Chapter 2-The Team - Retail

Building a team committed to service
Customer Service
Toolkit for Retail
Chapter Two: The Team

Copyright of SPRING Singapore 2010
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Chapter Two: The Team

1. Why is the team important?

1.1 Purpose
1.2 Benefits
2.
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7

Identify service competencies
Hire the right employees
Orientate your new employees
Train your team
Coach your team members
Recognise your teams efforts
Reward your employees
Linking teamwork with customer service
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1. Why is the team important?

1.1 Purpose
Ultimately, good customer service is about ordinary people doing ordinary things
very well. An ideal employee is one who will work hard for the customer, not with the
hope of getting a raise or a promotion, but because it is the right thing to do.
Cultivating this attitude in turn depends on how an organisation hires, develops and
treats its people on the job.
1.2 Benefits
Having a team of well trained employees will enable them to respond well to your
customers needs. Your employees are ambassadors of your brand.
Positive employee attitudes can make routine service transactions seem remarkable.
And while a positive attitude may not be enough to fully overcome problems with
product or internal systems, it can reduce the damage to customer dissatisfaction.
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2. Building a team committed to service

2.1 Identify service competencies
First, identify the service competencies you want your team members to possess.
Competencies are the basic behavioural characteristics, as well as skills and
knowledge, required to successfully perform on the job. The qualities found in an
employee good at customer service may not be the same as those of high
performers in other business functions. For example, verbal eloquence and
persuasiveness are not as important as the ability to listen. The competencies you
identify will help guide how you hire, train and recognise your employees.
Behavioural characteristics are the soft skills that make a person successful in their
role. Some behavioural characteristics are needed for all service employees. For
example, they should be friendly, flexible and be able to withstand pressure.
However, other characteristics would depend on your business. For example, a
boutique focusing on teenage fashion would likely seek employees who are fun
loving, while a luxury clothes boutique would likely seek employees who possess
more poise.
A tool to identify and prioritise the service competencies you want in your team can
be found in the following page
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Tool 2.1 Template to identify service competencies

1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Industry:
Department:
Date:
Service Competencies Priority

Evaluate the following service competencies from 1 (least important) to 5 (most
important) as attributes you would want in your service employees
Knowledge
Competency
Priority for the organisation

1
2
3
4
5
Description of competency
Product knowledge
Ability to explain the aspects of the

product to the customer and
answer all queries satisfactorily
Customer
knowledge
Ability to understand customer

segments
and
provide
the
corresponding service
Organisation
knowledge
Ability
to
understand
the
organisations
mission,
vision,
values and service mission
Problem-solving
Possess the mental capacity to be

able to effectively solve problems
in day-to-day business
and
the
Listening
Take verbal inputs and interpret

them in a relevant manner
Time management
Able to prioritise multiple tasks and

perform effectively
Skills
Communication
Able to express oneself

communicate
clearly
in
appropriate language
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Attributes
Service Competencies Priority

Friendliness
Likeable personality, relates easily

and well to other people
Ability to remain
calm under
pressure
Able to maintain composure and

perform effectively under high
stress levels
Willingness to work
hard
Willing to put in their best effort

into service work
Thoughtfulness
Show consideration for others
Reliability
Dependable
performance,
etc.
Team player
Works well with others

contributes
effectively
to
holistic result.
Positive attitude
Show enthusiasm in work
Patience
Able to endure provocation or

discomfort from customers without
irritation or losing temper.
Responsiveness
Able to adjust quickly to changes in

conditions
Helpfulness
Willing to go beyond ones scope of

work to aid others.
Empathy
The extent to which one has the

ability to understand and accept
another's feelings and emotions
Flexibility
Able
to
adapt
to
various
environments and situations.
Passion for service
Genuinely interested in offering

service and deriving joy from it.
Professional
Dresses
professionally
appropriately
in
terms
of
accuracy, honesty
and
the
and
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The Workforce Development Authority (WDA) has identified a set of common service
excellence competencies for service staff at the Operations, Supervisory and
Managerial levels. These competences are compiled in the Service Excellence
Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework and brief descriptions of the
respective competencies can be found in the following pages.
These competencies can be used as a guide for training needs analysis within the
organisation or even for recruitment of competent staff.
If you would like to find suitable Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres or
training providers that can deliver the Service Excellence WSQ training programmes
to
meet
your
organisations
needs,
more
information
can
be
found
at
www.wda.gov.sg
For other enquiries, please contact 6883 5885 or send your email to
wda_enquiry@wda.gov.sg
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Tool 2.2 Service Excellence Workforce Skills

