vision2learn

Learner Handbook
Customer Service

1
Contents

Learner support
Welcome Page 3
Who to go to for help Pages 4 – 6
Course time-frame
Guided learning hours
Learner advice and support

Tips for using the platform Pages 7 – 10

How to login
How to contact your tutor
How to access your units
How to access your assessments
How to submit work
How to view your deadline dates

Study skills Pages 11 –13

10 successful study tips
Weekly study planner

Assessment hints and tips Pages 14 –40

Useful assessment tips
Key words to help you
Avoid copying directly from course materials
Referencing other material
Unit one: Understanding the organisation
Unit two: Prepare to deliver excellent customer service
Unit three: Communication in the customer service role
Unit four: Understand customers

Guidelines for acceptable conduct Page 41

Academic misconduct
Appeals procedure
Personal extenuating circumstances

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Welcome
Dear Learner,

Welcome to your vision2learn Customer Service course. This course

is being delivered through a partnership agreement with your centre,
vision2learn and Innovate.

This course will help you to develop your knowledge and understanding
of customer service and important policies, procedures and legislation
relating to the customer service sector. You will learn about positive
communication, team work and employee and employer rights and
responsibilities. By the end of the course you will be able to apply your
knowledge to a range of situations across different sectors.

We’re sure you’re raring to go but please take some time to read through
this learner handbook as it’s full of essential information to help you
progress as successfully as possible.

We hope your vision2learn course will help you to:

•Update your skills and enhance your employability

•Train for work or return to work
•Improve your CV and progress your career
•Study on your own terms.

Please feel free to contact our in-house team of advisors throughout your
course study time as we are here to support you along with your online
tutor. More details of who to contact and how can be found in the ‘Who to
go to for help’ section on the next page.

We hope you enjoy your learning experience!

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Making online learning a success

To ensure that your online learning experience is rewarding, you

will begin by completing and submitting the course induction
(if you haven’t already). You will work through a short series of
questions and your responses will enable your tutor to offer you
some feedback and advice on how to get the most out of your
course. Your tutor will also learn a little bit about you and your
learning style.

To help with your assessments, please take note of the

following advice to help avoid unnecessary changes:

• Read the question a couple of times before you answer it.

Make sure that all your answers are in your own words, as
copying content direct from the learner materials or from
the internet is considered plagiarism, which is unacceptable.
Work that is copied directly from an external source will
be sent back to you to be rewritten in your own words. You
must demonstrate that you have understood the text and,
where possible, reflected on your own experiences.

• Please make sure that you are familiar with the key
assessment terms, which are identify, describe, explain
and outline. A definition of each term is provided later on
in this handbook; knowing these will help you to answer
the questions with the correct level of detail to meet the
assessment criteria. If you are not sure about anything, ask
your tutor.

vision2learn wish you the very best of luck and look forward to
receiving your first assessment.

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Who to go to for help

Online tutor: Your tutor is there to support you through

your studies and to successfully complete the end of unit
assessments. They are available online via v-mail to provide
you with guidance and robust feedback throughout your course
(v-mail is an internal messaging system which allows you to
communicate with your tutor quickly and easily).

The learner support team: This team is dedicated to helping

you successfully complete your course. If you have any
personal issues which are preventing you from submitting your
assessments please give us a call to discuss this and update your
action plan in agreement with your specific centre.

The learner support team is available:

Monday 8am – 6pm

Tuesday 8am –6pm
Wednesday 8am – 6pm
Thursday 8am – 6pm
Friday 9am – 5pm

You can reach the learner support team on 0191 215 4100.

Live chat: This is a new tool where you can interact with our
learner support team via your PC or laptop between the hours
of 9am – 9pm Monday to Thursday and 9am – 5pm on Friday.

Course-specific support: There is specialist support available

on each course. Advisors are available to help in cases where
you are unable to resolve issues with your online tutor and
would like to discuss course content with someone. In certain
cases there is also an in-house course leader who can advise
further.

The technical team: These are the people to talk to if you need
advice on any difficulties you may have submitting work or any
other technical issues that are not covered in this handbook.

There are additional tools to help you through your learning

journey with vision2learn:

Group forums: Please view the group forums on a regular basis,

as your tutor will post helpful information on here to guide you
through your qualification, you can also interact with other
learners studying the same course.

Learning to learn: This is an integral part of your learning and

can be accessed through your platform. It will provide help on
managing your own time (both study and personal) and helpful
study tips to ensure that you get the most out of your time with
vision2learn. 5
Setting an individual learning target or goal

As you will probably be working alone for much of the course,

you should set yourself goals toward which you can work.
We suggest that, as a minimum, you set aside 8-10 hours of
learning per week, with a definite end date for the qualification.
Please send your tutor a copy of any goals you set, so that they
can monitor your progress toward them.

Learner advice and support

Your main point of contact is your online tutor. They will support
you throughout your studies and provide you with feedback to help
you complete your course. You must contact your tutor via v-mail. If
you have queries that your tutor cannot answer, please contact the
learner support team.

Turnaround times: Your tutor must respond to you within 48 hours

of receiving your v-mail. If you find that your tutor is not giving you
the support you require please contact us so we can help.

Assessment feedback: Your tutor has 5 working days to mark

and return your assessment as either a pass or resubmission.
Resubmissions must be carried out within 5 days of receiving
feedback to ensure that you do not fall behind. If you are unsure of
what you need to do to pass, contact your tutor via v-mail for more
support.

