Bankers Trust Company - Des Moines, Iowa
“Back to the Basics”
Situation
Bankers Trust Company (BTC) wanted to distinguish itself from other local banks through outstanding customer service. To reeducate and retrain its 286 employees on the fundamentals of good service, BTC retained Hanser & Associates to develop an employee communication strategy, custom presentation and training materials for a program entitled “Back to the Basics.”
PR Action
Hanser & Associates recommended using BTC’s 13 Basics of Quality Service (which represent core bank values) in an upcoming training program to reiterate the importance of these values in an entertaining, interactive and valuable format. Since BTC employee feedback revealed that most previous bank training programs were “boring” and “uninspiring,” Hanser & Associates staff wrote, directed and produced a video using humorous excerpts from classic television shows to demonstrate and explain each of the “Basics.” The training included taped and live action, segueing to a “Bankers Trust Jeopardy!” game in which employee participants tested their knowledge of the Basics.
In addition to producing the video, Hanser & Associates assisted in planning and staffing the event; developed and directed the Jeopardy! Game; prepared scripts for key bank executives; and conducted post-event employee surveys. Hanser & Associates worked with BTC in all stages of the program – from research and brainstorming to implementation and evaluation.
Result
Prior to the event, employees were asked to rate their knowledge of the basics as a benchmark. Immediately following the training, BTC again conducted a survey to obtain employee feedback. Employee response was overwhelmingly positive. “This was the BEST quality service training I have attended,” was a representative comment.
Hanser & Associates asked BTC employees prior to the training to rate their knowledge of the basics as a benchmark for further evaluation. Several months later, follow-up evaluations revealed that the number of employees who rated themselves as “knowledgeable” or “very knowledgeable” after the training had nearly tripled. Nearly 90 percent of employees said that the video helped improve their comprehension and recall of the basics. Further, more than 91 percent said they provide better customer service after the training, with 51 percent saying that they use the quality service basics at least once a day in their jobs.