Hi class,
The last time I talked with you, I had filled out part of my design
document, had created a prototype, and had tested it with the sales
manager. Below is a record of the additional information I picked up
from these interviews.
Learning more about the learner
Testing the prototype gave me a bunch more information about the learner.
I’ll share all the data I collected in 6 sections.
1. Testing the prototype with the sales manager (we didn’t want to start
out with the sales people until we tested it out at this level first)
2. Sharing results of the testing and the initial prototype with Mr.
Millard (the stakeholder)
3. Gathering additional data from focus groups
4. Sharing the data with a SME for advice/suggestions
5. Observing how salespeople interacted with customers
6. Summarizing and analyzing the data
1. Testing the prototype with the lead sales manager
I asked the lead sales manager from Millards to test my Powerpoint using a
talk aloud procedure. These are the comments he made as he worked
through my lesson. I inserted my interpretations in brackets.
“The picture [the old man on the first slide]seems … (laughs) like this is
supposed to be funny? Are you perhaps reinforcing a stereotype?”
“The writing [typeface]is too hard to read. It looks nice though.”
“I don’t like the graphics, they don’t match [each other, the style is
inconsistent)
(Yawns)[The information doesn’t seem to engage the user]
“I think you should be more positive about aging”
[I notice while observing the user the slides seem disconnected, there isn’t
much flow. Sometimes the ideas from one screen to the next are lost.]
[The bullets make it seem like it should be presented by a live instructor]
“[Referring to questions on the last slide]. Am I supposed to do these
things? What with? When/how do I do these? [Needs to be specific about
time and format, such as pen and paper, computer input.] Who do I give [it]
to? Am I done now? [Very confused]
2. Sharing results of the testing and the initial prototype with Mr. Millard
(the stakeholder)
I met with Mr. Millard to share my progress and data (tester comments.)
We both agreed that a lot more information and work was needed, but it was
a start.
I suggested to Mr. Millard that to learn more about the content for
instruction, we conduct a focus group interview, or perhaps several focus
group interviews, if time permits. (A focus group is a collection of people who
represent different viewpoints or perspectives). I also mention that I’d like
to observe what is taking place in the stores by watching salespeople
interacting with elderly customers.
3. Gathering additional data from focus groups
I shared with Mr. Millard that ideally a focus group would involve people of a
similar rank. For example you wouldn’t conduct a focus group with
salespeople and their managers. The salespeople might find it uncomfortable
opening up and sharing their opinions in a setting with managers present. Mr.
Millard and I considered a focus group of elderly Millard’s shoppers and a
focus group of managers and people from the marketing department.
Because Millards is a relatively small department store, and the budget for
the project is limited, we identified two people form each area to interview:
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elderly customers
salespeople
managers
the marketing department
I decide to use Allison Rossett’s (1999) suggestions by centering my
questions on the gap between optimals and acutals. In other words, what is
going on now at Millards and what “should” be going on? This involves asking
“where are we now at Millards?” and “Where should we be at Millards?”
questions.
Elderly-customer focus group
The following chart shows the data collected from interviewing two elderly
customers of Millards. Both customers were female. It would have been
better to interview both a male and female, but no males agreed to the
interview.”
Questions and
prompts
Describe your
shopping
experience at
Millards? What is
it like? [prompt
with “what do you
like and not like
about the
experience.”]
Responses
Customer A:
Generally positive. I like the merchandise and
garments. The quality is good. I wouldn’t shop here if I
wasn’t satisfied with the experience.
Customer B:
I like the product fine, sometimes the clothing for our
age seems a little fuddy-duddy. Way too many of the
clothing are for younger people. Only a small section of
the store works for the elderly customer.
Customer A:
[Laughs]. Yes many of our clothes are a bit drab. Now
that I think about it, I DO get bothered by
salespeople who seem insincere in their friendliness.
You know. Big smiles at you, but not really listening.
Customer B:
I’ve also found that some of the salespeople aren’t
friendly in a genuine way. I don’t just want some one to
ask me “Can I help you? I want them to anticipate what
I need.”
Can you tell me
more about what
seems unfriendly,
or how they seem
insincere?
Customer A:
Oh, just not being very helpful. Like [Customer A] said,
when they don’t anticipate things. If a size isn’t
correct I’d like help finding the right size. I probably
wouldn’t even need help if the clothing racks weren’t so
jammed I can’t push the clothes far enough to get a
good look at things. It would be nice if [salespeople]
would sort out duplicates of the same size to help me
look.
