Deliver and monitor a service to customers This learner guide supports BSBCUS301B Deliver and monitor a service to customers in the BSB07 Business Services Training Package. Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014 Author: Kim Aubrey ISBN 978-1-922241-68-9 Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, scanning, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from copyright owner or Software Publications Pty Ltd. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Software Publications Pty Ltd (ABN 75 078 026 150) Head Office Sydney Unit 10 171 Gibbes Street Chatswood NSW 2067 www.softwarepublications.com.au Published and printed in Australia 2 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014
THE AIM OF THIS LEARNER GUIDE The aim of this learner guide is to give you skills and knowledge to successfully complete the assessment in the following unit of competency. BSBCUS301B Deliver and monitor a service to customers This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify customer needs and monitor service provided to customers. Operators may exercise discretion and judgement using appropriate theoretical knowledge of customer service to provide technical advice and support to customers over either a short or long term interaction. Employability skills This unit contains employability skills. Application of the unit This unit applies to individuals who are skilled operators and apply a broad range of competencies in various work contexts. Prerequisites There are no prerequisites for this unit. Element On completion of this unit you should be able to: 1. Identify customer needs Performance criteria You will know you have achieved this when you can: 1.1 Use appropriate interpersonal skills to accurately identify and clarify customer needs and expectations 1.2 Assess customer needs for urgency to determine priorities for service delivery according to organisational 1.3 Use effective communication to inform customers about available choices for meeting their needs and assist in the selection of preferred options 1.4 Identify limitations in addressing customer needs and seek appropriate assistance from designated individuals Covered on page 26 28 19, 22 25, 35 29 33 37 38 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014 7
Element On completion of this unit you should be able to: 2. Deliver a service to customers 3. Monitor and report on service delivery Performance criteria You will know you have achieved this when you can: 2.1 Provide prompt service to customers to meet identified needs in accordance with organisational 2.2 Establish and maintain appropriate rapport with customers to ensure completion of quality service delivery 2.3 Sensitively and courteously handle customer complaints in accordance with organisational 2.4 Provide assistance or respond to customers with specific needs according to organisational 2.5 Identify and use available opportunities to promote and enhance services and products to customers 3.1 Regularly review customer satisfaction with service delivery using verifiable evidence according to organisational 3.2 Identify opportunities to enhance the quality of service and products, and pursue within organisational 3.3 Monitor procedural aspects of service delivery for effectiveness and suitability to customer 3.4 Regularly seek customer feedback and use to improve the provision of products and services 3.5 Ensure reports are clear, detailed and contain recommendations focused on critical aspects of service delivery Covered on page 41 42 43 44 48 49 50 48, 52 53 54 52 53, 55 53 48, 55 8 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014
Section 1 Organisational policies and procedures The business owner has greeted you at the door of the office and remarked on your impeccable presentation. She is particularly pleased you took the time to shine your shoes this morning As you sit down you notice a folder on the desk with your name on it. You are welcomed to the company and told that today you will be learning what is expected of you as a YouBooks team member and customer service representative. She tells you that inside this folder are all the documents you will need to do your job according to the organisation s. Before your induction begins you are asked to read this poem. Remember Me? I m the quiet fellow who goes into a restaurant, sits down patiently and waits while those serving do everything but take my order. I m the nice person who goes into a department store and stands quietly while the salespersons finish their little chit-chat and ignore me. I m the sort of person who drives into a petrol station and never blows the horn or expects the windshield cleaned, or complains if the attendant spills the petrol. Yes, you might say I m a good guy. But do you know who else I am? I m the person who never comes back It amuses me to see you spending thousands of dollars on advertising every year to get me back when I was there in the first place. All you had to do was show me a little courtesy. (Author unknown) Exercise 4 Explain what this poem shows you about customer service. Submit the completed exercise as instructed by your trainer. Your response was pleasing and the process of your induction begins. Throughout the morning you are shown the following documents: Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014 21
Section 1 YouBooks Company Information YouBooks Company Summary YouBooks is a family owned bookkeeping business located in Main Street, Smithtown. Customers who require personalised service away from large accounting businesses use our services. YouBooks service a wide selection of bookkeeping needs and assist customers both in the shopfront and off site in the clients premises. Company Ownership YouBooks is a partnership business owned by Laurie and Loretta Lacey. Laurie Lacey, the founder and owner received his Bachelor of Business Management from the University of Smithtown. Throughout university, and full time after graduation, Laurie worked at TaxTime, beginning his career as a casual taxation agent and eventually becoming business manager after 2 years service. Loretta Lacey worked as the receptionist for one and a half years before receiving a promotion to manager of the customer service department of Accountables Pty Ltd, a huge responsibility and