Mecca Bingo: Customer Service Training

The Requirement

Mecca Bingo was investing into the slots and games area of the business and needed to up-skill people in customer service and product knowledge. The project also needed to help change the mind-set and attitudes to better identify and relate to slots customers. The learning objectives were to:

  • Build confidence to approach and build rapport with customers
  • Know when to offer complimentary refreshments to enhance the customer experience
  • Have the skills to introduce customers to new products and content
  • Have the confidence and skills to engage with customers and introduce them to the new gaming machines

At that time the client did not have the internal resources to do the job quickly internally and sought to work with an outside provider.

The Proposal

“There is a fine balance between tailoring a proposal and presenting it as a fait accompli. RightTrack Learning got it just right. Kasmin [Cooney OBE] asked some excellent questions in order to truly understand the brief and our needs. Her questioning even helped to spur new thinking.

RightTrack Learning clearly demonstrated that they had taken the time to understand the business; recognising what we did well, as well as areas for improvement. From the four suppliers invited to propose only two were shortlisted to interview. RightTrack Learning won hands down.”

Peter Bennett, Learning & Development Manager, Mecca Bingo

The Results

  • 6 weeks post training, 100% of Managers who responded to the survey believed that the training had improved service in their club slots area
  • The number of people playing slots tournaments increased by 25% in the first 6 months after the initial training.

The Reaction

“We have an e-learning platform but the danger is that busy managers will not have time to follow up on this training, check understanding and measure engagement. Our Customer Service training needed to address product knowledge as well as skills, mind-set and confidence. So instead of going the e-learning route, we adopted a different kind of blended approach. RightTrack Learning designed a bespoke, Mecca Bingo branded one-day classroom programme and a Bespoke Toolkit resource pack.

Going the Bespoke Toolkit route has been a fantastic approach. It has given us formal training sessions; learning to be built into induction; content for remedial training to address service issues with individuals; and top ups, wherever and whenever we want. Instead of being prescriptive, it’s enabled us to provide each site with a flexible resource that empowers managers to take ownership of developing their own teams, as required. It has created much more accountability. I would highly recommend RightTrack Learning , and this as an approach for organisations who, like us, prefer the idea of face-to-face learning for subjects like Customer Service, but who need to make use of ‘down time’ rather than taking people off the job for any significant length of time. It has really been embraced by our management teams.”

Peter Bennett, Learning & Development Manager, Mecca Bingo

The Solution

The Mecca Bingo customer service development programme comprised of a blended approach using both Classroom and Bespoke Toolkit delivery methodologies. The aim was to provide a strong return on investment and to enable the client to become self-sufficient and be able to expand the content for different uses.

Part 1 – Classroom Training

Following extensive research into the current service offered to slots customers, time exploring the diverse nature of players, and a day’s technical training, the Righttrack project team partnered with the client to design a totally bespoke, Mecca-branded one-day programme called ‘Serious About Service’. The highly participative content included a board game and bespoke film clips, which were shot on-site with professional actors playing different types of customer. The content featured:

  • The importance of being present and aware of customer needs
  • Communication skills
  • Dealing with a diverse mix of customers
  • Unconscious Bias
  • How to approach and develop rapport with customers without being scripted
  • How to demonstrate new games and tournaments to new and existing customers
  • Skills to promote new products and content to customers
  • Ensuring that customers gamble responsibly

The programme was rolled out to 400 attendees, with an audience made up of Slots Team Leaders, Front of House staff and GMs from 81 Mecca venues from across the UK.

Part 2 – Bespoke Toolkits

In order to reach the rest of the Mecca population and keep the customer service culture alive, we worked with the client to design what can best be described as an easy to use, training resource pack. This was cleverly designed to be used internally by non-trainers: managers, team leaders or even colleagues. It was highly flexible, providing 10, 20, 30, 60 minute, half day and full day sessions which could be run for groups or individuals alike. Sessions were designed to be run in an office, meeting space or, most importantly, on the Mecca floor in quiet times.

Bespoke Video Content

We scripted and filmed a number of 3-part video case studies to support key learning points and spark discussion in the training room. The clips of regular customer George were used to explore how we can use our skills and personalities to provide high levels of customer care, attention and support in all situations.