BSBOPS505 Learner Guide

Learner Guide
BSBOPS505
Manage organisational customer service

BSBOPS505 Manage organisational customer service
Learner guide
Contents
Overview 4
Topic 1: What are the customer requirements? 5
Topic 2: Delivering quality products and services to customers 17
Topic 3: Evaluating the customer service provided 24
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Learner guide
Overview
The Learner Guide should be used in conjunction with the recommended reading and any further
course notes or activities given by the trainer/assessor.
Application of the unit

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop strategies to manage
organisational systems that ensure products and services are delivered and maintained to
standards agreed by the organisation.
The unit applies to individuals who supervise customer service provided by others within an
organisation. At this level, individuals must exercise considerable discretion and judgement, using
a range of problem solving and decision making strategies.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Learning goals
Learning goals include:
 You are able to consult with customers and establish requirements.
 You are able to deliver quality products and services as well as supporting colleagues to meet
customer service standards.
 You are able to evaluate customer service through monitoring and feedback to adapt delivery.
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Topic 1: What are the customer requirements?
Understanding customer requirements is an essential stage in determining the needs of a customer

to support providing a quality service. It involves consulting with the customer, integrating feedback
and identifying any resources to address requirements.
An organisation can have both internal and external customers:
External Internal
These are inside the

These are outside of the
organisation who use or benefit
organisation who use or
from the work of other
purchase products or services.
employees.
Case study
Using the following link, review the following organisation:
https://www.extragreen.com.au/our-story/
 Who are the customers of Extragreen?
 What service is being provided?
 What makes this travel company different from any other?
 What makes their customers different from customers using other travel companies?
Activity: Research and discuss
Have a look online for customer reviews of Extragreen travel company.

Use three different platforms to find reviews. Compare the reviews. What are
customers saying? Do you think based on the reviews, this company is providing a
quality service? Justify your answer by providing examples.
Your trainer/assessor will facilitate any group discussions where relevant.
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Consultation
Consulting with customers provides information need to help to identify customer service
requirements. Effective consultation requires:
 a clear understanding of the problem, along with possible causes
 strategies for resolving issues
 resources to implement any required changes
 clear communication.
Activity: Read
The following example of consultation reflects how a business uses effective

consultation:
http://www.schwarzkopf-professional.se/skp/se/en/home/education/ask/
consultation/0614/your-salon-guide-to-an-effective-consultation.html
South Australian Trails consultation techniques is an example of an approach to
customer service (view page 36):
http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Trail-Design-
Guidelines.pdf
Take any notes to summarise what you have read and keep for future reference.
There are a number of ways to consult:
 Conducting surveys  Questionnaires
 Using focus groups  Using data analysis
 Listening to social media  Conducting market research
 Online keyword research  Online reviews.
Organisations conduct market research to analyse customer needs. This can be qualitative or
Quantitative. Sources for information can be from primary or secondary sources.
The purpose of consultation is to gain feedback so that you can address the needs identified.
Activity: Discuss
What are the differences between qualitative and quantitative research and primary
and secondary sources of information?
Your trainer/assessor will facilitate a discussion.
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What are customer service requirements? Broadly, they could include:
 Providing a quality service  Cost effectiveness of a product or

service
 Ensuring compliance to legislation
 Dealing with complaints effectively
 Keeping customers satisfied
 Meeting standards
 Providing an effective and efficient
service  Establishing and maintaining
relationships.
It is important to understand customer behaviour because it assists a business to understand the

needs of their customers and then to be able to provide services and products to meet these
needs.
Furthermore, as we live in a diverse society, you will most likely be providing and responding to
some customers with very specific needs. The specific needs of a customer may be due to:
 different interpersonal communication styles
 cultural differences
 physical and learning disabilities
 mental health conditions
 English as a second language
 people requiring communication devices or aids to support communication
 different age groups
 different genders.
There are a number of things that an organisation can do to support inclusion and diversity in
relation to individual differences and communication:
Adapt to different Implement work practices that

