SITXCCS006 Assessment Tasks and Instructions

Assessment Guidelines
What will be assessed
The purpose of this assessment is to assess you underpinning knowledge to complete the tasks outlined in the
elements and performance criteria for this unit of competency and relating to the following aspects:

 principles of quality customer service and positive communication

 appropriate non-verbal communication for customer service:

o body language
o culturally specific communication customs and practices
o dress and accessories
o gestures and mannerisms
o use of space
o voice tonality and volume

 methods for enhancing service delivery in response to staff and customer feedback
 specific industry sector:

o professional service standards expected of service industry personnel

o attitudes and attributes expected by the service industries to work with customers
o standards of personal presentation and hygiene
o different customer service and communication expectations, especially those with special service needs

 particular organisation:

o types of customers

 external
 internal
 new
 regular or repeat
 visitors

o designated response times for acknowledging customers and their enquiry

o personal presentation and hygiene standards

 customer service policies and procedures, in particular those for:

o acknowledging and greeting customers

o complaint and dispute management
o empowerment of different levels of personnel to resolve complaints, disputes, service issues and customer
compensation
o loyalty programs
o presentation standards for customer environment, customer service personnel, and documents and promotional

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 materials
o pricing guarantees
o product quality
o refunds and cancellation fees
o response times
o service guarantees
o training staff for customer service and complaint handling

 awareness of special needs, customs and practices of various social and cultural groups of customers in regards to:

o modes of greeting, farewelling and conversation

o body language and body gestures
o formality of language
o clothing

 methods of collecting feedback:

o formal:

 surveys
 interviews
 structured questioning

o informal:

 observation
 casual discussion

 essential features, conventions and usage of different types of communication techniques and equipment.

Place/Location where assessment will be conducted

EMP OKEY DOKEY

Instructions for assessment including WHS requirements

You are required to address all questions to achieve competence. Your trainer will provide you with instructions
for time frames and dates to complete this assessment.
Once completed, carefully read the responses you have provided and check for completeness. Your trainer will
provide you with feedback and the result you have achieved.

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Assessment 1

Case Study

Your task: Read the following letter and answer the questions below. Each question must be completed.

25A/ 368 Lexington Avenue

Manhattan
New York 10037
USA

Dear Sir/Madam

My family and I have recently experienced a 5 day stay in your hotel. This was our first visit to Australia and a special treat for our
teenage children. Unfortunately we have returned home very disappointed with our holiday. As a customer service manager myself, I feel
it worth bringing to your attention some downfalls in your hotel operation.

Firstly, we had pre-booked a private transfer from the airport to your accommodation via your reservation department. Although I did
not receive any written confirmation your employee Jane assured me via a telephone conversation that she would organise this. As we
arrived after a tiring 20 hour flight this service was nowhere to be seen, instead we had to catch a taxi. To make matters worse, the driver
had no idea where your hotel was located so we were driven via a considerably longer route to your establishment.

On arrival your two bellhops were stationed at their desk, but seemed to be more preoccupied with what I believe to be ‘internet surfing’
than helping us with our bags. They were slouched over the desk engrossed in whatever they were viewing on the computer screen. We
consequently shifted our luggage in from the taxi ourselves.

The service in your reception area wasn’t much better! The girl at first had trouble locating our reservation and then when she did she
told us, rather abruptly, that we would have to wait another hour until our room would be ready. Although we did request an early
arrival, and only arrived a little before the check in time of 1pm, I was surprised that allowances couldn’t have been made considering we
have travelled from such a far distance and were all extremely tired and jetlagged. At this time I also questioned the ‘missing’ airport
transfer for which I was not given any apology, just told that it would be investigated. During my stay not one representative from your

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venue provided any explanation. To make matters worse the charge was still placed on my bill which I then had to dispute on departure.
Further, I found the receptionist’s attire to be less than desirable. Her uniform seemed to be stained, ill fitting and missing a button. Her
hair was long and it hung over her face. She had multiple piercings in each ear. I would be interested to see your establishment’s dress
code.

The rest of the stay didn’t improve. We had requested an early morning maid’s service each day but on two occasions we arrived back to
our room after 3pm and the rooms still hadn’t been made up. Our ‘included’ breakfast caused confusion each morning, with the
restaurant cashier having to verify this each day with the front desk. On one occasions we booked a table in your fine dining restaurant
with a request for kosher provisions. We were told that this was no problem; however the chef in charge confused kosher with halal
provisions on that occasion and our celebration dinner consisted of a selection of vegetables instead. Finally on our last day the
requested wakeup call was not provided and consequently we had to skip breakfast and hasten our departure to catch our return flight.

