Humor helps bank employees absorb training messages

Canada’s BMO Financial Group produced nine videos to familiarize customer service representatives with the digital tools the organization was adopting to make it easier for customers to complete transactions. The videos were produced by Livewire Communications, and have won first place in the “Educational Video” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Video & Visual Awards.

The videos were designed to do more than educate employees on how these tools worked. Employees would have to understand how to carry on conversations with customers about them. The “Wild World of Banking” series succeeds on a number of levels at training employees to help customers embrace online banking, but it’s the tone of the videos that sets them apart.

The productions adopt the look and tone of nature videos, with the narration serving as the key feature. The videos feature two employees—one who assumes the role of a timid creature shying away from perceived danger while the other (who knows the right way to help a customer) takes over and guides the customer through the right digital solution.

The team used actual employees in the productions and created awareness of their availability through monthly emails with links to the videos.

The videos were offered as opt-in training, and more than 1,300 employees have accessed the site. A survey found 71 percent of customer service representatives believed they were “very confident” in their ability to demonstrate online and mobile banking to customers.

Congratulations to Elaine Collins from BMO, and Livewire’s Mark Attard, Lisa McClean-Stellick, Judy Corupe, Andrew Lawlor, Manrico Erasami, Jordan Gross and William Hussey.