OEMs are implementing more technology elements into their products advisor training to help boost engagement
Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly using technology to improve product training for dealers, adding things like virtual reality and gamification to their repertoire of tools.
One example of this is Nissan; the company has incorporated Gamification into Nissan University, which offers an in-dealership training component known as NBEST (Nissan Building Excellence in Sales Training) and NSERV (Nissan Service Training).
“Gamification. That’s kind of the buzz word out there in the industry, right? And it’s there for a reason: to keep the engagement level and create excitement (around) learning,” said Ken Hearn, Director, Customer Quality and Dealer Network Development at Nissan Canada and Infiniti Canada.
Hearn said gamification plays a role in most of Nissan Canada’s eLearning. And whether that means integrating quizzes, electronic words or concept matching, these remain competitive and engaging elements that provide dealers with instant feedback.
Nissan also offers higher degree games such as the company’s recent sales consultant eLearning, “Get Clued In.”
“This eLearning weaved in a storyline of following the clues to determine the vehicle needs of different in-store customers,” said Hearn. “In addition to the clues and interaction of the learning, we added external reward levels that were awarded on a weekly basis as the network proceeded through the learning models.”
He said the combination of engagement from learning and the external “games” kept sales consultants engaged. The OEM also plans to add new gamification elements to its Nissan learning this year, including reward wheels where users complete and earn tickets.
Nissan rolled out the gamification component of its online training in 2018, and continues to add games and modules to keep “the different individuals” engaged. Hearn said this tactic was brought in after observing the shift in the market towards this type of training.
“Anything to keep that attention, the engagement, definitely helps,” said Hearn. “(For millennials), obviously this is kind of what they’re used to, but I think everybody kind of appreciates playing a game as they’re learning.”
Hearn said the company does a lot of work to remain relevant and up-to-date, and that gamification was one aspect of this effort. During the spring, the company launched a new, “Canadian-unique” initiative known as Nissan Customer Promise. For this project, they trained dealers on how to treat customers to further improve the customer experience.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz has also been pushing the technological training envelope. In Canada, its Mercedes-Benz Training Academy team offers courses at three locations: Mississauga, Ont., Vancouver, B.C., and Laval, Que., as well as at outside facilities, whenever necessary.
“We offer a range of formats, from regional instructor-led training and eLearning courses to virtual instructor-led classrooms and independent online learning resources,” said Brian D. Fulton, President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Canada.
Over the past several years, he said, digital integration has played a larger role in the academy’s broader training strategy. The company has expanded its distance learning and digital eLearning training platform for example, which is used to offer remote theory-based sessions.
These on-demand learning opportunities have resulted in employees spending less time away from their dealerships, and have allowed Mercedes-Benz to save the practical, hands-on learning activities for the classroom.
“Though distance learning will never replace the need for face-to-face training, we have found it to be a great platform for expanding our reach and complementing our overall training strategy,” said Fulton.
He said balancing the need for offsite training with the demands of the dealership environment is an art they are constantly working to refine — particularly in Canada, where distances, plus the time it takes to get the dealer staff together, can be a burden on everyone. Implementing more digital learning options and offering “micro-learning” programs on an ongoing basis helps ensure dealers are dealing with a minimal amount of disruption to their daily workflow.
Nissan rolled out the gamification component of its online training in 2018, and continues to add games and modules to keep “the different individuals” engaged. Hearn said this tactic was brought in after observing the shift in the market towards this type of training.
Mercedes-Benz Canada is also planning to launch a new learning management system in the coming months to help support remote learning. The system will be optimized for mobile phones and tablets so that dealers can easily access the material anywhere and anytime.
“In the classroom, we have already incorporated innovative videos and graphics that cater to different learning approaches. We are also employing more traditional learning activities, including role-playing and case studies,” said Fulton.
He expects to see even more digital integration within these training sessions, regardless if it’s being done remotely or inside a classroom. Dealers, after all, need to be comfortable using new digital tools if they plan to ensure a quality customer service that meets the needs of modern car buyers.
Some of the technological tools that have been incorporated in Mercedes-Benz Canada dealerships include next-generation 4K touchscreens and tablets that are equipped with a showroom app meant to replace the traditional paper window sticker.
The automaker also aims to ensure all employees are well acquainted with the user interfaces related to the vehicles, such as the brand’s recently introduced MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) platform, or the Mercedes me connect app.
“As technology continues to evolve and take up more space in our dealerships and our vehicles, we will support our staff by incorporating it more and more in our classrooms,” said Fulton. “We have already begun using touchscreens, virtual reality and augmented reality in our training, and will continue to make the most of technology as it evolves.”
Hyundai
Hyundai, much like the other automakers, continues to evolve its training, according to Terry Tizzard, Manager, Hyundai Performance Academy, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
“This is a crucial part of ensuring ongoing engagement and participation,” said Tizzard, adding that “We continue to utilize and evolve Hyundai Performance Academy, and are also building on our Certification program.”
Canadian auto dealer caught up with Tizzard to discuss the automaker’s training tactics. He said the company is evaluating how new technologies can create solutions to improve training.
“There is so much technology available, and we are continuously looking at how to leverage these innovations to further advance our offerings,” said Tizzard. “Our Learning Management System is accessible across a variety of platforms, and the courses we load to it are accessible on mobile devices. In most cases, tablets are a perfect tool for us to leverage during training.”
He said the age old question of “what if we train people and they leave, but what if we don’t and they stay?” has never been more relevant. Tizzard adds that employee training remains one of the most worthwhile business investments a dealer can make. Investing time and resources to make employees successful comes full circle.
“It’s also very important that dealers support and encourage their staff to participate in training by having them sign up and attend sessions,” said Tizzard.
Subaru
One of the ways OEMs are investing more time is by incorporating more dealer feedback into the training method, according to Christina Morris, Manager, Product Training, Subaru Canada.
“There is a term that has been going around the company — about listening to the voice of our customers,” said Morris. “We listen to their needs and their demands, and if there is an opportunity to improve or to provide them with additional resources or information, we make sure that we address that thoroughly.”
This also means the company aims to reply to dealer questions in a timely manner, which is generally within a 24-hour period, if not less. They also seek to improve the speed at which they share information and technology, whether that means product guides, easy reference documents and booklets, or digital assets like how-to videos and walkaround content.
Subaru, like other OEMs, is moving away from printed materials and more towards digital to ensure their sales consultants can readily access the material and “relive” the experience. These assets are also customer-facing, which introduces a level of transparency between the dealer and the consumer, since the material is shareable with them.
“We will start off with online training, and from the online training we will build out to the driver instructor-led events, and then we will follow-up with additional online training so that when the launch occurs, the sales consultant will have had several months of being immersed in the product, and understanding the new technology so that their interactions with their customers are much more fluid and comfortable,” said Morris.
Subaru has also improved its training by providing information earlier on, trying to anticipate the needs of customers, and addressing specific questions in advance to ensure dealers are readily equipped.
