Assessment objectives Knowledge, understanding and skills

1 Analyse the benefits of excellent customer service and the methods used to achieve them

Benefits:

• customer satisfaction

• repeat business

• recommendations to other customers

• increase in customers

• increased turnover

• improved efficiency

• improved internal relationships/teamwork

• competitive advantage

• company image

• improved morale of employees

• job satisfaction

• bonus or salary increase

Methods:

• establish recruitment criteria for customer facing staff

• induction programmes

• staff training and development

• incentives and rewards

• product training

• technology

• product database

• customer database

Assessment objectives Knowledge, understanding and skills

1 Cont.

Analyse the benefits of excellent customer service and the methods used to achieve them

• regular updating of customer records

• customer feedback systems (formal and informal)

• corporate image, eg use of templates and house style, standard

telephone answering techniques

• customer charters

2 Investigate one travel and tourism organisation and describe how it meets the needs of its different customers

Examples of customer types:

• individuals

• couples

• groups, eg special interest, ad-hoc, schools

• families, eg with toddlers, teenagers, older children and single

parent

• different age groups, eg babies, toddlers, children, teenagers,

adults, middle aged, senior citizens

• different cultures

• specific needs, eg disabled access, people travelling with babies,

religious requirements, dietary needs

• leisure, pleasure and business travellers

Examples of how different needs are met:

• tour operators, eg different products/brands for each age

group/customer type

• airlines, eg first, business and economy class

• hotels, eg business facilities

• tourist information centres (TICs), eg foreign language speakers

• visitor attractions, eg range of ticket types

3 Investigate one travel and tourism organisation and outline the information that employees need in order to provide excellent customer service

Organisational information may include:

• opening times

• organisation structure, eg roles and responsibilities

• correct use of telephone, eg what to say, how to transfer calls

• products available

• dress code, eg uniform, hair and jewellery

• health and safety

• legislation

Product information may include:

• range of products

• where to find information about products

• prices or where to find them

• geographical information, eg routes, travel times and where to

source information

• accommodation types, availability and where to find the details

• how to use timetables and schedules

4 Identify and demonstrate the skills and qualities required to provide excellent customer service in three situations, including one complaint

The three situations must be:

• one face to face communication

• one telephone communication

• one written communication

One of the above situations must be a complaint.

Examples of customer service situations:

• selling