Qualifications (WSQ) Framework
Competency Units Descriptors
LEADERSHIP, PLANNING, INFORMATION, CUSTOMERS, RESULTS, PEOPLE
Managerial
Manage
Business
Excellence
Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

learner will have knowledge and application skills in
managing business excellence journey in a holistic and
integrated manner. It includes planning for business
excellence, facilitating business excellence self-assessment,
managing improvements for business excellence as well as
sustaining business excellence.
Elements of Competency:
1. Plan for business excellence.
2. Facilitate business excellence self-assessment.
3. Manage improvements for business excellence.
4. Sustain business excellence.
Managerial
Assess
Organisation for learner will have knowledge and application skills in
Business
providing business excellence assessment services. This
Excellence
includes planning for business excellence assessment,
conducting business excellence assessment and reporting
assessment findings.
1. Plan for business excellence assessment.
2. Conduct business excellence assessment.
3. Report assessment findings.
LEADERSHIP
Managerial
Lead A
Customer
Focused
Organisation

providing strategic leadership of a customer service
organisation. It includes leading the development and
communication of a customer focused vision, mission and
values; and creating a culture of regular evaluation and
improvement.
1. Develop a customer focused strategy.
2. Communicate the organisations customer service
objectives, values and standards to stakeholders.
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3. Translate customer focused values into desired behaviour.
4. Demonstrate and reinforce commitment to customers.
5. Evaluate and
leadership.
improve
personal
customer
focused
PLANNING
Manageria Provide A Quality Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the
l
Service
Environment developing a friendly and hospitable service environment,
developing a healthy and safe service environment as well as
managing the service environment.
1. Develop a friendly and hospitable service environment
and service communication framework that meets
customer requirements.
2. Develop a healthy and safe service environment.
3. Manage the service environment.
4. Foster a culture of service excellence in the organisation.
PLANNING
Manageria
l
Set Up And
Implement
Systems And
Strategies That
Support Service
Innovation

learner will have knowledge and application skills in enabling
and supporting the application of innovative practices in the
organisation. It involves setting up and implementing work
and management practices and procedures that promote
innovation and provide learning opportunities.
1. Set up and implement work practices and procedures to
support service innovation.
2. Set up and implement management practices to support
innovation in a service environment.
3. Promote innovation in the organisation.
4. Provide information and learning opportunities to foster
innovation.
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INFORMATION
Manageria
l
Interpret And
Analyse
Customer
Intelligence

managing and analysing customer data to establish
customer needs, communicate customer information and
analyse customer intelligence.
1. Identify the needs and expectations
populations to develop customer profiles.
2. Communicate
customer
information
stakeholders.
of
customer
to
relevant
3. Analyse customer intelligence to target product and

service improvements.
Manageria
l
Develop and Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Implement
Process to
determining
benchmark
requirements,
planning
and
Benchmark and implementing organisation customer service benchmarking
Measure Service process and managing improvements from benchmarking
Standards
implementation.
1. Determine benchmark requirements.
2. Plan and initiate organisational
benchmarking process.
3. Manage
improvements
implementation.
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from
customer
service
benchmarking
CUSTOMERS
Manageria
l
Develop and Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Customise
learner will have knowledge and application skills in applying
Service Offerings customer intelligence to develop service offerings that better
meet their needs. It includes planning, developing and
implementing the service range to exceed customer
expectations, monitoring customer response to changes in
service offerings and using technology to improve
customised service offerings.
1. Plan, develop and implement improvements to the
service range to exceed customer expectations.
2. Monitor and evaluate customer population responses to
changes in service offerings.
3. Use technology to improve the range and scope of
customised service offerings.
Manageria
l
Manage High
Volume
Customer
Contact And
Communication

learner will have the knowledge and application skills in
managing service operations with high volume customer
contact and communications related to inbound or outbound
service delivery in order to meet and exceed organisation
and customer expectations.
1. Manage high volume customer service response.
2. Manage high volume customer service delivery.
3. Evaluate and continuously improve high volume customer
contact and operations.
Manageria
l
Manage Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Operations
learner will have knowledge and application skills in planning
to meet internal and external customer requirements,
ensuring quality service, monitoring and reviewing customer
service
1. Plan to meet internal
and
external
requirements.
2. Ensure the delivery of quality service.
3. Monitor and review customer service.
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customer
CUSTOMERS
Supervisor
y
Lead a Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the