Customer B:
I’d just like some attention. Sometimes they talk to
each other and ignore me. They are all just so … young!
A little silly when they are together. The just make me
feel invisible.
Customer A:
I know what you mean. I feel invisible too … until I ask
for something.
I’m hard of hearing and the salespeople tend to speak
too softly. So when I ask them to speak up they
sometimes overdo it and literally shout at me. What
really annoys me are the ones who think I’m incapable
of doing anything and they overdo everything, acting as
if I’m nearly blind or deaf or utterly dependent upon
them.
What would make
your shopping
experience ideal?
Customer B:
Truly helpful salespeople. Good lighting, uncluttered
clothing racks, attentive salespeople.
Customer A:
Respect for me as a person.
Customer B:
A good product line. Not overdoing the attention in a
way that is condescending. I don’t want to feel old.
Customer A:
That is true. That can be very degrading. I’ve been
shouted at when all that needed to be done was to turn
down the music or to enunciate more clearly.
Salespeople focus group
These are my interview notes. One male and one female participated in this
focus group. Both salespeople had approximately 3 years of sales experience
with Millards.
Questions and
prompts
“Describe your
experiences
working with the
elderly shopper
(someone over 65
years of age) at
Millards? What is
it like? [Prompt
with “what do you
like and not like
about the
experience?”]
Responses
Salesperson A:
I find them harder to please. They seem to have more
“requirements” for the things they want to buy. It can
get pretty hard to help them find what they want.
Salesperson B:
Yeah, they seem to take forever to make a decision.
Salesperson A:
[Laughs]. Some are pretty slow. They shuffle
everywhere. It takes them an hour to get into the
dressing room and back. Some of them are sort of
normal. I hate to say I resent helping them when I can
be making a commission on someone who is actually
going to buy something.
Salesperson B:
I find all of them to be picky or pure mean.
Are there things
you like about the
experience of
helping the elderly
shopper
Salesperson B:
Yeah, when it is over.
What do you think
Salesperson B: They have a good time. They don’t have
Salesperson A:
I just like helping people, especially people who are not
as lucky as everyone else, like the old people. It makes
me happy to find people things that they want.
the sales
experience is like
for the elderly
customer?
anything else to do and most of them have tons of
money.
Do you see things
that might need to
change about the
experience of the
elderly in the
stores?
Salesperson A:
No, I think we do a really good job welcoming them and
helping them find the things they need. The old folks
are so much fun to work with.
Salesperson A:
I think they enjoy the experience.
Salesperson B:
Shopping is fun for them. Like I said they have all this
money that they need to spend before they die.
Manager Focus Groups
Two of the other sales managers were interviewed in this focus group. One
male and one female participated. The male had over 10 years of
management experience and the female had one year of management
experience.
Questions and
prompts
Describe how you
think elderly
customers are
treated in your
store?
Responses
Sales Manager A:
Our salespeople are top notch! We do a good job of
training them to be customer-driven. We hire only the
friendliest, most attentive, young and energetic staff.
Sales Manager B:
I’d have to say I really haven’t found that to be true
[referring to Sale’s manager A’s comment]. Most of
them are either in high school or studying at the
community college part time. Their priorities aren’t
really on the job. They are there to make money, but
not to really serve.
Sales Manager A:
You must have a different group than I do. My staff is
picked carefully to be attentive and friendly. I make
sure they treat the old duffers with respect! We have
a training session when they start here at Millards
that teaches customer service skills.
Sales Manager B:
[Shakes head smiling, grimacing?].
Do you think things
could be improved
for the elderly
Millards customer?
Sales Manager A:
If something’s not wrong, don’t fix it.
Sales Manager B:
We might do training on the needs of the elderly
customer. I think there are probably things we could
be doing a better job of. Frankly, I don’t really see
that many of them around. I know that in this region,
we have a high retiree crowd with a large disposable
income. Yet we don’t see that many in the stores.
What do you think
working with the
elderly population is
like for your sales
people?
Sales Manager B: They probably need to learn more
needs of the elderly population. It wouldn’t hurt to
have some training on ageism [age discrimination].
Do you have ideas
on how your sales
people might make
the shopping
experience more
ideal for the
elderly customer?
Sales Manager A:
I’m not sure you even need to ask that question. We
don’t really need to improve the experience in my
division.