Modify the way we
communication needs such are inclusive for
communicate, using
as using body language and communication needs such as
inclusive language and
visual cues to support providing devices, software,
not using jargon or slang.
understanding. translators or interpreters.
Using inclusive language Speak clearly and at the

such as “they” instead of right tone and pace for Listen effectively using
“her” or "him" and not someone who has English appropriate eye contact,
assuming someone’s marital as a second language or is expressions and gestures.
status or sexual preference. hard of hearing.
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Diversity and inclusion should be implemented within an organisations policies and procedures,
such as a diversity policy or anti-discrimination policy to meet organisational requirements including
complying to any legislation relating to human rights.
Integrating feedback
Once you have received feedback from customers you need to integrate this into the organisation’s
business plan.
A business plan states an organisation’s goals and how they plan to achieve them. It is a formal
document that outlines what a business plans to do and how they will do it.
It can include:
 a description of the company  marketing strategy
 market analysis  operations
 structure of the business  financial projections.
 products and services being offered
Customer service requires planning, goal, objective and target setting which supports the overall
vision and mission of the organisation. Planning can be divided into steps such as:
 Establish goals
 Establish achievable targets.
SMART goal setting is an approach based on the business plan and the needs of the customer that
have been investigated and identified:
Specific – Goals should be clear and detailed
Measurable – Goals should have clear measurements.
Achievable – Using manageable steps to reach targets.
Realistic – Should be possible to achieve.
Timely – A realistic time for achieving the goal.
Any business plan should reflect the daily operations of the business and if customer feedback
shows that something is not effective then the feedback should be integrated to reflect this. Look at
the following example:
Customers have stated that if they spend over $80 they should be offered same day delivery.
Global customers have suggested that phone support is needed 24/7.
You can see that this could be integrated into a business plan that would state:
Orders over $80 will be offered same day delivery.

24/7 phone support is provided to all customers.
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Resources
Providing the necessary tools and equipment that support customer service will help employees to
address customer service requirements.
The resources used to address customer service requirements can be:
Physical resources
 Customer service standard documents
 Materials and equipment and technology needed for supporting customer service
 Support materials such as stationery
 Available stock (for example enough inventory for sales)
 Money (such as petty cash or money in a till).
Intangible resources
 Access to the internet
 Copyright, intellectual property and trademarks
 Software.
Human resources
 Employee terms and conditions, rewards and incentives, meeting legal compliance
requirements such as WHS or equity and diversity
 Mentors, coaching, training and professional development
 Organisational policies and procedures.
The customer service team should be well equipped to provide a quality service!
We will now take a look further at some of these resources and how they relate to customer
service.
Customer service standards

Customer service standards set targets for a business to meet customer needs through the use of
its people, systems and technology.
Standards can help to:
Provide Provide something

Establish Give
levels of to measure
goals direction
attainment success against
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Service standards can become a valuable management tool. Once developed they can form a
basis for recruitment, job descriptions, induction processes, training and performance appraisal and
feedback.
Service standards outline specific service delivery targets and are therefore a set of commitments
that an organisation promises to honour when delivering a service. They also describe what a client
or user can expect to receive from the service, and the manner in which the service will be
delivered.
As service standards are designed for customers to understand what level of service they can
expect, it is important that they are upheld as not meeting standards set is likely to result in poor
perceptions of the company.
Service standard examples may include:
 The telephone will be answered within 4 rings.
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 Emails will be responded to within 24 hours.
 We will always be polite and friendly with our customers.
An organisation that is committed to best practice customer services may choose to measure its
service standards. Measuring service standards will ensure that the organisation can monitor its
performance against its own service standards. If service standards are not being met, then the
company can take action to address this and/or revise the service standard.
Activity: Read
Review the following customer service charter which provides an example of