Moderation: Your work will be internally moderated midway through

your course after you have passed a number of units. It will also
be moderated when you have passed all units. This may result in
additional actions for you. You will receive a v-mail to inform you
of your completion (subject to internal and external moderation).
However, it is important to keep logging in for full completion
after the final moderation has been carried out, in case there are
any outstanding actions resulting from moderation. These must be
completed in order for your portfolio to be passed on the system.

Colleges carry out an external verification (EV) visit where your work
may be chosen to be sampled. Please ensure that you keep your work
up to date and complete any actions promptly so the EV process is as
efficient as possible.

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Tips for using the platform
How to login
Go to www.vision2learn.com. Click Login and enter your username
and password. This information will be sent to you in an email when
you have been assigned to your tutor.

How to contact your tutor

Your tutor can be contacted via v-mail. The v-mail option can be
found on your toolbar at the top of the web page.

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How to access your units
Once logged in, you will see your course units. Click on your course
and then click on your chosen unit and session.

How to access your assessments

The assessment for your course can be accessed from the course
menu when you first log in. Simply click on the blue unit title
to expand it. At the bottom of that submenu you will find the
assessment link. Click it to access the page containing your
assessment.

If the assessment link is not there, you will be directed to your

assessment at the end of each session.

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How to submit work
When you complete an assessment, you will need to send it to your
tutor for marking. You can do this by following the steps below.

1. Log in to your vision2learn account and visit the My study area.

2. Each time you start a new assessment it will appear under Your
assessments. You will find the title of your completed assessment
under the black “assessment” banner.

3. When you have found the name of the assessment you wish to
submit, click it. A Send assessment page will open on screen. Notice
that the name of your tutor and the name of the assessment you are
submitting have been added automatically.

4. To attach your assessment document click the top Browse button.

Use the file window to locate the file within your computer.

5. Left-click the file so it becomes highlighted and the name of the

file appears in the ‘file name’ box. Click Open to add your file to your
v-mail message.

6. If you have other documents or files to attach, select the Add

additional attachment button and repeat the previous steps.

7. If you would like to add a message to your tutor you can type this in
the Message box.

8. Finally, click on the Send assessment button. Your v-mail message

and attachment(s) will be sent to your tutor.

Once you have submitted an assessment it will be removed from

Your assessments on the My study area. You can now track its
progress on your My progress page. This page will allow you to see
when your assessment is marked or needs resubmitting.

You can find a video demonstrating how to submit your assessment

at the following link:

http://www.vision2learn.com/video/submitting-assessments/
multiscreen.html

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How to view your deadline dates
Deadline dates can be found in your action plan. On your My study area,
please click on the course you are studying and then click on Action plan.

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Study skills
This section of the handbook is designed to help you study
successfully. It will help you to:

• Organise your study

• Make the most of your learning experience
• Define learning strategies
• Manage your time effectively
• Stay motivated!

10 successful study tips

1. Planning your time is the first step towards successfully achieving
your qualification. In your life there will be many other things to
balance alongside your studies, so it’s important that you decide
when you are able to study successfully. Try creating a weekly plan
which includes all commitments, as well as time to concentrate
on your studies. Please see the weekly planner on page 12 of this
handbook.

2. Planning your study will help to identify when you will study, how
long you will study for and what you will study in each section. This
clear plan will help to keep you focused on succeeding on your course.

3. Organise your course materials by working through each section

thoroughly, making easy-to-read notes as you go. If you like to make
handwritten notes or have access to a printer, you could colour code
paper based notes about different topics and sessions as you work
through, which can help when you’re completing your assessment.

4. Take regular study breaks. It’s important to remember that

studying whilst tired can stop you from reaching your full potential.
When working at a computer you must consider your posture and
take regular breaks to refresh tired eyes.

5. Make a note of your planned submission dates. Although you

can study whenever it suits you with vision2learn, it’s important
to keep track of your planned end date. By clicking on the icon in
your My study area you will find a quick link to your Action plan
deadline dates. If you need any extra time due to holidays or other
commitments you can v-mail your online tutor.

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5. Make a note of your planned submission dates. Although you
can study whenever it suits you with vision2learn, it’s important
to keep track of your planned end date. By clicking on the icon in
your My study area you will find a quick link to your Action plan
deadline dates. If you need any extra time due to holidays or other
commitments you can v-mail your online tutor.

6. Consider where you study. Try to find a quiet area to allow you
to study without distractions. Turning off radios, telephones and
televisions will allow you to fully concentrate on your work.

7. Make sense of what you are reading. It is easy to

lose concentration as you read through each session, but being
unfocused means you will not fully understand the concepts and
these will need to be revisited for the assessment. There are two ways
of maintaining focus; the first is to complete the interactive activities
throughout the sessions and the second is to record notes in your
journal.

8. Preparing your assessment. Make sure to download your

assessment and to read it through fully before you begin to answer
questions. Once you have made sense of what you are being asked
to do, please ensure you answer ALL questions, including relevant
examples where required.

9. Identify how you learn best. As a learner, you receive and process
information by seeing, listening, feeling and doing. Using real life
examples will allow you to learn from experience through reflection
and observation, so be aware of your surroundings and experiences
to strengthen your answers. Do not rely completely on the course
materials.

10. Do not plagiarise! The Oxford Dictionary (2012) defines

plagiarism as taking the work or an idea of someone and passing it
off as your own, including copying and pasting the course materials.
Tutors will not accept work that is identified as plagiarised, so please
ensure that all ideas are your own. Further information on this can be
found in the Academic misconduct section.

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Weekly study planner
In order to meet the guided learning hours (10 hours a week)
please use the planner below to help you organise your study time.
Remember to arrange your weekly activities to make time to study.

