Customer Service

Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

Unit 4 Assessment
Assessment

You should use this file to complete your Assessment.

 The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a
USB drive
 Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly
 When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference
 Then, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via
your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit
and Assessment number.

Please note that this Assessment document has 10 pages and is made up of 2 parts.

Name: Kelly Parkinson

Part 1 – Different types of customers

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 1: Understand different types of
customers.

Learning objective Place in Assessment

1.1 Explain the distinctions between internal and external Question 1 Page 1
customers

1.2 Explain how cultural factors can affect customers’ Question 2 Page 2
expectations

1.3 Describe the characteristics of challenging customers Question 3 Page 2

1.4 Explain how to identify dissatisfied customers Question 4 Page 4

1. 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. [1.1]

An internal customer is a customer who is directly connected to the company, and works
within it. For example at SYCU if you work in the goods department, the delivery drivers for
the SYCU are internal customers because they are affected by the service we provide. Even
though internal customers do not generate an income for the company, internal
communications play a part in keeping the company going.

An external custom is anyone outside of SYCU who we supply products or services to.
External customers are the people word customers but they could also be consumers,
businesses and other company's. Using the example shown above at SYCU anyone who
receives a deliver form us are external customer's. External customers keep the company
afloat because they pay for their products and services. And this provides the income for the
company which help pay for staff, products and services.

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

2. 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. [1.2]

Someone's cultural background can have an influence on how a person perceives a service
and what to expect from them. Their expectations can be built up through what they may ear
and see, what they read about the organisation this could even be what has happened in a
previous customer service experience. Peoples culture effects the way people see the world
and others. Peoples expectations can change because culture affects what people may
hear, see or even read but this is not always explained in the same way.

3. 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! [1.3]

Type of challenging Description of 3 characteristics that make them

customer challenging
Customer type 1 Characteristic 1 description

These characteristics could be when the customer starts

Angry customer getting loud, rude and disrespectful such as shouting and
swearing at you.

Characteristic 2 description

They may show physical signs such as banging things about

and slamming hands on counters.

Characteristic 3 description

Another characteristic is aggressive or defensive body

language like pointing, waving fist and crossing arms.

Customer type 2 Characteristic 1 description

Age or disability This person may need help with mobility such as people with
wheelchairs, walking frames or walking sticks to help them
get around and they may need assistance.

Characteristic 2 description

People who are hard or hearing may need you to speak more

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

clearly or slowly.

Characteristic 3 description

And some people may not be able to read or have bad sight
some could be blind and you may need to read information to
the.

Customer type 3 Characteristic 1 description

Impatient customer An impatient customer may become very fidgety such as

leaning from one leg to the other messing with their finger or
hair

Characteristic 2 description

They may become rude and start snapping and swearing at

you.

Characteristic 3 description

And some may even show physical signs of impactions such

as tapping fingers on the desk or feet on the floor.

4. Explain three different ways to identify dissatisfied customers. [1.4]

1. Communication is one way of identifying a dissatisfied customer. If a customer stops

communicating it a a bad sign that they are not happy with the service and have
given up. Communication shows interest and value.

2. Another way to identify a dissatisfied customer is through negative feedback

Negative feedback means you know exactly why the customer was disappointed and
you can use this information to improve your services in the future.

3. And another is if customers stop using the service or stops visiting an company it is a
sign that they are not happy with the service they are receiving. If customers have
stopped visiting the company this may be a sign that you are providing an
unsatisfactory service.

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

Now that you have completed part 1 of your Assessment, remember to save the work
you have done so far – you will need to send your work to your tutor for marking once
you have completed both parts of this Assessment.

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

Part 2: The value of customer loyalty

This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 2: Understand the value of
customers and their loyalty.

Learning objective Place in Assessment

2.1 Explain how the achievement of the customer service offer Question 1 Page 6
contributes to enhancing customer loyalty

2.2 Explain the relationship between customer satisfaction and Question 2 Page 7
organisational performance.

2.3 Explain how the reputation and image of an organisation Question 3 Page 8
affects customers’ perceptions of its products and/or services
2.4 Explain the potential consequences of customers’ Question 4 Page 9
dissatisfaction
2.5 Describe different methods of attracting customers and Question 5 Page 11
retaining their loyalty

1. 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. [2.1]

An organisation's customer service offer is a great way to satisfy customers, simply meeting
customer expectations is often enough to encourage loyalty. Such as price matching or
offering lower prices than another company or free deliver or goods and and the qualty the
customer's can expect form that company.