standards to follow:
https://www.business.gov.au/about/customer-service-charter
Look through the type of customer service standards that could be implemented:
https://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/customer-service-standards/
Puglicious is a new mobile dog wash service in the city of Melbourne. They would
like to write a list of customer service standards for the collection and delivery of
dogs to their homes. This is to be given to all new staff during their induction.
Write a list of standards that could be used.
Make any assumptions as required.
Submit your list to your trainer/assessor for feedback.
Legislation
An organisation can ensure that their legal obligations are met by including compliance to laws,
industry standards and codes of practices within their policies and procedures.
The following is a broad list of areas relating to customer service covered by law:
 Privacy and confidentiality of information  Anti-discrimination
 Consumer protection  Workplace Health and Safety.
 Anti-spam
It is important to abide by consumer law in relation to products and services, particularly

guarantees and warrantees.
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Activity: Read
The following websites are links to relevant consumer law legislation from all levels of
government that may affect aspects of customer service delivery:
 https://consumerlaw.gov.au/resources-and-guides
 https://consumerlaw.gov.au/consumers-and-acl
 https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying-products-and-services
 https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees
 https://www.humanrights.gov.au/employers/good-practice-good-business-
factsheets
 http://quality-assurance.com.au/what-are-quality-assurance-qa-system-
standards/
For a list of consumer protection agencies and links to further information visit:
http://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/public-safety-and-law/
consumer-protection
Privacy Act 1988

This legislation relates to the privacy and confidentiality of customer information and how an
organisation must keep secure records and maintain the quality of stored information.
Activity: Read
Read the privacy principles as set out by the Privacy Act 1988:
https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy-law/privacy-act/australian-privacy-principles
Australian Consumer Law

The Australian Consumer Law is a single, national law concerning consumer protection and fair-
trading, which applies the same way nationally and in each State and Territory.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, when a customer buys products and services, they come with
automatic guarantees that they will work and are fit for purpose. Thus, if the product or service
does not work/is not fit for purpose, consumers have rights to repairs, replacements or refunds for
products and for services cancelling the service or in some cases compensation for damages and
losses.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
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The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in the marketplace to benefit consumers,
businesses and the community and regulates national infrastructure services.
NSW Fair Trading is another body, which aims to safeguards the rights of consumers and advises
business and traders on fair and ethical practices.
Consumer guarantees
The consumer guarantee provides rights that exist despite anything the supplier or manufacturer
may say or do.
Extended warranties are optional. However, under the consumer guarantee the consumer has a
statutory right to a remedy if the product is not of acceptable quality after a short period of time.
For example, if a new TV stopped working after only 18 months. Consumer guarantees apply for
both products and services under the Australian Consumer Law:
Products must be of acceptable quality, that is:
 safe, lasting, with no faults
 look acceptable
 do all the things someone would normally expect them to do.
Services must be of acceptable quality, that is:
 be provided with acceptable care and skill or technical knowledge and taking all necessary
steps to avoid loss and damage
 be fit for the purpose or give the results that you and the business had agreed to
 be delivered within a reasonable time when there is no agreed end date.
The types of products and services covered by the consumer guarantee would be:
 New and second-hand products
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 Sale items
 Items bought from an Australian business online.
 Services under $40,000 or over $40,000 that are normally bought for personal or household
use.
Legal entitlements
If a consumer would like a refund or replacement when buying a product or service:
Generally, a store does not have to give a refund or replacement if a customer changes their mind
about a product. A 'change of mind' can include instances where a customer buys an item but later
decides or realises they have selected the wrong colour, size or product. In these cases, if the
business does not have a change of mind policy, it is up to the business to decide whether the
customer gets a refund or replacement.
Some stores and chains have a policy to offer a refund, exchange or credit note if a customer
changes their mind. These policies would be clearly displayed at the point of sale or included on
the business' website (if it has one), so customers can read it before buying. Stores that have such
policies must abide by them.
Businesses are able to place some limitations on in-store policies, such as:
 'No change-of-mind refunds on sale items'.
 'No change-of-mind refunds after seven days'.
If a store does not have a change of mind policy, the customer is only entitled to a refund or
replacement for a major problem with a product covered by consumer guarantees.
Activity: Read
For a list of consumer protection agencies and links to further information visit:
http://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/public-safety-and-law/
consumer-protection
Read further on the requirements for displaying prices, outlined by the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC):
https://www.accc.gov.au/business/pricing-surcharging/displaying-prices
Organisational policies and procedures