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun

Pre 9 am

9:00 – 1000

10:00 – 11:00

11:00 – 12:00

12:00 – 13:00

13:00 – 14:00

14:00 – 15:00

15:00 – 16:00

16:00 – 17:00

17:00 – 18:00

18:00 – 19:00

19:00 – 20:00

20:00 – 21:00

21:00 – 22:00

22:00 – 23:00

23:00 – 24:00

After midnight

Total
study hours

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Assessment hints and tips
Useful assessment tips
Now you’ve started your vision2learn course, you will soon be
completing your first assessment. We’ve compiled some handy tips to
help you meet the assessment criteria and learning outcomes for your
course and ensure your assessments are submitted smoothly.

Key words to help you

In the assessment questions there are some key words that you
should look out for to help you compose your responses. These words
can be interpreted like this:

List or identify – If the question asks you to list or identify, then you
must write a list, like a shopping list usually with numbers or bullet
points.

Describe – If you are asked to describe, then you must give a

description by writing a detailed account like a story but not a list.

Explain – If you are asked to explain, then you must give your answer
and also your reasons.

Outline – If the question asks you to give an outline, this means that
you need to provide a few sentences along with some key points.

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Avoid copying directly from course materials
It is important that you answer assessment questions in your own
words in order to successfully pass your course. So, while you may
need to refer to the course materials to help you answer a question,
you should not copy passages or phrases word-for-word. This is
known as plagiarism.

If you are suspected of plagiarism you may be asked to resubmit

your assessment or, in serious circumstances, be removed from your
course.

Referencing other material

Sometimes you may wish to use other material in your assessment,
such as a news article or a quote. It is good practice to provide the
name and source of the material and when it was accessed by you.

For example, if you used a news article to help you demonstrate an

answer in your assessment, you could cut and paste the hyperlink
to the article into your assessment, and type in the date that you
accessed the article. Important points to remember:

• Make sure it is additional to the Customer Service course materials.

• Make sure it supports/is relevant to your answer.

• Quote the source.

The main thing to remember when constructing each answer is to be

as robust as you can. Try to include as much relevant detail from the
learning materials as you can. It is very important to use your own
words. The following information should be helpful to you. If you
have any queries get in touch with your tutor using v-mail.

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Unit one: Understanding the organisation

When asked about an organisation, this may be your organisation

or an organisation you know well. You may use different
organisations for each question but you must be clear which
organisation you are referring to.

Part 1 - Understand the factors that affect an

organisation and the customer service role

Q1. Complete the table with a description of the products

and services for at least two commercial organisations, public
organisations and third sector organisations.

You must complete all sections of the table for this question. Choose
two different organisations for each sector, remember public sector
organisations are controlled by the government, commercial sector
organisations make profits and third sector organisations are not
profit lead and are independent of the government. Use the internet
to search for more information on each of your chosen organisations
and the products or services they provide.

Q2. Complete the table by describing the differences in customer

service between commercial, public and third sector organisations.
You should outline customer service roles in each organisation and
highlight the differences in how customer service is carried out
across these organisations.

You must complete all sections of the table for this question.
Remember, public sector organisations are controlled by the
government, commercial sector organisations make profits and third
sector organisations don’t fit into either of the other categories. Think
about behaviours each sector would focus on and use examples to
support your answer.

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Q3. In relation to your current organisation (or one that you are
familiar with), outline the part that customer service plays:

a) Within the organisation

b) In the industry as a whole.

There is a strong link between good customer service and a positive

reputation. How does positive or negative customer service affect
your organisation? What influence does positive or negative customer
service have on the sector as a whole? You need to write around 100
words for this question.

Q4. Who are the major competitors to your current organisation?

You can write your answer as bullet points or a list. Think about
the products or services your organisation supplies. Can you think
of other organisations that supply something similar? These are
your organisation’s competitors because customers might go to
them instead of your organisation. If you do not know who your
organisation’s competitors are, you could ask a manager or someone
from the marketing department.

Q5. Identify at least two factors that could affect the reputation of
your current organisation.

We looked at reputations on Page 7 of the course materials. Factors

can affect reputations positively and negatively, why not write one of
each?

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Part 2 - Understand employee rights, responsibilities
and organisational procedures

Q1. Give details of employer and employee rights and

responsibilities under employment law and the importance
of having these (consider the importance to the organisation,
employees and customers, where relevant). You should include
at least two employer rights / responsibilities and at least two
employee rights / responsibilities in your answer.

You need to write something in all 8 sections of the table. Do these

rights relate to the customer, the organisation or employees? Think
about what might happen if these rights and responsibilities did not
exist. Your answer might refer to holidays, pay, pensions, equality,
breaks, or maternity rights.

Q2. Give details of employer and employee rights and

responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act. You
should include at least two employer rights / responsibilities and
at least two employee rights / responsibilities in your answer.

Think about what employers are responsible for; look at safeguarding

staff, providing relevant health and safety information, and avoiding
harm. Include examples to support your answer. We looked at the
Health and Safety at Work Act in the course materials but for more
information visit the website below

http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm

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Q3. In relation to your current organisation, describe the
organisation’s procedures for health and safety and any relevant
documentation that is used. If possible, provide relevant health
and safety policies / documents from the organisation to support
your answer. These documents should be annotated to highlight
the relevant sections.

You must describe your organisation’s procedures for health

and safety. Things to think about: fire procedures, no smoking
policies, handling machinery and health and safety training. Many
organisations have their policies and procedures available online
through their website. Comments and annotations can be done
through footnotes, highlighting, comments or they can be written on
a separate document. Have a look at Page 3 of the course materials
for more information.

Q4. Outline how the Disability Discrimination Act relates to

employment.

