Assessment Task 1 – Questions and Answers
Performance objective
The students must demonstrate the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop, monitor and adjust customer service practices. It requires the ability to consult with colleagues and customers, develop policies and procedures for quality service provision, and manage the delivery of customer service.
Assessment description
In this assessment task you are required to provide satisfactory response to all the questions.
Procedure
You are required to address all questions to achieve competence. Your trainer will provide you with instructions for time frames and dates to complete this assessment.
Once completed, carefully read the responses you have provided and check for completeness. Your trainer will provide you with feedback and the result you have achieved.
Submissions
You must submit:
- Satisfactory answers to all the questions
Your assessor will be looking for:
- principles of quality customer service
- roles and responsibilities of management, supervisors and operational personnel in providing quality service
- sources of information on current service trends and changes that affect service delivery
- internal and external environmental changes and their effect on planning for quality customer service:
- changes in the competitive environment
- economic climate
- introduction of new technologies or equipment
- management changes and organisational restructures
- recruitment practices
- trends in customer service preferences
- methods of formal and informal customer research:
- analysis of competitive environment and industry service trends
- customer service surveys
- customer focus groups
- qualitative or quantitative research
- seeking feedback from service delivery colleagues
- questioning customers
- methods of implementing quality service provision:
- developing, implementing and monitoring customer service policies and procedures
- involving staff in the development of customer service practices
- evaluating staff and customer feedback
- methods of assessing the effectiveness of customer service practices:
- examining overall business performance
- monitoring the ongoing effectiveness of staff in meeting customer service standards and policies and procedures in explaining practices
- reviewing numbers and nature of complaints, disputes or responses of customers
- reviewing customer satisfaction survey statistics
- methods of obtaining feedback from customers:
- customer service discussions with employees during the course of each business day
- discussions with customers
- formal customer interviews
- regular staff meetings that involve service discussions
- seeking staff suggestions for content of customer service policies and procedures
- surveys of internal customers, external customers and staff
- improvements suggested by customers, suppliers or staff, supervisors and managers
- industry schemes, accreditation schemes and codes of conduct aimed at improving customer service
- areas where organisational policies and procedures assist in ensuring quality customer service:
- acknowledging and greeting customers
- complaint and dispute management
- authority for different level personnel to resolve complaints, disputes, service issues and customer compensation
- loyalty programs
- presentation standards for customer environment and customer service personnel
- pricing and service guarantees
- product quality
- refunds and cancellation fees
- response times
- staff training for customer service and technical skills
- objectives, components and comprehensive details of consumer protection laws that relate to customer service, and the business’ responsibility
Assessment 1 – Short Answer Questions
Your task: Provide a detailed response to each of the following questions.
- Explain how informal and formal research can be used to develop quality customer service. Provide an example for each research method.
- Why is it important to have an understanding of your competitor in order to plan for quality customer service?
- When developing market knowledge, it is essential to have an awareness of how the market is divided. Explain each of the following segments of the market. Provide examples of how each segment can influence customer choices and trends.
| Demographic segmentation Geographic segmentation Psychographic segmentation Behavioural segmentation |
- Why is it crucial for a manager to have in-depth knowledge of internal and external business environments to provide quality customer service? Provide 2 examples each, for internal and external factors:
- Identify three ways you can obtain information about current trends in your industry.
| 1. 2. 3. |
- Explain businesses’ responsibilities under Consumer Protection Law and how it impacts on customer service delivery.
- Explain why it is important to have a clear refund and cancellation policy and what is required if there are potential price increases.
- Describe the importance of providing accurate product information to customers in order to provide quality customer service.
- In order to provide quality customer service, it is important to establish your target market. Provide 2 questions you should consider when developing a clear customer profile.
| 1. 2. |
- Why is consistency crucial to providing quality customer service?
- Describe four common principles of customer service in detail.
| 1. 2. 3. 4. |
- Suggest two service standards to encourage quality customer service for your specific industry.
| 1. 2. |
- Describe 2 industry schemes aimed at improving customer service, including 1 relevant to your work area
| 1. 2. |
- Define continuous improvement and explain how this process contributes to effective customer service.
- Explain why it is essential to have an effective complaint handling procedure.
- If you are faced with an escalating complaint, why is it necessary to involve management?
- List three ways you can set a positive example for customer service as a manager.
| 1. 2. 3. |
- Why should specific preferences of regular customers be communicated and shared with all staff?
- It is necessary for service standards to be communicated to and followed by both new and old staff. Which policies and procedures can be used to assist in setting standards? Provide 3 examples.
- List 6 examples of policies and procedures which are commonly used in organisations to set standards for customer service:
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. |
- How can changes in technology affect the business’ customer service practices?
- How can management changes and organisational restructures affect the business’ customer service practices?
- Describe two methods of formal and informal customer research you can implement to determine your existing level of customer service.
| 1. 2. 3. |
- You are reviewing feedback received from customers. List 4 aspects you will review and what this would involve to evaluate responses critically.
| 1. 2. 3. 4. |
- While you are working a shift, you witness an employee get into an argument with a customer regarding a delay in service. You record the incident and notice that there has recently been an increasing number of disputes between staff members and customers. What would this indicate to you in terms of processes in place and processes potentially lacking?
- In order to improve the quality of customer service delivered by a business, the existing level of service must be determined. List 4 ways of obtaining customer feedback about your level of service:
| 1. 2. 3. 4. |
- List 2 things that must occur when a change or improvement needs to be implemented:
| 1. 2. |
- Why is it important to communicate your policies and procedures to your staff and customers?
- List 3 common ways to make your policies and procedures readily available to your customers?
| 1. 2. 3. |
- Answer the following questions in relation to the data report below:
The following data report provides you with a summary of customer surveys that were recently conducted for the “Coloured Sands Resort”. There were 200 customers who participated in this survey. Each customer was provided with a questionnaire. The data was analysed and entered in the format below to provide a summary report.
You are required to review the summary, check the accuracy of figures and perform simple calculations to reflect percentages. Analyse the provided data and identify areas that need further improvement and actions by answering all questions below.
| Scale | Reception | Room Service and Housekeeping | Restaurant | Tours | Seaside | Entertainment |
| Very Good | (108) Reception service on arrival is good. | (36) | (58) Buffet is good (52) Lots of variety of food (24) Excellent | (74) Good tours | (74) good access to the beach (39) Swimming pool is nice. | (88) the staff is excellent (80) Many interesting activities for all |
| Good | (80) | (22) | (66) Very good food. | (64) good organisation of tours | (40) all good | (32) very good entertainment options |
| Not Good | (6) Rooms are too small (56) Towels are dirty (10) housekeeping staff not able to help (46) Rooms are not very clean. | (30) expensive tours | (4) didn’t like the beach side | |||
| No Comment | 12 | 24 | 32 | |||
| Total | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
- Express the responses collected as percentages in each category (very good, good, etc.). Provide a critical reflection on each department outlining which service aspects and operational factors you should further investigate to help improve customer satisfaction. (For example why have some customers not commented – how could this improved, e.g. by providing incentives; is the survey specific enough to provide feedback for specific areas?)
- Suggest a suitable customer service strategy that can be implemented in the department which you have identified as the major problem area to improve the customer service practice in that area/department. Who should be involved and what would this require in terms of participation/involvement and communication?
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