When you are providing a service to meet the identified needs of customers, you will have to do so
according to your organisation’s policies and procedures, as well as any legal requirements.
An organisation will outline their expected standards, practices and behaviour through policies and
procedures.
In relation to customer service, this can include:
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 Privacy and confidentiality  Customer service charter (a business’

commitment to customer service)
 Diversity policy
 Records management
 Anti-discrimination policy
 Privacy and confidentiality policy
 Codes of conduct or ethics
 Returns policy.
 Complaints policy and procedure
Handling customer complaints is one area in customer service that if handled effectively can help
to resolve any issues efficiently and effectively. One policy that an organisation will use specifically
for handling customer complaints is a Complaints Handling policy or procedure.
A complaint handling policy is an effective way to deal with customer complaints. They provide
clear guidelines to follow that are clearly structured using procedures to support the process.
Broadly, a complaint handling policy could include:
 clear steps for handling a complaint, such as how to effectively communicate, following
processes for escalation, using specific scripts, keeping the customer informed
 strategies for dealing with angry customers
 how to record a compliant
 how to follow up a complaint
A dispute resolution policy could be used for dealing with customer behaviour during a complaints
process, such as if a customer becomes agitated, irate or difficult to handle.
You may also need to adhere to any legislative requirements such as privacy and confidentiality or
consumer law as discussed previously.
One of the biggest changes to consumerism and marketing over the last 5-6 years has been the
rise of social media and the way in which customers can complain.
Activity: Read
Managing online customer reviews:

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/customer-service/managing-
online-customer-reviews
Activity: Discuss
 Have you ever had any issues with customers/clients or have had a need to
complain?
 Have you been in a situation whereby a customer complaint or a personal
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complaint was handled satisfactorily? What was the process taken? Did it work?
Was the complaint resolved?
 Are complaints good for an organisation?
 Identify the three steps to manage a customer complaint.
Your trainer/assessor will facilitate a discussion.
Activity: Watch
Compilation of varying customer complaints.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGyMGRc32QI (04:31)
Handling Customer Complaints.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHaCMZLjCxE (01:20)
Note any key points or takeaways.
Image by Christiann Koepke on Unsplash
Activity: Read
Managing customer complaints:

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/customer-service/managing-
customer-complaints
This article discusses how customer complaints are good for your business:
http://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-complaints-good-for-business/
The Ombudsman Western Australia have some guidelines for effective handling of
complaints:
http://www.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/Publications/Documents/guidelines/Effective-
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handling-of-complaints-made-to-your-organisation.pdf
View the complaints management policy procedure published by the Queensland
Government for the Department of Communities, Child Safety and disability
Services:
http://www.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/Publications/Documents/guidelines/Effective-
handling-of-complaints-made-to-your-organisation.pdf
Activity: Group work
Divide into pairs. Ensure you divide the work equally.

Assume you both manage a small computer store selling hardware, laptops and
computer peripherals and providing technical support. You share the position, with
one of you working two days and the other three. There are a further three sales staff
and two technicians. The store is quite small, however it is always very busy. You
have noticed that the sales staff “dazzle” the customers with technical jargon and
customers have often complained via email and surveys that they often have had
difficulty understanding what they are talking about. You have observed customers
leave because they are not getting served quick enough.
 Write a customer service standard that could be used for the store based on this
information. Make assumptions and also ask your trainer/assessor for more
information if necessary.
 Assuming there is no requirement in the business plan for these issues, what
would you need to integrate into it, according to the feedback you have?
 What resources do you think you would need to address the customer
requirements? How would you source these resources? (You can make
assumptions based on the fact that you manage the store.)
Note down your responses.
Your trainer/assessor will facilitate a discussion and provide you with feedback.
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Topic 2: Delivering quality products and services

to customers
After establishing the customer requirements, you will then need to deliver a quality product and
service that meets the customer specifications whilst also maintaining the quality and delivery
standards of the organisation. This will include monitoring team performance and supporting
colleagues with any difficulties throughout the process.
In business, something worth doing well is worth documenting. That is why you want to fully
communicate all aspects of what customer service means to your business, your employees and
your customers. A customer service charter is a written policy that communicates your business’s
commitment to doing business with others. This may also contain customer service standards as
covered in the earlier topic.
In order to effectively deliver products and services to customers, you will need to:
Identify customer needs and