Information for this question can be found on Page 6 of the course

materials. Carry out your own research to find more relevant
information relating to the Disability Discrimination Act, this will help
when you come to outlining the Act in your own words. Follow the
link below to get you started.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/13/contents

Q5. In addition to the information provided in the questions above,

identify the other key legislation that specifically relates to your
chosen organisation and its industry as a whole.

You may choose to write about the Equality Act. Is there legislation
that relates to the sector the organisation is involved with?
For example, is there any key legislation relating to finance or
employment that applies to your organisation’s sector. If you write
your answers as a list try to include three or more.

Q6. Complete the table to describe the procedures followed by

your chosen organisation in relation to equality and diversity. Your
answer should include details of any monitoring that takes place
and documentation used to support this monitoring.

You’ve looked at the legislation relating to your organisation,

now look at the procedures, policies and codes of conduct your
organisation has in place to follow this legislation. Do you have
an induction pack or employee handbook? These, along with your
organisation’s website, may be a good place to start. If you are
still unsure where to look then a member of the human resources
department may be able to help.

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Part 3 - Understand career pathways within customer
service

Q1. Describe at least two different types of career pathways that

may be available within a customer service role. In your answer
you should make reference to the entry level position of your
chosen pathways and any qualifications or on-the-job learning
that would aid progression.

You could think about your own pathway so far, or that of a colleague
or a friend in a customer service role. Think about necessary training
or qualifications that may be needed in order to progress along each
career pathway. Please do not use flow charts or bullet points as a
description is required.

Q2. Identify a range of sources where a person can find

information and advice on the customer service industry,
occupations and career progression.

A list is acceptable for this answer. Sources may be found within your
organisation or other organisations may offer information and advice.
Have a look at Page 2 of the course materials.

Q3. In your current organisation what methods of learning are

available to help with career progression?

For this question think about the types of learning/training/

qualifications you mentioned in Q1. Are these available in your
organisation? Can you think of any other methods of learning that
may be available?

Q4. In your current organisation what is the procedure for

accessing formal learning programmes? What is the procedure if
an application for access to learning is refused? If possible, provide
relevant organisational procedures to support your answer. These
documents should be annotated to highlight the relevant sections.

Please refer to the procedures for accessing formal learning

programmes. Would you ask HR? Your line manager? If you have an
appeals process then please mention this in your answer. Examples
could include: challenging the decision within 14 days or making the
appeal in writing. If you do not have an appeals process then please
make this clear. Comments and annotations can be done through
footnotes, highlighting, comments or they can be written on a
separate document.

Q5. Explain how new customer service situations can help with
self-development and career progression.

For this question think about the first time you or someone you know
experienced a certain customer service situation. Think about:
• How did the customer feel?
• Did you understand?
• What did you learn from this situation?

Did you learn what to do, or not to do, in similar situations?

• 20
Part 4 - Understand how employees are supported
within the customer service role
Q1. Identify a range of sources where a person can find information
and advice on employment rights and responsibilities. You should
identify at least three sources of information in your answer.

For this question you have to list at least 3 sources that could
help you find information and advice on employment rights and
responsibilities. Provide examples of websites and advice bureaus
that could help. You could also think about the help that you would
find within your chosen organisation, such as documentation or other
members of staff.

Q2. Complete the table, identifying the representative bodies

related to your chosen organisation / industry. You should also
include details of the main roles and responsibilities of these
bodies and their relevance to the organisation / industry.

Make sure you complete all sections of the table. You must ensure
that the representative bodies in your answer are relevant and
connect to your chosen organisation. For example:
• A travel agent would look to ABTA for independent advice in the
travel industry.
• A supermarket worker would look to the Institute of Customer
Service
• A hotel worker would turn to the Institute of Hospitality.

Q3. For a customer service role in your current organisation, use

the table below to provide details of the support that is available in
relation to the following issues:
a) Equality
b) Health and safety
c) Career progression

Make sure you complete all sections of the table for this question. For
information you could try looking in your employee handbook or on
your organisations intranet or website. You could also try speaking to
your HR department or a dedicated person.

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Part 5 - Know the organisation’s policies and procedures
Q1. Use the table to describe the main principles, policies and
procedures of your chosen organisation. You should also include
details of documentation used to support these principles, policies
and procedures.

Make sure you complete all sections of the table. You may want
to write about one policy at a time for this question. Does your
organisation have a vision statement or mission statement? Does
it have health and safety, employment, refund or customer service
policies? Most of these should be available in your employee
handbook or on your organisation’s website.

Q2. How are the organisation’s principles communicated to

employees? Explain this below.

For this question think about how your organisation tells you about
their principles. Do you have inductions, a HR department or an
employee handbook? Are business updates given to staff members on
a regular basis?

Q3. Outline the policies and codes of practice that are adopted by
the organisation. How are employees made aware of these policies
and codes of practice?

You need to explain how all employees are told of these. What do these
policies and codes of practice relate to and why are they important? Are
employees made aware of policies and codes of practice in the same
way they are made aware of organisational principles?

Q4. Explain how employees are involved with and consulted on

changes to the principles, procedures and policies within the
organisation.

If your organisation would like to change those mentioned above,

how are staff and employees told about these changes? Which
employees are involved with major decision making? Think about
ways of communicating in your answer. Are business updates given to
staff members on a regular basis? Why are these methods used? Are
employees able to respond to proposed changes?

Q5. Identify issues of public concern relating to the industry and

organisation, and describe how these issues are addressed / dealt
with.

You need to name some areas of public concern surrounding your

organisation. Think about the following:
• Finances - are your organisation accounts ok?
• Accessibility - are there enough customer service staff on hand?
• Ethics - are products made following ethical practices?
• Staff - Are staff well looked after and paid accordingly?
• Waste - Are products disposed of correctly?