2. Explain the relationship between levels of customer satisfaction and how well an
organisation performs, using at least three examples. [2.2]

Satisfied customers are more than likely to use a company again and again. Customer
loyalty is extremely valuable as people go on social networks and review websites to pass
on their experience with that company. Customer's who have a bad experience are more
likely to tell others then those who have a good experience, Unhappy customers with
negative things to say can be damaging to a company. Losing a customer due to a bad
experience can mean losing potential customer's via negative word of mouth. Sometimes
company's spend a lot of time and money to lure in new customers when they should be
focusing on keeping the customers they already have. Making sure customers are satisfied
and expectations are met makes them more likely to stick with that company and less likely
to go elsewhere.

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

3. 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 below 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. [2.3]

Explain how they can affect customers’ perceptions of the product

or service
Having a good reputation for great customer service can be a great
Reputation way for company's to divide themselves from their competitor's.
Customers will pay a bigger price for items knowing that will get in
return a good service. Having friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff
in store, at help desk and in call centres can help show a positive
image and make sure customer's have a good experience when using
the company' services and products. Staff who have a can not be
bothered attitude, a rude or even overworked can put a bad perspective
across to customer's.

A company's image can be affected if the way id does business is seen

Image to be unethical or immoral. If a customer sees a company to be acting
in a way that isn't in line with their own morals or ethical beliefs such as
being wasteful or damaging the environment the perception of the
company's services and goods can be harmed. If the company is
viewed to be unethical or immoral via such as the use of sweatshops or
poor employee working conditions, customer may avoid or even protest
against that company.

4. Read the scenario below. Then explain the potential consequences of the customer’s
dissatisfaction with the product they have bought or service they have received.

Scenario

Priti would like to book a meeting room in her local library (of which she is a member) to
discuss arrangements for a local food festival. She is assured by a new recruit for the events
team at the library that the room has been booked for 2pm on Thursday. She requests
access to a computer in the meeting room. She pays a small deposit to secure the room.
Priti invites key stakeholders along to the meeting, including representatives from local food
and drink traders and the chair of the community association. The festival is to be held in two
weekends’ time and the meeting will ensure final arrangements are agreed.

Priti and the attendees turn up at the library and request access to the meeting room. She is
informed that the room is in use and that no free meeting rooms are available. The customer
service assistant suggests that the group use the canteen facilities at the library, which are
open to the public, as an alternative. Priti refuses this option, saying that the group need to

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

discuss things in a quiet place in order to get things sorted. The representative who made
the mistake turns up to apologise, but the group are very unhappy as there is nowhere else
they would like to use. Priti demands a refund for her deposit. She leaves a complaint and
also sees the events manager to complain in person.

Explain the potential consequences of the customer’s dissatisfaction. [2.4]

Dissatisfied customers can be damaging to a company, particularly if this affects a large

number of customers, and there’s a number of possible consequences. The impact is that
less people will want to use or buy the company's products and services, It will cause
customers to lose confidence in the company and make them want to go elsewhere. Staff
mortals can be affected by constant complaints which turns then in to a vicious circle. This
ends with poor reviews from customers which makes potentials customers aware of the
negativity.

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Customer Service
Unit four: Understand customers (F/506/2131)

5. 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. [2.5]

Method Description
Loyalty card schemes, can be an fantastic way to make sure that customers
Loyalty card keep coming back to a company. If a customer is given a loyalty card and
scheme they collect a stamp on it each time they use that company because they are
offered something free after say their 5th stamp it will keep them coming back
for that freebie. It is encouraging customers trust and meeting expectations
that retain that customer. Exceeding their expectations is at the heart of
encouraging loyalty customer's.

This method can be used to attract customers and retain them because once
Buy one get again they are being offered something free say if you need two new
one free windows on your house and you only have enough money to buy one but you
offers see a window company doing buy one get one free offer you will use that
company because you need two windows. It is encouraging customers trust
and meeting expectations that retain that customer.

Referrals from satisfied customers are the best way of getting new
Referral customers. So if a client tells you they're happy with some work you have
schemes done for them, ask them to recommend you to other potential customers.
That attracts new customer's but retain customers you need to offer
something to them such as a discount for every new customer they
recommend.

Once you have completed both parts of this Assessment, go to www.vision2learn.com

and send your work to your tutor for marking. Log in to the platform and send your
Assessment to your tutor via your My Study page for marking. Good luck!

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