Sales Manager A:
I think my staff thoroughly enjoys the experience and
doesn’t find that they need to treat the old people any
differently. Well, maybe they have to talk a lot louder
and help them carry their bags.
Sales Manager B:
I think that it would be a good question to put out to
the salespeople. If they think they originated the
ideas, they might be more likely to implement them.
Marketing
These are interviews from the marketing department. Both interviewees
were male with over five years of experience with Millards in a marketing
role.
Questions and
prompts
How do you market
to the elderly (over
65 years of age)?
Responses
Account Manager A:
We have a clothing line that we’ve used for years. We
basically have the distributor do the analysis for us.
Our attention is devoted to the younger dollar and
attracting a younger crowd. They tend to go through
clothing faster, spending more money
Account Manager B:
I’d have to agree with [Account Manager A]. We
haven’t paid as much attention to the elderly
population as we probably should.
Do you think there
might be a more
optimal marketing
scheme?
Account Manager A:
I think it is always worth looking at the bottom line.
Account Manager B:
The elderly population in our region is unquestionably
an affluent group. We are missing out. They are
missing out!
4. Sharing the data with a SME for advice and suggestions
I shared the data above with the Gerontology professor. The professor
started by looking through the focus group notes and then at the
instructional prototype. Her comments were:
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All focus group comments suggest that biased thinking towards the
elderly Millard’s customer.
Training will need to explain why biased and prejudiced ways of
viewing a group of people is wrong.
Many stereotypes of the elderly were evident in comments made by
the focus groups (slow, hard of hearing, set in their ways…)
Disparaging words such as “old folks”, and “duffer” were used to
describe the elderly.
Training must be directed to all Millard groups: salespeople, sales
managers, and the marketing department.
A good place to start would be help salespeople, sales managers, and
the marketing departments recognize how they themselves have
biased attitudes towards the elderly.
Salespeople, sales managers, and the marketing departments would
gain greater empathy and understanding of the elderly customer with
improved training.
A good definition of prejudice or bias is needed (categorical
assignment of characteristics to a group of people without regard for
individual differences).
5. Observations
I spent a day in one of the Millard’s department stores. I was presented as
a trainer who needed to learn more about how the cash registers were run.
From this vantage point I was able to observe a number of things about how
customers were treated unfairly.
The sales people did not treat the elderly customers with the same respect
they showed younger customers. One elderly woman was never acknowledged
or encouraged to ask for help. An elderly gentleman in great physical shape
was treated by one sales person as if he couldn’t lift a 3 pound shopping bag.
“Let me carry that for you!” the salesperson shouted eagerly, oblivious to
the fact that the customer was in much greater physical strength than she.
There were a far greater number of clothing items for younger customers
than for older customers. One small section of the store, tucked in a back
corner, as far from the doors as possible, displayed merchandise of interest
to the elderly population.
6. Data analysis
I used a qualitative approach to analyzing all of the data collected. The first
time I read through the information to get a sense of the findings. The
second time I underlined sections or words that indicated themes, or
content that was mentioned in a number of ways. Two themes emerged:
youth culture and differential treatment. These themes should be
addressed in the revision of the prototype or in non-training interventions
(such as changes in management processes).
Youth orientation
Millard’s has a youth orientation. The salespeople are predominantly in their
early twenties, the marketing department are in their early thirties, and the
managers are somewhere in between their twenties and mid-thirties.
Observations of the marketing department reveal that advertising is geared
mostly for the young because, as stated by one account manager “the young
change styles more often, and buy more clothes.” Other evidence of a youth
culture was loud music playing throughout the store that would appeal mostly
to the late teen, early twenties crowd.
Solutions to these problems are likely to be non-training in nature. For
example, management might explore changing the type of music played in
stores. Sales incentives might not be based solely on dollar amounts but on
type of sales as well. Marketing initiative need to be re-explored. I will bring
these thoughts up with Mr. Millard.
Differential treatment
Both of the older people interviewed complained of feeling invisible or of
being treated like they were weaker than they were. Salespeople complained
that old people were too slow and demanding and took their time away from
customers more likely to spend money and help them earn sales commissions.
I sensed that the salespeople were highly uncomfortable talking about the
elderly because they did not make eye contact while talking about them and
they were not as forthcoming with information. Almost all of the Millard’s
employees interviewed did not seem to think of themselves as having any
bias or prejudice towards the elderly, yet many of the comments indicated
stereotypical ways of thinking as well as a lack of empathy for the aging
experience.