Now think about how your organisation avoids these issues. Check

you have completed all sections of the table before moving on.
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Unit two: Prepare to deliver excellent customer
service
When asked about an organisation, this may be your organisation
or an organisation you know well. You may use different
organisations for each question but you must be clear which
organisation you are referring to.

Part 1- Understand the principles of customer service in

an organisation
Q1a. In relation to your current organisation, use the space below
to provide information on the organisation’s products / services
and its customers. Describe the organisation’s products and / or
services.

You must remember that this question requires a description. Provide

good detail in your answer with regards to the chosen organisation’s
products and services. If you are unsure, check the organisations
website for more information.

Q1b. Identify the external and/or internal customers who buy /

use these products / services.

You could write your answers as two separate lists. Think about the
differences between internal and external customers. Think about
your organisations target audience.

Q2a. Provide the following information in relation to your current

organisation, explain how customers are made aware of the
organisation’s offer.

Organisations may use forms of media to tell customers and

potential customers about their offering. You looked at four different
ways to keep customers up to date on Page 3 of the course materials.
Does your organisation use these methods? You will need around 50
words for your answer.

Q2b. Explain what customer service staff can do to keep up to date

with the organisation’s offer.

You may need to use some of the interactive features on Page 3 to

find information for this question. Think about the different sources
that might be used for different reasons. Use examples to support
your answer.

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Q2c. Describe the publicity used to promote the organisation’s
products and services.

Remember that this question is a describe question. You need to add

good detail to your answer to cover the learning outcome. Bear in
mind that many organisations rely on the media for publicity. Think
about the different types of media available.

Q3. For your current organisation describe the policies and

procedures that relate to customer service. Why is it important to
follow these policies and procedures?

You need to say what policies and procedures are implemented in

your organisation. Remember to answer both parts of this question
and explain why it is important to follow all policies and procedures.

Q4. Complete the table below by providing an example of poor

customer service for each of the three sectors and then describe
the implications of this poor customer service.

Remember public sector organisations are controlled by the

government, commercial sector organisations make profits and third
sector organisations are not profit lead and are independent of the
government. You could describe the implications for customers, staff
or the organisation as a whole. Make sure you complete all sections
of the table.

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Part 2 - Understand how customer needs and
expectations are identified
Q1. Outline at least two different ways in which customer
expectations can be identified.

Remember the question asks for two different ways. Use examples to
support your answer.

Q2. In relation to your current organisation identify how the

organisation’s offering meets the expectations of its customers.

Information relating to this question can be found on Page 3 of

the course materials. If you want to take your learning further, try
researching customer expectations in the news or online.

Q3. When your chosen organisation cannot meet customer needs,

how are customers told about this? Describe this below.

Describe a situation and how you would explain this situation to a

customer. Describe actions you could take as well as the different
methods of communication you could use. Would individual
customers be told about individual issues in the same way they would
be told about widespread issues?

Q4a. Use the space below to address the following points, relating
to delays in customer service: Identify at least two reasons why
customer service may be delayed and the impact this can have on
customers.

The table provided should help you illustrate your understanding.

Use examples to support your answer. Are these impacts likely to
be positive or negative? If you think of more reasons, you can add
additional rows to the table or write your ideas below it.

Q4b. Outline how you can tell a customer that their service is
going to be delayed.

This question asks you to outline how you would tell an individual
customer; generic, widespread methods of communication would
not be used in this situation. Think about the different methods of
communication you could use, why would you use each method?
Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages of using certain
methods?

Q4c. Explain why it is important to keep customers informed of

progress and delays when dealing with a complaint.

Think about how customers may feel or react if information is

withheld from them in this situation. Think about the benefits of
keeping customers informed, both for the customer themselves and
the organisation.

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Part 3 - Understand how to balance customer
expectations against the organisation’s offer

Q1. Complete the table with details of customer service offers

of two organisations. One of these organisations should be a
commercial organisation; the other can be either a public or third
sector organisation.

You need to add service offers from two different sectors. One
of these organisations should be a commercial organisation (an
organisation which aims to make a profit). Think about special offers
such as buy one get one free at a local supermarket.

Q2. In relation to your current organisation explain how the

organisation identifies what their customers’ expectations are.

You looked at customer expectations and how organisations identify

with them on Pages 2 and 3 in the course materials. Why not
mention how customer expectations may change over time and how
organisations may change to fit these expectations?

Q3a. Explain how the resources available can affect your

organisation’s offer and customer service expectations.

When answering these questions, you need to be specific about what

“resources” are. Think about how resources affect the production and
cost of services. How do resources in the news affect customers’
expectations? If resources become scarce and you cannot maintain
demand how will this affect customer service expectations? How
could you deal with issues in order to maintain customer relations?
You do not need to refer to financial resources as these will be
covered in the next question.

Q3b. Explain how financial implications can affect your

organisation’s offer and customer service expectation.

Think about financial reasons such as staff and costs. Are there legal
changes which could affect your organisation financially, such as
increasing minimum wage?

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Q4. Give at least two examples of when customer service may be
limited by organisational goals. These examples can relate to your
own organisation or one that you know well.

You need to be specific about organisational goals. The organisation’s

goal may be to make profits, however if customer costs go up this
could affect levels of customer service. For example, technical
advances could mean that it is more economical for an organisation
to switch to a more efficient or newer type of technology.

Q5. Describe what you would do / say in order to tell a customer

that their service expectations are outside of the organisation’s
offer.

Think about the language you would use and how you would speak.
What might you start with? You may find useful information for this
question in Session 2, as well as on Page 6 of Session 3.