Team
promoting team effectiveness by developing team plans to
meet expected service outcomes, leading a small service
team and proactively working with organisational line
management to improve service delivery
1. Plan to achieve team service outcomes.
2. Develop team cohesion.
3. Participate in and facilitate a service team.
4. Coordinate with management on service issues.
Supervisor
y
Build
Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the
Relationships learner will have knowledge and application skills to build
With Customers relationships with customers in service environments, which
include building customers confidence, maintaining and
developing customer relations and handling difficult
customers.
1. Build customers confidence.
2. Maintain and develop customer relations.
3. Handle difficult customers.
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RESULTS
Managerial
Manage Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the

Improvement learner will have knowledge and application skills in
reviewing the external and internal environment, researching
trends and development in service provision and managing
opportunities for service innovation and improvement.
1. Review the external and internal operating environment.
2. Research trends and developments in service provision.
3. Manage opportunities
improvement.
Managerial
Manage
Performance
Management
Processes
for
service
innovation
and

developing performance management tools, implementing
performance management process and leading the
development
of
team
and
individual
performance
improvement plan.
1. Develop performance management tools to monitor
service delivery and employee performance.
2. Implement performance management processes within
an existing organisational human resources development
framework.
3. Lead the development of team and individual employee
performance improvement plan.
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RESULTS
Managerial
Manage Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the

Supply Chain learner will have knowledge and application skills in
managing a service supply chain. This includes reviewing
organizational business strategy, service supply chain
strategy, service supply chain effectiveness, planning for
improvements and continual improvement in service supply
chain.
1. Review organizational business strategy, service supply
chain strategy and supply chain effectiveness.
2. Plan for improvements in service supply chain.
3. Implement continual improvement in the service supply
chain.
Managerial
Implement
Continual
Improvements inimplementing continual improvements in service delivery in
work teams. It includes encouraging and coordinating the
Service Delivery
team to participate in the planning, executing, monitoring
and evaluating of continual improvements in service delivery.
1. Prepare work team for continual improvement.
2. Execute action plan for continual improvement.
3. Monitor and evaluate results of action plan for continual
improvement.
4. Address gaps in targets.
Supervisor
y
Lead a Team to
Participate in
Service
Innovation
Processes

preparing to lead and to guide a team to participate in
service innovation processes, as well as sustain service
innovation efforts within a team.
1. Prepare to lead a team to participate in service
innovation processes.
2. Guide a team participating in service innovation
processes.
3. Sustain service innovation effort within a team.
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PEOPLE
Managerial
Manage Human Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the

Resources To learner will have knowledge and application skills in
Achieve Service selecting, developing, motivating and empowering customer
Excellence
focused employees; and developing and implementing
reward strategies to recognise service excellence.
1. Undertake human resources planning based on the
organisations customer focused strategies.
2. Recruit and select customer- centric employees.
3. Monitor the impact of employee satisfaction on employee
performance.
4. Develop effective customer service employee.
5. Implement and manage a customer service award
program for employees.
Supervisor
y
Coach Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the

Teams And
Individuals
providing coaching in organisational service environments
where buddy systems and on the job coaching are
extremely important. It includes preparing to coach, coaching
on the job and following up on the results of coaching.
1. Prepare for coaching.
2. Coach service teams and individuals on the job to
achieve service objectives.
3. Evaluate and follow up service coaching.
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PLANNING, INFORMATION, CUSTOMERS & RESULTS

Operations
Foundation
Units
Provide GEMS Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit the

Service
providing going the extra mile service and apply them to the
workplace.
1. Prepare for extra mile service
2. Go beyond first impressions
3. Go the Extra Mile interactions
Operations
Foundation
Units
Deliver Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Excellence
learner will have the knowledge and skills to apply
organisational service values and use organisational systems
to provide excellent customer service, follow-up post/sales
service support, utilise and update a customer database
when working individually and in service teams.
1. Apply organisation service values and systems.
2. Contribute to service team effectiveness
3. Follow-up post sales/service support
4. Utilise and update a customer database.
Operations
Offer
Foundation Customised And learner will have the knowledge and application skills to
Units
Personalised proactively offer and promote service to customers. It
Service
includes accessing and communicating detailed product and
service information sought by a diverse range of customers;
in order to make recommendations that meet customers
personal needs.
1. Study and update own knowledge on organisation's
products and services.
2. Develop
knowledge
that
addresses
information
commonly sought by organisation customers.
3. Identify and act upon opportunities
personalised and customised service.
for
offering
4. Deliver service to a diverse range of customers and

colleagues.
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PLANNING, INFORMATION, CUSTOMERS, RESULTS & PEOPLE

