Do you have a business challenge UEA could help with?

Brent Council did. UEA graduate Leeana Pitt contacted UEA’s Research and Enterprise Services to help with a customer service training need in 2013.

Leanna was put in touch with *Cast, UEA’s role-play services company, who were asked to deliver a series of 22 role-play sessions aimed at improving the communication skills of Brent’s social workers.

The resultant training was such a resounding success that Brent Council saw an increase in ‘excellent’ customer experiences from 58 to 73 per cent with no poor customer experiences recorded at all after the sessions.

The Customer Service training, which received consistently positive feedback from the delegates, was based on a review of the current performance of a group of 200 social workers, care assessors and contact agents. The review highlighted the need for a more reflective social care practice when communicating with customers, and the importance of a diverse ability to adapt communication styles depending on the needs, age, and culture of the client.

*Cast works with businesses to deliver communication, presentation and customer service skills training by providing realistic, simulated customer-service environments. The commercial company, led by Val Taylor of UEA’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, employs students, graduates and professional actors to perform scripted role-play scenarios built around each company’s specific needs.

“Cast were professional, flexible and co-operative to work with. They delivered an excellent quality of service and talented actors, who worked hard to meet our specific requirements to ensure the sessions were as successful as possible.” Leeana Pitt, Team Manager, Brent Council.

*Cast is just one area where UEA has been able to help an organisation find a business solution, to find out how we can help you, contact [email protected], or +44 (0)1603 591578 or visit our website.