Part 4 - Understand how complaints are handled

Q1. Explain why customers may complain to or about an
organisation. Include at least two specific reasons in your answer.

In the course materials you looked at five different reasons customers

may complain, choose at least two of these reasons and explain
them in your own words, or use some of your own. Each explanation
should be around 50 words long. Think about why these situations
would make the customer unhappy. Why not use examples to
support your answer?

Q2. In relation to your own organisation outline the procedure that

is followed when handling complaints.

Does your organisation have a complaints procedure? Refer to the key

actions to be taken in all situations and key actions which apply to
certain situations, if any. Does this procedure follow the six steps you
looked at in the course materials? If you are unsure about your own
companies’ complaints procedure follow the links below and think
about these procedures from the organisations point of view and
how they follow the steps outlined in the course materials.

http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/
Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

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Q3. Complete the table by identifying ways in which complaints
can be defused before they escalate, using the different methods
listed.

You must complete all parts of the table for this question. Think
about the ways you can communicate with the customer and the
benefits of each method. Use examples to support your answer.

Q4. Complete the table. Explain how to recognise the types of

customer in the table and explain how to deal with each type of
customer.

For this question, think about different effects such as loss of

customers, financial reasons and publicity. How does one person’s
complaint affect the opinion of others? How can complaints affect
your organisation or the way you operate within your organisation?
Make sure you refer to the different effects for different sectors.

Q5. In relation to your current organisation explain why

complaints are monitored and how this monitoring is used.

This question is in two parts. You need to say why complaints

are monitored and how this monitoring is used. Are complaints
monitored over time? Do you have a feedback procedure? If so, what
happens to the feedback once it is received? How are complaints or
opinions used in organisational developments? Is the feedback sent to
the relevant departments or given to the company as a whole. Think
about these things when completing your answer.

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Part 5 - Understand legislation relating to customer
service

Q1. Use the table to identify at least one example of customer

related legislation and at least one example of external regulations
and how these may affect customer service.
Don’t forget to add the date of the legislation or you will have to
resubmit. Remember that legislation and external regulations are
designed to have a positive impact on customer services.

Q2. Outline how business service improvements might be limited

by legislation.
Think about if your business was to improve/expand; what types
of legislation would they have to adhere to? Remember to include
the date of the legislation. Think about legislation that applies to
everyone and legislation that would affect your organisation’s services
specifically. If you’re struggling why not research legislation covered
in the course materials in more detail using the internet or check out
the forum.

Q3. Explain how the requirements of the Health and Safety at

Work Act (1974) etc. are relevant to customer service.

This question is asking you to explain health and safety legislation in

regard to customers, visitors, lone workers and members of staff. The
information you need to answer this question can be found on Page 3
of the course materials.

Q4. In relation to your current organisation explain the health

and safety responsibilities that individuals have when delivering
customer service.

This question asks you to look at risk assessments, hazardous

substances, manual handling and display equipment or any other
areas where your organisation will need health and safety precautions
and procedures in place. You could explain how fire safety procedures
relate to customers. Remember this is an explain question so your
answer should be at least 50 words long.

Q5. Identify at least two ways in which the security of customers

and their property can be protected.

Security may refer to customer data, customer’s belongings or the

customers themselves. Information for this question can be found on
Page 5 of the course materials. You should also look at the case study
on this page to give you some ideas.

Q6. Describe the steps you would need to take in order to gain
approval if you wanted to change customer service procedures or
practices affected by legislation.

We looked at the three steps involved on Page 6 of the course

materials. This is a description question; please ensure that you add
good detail to your answers.
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Unit three: Communication in the customer
service role

When asked about an organisation, this may be your organisation

or an organisation you know well. You may use different
organisations for each question but you must be clear which
organisation you are referring to.

Part 1- Understand methods of communication with

customers

Q1a. Use the table below to outline at least two different customer
service situations and the different methods of communication
that would be needed in these situations.

For this question you need to provide two different customer service
situations. For example a customer calls into store to purchase a new
product and speaks to you; this method of communication is verbal,
as the customer is face to face with you and requires your help. For
more information have a look at Page 2 of the course materials.

Q1b. Based on the information you have provided in the table,

outline why the different situations need different methods of
communication.

You now need to outline why the methods of communication that

you chose in the table above are suitable. For example, you may have
identified verbal methods of communication, think about why verbal
methods would be better or more appropriate than other methods.
Make sure you refer to the situations you identified in Q1a. More
information on the different types of methods of communication can
be found on Pages 2 and 3 of the course materials.

Q2. In relation to your current organisation, complete the table

below by listing at least three different examples of customer
interaction and identify the most suitable communication method
for each one.

You now need to complete the table and provide three different types
of customer interaction that can occur in your own organisation. For
example, if you were dealing with a customer complaint over the
telephone then the method of communication would be verbal, but if
a customer wrote a letter this would be written communication.

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Q3. Complete the table below by identifying at least two
advantages and at least two disadvantages of each communication
method.

Please use your own words when completing this question; plagiarism
will not be tolerated. Think about what is involved with each method
of communication, the time each method of communication may
take and the people who might be involved.

Q4. When responding to a customer query in writing, outline the

content that could be included in a standard letter.

In your answer, concentrate on the actual content that should be

included in a standard reply. Think about the following; how would
the customer know who the letter is from, would they need a
reference number? Reassurance? Contact details?

Q5a. Explain what is meant by the term ‘active listening’.

You learnt all about active listening on Page 8 of the course materials.
What skills do active listeners use? Use examples to support your
answer.

Q5b. Why is active listening important when dealing with

customers?