Operations
Foundation
Units
Cultivate a
Service
Innovation
Mindset

recognising the need for service innovation, adopting a
service innovation mindset as well as applying own thinking
style for service innovation.
1. Recognise the need for service innovation.
2. Adopt a service innovation mindset.
3. Apply own thinking style for service innovation.
Operations
Foundation
Units
Participate in
Service
Innovation
Processes

learner will have the knowledge and skills in identifying
service innovation opportunities, generating ideas to
transform customer experiences, evaluating and selecting
service innovation ideas to develop as well as advancing
service innovation ideas towards implementation.
1. Identify service innovation opportunities.
2. Generate ideas to transform customer experiences.
3. Evaluate and select service innovation ideas to develop.
4. Advance
service
implementation.
innovation
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ideas
towards
Subsequently, identify the behavioural characteristics as well as skills and

knowledge you would like to see and develop in your team members and compile
them in a competency framework. The tool in the following pages shows how this
might look like:
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Table 2.3 Template for key job roles competency

framework
1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Industry:
Department:
Date:
Competencies required
Job scope
2 Job roles and competencies required

Sales assistant
Assist customers with queries
Conducts stock take
Process payment for customers
Deal with customer complaints
Demonstrate a warm and friendly attitude towards customers

Escort or direct customers to cubicles for fitting and provide necessary
assistance
Explain and follow purchase and return policy
Promote additional services in the store eg. style / trend advisors
Maintain store neatness and tidiness standards
Improve visual appearance of store
Product knowledge
Customer knowledge
Communication
Listening
Friendliness
Ability to remain calm under pressure
Patience
Responsiveness
Helpfulness
Passion for service
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Sales supervisor
Job scope
Supervise scheduled shift

Handle customer issues, resolution and communicate escalated issues to Sales
manager
Create reports showing sales percentages, adherence and attendance
Ensure employees adherence to company policies

Communicate all employee relations issues, concerns, and incidents to Sales
Manager
Assist Sales Manager in leading and motivating the team
Ensures proper and prompt logistical arrangement for delivery of stock
Takes charge of store layout and presentation
Ensure replenishment of stock
Product knowledge
Customer knowledge
Organisational knowledge
Communication
Listening
Friendliness
Patience
Responsiveness
Helpfulness
Business minded
Passion for service
Job scope
Sales manager
Develops a business plan and sales strategy
Supervise, motivate, coach and monitor team performance
Set and meet budgets / targets
Liaise with customers
Recruits, tests, and hires sales assistant based on company criteria
Allocating areas to sales assistant
Scouts for and liaise with new suppliers
Product knowledge
Customer knowledge
Organisational knowledge
Problem solving
Responsiveness
Flexible
Passion for service
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Job scope

Cashier
Issue bills to customers
Process payment for customers
Assist customers with queries
Compile and maintain non-monetary reports and records
Package products for customers
Communication
Listening
Friendliness
Reliability
Positive attitude
Passion for service
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2.2 Hire the right employees

Hiring is the first and most critical step in building a customer-centric environment. It
is easier to start with people who have the right behavioural qualities such as
friendliness and flexibility, than training someone to acquire such qualities.
Before the interview
Know what you are looking for. Use your organisations competency
framework as a guide.
Prepare interview questions that will help you assess the competencies you
are looking for. Some examples of interview questions can be found in the
following pages.
During the interview
Look out for the body language and verbal cues to assess if the candidate is a
people person. For example, did he do the following?
Did he smile?
Did he manage eye contact?
Did he greet you?
Was he polite?
Did he listen to what you had to say, or did he interrupt constantly?
Did he thank you at the end of the interview?