Create realistic, achievable goals and targets.
expectations.
Establish a business plan that specifies

Implement procedures that enable
customer service standards and processes
products and services to be delivered
as can be found in a customer service
efficiently.
charter.
“Providing a high and consistent quality of service is a key to business success. That is because
high service quality promotes customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction has a direct link to
business revenue.”
Source: http://www.bluemts.com.au/businessinfo.asp?pid=65&bid=6&id=16
With this in mind, you need to ensure that you are delivering the product and service to customers
with the following specifications that should be integrated into the business plan:
Quality This is defined by what the product or service is providing and could relate to:
 knowledge of your product and or service
 listening to customers
 responding quickly
 asking and implementing feedback.
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Time This can refer to meeting customer service expectations such as:
 delivery times
 opening hours
 amount of time talking with customers
 response times.
Costs  Compliance to regulations on pricing
 Informing of any additional costs
 Special offers and incentives
 Delivery charges
 Competitive pricing
 Refunds and returns.
Team performances
Teamwork is essential to the success of attaining quality customer service. It is important to
therefore monitor team performance so that you can assess the quality and delivery of an
organisation’s customer service standards. Effective and successful teams will have:
 clear goals and defined roles  diversity and inclusivity
 clear and effective communication  good conflict management skills
 effective decision making  trust, honesty and creativity
 contribution and participation  good customer and team relationships.
To unlock peak performance and promote productivity, employees will need to understand their job
purpose, targets, goals, key performance indicators. Training, motivation and good communication
enables teams to carry out their job with enthusiasm and purpose. Providing the tools and
resources, leadership support, ethical and moral support, systems and procedures can enable
them to do it correctly. They should be encouraged to have high standards, be focussed, use their
interpersonal skills and be proactive in their roles.
The purpose of monitoring a team’s performance is to ensure that:
 customers are satisfied
 complaints are far and few between
 the service matches expected standards
 identification of problems before they affect the customer
 quality and effectiveness of customer service.
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You can do this by a number of methods:
Observation
Formal appraisal and discussions
Customer feedback
Self-assessment
Data analysis from team performance
Review of key performance indicators
Review of customer service standards and results
For example:
 Observing employees as they talk with customers.
 Analysing delivery times.
 Data collected on number of calls dealt with successfully.
 Online reviews from customers.
Overcoming difficulties
Customer service standards provide a set of guidelines for employees to follow. But what if they
have difficulties in meeting these?
There could be issues with lack of training, staff absence, issues with supply and demand, agitated
customers.
Problem identification and resolution

It is important that managers, supervisors and colleagues are supported to overcome these
difficulties. It could mean:
 conducting training
 assigning a mentor or coach
 revaluating policies and procedures
 identifying how realistic customer service standards are
 ensuring adequate resources are provided
 using problem solving strategies to cope with areas of difficulty.
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If an issue or a problem has been identified, it’s important to try and resolve it so that the customer
service is not detrimentally affected.
Problem identification and solving can be a step-by-step process such as:
Defining the problem Determining the cause Developing solutions
Selecting the best

Evaluating and reviewing Implementing the solution
solution
As covered earlier, complaints policies and dispute resolution procedures can also be used to
support any difficulties that may be a result of a customer complaint or issue.
Providing a framework for quality service can support an organisation with providing
a quality customer delivery service.
Research the RATER model – a service quality framework that highlights five
important business areas customers use to analyse strength or weaknesses.
Using your own experiences as a customer and your experiences in the workplace,
note down what you think are your customer’s needs for each RATER element in the
“Your Customer’s Needs” column. Use the table below to guide your response:
Element Refers To Your Customers’ Needs
Reliability  Timeliness
 Consistency/Regularity
 Accuracy
Assurance  Staff competence
 Respect for customers
 Credibility
 Honesty and confidentiality
 Safety and security
Tangibles  Physical facilities and

