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Assignment 1 Due Date 4/4/25
Assignment 1 Due Date 4/4/25
Assignment Title: Why is it important to provide excellent customer service?
Learning Aims:
A: Explore how effective customer service contributes to business success
B: Investigate the methods used to improve customer service in business
Context: You have secured a trainee manager apprenticeship at your local supermarket. Your supervisor has told you that they want to focus your time, initially, on the customer service that the supermarket provides so that by the end of your placement you have demonstrated that you can provide customer service to the level that they expect.
Task 1: You are to create a report that:
Examines the customer service approaches/process in at least two different businesses showing how these can help the business meet its customer expectation levels.
Examine ways that customer service in a selected business can meet the expectations and satisfaction of customers and adhere to relevant current legislation and regulations
Analyses, with examples, how these legislation and regulation impact on customer service
Provides research on, and an analysis of, the methods a selected business can use to improve customer service
Evaluates the importance for the selected business of providing excellent customer service and adhering to relevant current legislation and regulations.
Finishes with an evaluation of the benefits of improving customer service performance from the perspective of the business, the customer and the employee
Evidence Required: A report
Assessment Criteria:
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
D2 Evaluate the benefits of improvement to customer service performance for the business, the customer and the employee.
D1 Evaluate the importance for a selected business of providing excellent customer service and adhering to relevant current legislation and regulations.
M2 Analyse different methods of monitoring customer service for a product or service in a selected business.
M1 Analyse how legislation and regulation impacts on customer service provision in a selected business.
P3 Research methods a business can use to make improvements to the customer service provision.
P2 Examine ways that customer service in a selected business can meet the expectations and satisfaction of customers and adhere to relevant current legislation and regulations.
P1 Describe the different approaches to customer service delivery in different industries.
Assessment Guidance
Learning aims A and B
For distinction standard, learners will prepare evidence based on research. Learners will give details of what is required to ensure that good customer service leads to business success. Examples of how to enhance customer service will be original and imaginative. The evidence will include references to legislation and how a business ensures that customer expectations are exceeded. There will be clear examples of monitoring and how effective customer service can be in ensuring that customers are happy.
For merit standard, learners will analyse examples of how legislation and regulation impact on customer service. Details of how to make improvements and monitor customer service will be included, with examples of good practice.
For pass standard, learners will prepare evidence that covers the approaches that businesses take to customer service and will include details of how improvements can be made.
Learning aim C
This learning aim will be completed with a number of customer service situations or, if a learner is working part-time in customer service, real evidence from their employment can be included in the form of witness statements. Activities and role play will be developed to challenge learners and should include dealing with difficult situations.
For distinction standard, learners will produce a development plan after the customer service situations have taken place. The plan will give realistic details of how they need to work on their individual skill sets to enhance their customer service and communication skills. Learners will produce a clear critique, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. They will have fully embraced the role-play scenarios, demonstrated their skills with confidence and used initiative when dealing with challenging situations.
For merit standard, learners will produce a clear analytical development plan showing how their skills should be improved. Participation in customer service situations will have been good with levels of confidence shown across the activities.
For pass standard, learners will show effective customer service and communication skills in the customer service situations and a realistic plan for addressing weaknesses will have been developed.
Useful Information:
The Times 100 has economics and business case studies. The site also has a selection of theory notes aimed at learners.
Above are some examples of websites. Further useful resources may be found at http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/published-resources.html#step1
Learning Aim
A1 Customer service in business
• Definition of customer service.
• Customer service roles and importance of teamwork.
• Importance of following organisational rules and procedures.
• Different approaches to customer service across industries need different skills and knowledge, such as:
o retail shops selling tangible goods, need for detailed product knowledge and effective selling skills
o offices, such as those offering a non-tangible service, either face-to-face with customers, online, written or telephone customer contact
o contact centres with telephone/online contact with customers, time limitations
o hospitality industry, such as serving skills for food or drinks.
A2 Customer expectations and satisfaction
• Different types of customer, including:
o internal and external customers and the differences between them
o customer personalities, such as aggressive, quiet, demanding
o customers with special requirements, e.g. different language or culture, age, gender, families, special needs such as visual, hearing or mobility.
• Customer complaints: o understanding the risk to the business of not dealing with complaints.
• Customer expectations and satisfaction, including:
o anticipation of good service, reliable information or service, offering different options, impact of advertisements, reputation, word of mouth, recommendations from others
o importance of responding to customer needs, exceeding customer expectations through providing additional help and assistance, dealing promptly with problems, offering discounts, offering additional products or services, providing exceptional help and assistance for customers with special requirements
o balancing customer satisfaction with business goals, aims and objectives.