Remember to summarise what the term active listening means,

then explain why it is important to actively listen when dealing with
customers. Think about how it could benefit both the customers
and the business. How would you feel if you knew someone wasn’t
listening to you? Compare this to how you would feel if you knew
someone was listening and that they were planning to do something
as a result of your concerns.

Q6. Use the table below to describe the standard greetings of

three different organisations and how these greetings impact on
customers.

You need to describe three different organisations greetings. For

example, if you telephoned a retail outlet how would the member of
staff answer the call? Then go on to explain the impact that this has
on customers. Would they feel valued? Welcome? Would they like to
receive the same treatment again?

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Part 2- Understand how to handle customer service
information
Q1. Explain what information may be held about customers by an
organisation.

Think about why customer information is held. Please do not provide

a list as you will be asked for resubmission. Your answer should be at
least 40 words long.

Q2. Outline at least two examples of ways in which customer

information can be kept secure and confidential.

You could use examples which protect digital information such as

databases, or examples which protect physical information such as
documents or files. Think about why different methods are used to
secure different types of information.

Q3a. In relation to your current organisation: give at least two

examples of information about the organisation that should not be
disclosed to customers.

In the previous question you looked at methods and precautions

organisations can use to keep information secure and confidential, for
this question you need to think about what this information might be.
Does the information relate to the customer, other customers or the
organisation itself?

Q3b. In relation to your current organisation: explain why this

information should not be disclosed to customers and the
implications on the organisation if it is.

Following your answer to Q3a explain why it is important

organisations don’t tell customers everything. What information
should you not tell customers about the organisation? Should you be
able to tell customers about other customers? You need to explain
the reasons why this information should not be disclosed. Think about
what fines or penalties the organisation may face as a result.

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Part 3 - Understand how to work as part of a team to
provide effective customer service
Q1. In relation to your current customer service role, what are the
limits of this role when delivering customer service (e.g. what are
you able to deal with as part of this role and what situations would
you be unable to handle without assistance from others)?

For this question you need to explain your job role. Consider what you
can deal with without prior authorisation. Then explain the things you
can’t do. For example you may need to pass refunds, complaints or
other issues to a senior colleague or someone from a different
department.

Q2. If you were faced with a customer query outside of your

individual responsibility, what sources of help would be available
to you? Identify them below.

Try to think of two or more sources of help. Look at your chosen

organisation and then think about which other members of staff may
be involved in the customer service process. Points to consider are:
before, during and after the sale or use of a service or product.

Q3. Identify the other people (or groups of people) who may be
involved in the customer service function.

Who would you turn to for help if there was a query that you could
not deal with? Do these people work within your organisation or in a
separate organisation? Lists or bullet points will be accepted for this
answer.

Q4. In relation to your current organisation explain how other

team members can assist in offering excellent customer service.

You need to explain how other members help in offering customer

service. Things to consider include new ideas, expertise and support.
Try explaining at least two different situations where being a member
of a team would help you or your organisation offer great customer
service.

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Q5. Explain the importance of keeping colleagues and others
informed of customer service operations.

Information for this question can be found on Page 6 of the course

materials. Think about why it is important different departments or
individuals are aware of customer service operations.

Q6. Give at least two examples of how customer queries can help
you and others to develop customer service skills.

Make sure you complete all parts of the table. Think of two examples
of new customer queries that you have been involved in, (things that
you had not dealt with previously) how did they help you improve
your skills? How could learning to approach new situations help you
in the long term?

Q7. Explain how customer service information can be shared

(disseminated) for the benefit of colleagues.

How is information shared amongst staff? How is information passed

to colleagues in large organisations and how is it shared in smaller
organisations? Why do you think different methods are used in
different organisations?

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Part 4 - Understand how to meet the needs of a diverse
range of customers
Q1. In relation to your current organisation, identify the main types
of customer that may need to be dealt with. Include at least three
different examples in your answer.

You looked at four main types of customer on Page 2 of the course

materials. How do these customers relate to your organisation? Are
some more common than others?

Q2. Describe at least two aids that can be used to assist customers
with special requirements.

What requirements might customers have? Think about what type of

support you might need to give customers. Are there different ways
you might support customers with different needs?

Q3. Outline the steps you can take to make sure you respect
cultural diversity in customer service.

Think about how you speak. Does your tone change? Think about
your body language, words, and accent. Does your organisation offer
equality and diversity training? How are you expected to put this
training into practice?

Q4. Complete the table. Explain how to recognise the types of

customer in the table and explain how to deal with each type of
customer.

Remember to complete all 8 sections of the table with relevant

information. Each individual customer may be different so include
alternative ways you could deal with them where possible.

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Part 5 - Understand the importance of promoting and
evaluating products and services
Q1. Describe how an organisation can promote its products and
services. Include at least two examples in your answer.

Think about how you have heard about products and services in the
past. Did you see them online or hear about them from others? This
is a describe question so think about why organisations use certain
promotion techniques to target certain customers.

Q2. Explain the importance of evaluating customer service.

Briefly discuss how organisations can evaluate customer service then

provide details on how this can be used and how it can affect future
customer service. Think about the benefits evaluating customer
service can have on an organisation. Make sure your answer explains
why evaluating customer service is important to organisations.

Q3. Identify at least two methods that can be used to evaluate the
customer experience.

A list or bullet points will be accepted for this question. Think about
the different methods different organisations may use. Remember
that you are asked for methods of evaluation not methods of
collection.

Q4. In relation to your current organisation, explain/detail how

customer feedback is communicated (disseminated) to colleagues.