This will give you an approximate gauge of the interviewees personality and
suitability for a customer service role.
After the interview
Check on the candidates references. Check with his previous employers what
they thought of him.
A tool below illustrates a template for an interview evaluation.
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Tool 2.4 Template for interview evaluation

1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Name of employee:
Job title applied:
Department applied:
Date:
2 Interview appraisal
(0 = Not applicable, 1 = Not acceptable, 2 = Below
average,
3 = Average, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent)
1. Communication (expresses thoughts well, listening skills)
2. Appearance (dress sense, body language)
3. Response (mental alertness, logic, rapport)
4. Attitude (courteous, shows enthusiasm, go extra mile)
5. Initiative (independent, resourceful, industrious,

motivated)
6. Maturity (responsible, objective, self-disciplined
7. Leadership & teamwork (activities, office held)
8. Knowledge & abilities ( competency, technical skills)
9. Overall assessment (consider all the above factors)
Key contributions if applicable

Key assignments undertaken at previous organisation, and state if goals/objectives are
met.
Additional activity / project / duty
Achievements
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Others
Strengths
Area(s) for improvements
General comments
Evaluation
Recommend for offer:
Yes
KIV
Overall Rating by interviewer(s) 1 (Poor) to 10 (Excellent) :
Interviewer 1
Interviewers signature
Date
Interviewer 2
Interviewers signature
Date
Status Offer to be completed by HR
Date of acceptance:
Commencing date:
Approved by:
Other remarks:
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No
Getting The Right Person:

If you want to get more creative in recruiting your employees to see if they will
be suitable for the job, you can try some of these interesting interview
techniques:
Describe in detail customer service situations that occur in your
business. See how the candidate would handle the situation.
Involve other customer service employees in the selection of the
employees. Do they think the candidates would fit in the team?
Conduct group interviews to assess how candidates interact with
people. You could ask them to play a game to assess if they are team
players, show initiative, etc.
If you are recruiting employees who will be handling customers through
the telephone, give him a cold call over the telephone to assess his
telephone tone, etiquette and responses.
If you are recruiting someone from overseas, try doing a video
conference through the internet, using free programmes such as Skype
(http://www.skype.com)
or
Windows
Messenger
(www.windowslive.com).
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2.3 Orientate your new employees

Most people feel out of place when they first join a new organisation. You can
familiarise the new employee through an orientation programme. It could broadly
encompass the following:
First day
Introduce him to his colleagues. Let him know that he is part of a team.
Tour the establishment. Give an overview of how things are managed.
Second Day
Overview of what your organisation does. Include your organisations history,
what its products and services are. Cover activities both inside and outside the
employee's department.
Overview of how your organisation fits in its industry. Familiarise him with the
competition.
Your organisations corporate culture. In particular, the service mission, values
and culture, and the role your employees play in upholding these ideals.
An explanation of benefits, rules, regulations and expected work habits. For
example, dress code and code of conduct.
Third Day
Introduce him to the relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and
familiarise him further through on-the-job training.
Let him know what activities he is expected to perform, and the standards he is to
achieve. Do an interim assessment of his performance at the end of the second
week.
Provide him with a list of these activities and standards which would be
assessed. A template for this can be found in the tool at the end of this section.
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After a month: Feedback
Assess his performance

Conduct an informal debrief with the new employee to:
Let him know how he is doing.
Understand how he is coping.
Give him an opportunity to give feedback.
Orientation training should be conducted by your training manager or service quality

manager. The information you impart to your new employee over his first three
weeks can help him feel more confident and better equipped to handle your
customers. The debrief session acts as an important checkpoint for the service
manager to understand how the new employee is transitioning into the job and
workplace. This debrief can help the manager guide the new employee through this
critical checkpoint and help the organisation to better retain good people. A template
of an orientation checklist can be found in the tool at the end of this section.
Buddy programme:
Pair the new employee with a buddy. The buddy can help the newbie navigate
his way around the organisation better, introduce him to colleagues, and can
help reinforce the orientation messages.
The buddy can enable the new employee to integrate into the team quicker.
When people feel that they are part of a team, and that the organisation is
looking out for them, they will be more motivated to take chances and go out of
their way to serve customers because they are not worried about making
mistakes.
The buddy should be someone who has been in the organisation for at least 1
year and who is familiar with the processes and policies of the organisation.
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Tool 2.5 Template for orientation checklist

1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Name of employee:
Employee number:
Job title / grade:
Department:
Start date:
Orientation
Activities
Person responsible
(Position & Name)
1. Assigned workstation
Supervisor
2. Office facilities (i.e. restrooms,

library, meeting rooms)
3. Eating places for lunch, dinner
Supervisor
4. Stationery and office supplies
Administrato
r
Administrato
r
Administrato
r
Administrato
r
Administrato
r
Supervisor
5. Staff telephone contact list