equipment
 Employees
 Communication materials
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Empathy  Access (staff, services,

information)
 Communication (clear,
appropriate, timely)
 Appropriate services
 Understanding the
customer
 Individualised attention
Responsiveness  Willingness to help
 Prompt service
 Problem resolution
Customer communication
We will now look at how customer relationships and communication can support overcoming
difficulties in meeting customer service standards.
When you are dealing with customers, you need to use effective communication skills, develop a
report and build relationships. Communication skills are vital in exploring customer needs.
Effective communication skills include:
 speaking clearly and concisely
 using non-verbal communication to assist with understanding
 asking questions to identify required information
 responding to questions as required
 using active listening techniques to confirm understanding.
Therefore, when we talk about effective communication, this encompasses not only the ability to
convey information but to do so in an effective and efficient manner through verbal, non-verbal and
written skills that is respectful and clear in meaning.
It is also important to build rapport with a customer as it develops trust and can be beneficial if
there are any issues with the customer, or when handling a complaint.
Providing a good service and rapport can increase sales and the reputation of a company.
Customer service protocols

Customer service protocols are the set of rules that govern the expected organisational conduct
and procedures when dealing with customers. It can support staff when serving customers so that
they can be efficient, consistent and provide a standardised service.
Protocols can include the specific roles and responsibilities of employees, lines of communication
and authority and expectations.
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It can guide employees for following certain procedures. For example, for a customer complaint,
the protocol could be to follow the complaints procedure policy.
It can support any issues that arise with problem solving.
It can help with dealing with customers who become angry, disgruntled or aggressive.
Examples of customer service protocols:
 How communication should be undertaken.
 The way in which an inquiry should be recorded.
 How a customer should be greeted on the phone, or face to face.
 The way in which emails are composed and distributed.

Customer service standards and protocols can also be used to support customers with specific
needs. This could be the level of support that is provided and how this will affect the way in which
the customer is dealt with, or providing a service that is free of discrimination, inclusive and
complying to the organisation’s code of conduct policy.
Improving customer service relationships

Providing excellent customer service will include:
 Identifying and anticipating customer needs through thorough research about customers’
needs, such as preferred shopping methods, spending habits and understanding why
customers shop.
 Responding promptly and informatively to customers through a range of channels such as

telephone, face-to-face and social media such as Facebook or Twitter.
 Seeking regular feedback through customer surveys or informing customers of the ways that
they can provide you feedback, for example, via email.
 Listening to customers, as this will make them feel valued.
There are strategies that an organisation can use for monitoring, managing and introducing ways to
improve customer service relationships. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a that
includes the process, strategies and technology that a business uses in order to manage and
analyse the interactions it has with a customer throughout their time involved with the company.
The purpose of CRM is to improve the relationship the organisation has with its customers,
customer loyalty and ultimately improve sales growth. These systems are designed to accumulate
information on a customer from a range of different sources such as through sales telephone
conversations, the company website interactions, online live chats, marketing and promotional
material, and through social media interactions.
The point of implementing monitoring strategies and gathering information is to do something

with it. In order to establish whether progress is being made, information collected during
monitoring needs to be compared to previous information gathered regarding the same aspects
of customer service. If you don’t’ do this, then you will not be able to see trends or patterns in the
data and thus, whether progress is really being made.
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If areas are identified that require improvement it may be necessary to:

 alter targets or standards and re-evaluate timings
 ensure working practices are in line with organisational policies and procedures
 modify policies and procedures to cope with improvements.
Activity: Watch
Build a Strong Business With Strong Customer Relationships.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUmO0Z570bk (03:41)
Know Your Customer.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Mo4qUWQLw (10:10)
Top Strategies for Customer Retention.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63ABcmQEuo0 (08:11)
Divide into your pairs for the group work completed earlier.
Refer back to the computer store scenario.
and two technicians. The store is quite small, however it is always very busy. You
 How could you monitor your team’s performance to ensure that the customer
service delivery meets the standards identified?
 Identify three key targets or standards that must be met in one months time.
 Provide three strategies that could be used to support colleagues in overcoming

