earned during assessments kept the content engaging.

Click Play to view an animated transition.

Interactive Prototype

Once the blueprint was approved, I quickly developed a prototype in Articulate Storyline, creating the graphics in Adobe Illustrator. The prototype featured:

Engaging Animated Video

Storyboarding the video involved creating scripts and visual mockups. I built the graphics in Adobe Illustrator, recorded the voiceover in Reaper, and animated the video in Adobe After Effects. Video reviews were conducted via Adobe Frame.io, ensuring stakeholder alignment and quality control.

Click Play to watch the introduction video.

Interactive Exercises

The course featured hands-on activities in Articulate Storyline, allowing agents to practice the keyboard shortcuts in a realistic but safe environment. This built their confidence for real-world application.

The course concluded with a helpful job aid, allowing learners to easily reference the keyboard shortcuts on the job.

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Full Development

Following stakeholder review and approval of the prototype, the full course development commenced. This phase involved refining the introduction video and activities based on feedback, ensuring the final product met business and learning objectives.

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Results

The "Keyboard Ninja" training became a core component of our new-hire curriculum, significantly contributing to reduced average handle time and improved customer satisfaction, as measured by decreased AHT and higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

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