Week 4 - Post 3 - Media Project Link

I finally got it running properly! Hooray!

Introducing my Media Project:

Working With Angry Customers: A Customer Service Simulation

The project is a website containing a customer service simulator created in Udutu. It allows retail workers an opportunity to practice giving high quality customer service under the pressure of an angry customer.

My thesis is on the use of simulator software to rehearse skills that must be performed under high amounts of stress. The media project demonstrates just one aspect of the proposed software: branching dialogue.

Chances are you're most familiar with branching dialogue from "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. In a story you're presented with a series of options. Depending what option you choose the story from that part is different. This process continues until the story completes and can create a large number of potential story paths.

Somewhat poorly-written children's fiction isn't the only place this branching dialogue can be utilized. It can also be used to simulate realistic interactions as well. This can be seen treated in a sophisticated manner by recent video games like Heavy Rain, in which a considerable number of choices have severe ramifications on the game plot. It can also be seen in some training materials as well.

For the media project, a simple branching dialogue simulation was created using Udutu. In this simulation the user is a retail clerk attempting to assist an angry customer with a complaint. The interaction choices range from the best service possible to the worst and the simulated customer responds directly to the type of service they are given. The simulation ends only when the customer is satisfied with the situation or has become so angry that she asks to speak to the manager about the user’s poor customer service skills.

This simulation creates a safe practice area for the user to rehearse what responses best serve a customer without the potential to offend actual people. It also gives feedback based on the user’s performance so that they can improve in customer service skill weaknesses.

In the case of the media project, a simple branching dialogue simulation was created using Udutu. In this simulation the user is a retail clerk attempting to assist an angry customer with a complaint. The interaction choices range from the best service possible to the worst and the simulated customer responds directly to the type of service they are given. The simulation ends only when the customer is satisfied with the situation or has become so angry that she asks to speak to the manager about the user’s poor customer service skills.

This simulation creates a safe practice area for the user to rehearse what responses best serve a customer without the potential to offend actual people. It also gives feedback based on the user’s performance so that they can improve in customer service skill weaknesses.