any difficulties that they have in relation to their communication and ability to
deal with customers when the store is busy.
Note down your responses.
Your trainer/assessor will facilitate a discussion and provide you with feedback.
22
Learner guide
Topic 3: Evaluating the customer service

provided
When you deliver a product and service it is important to then evaluate the customer service
provided. This will mean monitoring service targets and standards, obtaining customer feedback
and then adapting the delivery accordingly.
Monitoring progress
To monitor the progress of customer service, an organisation will need to develop and use
strategies to collect and analyse set targets and standards on the service provided.
Customer service standards can be used as benchmarks with which an organisation can reflect on
a product or service provided. It helps an organisation to:
 manage customer interactions
 increase satisfaction
 identify any gaps
 provide opportunities for improvement.
Measuring service standards can help an organisation to monitor its performance against its own
service standards.
It is therefore important to keep track of records and feedback provided so that an accurate
evaluation can be carried out.
There are a number of ways to collect data that could be used to review customer satisfaction with
service delivery. For example:
 through a complaints log
 the number of returned items
 if customers are leaving
 the number of enquiries received and followed up
 social media posts
 audit reports.
If customer service standards are not being effectively met, then the organisation can take action to
address this and/or revise the service standard.
To monitor progress against set targets, an organisation may use key performance indicators
(KPIs). These would be defined with clear and measurable goals (for example, using SMART
goals as discussed earlier), so that these can be monitored and measured at set times. For
example, setting a target for sales figures to be reached by the end of a quarter and then
comparing the target to actual sales or setting targets for the service standards; for example setting
a target to reduce customer complaints by 25% every quarter.
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Learner guide
A strategy for monitoring progress could broadly follow these steps:
Determine tools and

Create a plan of action
Identify key performance methods for monitoring
and schedule for
indicators (for example surveys or
monitoring targets
financial statistics)
Assign roles and

Allocate resources Collect and record data
responsibilities
Analyse data Evaluate progress
Keeping records that can be analysed such as through a database, spreadsheet or other software
can provide valuable information to support the improvement of customer service. However, any
information collected and stored on customers will need to abide by organisational and legislative
requirements that affect the privacy and confidentiality of information.
Customer feedback
Gaining customer feedback is another method for
monitoring customer service and can be valuable
for either negative or positive feedback as both
will help to ascertain areas where improvements
need to be made, as well as where areas are
going well.
Image by Berkeley Communications on Unsplash
Feedback can be gained verbally from conversations, or non-verbally through emails, social media
or completed surveys.
An organisation may have clear policies and procedures on how you can seek and respond to
feedback, however you may find that a customer will voluntarily let you know how they are feeling
about a service at any time. Different feedback mechanisms include:
 formal methods such as a survey  formal sent via email
 informal feedback over a telephone  complaints

conversation
 through interviews or
 questionnaires  social media statistics.
24
A strategy for customer feedback could include:
 Identifying key performance indicators, targets or standards.
 Ask for feedback using survey, online social media or chat.
 Categorise and analyse feedback.
 Follow up on feedback received.
Activity: Read
Read more on customer feedback:

https://survicate.com/customer-feedback/why-customer-feedback-is-important/
Adapting customer service delivery

After receiving feedback and analysing customer service standards and targets, the next step is to
decide what needs improving or changing in order to make adaptions to enhance the customer
product and service delivery.
Continuous improvement in customer service includes using feedback to adjust products and
services to best meet the needs of its customers. This can include:
 By making modifications and changes to an organisations policies and procedures that reflect
feedback received.
 Training or upskilling staff.
 Modifying service standards.
 Making changes to service delivery such as enhancing a service, adding a service or

improving quality.
 Adapting to changing customer behaviours (a classic example would be changes occurring

