More and more institutions are looking at virtual reality as a technological ally. Walmart is bringing VR infrastructure to US training centers in the future. This is an interesting way of training employees on important topics. No one would have expected customer service training to be improved by virtual reality a few years ago. However, Walmart feels VR is a valuable tool that should not be overlooked by any means.
Walmart Has High Hopes For Virtual Reality
While it is true virtual reality can impact many businesses, it remains to be seen how this technology will be used. Walmart plans to enable VR instruction in all of its 200 Academy training centers across the United States. The goal is to make this technology available in all of these locations by the end of 2017. Employees will use VR to receive management and customer service training moving forward. It is quite an interesting decision, to say the least.
It is expected close to 150,000 employees will go through this VR training program every single year. That is quite a significant amount of people who will receive training in virtual reality. It is not the same as preparing them for these types of services through regular means. After all, customer service is a very broad topic, and the best way to improve is by interacting with actual customers. Walmart will need a proper training program for their virtual reality venture.
We do know the training material will feature 360-degree video and interactive on-screen cues. Trainees will have to make split-second decisions to handle situations in the proper manner. It is also rumored the training program may include a “Black Friday rush” exercise as well. This latter option would be quite interesting to experience in virtual reality. All of the training content will be provided by STRIVR Labs, a company specializing in VR training programs.
It remains to be seen if virtual reality will impact Walmart customer service in a positive manner. It is evident VR technology can improve things in an affordable manner. It is also much better compared to regular training courses where people have to take notes or listen to presentations. A hands-on experience is always the option, assuming it is available. Virtual reality provides a good enough alternative, assuming the training course material is up to par.
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