6. Telephone setup and voicemail
protocol
7. Internal and external mail protocol
8. Usage of office equipment (e.g.
Photocopier, fax, color printer)
9. Introduction to immediate
supervisor and teammates
10. New hire lunch
11. Name cards
12. Companys identity card
13. Security access card (if applicable)
14. Dress code
Supervisor
Supervisor
Administrato
r
Administrato
r
Administrato
r
Supervisor
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Status
[N/A or
Date Completed]
Information Technology
Activities
Person responsible
(Position & Name)
15
Desktop/laptop setup
IT Technician
16
Printer setup
IT Technician
17
Departments shared drivers
IT Technician
18
IT Technician
19
Intranet/internet access/user
id/password
Email ID and password
20
Login procedures
IT Technician
21
Explanation of companys IT
policy
IT Technician
Hygiene
Activities
22
Fire and emergency procedures
23
First aid information
24
Location of fire extinguishers and

emergency exits
Health and safety work standards
25
26
27
Safety work wear (i.e. uniform,

shoes)
Hygiene standards
Staff Welfare
Activities
28
29
Working hours, including tea and

meal breaks, starting time
Application of annual leave
30
Medical leave procedures
31
Insurance coverage
32
Claims and allowances (i.e.

transport, medical, etc.)
Status
[N/A or
Date Completed]
IT Technician
Person responsible
(Position & Name)
Status
[N/A or
Date Completed]
Safety
Officer
Safety
Officer
Safety
Officer
Safety
Officer
Safety
Officer
Safety
Officer
Person responsible
(Position & Name)
Human
Resources
Human
Resources
Human
Resources
Human
Resources
Human
Resources
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Status
[N/A or
Date Completed]
Job Role and Performance Expectations

Activities
Person responsible
(Position & Name)
33
Job role and expectations
Supervisor
34
Job description given to new hire
Supervisor
35
Supervisor
36
Departments organization
structure
Departments mission and goals
37
Organization structure
Supervisor
38
Supervisor
39
Organizations product and

services
Performance appraisal
Mandatory Training
Activities
40
Health and safety training
41
Food handling procedures
Status
[N/A or
Date Completed]
Supervisor
Supervisor
Person responsible
(Position & Name)
Status
[N/A or
Date Completed]
Safety
Officer
Safety
Officer
Employees name & signature
Date
Supervisors name & signature
Date
Once completed, this form should be retained by the Supervisor/Manager and a copy is
to be sent to the Human Resource department
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2.4 Train your team

Beyond the orientation, you should develop your team members competencies
further through skills and knowledge training.
Skills training will help him better manage customers. Training programmes could
include techniques in active listening, or interpreting customers body language.
Knowledge training refers to training in product knowledge. A strong working
knowledge of your firms products and services will be needed when a customer
needs advice on which equipment to pick, or when a product appears to be faulty.
Use your organisations competency framework as a guide to determine what
employees should be trained in. Training can be outsourced to a training provider, or
can be done through on-the-job training.
To identify service areas that are best taught through on-the-job training, use your
business identified customer touch points 1 as a guide. For example, in a clothes
shop, you may wish to conduct on-the-job training on assisting customers on the
shop floor, in the fitting room, and at the cashier. On-the-job training can also be
done for common scenarios such as managing difficult customers.
To help your employees keep track of various skill sets they wish to acquire, or
receive training in, work with them to draft their individual development plan.
The tool below shows how an on-the-job assessment and competency development
and training could be planned.
Customer touch points are the points of interaction between your customer and your organisation.
More information on identifying customer touch points can be found at Chapter Five: Delivering to
your customers expectations.
31 | P a g e
Tool 2.6 Template for competency development and

training
1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Name of employee:
Employee number:
Job title / grade:
Department:
Date:
Training Roadmap
Competency
Training
Needs
Evaluation
Product
knowledge
12345
Customer
knowledge
12345
Organisation
knowledge
12345
Problem solving
12345
Communication
12345
Listening
12345
Time
management
12345
Friendliness
12345
Courses /
Training /
Programs /
Coaching
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
32 | P a g e
Evaluation
Timeframe
after
(by when) training (1
to 5)
Training Roadmap
Competency
Ability to remain
calm under
pressure
Training
Needs
Evaluation
12345
Willingness to
work hard
12345
Thoughtfulness
12345
Reliability
12345
Team player
12345
Positive attitude
12345
Patience
12345
Responsiveness
12345
Helpfulness
12345
Flexibility
12345
Empathy
12345
Courses /
Training /
Programs /
Coaching
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
Low
Mediu
m
33 | P a g e
Training
Timeframe
effectivenes
(by when)
s
Passion for service
12345
High
Low
Mediu
m
High
34 | P a g e
2.5 Coach your team members

Coaching is an important part of on-the-job training. When coaching, do not be
afraid to emphasise the negative. Good service is not always noticed, but bad
service will certainly be remembered. Use role-play exercises with employees, replay
a recent incident, or get them to discuss their own experiences as mistreated
customers to help them understand how bad service can impact an organisation.
The following is a suggested approach:
Step 1
Identify the problem, and ground it in an incident.

