Assessment Task 1: Customer service plan

The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor.

Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details.

Performance objective
The candidate must be able to produce a Customer Service Plan that demonstrates a thorough understanding of the policies and procedures that need to be established in order to provide quality customer service.

Assessment description
You will develop a Customer Service Plan for the fictitious company "Innovative Widgets". The information needed to produce the plan is to be taken from role plays and documentation provided throughout the course.

Procedure
1. Produce a Customer Service Plan with appropriate sections.
2. Complete each section of your plan immediately after your facilitator has delivered the appropriate teaching session.
3. All "Innovative Widget" data should be sourced from your Student Workbook and role play exercises.
4. Submit the plan by the deadline set by your Assessor.

Specifications
The Customer Service Plan must be submitted on:
- A4 paper or, if submitted electronically,
- In MS-Word (.doc) format.
Your Customer Service Plan should include:

Section One
- A vision and mission that refers to internal and external customers Section two
- Product standards that include:
o dimensions
o tolerances
o pricing
o material
- Service standards that include
o Delivery
o Care and attention

Section three
- Policies and procedures for:
o identifying customer needs
o obtaining customer feedback, including a feedback questionnaire, that conform to the RATER model
o responding to customer complaints - include a flow chart of the procedure

Section four
- Policy and procedure for:

o Continuous improvement to the customer service plan that includes:
- routine reviews with no more than annual intervals
- persons or department directly responsible

All policies and procedures should:
- Be clear and unambiguous

- Be realistic and achievable

- Contain prescriptive instructions for realistic scenarios

- Contain decision trees and / or flow diagrams.

Your assessor will be looking for a plan that:
- Is clearly written in plain English

- Is easy to navigate

- Has correct spelling and grammar

- Contains sufficient evidence to meet the outcomes listed above

- Shows consistency in the use of:
o fonts
o bullets
o headings
- Has any charts and tables produced.

Assessment Task 2: Responding to customer complaints

The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor.

Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details.

Performance objective
The candidate must demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to respond effectively to customer complaints.

Assessment Description
You will be expected to take part in role play exercises that allow you the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to respond to customer complaints. You will be observed and assessed when responding to customer complaints (not when role playing a customer) by the assessor during these role play exercises.

Procedure

1. Throughout the course there will be many opportunities for role play exercises. During some role plays you will be asked to deal with a customer complaint. These role plays are described in the appendices to your Student Workbook.

2. During the role plays when you are assigned to respond to a customer complaint, (not role plays where you are the customer), demonstrate the appropriate responses for the situation.

3. You should use the "Innovative Widgets" policy and procedures for responding to customer complaints. This is contained in your customer service plan that you produce as part of Assessment Task 1.

Specifications
When managing customer complaints, demonstrate how to use:

- Active listening, by:
o asking questions
o paraphrasing / summarising
o using verbal prompts
o maintaining good eye contact (if appropriate)
- Appropriate procedures, as developed by you for "Innovative Widget's" Customer Service Plan, such as:
o assuming the customer is telling you the truth
o never arguing with a customer
o being honest if you don't know the answer to a question
o acknowledging the customer's feelings, but concentrating on the facts
o apologising if appropriate
o asking the customer how they would like to see their complaint resolved
o offering what the customer wants (if within your authority)
o explaining what you are authorised to offer
o explaining referral procedures.

Your assessor will be looking for:
- Sufficient evidence of the outcomes listed above

- Confidence when responding to complaints

- An empathetic response to customers.

Assessment Task 3: Customer service test

The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor.
Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details.

Performance objective
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of customer service and understand customer service concepts.

Assessment description
This assessment requires the candidate to complete a customer service examination.

Procedure
1. When instructed to do so, answer the attached examination paper.
2. You may not refer to any sources of information during this examination.

Specifications

This test is to be completed without access to any other documents or materials. You are allowed a maximum of 30 minutes to complete the test.
Apart from questions 8 and 12, the test should be completed using sentences.
Your assessor will be looking for correct answers in plain English, using clear, legible handwriting.

Assessment Task 4: Managing Customer Service Team

The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor.
Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details.

Performance objective
The candidate must demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to manage team performance and overcoming any difficulties using active listening, leadership and problem solving skills.

Assessment Description
You will undertake role play exercises which present different management scenarios. During these customer management exercises you will be assessed on your knowledge and skills of customer management techniques.

Procedure
1. On occasions, you will be allocated a role as the Customer Service Manager and assessed by the facilitator.
2. During the role plays when you are assigned as Customer Service Manager, demonstrate the appropriate management techniques for the situation.

Specifications
Each role play may require different management skills. In each role play you will need to demonstrate the appropriate and effective use of some or all of the following techniques:
- Active listening:
o asking questions
o paraphrasing / summarising
o verbal prompts
o eye contact
- Leadership:
o setting a vision and mission
o communicating the vision and mission
o obtaining support for the vision and mission.
- Problem solving techniques:
o brainstorming
o force field analysis

Your assessor will be looking for:
- Evidence that you select the appropriate technique for the given scenario

- Evidence that you are confident in using the techniques listed above.