The LEAST Method: 

A Technique For Handling Difficult Customers

The Inspo

The idea for this project came to me by tapping into my past experience working in the food service industry. I learned The LEAST Method from one of my old restaurant managers, as it was their go to method for dealing with difficult customers. Knowing the prevalence of these upset customers from my own past experience while witnessing the probable uptick in their presence post pandemic- I figured this was a strategy needed for customer service and service industry workers now more than ever. 

The Problem and the Solution

To develop this project I utilized the commonly used ADDIE Method. In the analysis stage, I leaned on my past experience in the food service industry to decide on using the LEAST Method as a possible tool for dealing with difficult customers. 

When conducting a needs analysis you need to figure out what the learners need to be able to do and what's currently stopping them from doing it. For this scenario, learners would need to be able to diffuse tense customer interactions. What's stopping them is not having an easily called upon strategy that is easy to remember when faced with a potentially stressful scenario (such as an upset customer). The solution for this? An effective strategy that can be remembered using a simple acronym: The LEAST Method.

To teach this strategy, I needed to develop two main assets: a quick and engaging video that would first explain the steps in the LEAST Method and a scenario-based eLearning module that would give the learner a consequence-free opportunity to practice using it. 

Here's how I did it...

Introducing the Material

Creating the explainer video

The first step in the design process was writing a script for the explainer video that would introduce the concept of The LEAST Method and using that to create a text-based storyboard. This would provide an outline for the visuals of the video which would aid me later on as I created the animations for the actual video.

I wanted to be sure to chunk the information in short segments to prevent the learner from experiencing cognitive overload, while presenting them with a fun visual experience that would hold their attention. 

Once I completed the script and text-based storyboard, I shared these with fellow instructional designers to gather feedback and ensure the information is presented clearly and concisely.

Next, I took my storyboard and went into Vyond to build the video itself. This was one of my favorite parts of the project and I loved bringing the vision in my head to life! Using a bright and colorful visual animation style, I created a video made up of 100+ scenes that demonstrated each step in the LEAST Method. It depicts common real-life examples such as customers having to wait a long time for their food at a restaurant and in long lines at a grocery store. To this I added other more fantastical visuals to add some excitement and to keep the learner engaged (see the scene below depicting our angry customer stomping on our various customer interaction scenes.)

For the audio, I used ElevenLabs to generate an AI voiceover that had an informational and friendly feel to it. I then took this audio and edited it in Audacity to ensure it sounded more natural and not so Siri-esque. Once I was happy with the sound, I added it into my video and made sure the timing matched up with the visuals.

After I had the first draft of this video completed, I again shared this with other instructional designers to get feedback so I could have the best possible version to include in my final project. If I were working with a SME (or subject matter expert), they would also get to see it at this stage to ensure what I'm creating aligns with their vision.

Designing the scenario-based eLearning module

Once happy with the final result of my explainer video, I set out to design the eLearning module that I'd later add the video into. I knew I wanted this learning experience to be scenario-based so that the learner would be faced with a realistic scenario in which they may have to use The LEAST Method. Having this virtual scenario allows the learner an opportunity to practice using the strategy they've learned while facing no real-life consequences.

To start planning this eLearning module, I first turned to Canva to create a flowchart of the different slides for the module. Having written out the main content that will appear on each slide in this flowchart, I used this to create a visual storyboard in Google Slides to begin to visualize the layout of each slide. Had I been working with a SME, this would be another asset to get feedback from them (with the reminder that these would not be the finished visuals); however, in this case, I instead shared it with fellow Instructional Designers to receive feedback.

Visual Design

During the process of deciding on the visuals for this project, I went back and forth between a few different options. I wanted the look of the project to be simple enough that it wouldn't be overwhelming for the learner and take away from the content itself; but, I wanted to also have it be interesting enough that it would hold the learner's attention. 

Additionally, I wanted the style of the project to be consistent across the board. In the end, I decided to make the characters you meet in the experience (your manager Linda and the angry customer) match stylistically with the characters you come across in the explainer video. For this reason, I once again turned to Vyond to create our main characters to then insert into the Storyline itself.

In addition to Vyond, I also used Canva, Adobe Illustrator, and Google Slides to create other visual elements for the project. Creating a style guide also allowed me to have a space where I would lay out all the branding elements for the project such as background colors, fonts, button visuals, etc.

After settling on the style for the project, I needed to verify that what I visualized for the eLearning experience could actually be done in Articulate Storyline. I created a few sample prototype slides in Storyline to ensure functionality of different actions the learner would be taking during the module (e.g. selecting from the different answer choices, pulling up the "Linda's Hint" layer, various graphic animations, etc.). Once I verified the functionality, I began on the full build.

I also wanted to give the learners a couple aids to utilize during the module. While navigating this tense customer interaction, the learner is given the option to view a job aid with the steps to the method written out, or they can call on Linda to offer them a hint for the correct answer. I chose to provide the learner with these aids since they're so newly acquainted with the strategy. Additionally, the learner is given the opportunity to download this job aid (shown below) to keep handy.

Putting It All Together

Full Development

Finally, the main course: building out the full project in Storyline. While the most tedious and time consuming step, this was an exciting and the most enjoyable part of the process for me!

In the project, the learner is given the context that they are a new hire customer service worker, and that they will be tasked with using The LEAST Method to appease a frustrated customer. The learner is then introduced to Linda, Manager of Customer Relations, who will act as a guide throughout the learning experience by explaining the mechanics of the module, offering hints, and providing encouragement. 

The learner is shown a brief introduction video that explains the steps to The LEAST Method before they receive their first call from our frustrated customer. The learner must then choose between different answer choices to try and diffuse the situation and ultimately complete the module.

Ensuring Accessibility

During the whole process of designing and building out this project, I wanted to be sure and make this project as accessible as possible. With varying levels of ability in minds, I elected the following design features:

• Optional captions during video, for the hearing-impaired

• An audio button that would read out loud the main dialogue on each slide, for the visually-impaired

• No drag and drop interactions, which could prove a challenge for those with physical disabilities

In addition to these choices, I strived to choose colors for the fonts and backgrounds that had enough contrast to make readability easier.