Explain what you saw or heard. E.g., The customer needed an
additional size and you did not offer to check the storeroom.
Explain the impact of the incident. E.g., The customer felt that we did
Step 2
not care to help her. This creates a poor image of our shop.
Understand why the incident happened. Give the employee a chance to
explain or ask questions.
Step 3
Ask open ended questions. E.g., Why do you think this happened?
Ask one question at a time.
Dont fill silences. Give your employee the chance to think.
Be non-judgemental. Listen and understand why the incident happened.
State expectations
Explain what you want the employee to do in future, and why. E.g., We
should aim to help her find additional sizes. Check the storeroom, or
with another outlet. This shows that we are interested in helping our
customers find what they need.
Show empathy. E.g., I understand it was difficult to manage as there
were a few other customers to attend to. However, it is important that we
help our customers find what they need. We are here to serve our
customers.
Step 4
Ensure that the improvement is sustained.

Encourage your employee. E.g., Im sure you will be able to do better in
future and maintain this standard in your work.
Emphasise the importance of the improvement. E.g., By going the extra
mile, customers will have a good service experience and will be more
35 | P a g e
Step 5
likely to come back to the store.

Schedule future review.
Give your employee a target timeframe to achieve the improvement.
E.g., Improve your product knowledge within the next 2 weeks,
Arrange a date for the next review. E.g., We will review your
performance again in 3 months time to see if you have been able to
sustain your improvement.
A coaching template can be found below:
36 | P a g e
Tool 2.7 Template for coaching

1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Name of employee:
Employee number:
Job title / grade:
Department:
Date:
Observation on Behaviour
Identify instances where the employee has performed well or has not performed up to
expectations. Be specific, list specific instances instead of general observation.
Lessons Learnt
Identify lessons which can be learnt from the observation, either positive or negative
ones, for sharing with the employee.
(New) Actions Steps / Plans

Identify action steps that should be taken to correct the
behaviour.
Additional Comments
37 | P a g e
To be reviewed
on
Date
Supervisors name & signature
Date
2.6 Recognise your teams efforts

Good customer service should be recognised and celebrated. A useful template on
how to identify specific behaviours to recognise can be found in the following page.
Recognising high performance will also encourage and motivate employees. You
could:
Nominate an employee as Employee of the Month. This could entail getting an
official letter of commendation from the CEO, a token cash bonus, or time off.
Highlight his achievements on a communication board which is widely accessed
by the employees.
38 | P a g e
Keep him in mind for future attractive training or career development

opportunities.
.
Local Case Study:
Tool
2.8 Template for employee reward and recognition
1
Zingrill:
Use your
General
Information
employees as role models
Name of
organisation:
Zingrill is a fast-expanding
Name of employee:
food and beverage chain, with plans to develop
franchisees in the region. With the challenge of maintaining a consistent
Employee number
service quality throughout its operations, Zingrill needed to make sure that
Joball
title
/ grade:
employees
Department:
thus came
or team
Date:
were properly trained, with the right service culture. Zingrill
up with the idea of appointing a team of Service Ambassadors,
of managers who had been recognised as having provided
excellent service to customers.

2
Reason for nomination
They were rotated to work at each of the outlets for a defined period of time
to help build the culture and set the standard for customer service. During
their stay, the Service Ambassadors were also tasked to identify employees
who had provided good service to customers. These employees were then
rewarded with stars that they can display on their uniforms. Through this
system, Zingrill has successfully managed to use role models to build their
3
Reward recommended:
Comments from Management / CEO:
service culture.
39 | P a g e
Seconding Managers name & signature
Date
CEOs name & signature
Date
2.7 Reward your employees