honour. Between these two very capable people there is over 60 years experience in bookkeeping organisations. Personnel Plan Laurie and Loretta have now retired from client services and concentrate all their time on marketing and business relations, overseeing the finances, payroll and attending to ensuring their team maintain the image they want for their business. Barry Wellington is the head accountant at YouBooks and has worked with Laurie and Loretta since 1994. His previous experience as a government auditor has given the YouBooks company a competitive edge in the area of business accountancy services. Due to a recent retirement we now have a need for a new part time accountant. This person will assist Barry and learn from him the finer details of YouBooks organisational to accommodate Barry s plans for retirement by 2018. Martin Lacey, the eldest son of Laurie and Loretta, is a graduate of media studies from Smithtown University and has recently developed a new internet based shopfront for YouBooks. Martin is employed on a part time basis as the web developer and maintenance person. Mission YouBooks s mission is to provide Smithtown with a wide variety of bookkeeping services and outstanding customer service. We exist to attract and maintain customers. When we adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place. Our services will exceed the expectations of our customers. Customer Guarantee We guarantee our customers friendly, personalised service for all your bookkeeping needs. 22 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014
Section 1 Interpersonal skills How are customer needs identified? Every customer has a need that they believe must be satisfied by the sales person, but how do you establish exactly what you can do to satisfy that need? You communicate effectively. These interpersonal communication skills create and build healthy relationships with your customers. When you communicate you transfer ideas, information and attitudes from one person to another. Effective communication and interpersonal skills involve a number of methods: speaking questioning active listening clarification methods appropriate non-verbal skills feedback. Understanding each of these areas will enable you to clarify your customer needs efficiently, courteously and with a satisfactory result to both parties. Speaking Your voice tells a lot about you. When we listen to someone speak we can intuitively know about their mood or emotions at that point in time. The perception we have of that person is generated from those initial moments in the conversation. When you speak to a customer always: Speak clearly at a measured pace Speak in a pleasant tone Keep your volume appropriate Many people you deal with may not have English as their native language and so will need you to speak more slowly than you would with an English speaking person. Some people may have hearing difficulties and require speech to be slower to distinguish between sounds. Make your voice sound interested, happy, professional and helpful. Smiling alters the sound of your voice. Did you know that a smile can be heard? Listen next time you speak to someone on the telephone and try to hear if they are smiling when they talk. Vary the tone of your voice appropriately to indicate changes in the conversation. Monotone voices indicate boredom and lack of interest in the topic. Loud voices are annoying and threatening. Soft voices cause listeners to strain to hear. Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014 29
Section 1 Feedback The basis of communication is the transmission of information between separate parties and the gathering of feedback from all parties to ensure the information transmitted is understood. Every time you use one of the skills from the previous pages you are giving feedback to your customer. The sender gives information to the receiver The feedback is transmitted to the sender who accepts and evaluates it The receiver accepts and disseminates the information The receiver gives feedback Exercise 13 Read the following statements and decide if they are true or false in every customer service interaction. 1. As long as the customer service representative s message is conveyed clearly the communication has been effective. 2. Non-verbal communication is better to use than verbal communication when dealing with angry customers. 3. If a customer does not maintain eye contact with the customer service representative the conversation has been a failure. 4. Speaking quietly and hurriedly conveys a sense of urgency to a customer. 5. There is no need to give feedback during a telephone conversation. 6. Feedback should only be given by the customer. Submit the completed exercise as instructed by your trainer. 34 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014
Section 2 Quality service delivery As part of the continuous improvement process a business will assess its staff to determine the quality of the service delivered to its customers. This involves assessing how well the delivered service conforms to the client s expectations. A quality service delivery includes relationship building, establishing communication, building trust and resolving potential problems or conflicts. Relationships are built on a base of honesty, integrity, trust and reliability and are achieved by delivering what has been promised. Customer needs are also a focus point when assessing if the service delivery satisfies the customer with a reliable, creditable, quality product. To know if a customer is happy with the service delivery a business needs to confirm that information has been exchanged freely between the customer and the customer service representative. A customer who feels comfortable with the customer service representative will find it easy to say whether their needs and expectations have been met. Happy customer relationships will be maintained as long as the service delivery remains high quality. Exercise 18 Do you think that quality service delivery is important to internal customers of a business? Give your reasons. Submit the completed exercise as instructed by your trainer. Rapport When individuals or groups try to understand each other s feelings or ideas they create a harmonious relationship. This relationship of harmony initiated by open communication between the