ATLANTA, March 27 / Simtrex Corporation, the expert in building world-class customer contact skills through simulation technology, today announced that Hilton Reservations Worldwide will deploy Simtrex's StarTrainer® simulation training system nationwide for all Hilton customer contact centers.

StarTrainer has been in use at the Hilton Reservations Worldwide center in Hemet, Calif, since the fourth quarter of last year. The deployment of StarTrainer is part of a customer satisfaction initiative to increase levels of phone reservation service for Hilton customers.

"When our customers call Hilton, they have come to expect a high level of service, delivered with courtesy and speed," said Carl Pollock, director of training for Hilton Reservations Worldwide. "They want to speak with someone who is professional, helpful and efficient. This is why we are so pleased to announce this new corporate initiative with Simtrex. The improvements we have seen with StarTrainer have been remarkable, and we are certain that our customers will appreciate the results, which will further elevate our standard of industry-leading service."

During the company's limited deployment to evaluate the effectiveness of StarTrainer, Hilton focused on what most experts view as the four essential elements in the evaluation of learning:

  • Measurement of student reactions to the training. Were they positive or negative? Positive reactions from students result in higher levels of learning effectiveness and retention.
  • Measure the level of learning. Were the objectives achieved?
  • Measure the behavior. Did learning transfer into observable behavior on the job?
  • Did the learning actually impact organizational results?

"While many current training systems are capable of transferring knowledge, we want more than that," said Pollock. "We wanted to build employee skill to effectively handle customer interactions, without putting customer relationships at risk. Simtrex gives us the power to do this with StarTrainer. Once we saw the real-world results in our organizational metrics, we knew we had to move quickly to implement StarTrainer at each of our call center locations."

The initial Hilton implementation of StarTrainer measured a control group and a simulation training group. The results for the 12-week test show that:

  • Attrition for the StarTrainer group was 33% lower than the control group after 12 weeks
  • Call handling time was 24 seconds lower immediately after training for the StarTrainer group, and remained almost 20 seconds lower than the control group after 12 weeks of on-the-job experience
  • The StarTrainer group attained required performance levels 41% faster than the control group

"Shorter call handling times translate directly into customer satisfaction. The customer has their reservation in less time, because the agent is more skilled at completing the transaction. This is a real benefit to everyone who calls Hilton," said Pollock.

"The modern contact center is becoming the front line for keeping or losing customers," according to Thomas Lynch, Simtrex CEO and president. "Fundamentally, the skill level of your employees drives every critical metric in your customer contact center. That is precisely why simulation training is so vital in winning this battle. Your agents have the skill to perform better, because they have been able to practice realistic customer interactions in a safe environment."

About Simtrex Corporation

Founded in 1998 and based in Atlanta, Simtrex is the world's leading supplier of simulation applications that help organizations improve their ability to evaluate and strengthen business-critical skills. StarTrainer, the company's initial simulation application, extends through a customer contact employee's life cycle, from applicant prescreening and new-hire training to remedial and cross training for experienced agents. For more information about Simtrex, please visit www.simtrex.com .

About Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as the preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises 1,800 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Harrison Conference Centers®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Homewood Suites®, by Hilton, Red Lion Hotels & Inns®, and Conrad International®. For more information on Hilton, please visit www.Hilton.com .

SOURCE: Simtrex Corporation