Bonuses and promotions should correspond to the competencies your organisation
values. The same template to identify specific behaviours to recognise can be used
to identify behaviour to reward.
Use your organisations competency framework to determine how your employees
performance should be assessed. A performance appraisal template is shown on the
next page. It should cover the competencies that are most important to your
organisation.
The appraisal process is also a valuable opportunity for the manager to:
Share positive feedback and recognise the employees performance if they have
performed well. This can motivate your employees to continue to keep up their
levels of service performance.
Give advice to the employees on areas of improvement so that they can up their
service levels.
40 | P a g e
Case Study:
NYDC: Recognise and reward part-timers
NYDC is a home-grown Singaporean chain that has successfully expanded
to consist of multiple outlets across the country. As the organisation expands,
it faces the challenge of finding appropriate employees to man outlets. To
manage this, NYDC relies on a pool of part-timers that supplement full-time
employees during busy periods.
This extends up to positions at the Assistant Supervisor level. Usually, such
employees are paid an hourly wage and are not eligible for bonuses.
However, NYDC managers set aside a share of the outlets bonus for parttimers to recognise their contributions. This strategy has enabled NYDC to
attract and retain good part-time employees and build a committed team.
41 | P a g e
Tool 2.9 Template for employee appraisal evaluation

1
General Information
Name of
organisation:
Name of employee:
Employee number:
Job title / grade:
Department:
Date:
Attributes
Skills
Knowledge
2 Employee Appraisal
(0 = Not applicable, 1 = Not acceptable, 2 = Below
average,
3 = Average, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent)
Product knowledge
Customer knowledge
Organisation knowledge
Problem-solving
Communication
Listening
Time management
Friendliness
Willingness to work hard
Thoughtfulness
Reliability
Team player
Positive attitude
Patience
Responsiveness
Helpfulness
Empathy
Flexibility
Passion for service
Integrity / Honesty
Business-minded
y
42 | P a g e
Additional contributions if applicable

Review other assignments undertaken during the year, and state if goals/objectives
are met.
Additional activity / project / duty
Achievements
Summary of strengths / areas for improvement
Strengths
Area(s) for improvements
General comments
Development opportunities
Comments by appraising supervisor on training and development opportunities, career
aspirations and career plans. Include specific performance improvement plans, if
applicable. Attach separate pages if necessary.
Overall performance grading
43 | P a g e

Please tick the appropriate box to indicate the overall performance of the staff
Outstanding
Consistently exceeds all expectations
Very good
Exceeds most of the expectations
Good
Consistently meets expectations
Satisfactory
Does not meet some expectations
Needs improvement
Performance is unsatisfactory
44 | P a g e
7 Sign off for appraisal

Part A: Staffs comments on completed report
My appraising supervisor and I have discussed my performance review.
I agree with the appraisal
I disagree with the appraisal
Comments (if any):
Date
Appraising Supervisors name &

signature
Part B: Countersigning officers comments on completed report
My comments are:
Countersigning Officers name &

signature
Date
Date
45 | P a g e
3. Linking teamwork with customer service

Ultimately, how employees treat their customers is dependent on the cues they get
from leadership. A customer-centric culture must start from the leaders. These ideals
are covered in Chapter One: Leadership Putting leadership at the heart of the
service experience and Chapter Three: Culture and Communication Developing a
culture committed to service.
46 | P a g e

Chapter 2-The Team - Retail

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Chapter 2-The Team - Retail

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Building a team committed to service

Chapter Two: The Team

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Building a team committed to service

Chapter Two: The Team

1. Why is the team important?

Building a team committed to service

Linking teamwork with customer service

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Building a team committed to service

1. Why is the team important?

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Building a team committed to service

2. Building a team committed to service

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Building a team committed to service

Tool 2.1 Template to identify service competencies

Service Competencies Priority

Priority for the organisation

Ability to explain the aspects of the

Ability to understand customer

Possess the mental capacity to be

Take verbal inputs and interpret

Able to prioritise multiple tasks and

Able to express oneself

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Building a team committed to service

Service Competencies Priority

Likeable personality, relates easily

Able to maintain composure and

Willing to put in their best effort

Show consideration for others

Works well with others

Show enthusiasm in work

Able to endure provocation or

Able to adjust quickly to changes in

Willing to go beyond ones scope of

The extent to which one has the

Passion for service

Genuinely interested in offering

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Building a team committed to service

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Building a team committed to service

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Building a team committed to service

Tool 2.2 Service Excellence Workforce Skills

Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

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Building a team committed to service

Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

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Building a team committed to service

Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

3. Analyse customer intelligence to target product and

Develop and Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

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Building a team committed to service

Develop and Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Manage Service Competency Descriptor: On completion of this unit, the

Copyright of SPRING Singapore 2010