After an organisation receives customer feedback, how is this

passed on to other members of staff? Again this communication
may be different depending on the size of the organisation; show
you understand why your organisation uses its chosen form or
forms of communication by illustrating why it works and why other
communication methods may not. Is all feedback communicated to
everyone or do certain departments receive certain figures but not
others?

Q5. Explain how evaluation can lead to customer service

improvements.

In Q2 you looked at why evaluation is important to organisations,

in this question you need to explain how evaluation can be used to
make or affect further customer service decisions. Use examples to
support your answer to this question

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Unit four: Understand customers
When asked about an organisation, this may be your organisation
or an organisation you know well. You may use different
organisations for each question but you must be clear which
organisation you are referring to.

Part 1 - Different types of customers

Q1. Explain the difference between internal and external
customers. Think about an organisation you know quite well and
use it to give examples to help define your answer. Name the
organisation in your answer.

The internal and external customers were outlined on Page 2 of

the course materials. Explain the differences between them using
your own words. For more information, check out the links below.
Don’t forget to provide the name of the organisation you use in your
answer.

http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/gcsease/leisure_
tourism/3_4.html

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/internal-customer-external-
customer-11698.html

Q2. Explain how factors relating to culture, such as media,

traditions, language, behaviours, moral values and beliefs, can
affect a customer’s expectation of an organisation. Provide at least
three examples of this in your answer.

We looked at the ways cultural factors affect behaviours, language

and conversation in the course materials. You must show a clear
understanding of the ways cultural factors can affect customer
expectations. Use examples to support your answer.

37
Q3. Name three types of challenging customer. For each type of
customer, describe at least three characteristics that make them
challenging. Don’t forget that some customer types may possess
the same characteristics as others.

Five different types of challenging customer were outlined in the

course materials, their characteristics were also listed. Using your
own words expand on these characteristics and explain how they
might affect the interaction between the customer and the service
providers.

Q4. Explain three different ways to identify dissatisfied customers.

Dissatisfied customers can be identified four different ways. Choose

three of the ways outlined on Page 5 of the course materials and
explain each one. Each explanation should be at least 30 words long
in order to show you understand the meaning and importance of
each one.

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Part 2 - The value of customer loyalty
Q1. Explain how an organisation’s customer service offer
contributes to customer loyalty. Think of types of service offer
you have seen or experienced and give at least three examples to
support your answer.

How do you think offerings affect the loyalty of your customers?

Do you think the way organisations follow or stick to their customer
service offering also has an effect? Are these effects usually positive
or negative, or do they vary according to the products or services
offered? Why do you think organisations clearly publicise the service
they offer?

Q2. Explain the relationship between levels of customer

satisfaction and how well an organisation performs, using at least
three examples.

Does a customer’s satisfaction affect the view of others? Could the

level of satisfaction held by current customers affect the chance of
attracting new customers? Remember your answer must include
three clear examples.

Q3. The reputation and image of an organisation are powerful tools

that can be used to help promote awareness of the organisation’s
products and/or services.
Complete the table to explain how the reputation and image of
an organisation affects customers’ perceptions of the product or
service on offer. Use at least three examples to contextualise and
support your answer.

Q2 asked you how customer satisfaction could affect how well an

organisation performs; whereas this question asks you to explain
how reputation and image influences what a customer expects from
the organisation. Think about how an organisation’s reputation and
image can be influenced both positively and negatively. Remember to
complete all sections of the table and you must include three clear
examples to support your answer.

39
Q4. Read the scenario then explain the potential consequences of
the customer’s dissatisfaction with the product they have bought
or service they have received.

You must refer to the scenario outlined in the Assessment. What

further action might Priti take as a result of the service she received?
Explain the possible consequences of Priti’s negative experience. Why
not explain both the potential short term effects and the potential
long term effects? To show you fully understand this question your
answer should be around 200 words long.

Q5. Organisations use a lot of different methods to attract

customers and encourage repeat business. Describe how each of
the following methods can attract customers and retain them.

Describe how each method works and how it can attract and retain
customers. Where are you likely to find each method? Are different
methods used to target different customers? Use examples to
support your answer. To see some examples of referral schemes
follow the links below.

http://www.robertwalters.co.uk/career-advice/refer-a-friend.html

http://www.optimax.co.uk/referral_scheme.aspx

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Guidelines for acceptable conduct
Academic misconduct
As previously highlighted in the Assesment hints and tips section,
plagiarism will not be tolerated.

• Reading other people’s ideas about a topic is perfectly

legitimate research and forming your own ideas from that
research is absolutely fine, but the other person’s work must
not be copied word for word.

• Quoting other people’s work word for word is only

acceptable provided credit is given to the author of that
work (e.g. in a reference footnote which providesthe source). In
this case you should explain in your own words why the quote is
important or relevant to your own ideas.

• Course materials cannot be copied and pasted into your

submissions; this is a form of plagiarism and will not be
accepted.

Learners who are rude to members of staff including in-house staff

and online tutors will not be tolerated. Please remember that we are
all here to support you and to work together to help you complete
your course successfully.

Appeals procedure
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the course, your tutor or the
level of support that you receive, we first recommend discussing
this with your tutor. Please v-mail your tutor with any concerns to
make them aware of the situation. The next step, if your tutor cannot
resolve your issues, is to speak to the vision2learn customer care
team. The customer care advisors will be able to further advise you
and forward your appeal to the correct person.

Personal extenuating circumstances

If you cannot submit your work for any reason please v-mail your
tutor. Tutors can provide learners with extensions of up to 2 weeks. If
any extra time is required please get in touch with our in-house team
as they can then contact the centre to request further extensions.

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© Creating Careers Limited, 2015. All rights reserved.

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