due to pandemics such as Covid 19, or advances in technology such as using chat bots).
It is important to make these changes and adapt to remain competitive, retain customers and
expand the customer base.
Before changes are incorporated it is important to consult with any relevant people such as
supervisors, team leaders, decision makers, or key personnel involved in managing customer
service delivery.
Managing records
Any records, reports or recommendations that have been gathered for managing customer service
delivery should be kept and managed according to organisational systems and processes.
 File and records management allows for efficient and systematic control of records, as well as
processes for security, privacy and confidentiality.
Learner guide
 Reports may be distributed for decision makers or used for audits.
 Recommendations may need to go through a process such as using a change request,

document version management or a line of authority for approvals.
This could include:
 emails  feedback received
 letters  collated data
 customer records  social media data
 statistical reports  customer complaints.
An organisation with good records management practice will incorporate standards and guidelines
within their policies and procedures. There are some broad principles for records management
such as keeping records accurate, complete, relevant, secure, compliant and accessible. This
could include guidelines for:
How to correctly Procedures for Guidelines for the

Access and
name and store maintaining retention and
permissions
documents database records disposal of records
The goal will be to ensure that an organisation’s records either paper-based or digitally stored is
kept according to legislative requirements (for example to meet security compliances), as well as
providing an accurate historical record.
Activity: Read
Read the following articles on how keeping records can benefit customer service:
 https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/customer-service/collecting-
and-storing-customer-information
 https://blog.mesltd.ca/improving-the-customer-service-experience-with-records-
management
 https://www.austrac.gov.au/business/how-comply-and-report-guidance-and-
resources/record-keeping
Divide into your pairs for the group work completed earlier.
Refer back to the computer store scenario.
26
Learner guide
and two technicians. The store is quite small however it is always very busy. You
Assume that you will be using the service standards created in the first activity, how
can you assist your team in meeting these customer service requirements?
Using www.surveymonkey.com create a list of 10 questions that you could use to ask
for customer feedback that you could use to evaluate the customer service.
Submit to your trainer/assessor for feedback.
27

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Learner Guide

Manage organisational customer service

Application of the unit

 You are able to consult with customers and establish requirements.

Topic 1: What are the customer requirements?

Understanding customer requirements is an essential stage in determining the needs of a customer

These are inside the

 Who are the customers of Extragreen?

 What service is being provided?

 What makes this travel company different from any other?

Activity: Research and discuss

Have a look online for customer reviews of Extragreen travel company.

 a clear understanding of the problem, along with possible causes

 strategies for resolving issues

 resources to implement any required changes

The following example of consultation reflects how a business uses effective

There are a number of ways to consult:

 Conducting surveys  Questionnaires

 Using focus groups  Using data analysis

 Listening to social media  Conducting market research

 Online keyword research  Online reviews.

What are customer service requirements? Broadly, they could include:

 Providing a quality service  Cost effectiveness of a product or

It is important to understand customer behaviour because it assists a business to understand the

 different interpersonal communication styles

 physical and learning disabilities

 mental health conditions

 English as a second language

 people requiring communication devices or aids to support communication

 different age groups

Adapt to different Implement work practices that

Using inclusive language Speak clearly and at the

 a description of the company  marketing strategy

 market analysis  operations

 structure of the business  financial projections.

 products and services being offered

 Establish achievable targets.

Specific – Goals should be clear and detailed

Measurable – Goals should have clear measurements.

Achievable – Using manageable steps to reach targets.

Realistic – Should be possible to achieve.

Timely – A realistic time for achieving the goal.

Orders over $80 will be offered same day delivery.

 Support materials such as stationery

 Available stock (for example enough inventory for sales)

 Money (such as petty cash or money in a till).

 Copyright, intellectual property and trademarks

 Mentors, coaching, training and professional development

 Organisational policies and procedures.

Customer service standards

Provide Provide something

 The telephone will be answered within 4 rings.

 Emails will be responded to within 24 hours.

 We will always be polite and friendly with our customers.

Review the following customer service charter which provides an example of

Activity: Research and discuss

 Privacy and confidentiality of information  Anti-discrimination

 Consumer protection  Workplace Health and Safety.

It is important to abide by consumer law in relation to products and services, particularly