A3 Benefits of building customer relationships
• Enhanced reputation of business.
• Repeat business.
• Customer confidence in business.
• Job satisfaction for employees.
A4 Customer service legislation and regulations
• Industry and sector-specific codes of practice, ethical issues and standards.
• Implications for the business of not meeting all legal and regulatory requirements, including consumer rights, consumer protection (including distance selling), eCommerce regulations, health and safety, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), equality.
Learning aim B: Investigate the methods used to improve customer service in a business
B1 Monitoring and evaluating customer service provision
• Using research from customers to identify improvements and monitor complaints.
• Monitoring using: o customer profiles, data, e.g. types of customer, products or services provided, customer care and service o sources of information, e.g. customers, colleagues, management
o methods, e.g. questionnaires, comment cards, quality circles, suggestion boxes, staff surveys, mystery shoppers, recording and sharing information.
• Evaluating customer service, including:
o analyse responses, e.g. level of customer satisfaction, quality of product or service, meeting regulatory requirements, balancing cost and benefits o planning for change, resolving problems/complaints.
B2 Indicators in improved performance
• Reduction in numbers of complaints.
• Increase in profits.
• Reduction in turnover of staff.
• Repeat business from loyal customers.
Assignment 2 Due Date 4/4/25
Assignment 2 Due Date 4/4/25
Assignment Title: What’s the right thing to do?
Context: Your apprenticeship is going well and your supervisor now wants you to take charge of the customer service desk for a week to expand your skills at handling different situations.
Learning aim C: Demonstrate customer service in different situations, using appropriate behaviours to meet expectations
Task 1:
You must demonstrate customer service skills in at least three different business situations. You need to focus on a demonstration of product/service knowledge when dealing with customers’ queries, requests and problems. You need to fully embrace the role-play scenarios, demonstrate your skills with confidence and use initiative when dealing with challenging situations.
On completion of the role plays you will need to create an evaluative report that covers the following areas:
A clear critique, highlighting your strengths and weaknesses, identifying gaps where improvements could be made.
A development plan with realistic details of the work that needs to be done on improving your individual skill sets (based on the strengths and weaknesses highlighted above) to enhance your customer service and communication skills, including time scales and sources of information.
Assess how the development plan may improve the performance of customer service skills.
You should justify how this plan will help improve these skills to meet both customer and business needs. This should be detailed, imaginative but realistic given your current role if it is to demonstrate initiative in making these high quality decisions on your future
Evidence:
Evidence of preparation of the role plays (not fully scripted).
Observation record of the role plays.
Recorded evidence or annotated photos of the role plays.
Self-reflection of your performance in the role plays based on feedback from assessors, supervisors or peers.
An evaluative report comprising a strengths and weaknesses analysis and a detailed, fully justified development plan.
Assessment Criteria
D3 Demonstrate initiative in making high-quality justified recommendations to develop own communication and interpersonal skills to meet both customer and business needs.
M3 Assess how the development plan may improve the performance of customer service skills.
P6 Present a clear, effective development plan for own customer service skills.
P5 Review own customer service skills, identifying gaps where improvements could be made.
P4 Demonstrate communication and interpersonal skills appropriate to meet customer needs in different situations.
Useful Information:
www.instituteofcustomerservice.com
The Times 100 has economics and business case studies. The site also has a selection of theory notes aimed at learners.
Above are some examples of websites. Further useful resources may be found at http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/published-resources.html#step1
Learning aim C: Demonstrate customer service in different situations, using appropriate behaviours to meet expectations
C1 Customer service skills and behaviours
• Communication skills:
o face-to-face, written, email or other electronic media, telephone
o verbal, e.g. pitch and tone of voice, open and closed questions, using the telephone
o non-verbal, e.g. sign and body language, listening skills
o barriers to communication.
• Interpersonal skills:
o personal presentation approach, e.g. attitude, behaviour, hygiene, personality, conversation skills, giving a consistent and reliable response.
• Behaviours, e.g. being positive, offering assistance, showing respect.
C2 Dealing with customer service requests and complaints
• Customer service situations: o providing information, products or services, promoting additional products and services, giving advice, taking and relaying messages
o limitations of role and authority, keeping records
o dealing with problems, handling complaints, remedial measures, emergency situations, organisational policy.
C3 Individual skills audit and development plan
• Skills audit of customer service skills.
• Personal SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to assess any gaps, e.g. interpersonal and communication skills – body language, listening skills, handling complaints, working with others.
• Set objectives to meet skills development goals for a specified customer services role by:
o identifying resources and available support needed to meet the objectives
o setting review dates
o monitoring the plan to assess progress against targets.
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