people concerned is known as rapport. Building a rapport with your customers generates a state of shared connections. On your first contact with a customer you can work on developing a rapport by actively listening to what the person is saying and looking for shared experiences or circumstances to speak about. Showing empathy, that is, demonstrating that you can understand how the other person feels and can see things from their point of view, will go a long way towards building a mutually beneficial relationship with a customer. Although initial conversations can help the customer to relax, most rapport-building happens through non-verbal communication. Rapport is created subconsciously by matching non-verbal signals, including body positioning, body movements, eye contact, facial expressions and tone of voice. Leave all your judgements behind when establishing rapport. Let go of stereotypes and other preconceived ideas you have about the customer and concentrate on satisfying the customer s request to the best of your ability. If you agree with the customer, be open and say you do. If you have to disagree, give your reasons before saying you disagree. Remember that being honest is your top priority. Acknowledging mistakes will help to build trust. Following up on your promises ensures that integrity is not compromised and demonstrates the reliability of your service. All of these qualities are the building blocks of establishing good customer relationships. Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014 43
Section 2 Exercise 19 1. In the following examples explain what the customer service representative said that caused a breakdown in the initial customer relationship building process. I ll find someone to help you so you can tell them your problems again. I don t think you can afford that one. The discount items are over there. I wouldn t suggest we handle your case. The last time we had a case like this we had to work too much overtime and the client just got angry about the bill. 2. Why do you think customer relationships are important to a business? Submit the completed exercise as instructed by your trainer. Customer complaints Regardless of your best efforts at building positive relationships and providing excellent customer service, you cannot please all of the people all of the time. In most cases unhappy customers do not complain to the business because they do not want to make a scene, or are certain that the business will not be interested in their complaint and they will waste time trying to get some positive action to rectify their problem. Some people are afraid to complain. They fear they will not be believed or accused of causing the issue. The people who do not complain to the business are the people who will simply take their business elsewhere. They will ruin the reputation of the business as they talk about their bad experience to their friends and family. A complaint should not be taken personally, nor should it be seen as negativity. It is important that businesses encourage their customers to complain as this provides an opportunity to continuously improve business services and ensure the organisational goals are met. A complaint provides opportunities to: help customers understand customers correct procedures understand products retain customer loyalty meet organisational goals. 44 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014
Evidence Critical aspects of evidence The following evidence is essential to demonstrate competency in this unit: identifying the needs and priorities of customers distinguishing between different levels of customer satisfaction treating customers with courtesy and respect responding to and reporting on, customer feedback demonstrating knowledge of organisational policy and procedures for customer service. You will be assessed by submitting: completed exercises from this learner guide 1 x written report outlining your recommendations for a customer service scenario 1 x review of a report on customer service delivery written answers to 20 questions or a combination of the above as advised by your trainer/assessor. Element Performance criteria How will the evidence be gathered? 1 Identify customer needs 2 Deliver a service to customers 1.1 Use appropriate interpersonal skills to accurately identify and clarify customer needs and expectations 1.2 Assess customer needs for urgency to determine priorities for service delivery according to organisational 1.3 Use effective communication to inform customers about available choices for meeting their needs and assist in the selection of preferred options 1.4 Identify limitations in addressing customer needs and seek appropriate assistance from designated individuals 2.1 Provide prompt service to customers to meet identified needs in accordance with organisational 2.2 Establish and maintain appropriate rapport with customers to ensure completion of quality service delivery 2.3 Sensitively and courteously handle customer complaints in accordance with organisational Exercises 4 9, 10 12 16 and 23 Assessment task 1 and 2 Exercises 1 3, 5, 14, 16 and 22 Assessment task 1 Exercises 3, 9 13 Assessment task 1 Exercises 5, 15, 16 and 23 Assessment task 1 Exercises 17 and 22 Exercises 18, 19 and 23 Exercises 20, 21and 23 62 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014
Element Performance criteria How will the evidence be gathered? 3 Monitor and report on service delivery 2.4 Provide assistance or respond to Exercises 22 and 23 customers with specific needs according to organisational 2.5 Identify and use available opportunities to promote and enhance services and products to customers 3.1 Regularly review customer satisfaction with service delivery using verifiable evidence according to organisational 3.2 Identify opportunities to enhance the quality of service and products, and pursue within organisational 3.3 Monitor procedural aspects of service delivery for effectiveness and suitability to customer 3.4 Regularly seek customer feedback and use to improve the provision of products and services 3.5 Ensure reports are clear, detailed and contain recommendations focused on critical aspects of service delivery Exercise 24 Assessment task 1 Exercises 25 Exercise 24 Exercises 25 Exercises 25 Exercises 25 Software Publications Pty Ltd, 2014 63