This holiday to Australia was a complete disappointment. My wife and I had planned and saved for this trip a year in advance. It is
unlikely now that we will ever return to Australia and I will ensure that if any of our friends do make the trip that they avoid your hotel
accommodation and your entire chain of properties.

Regards

Hank Washington Jnr

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. The Washington family was very disappointed with their Hotel stay. Identify 8 problems they experienced
and provide a suggestion for more appropriate service/behaviour/ communication.

Downfalls Recommended Standard

1. No written confirmation about the booking
transportation
2. Not enough information for customers to find
the address
3. Hospitality at the arrival of the hotel
4. The receptionist is not considerate
5. Response time is not acceptable
6. The bills are not correct
7. The request about accommodation are not
treated well
All confirmation should be both in written form for
further reference and other convenient ways for
customers
Think from the customers’ perspectives starting from
the arrival. All the information about accommodation
and location should be clearly passed to the
customers.
The welcome sense should be emphasized since it is
the first impression. The doorbell staff should be well
trained concerning helping customers at the first
arrival.
The reception desk should ask more about the
customers situation and provide some treats to them
even the room is not ready
Any response to complaints should be guaranteed and
time is significant.
Refunds and cancellation fees should be handled
quickly and correct
All the customers’ request should be prepared and
also confirmation should be sent and carried out. If
the requests are not well offered, apologies should be

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 provided formally.
8. Complaints are not well received and handled Feedbacks should be collected via different ways and
respected. A service team can investigate into the
case and prepare a solution.

2. Assume that Mr Washington approached you, the receptionist, during their stay and raised these concerns
then. Provide a step by step explanation for how you would handle Mr Washington’s complaint in person.

Step-by-Step Procedure
 Listen to the customer's complaint. Ask more questions and be empathetic.
 Empathize and apologize for the situation.
 Offer and execute a solution.
 Follow-up and thank the customer for their patience.
 Solve the problem quickly
 Provide the feedback form to them

3. If you felt the complaint was above your scope of responsibility, who would you recommend to intervene
and assist?

Response
 Customer service manager
 Managers in the scope of complaints
 Floor managers
 Hotel managers

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4. Assume that Mrs Washington has a mobility impairment and is confined to a wheelchair. Provide 6 service
provisions that could be extended to Mrs Washington relevant for the Tourism and Hospitality industry

Service provisions
1. National Disability Strategy 2010-2020. : The key of the National Disability Strategy is improving access
to mainstream services. A series of actions will help ensure more people with disability can enjoy holiday
travel.
2. Disability Services Commission. It can expand into a potential market where special needs are important
3. Australian Human Rights Commission. (2009).They have the equal rights to enjoy the holidays.
4. Australian Disability Discrimination Act. Conceptualising tourism will focus on centred on the tourist
and the industry responses to servicing their touristic needs
5. The Building Code of Australia and the Australian Standards for access and mobility. Codes provide
standards for tourism to offer suitable buildings and accommodations.
6. Common Wealth Disability Discrimination Act in 1992. It protects people with a disability from
discrimination and helps reduce barriers for people with a disability.

5. Unlike the Washingtons, some guests of Hotel do not speak English. List 5 techniques you could employ to
be able to better communicate with non-English speaking customers.

Techniques to communicate where language barriers exist

1. Body language and gesture
2. Choose a reliable translation app and use it to help.
3. Use plain and simple words to make sense
4. Hire a interpreter if necessary
5. Use pictures or other resources to help translate and make it understood. Be respectful.

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6. On the template below, design an appropriate uniform for use in your department, inclusive of footwear.
Provide the character with facial features and grooming standards that would apply to a typical hospitality
employee. Provide a brief written description to the side to support your sketch.

Character:

 Facial features=> smiling and respect

 Grooming=>
Female: light makeup, hair tied up, no
boastful accessories, unified black
business suit. No sneakers.
Male: hair no longer than the jaw;
black business suit, black and brown
business shoes. No shorts.

Short description:

By keeping track with the ongoing market trends, the first impressions on customers are important in
hospitality industry. Service uniform should be professional to the occasions. Also the characters should
look smart and of good spirit.

7. The Tourism, Hospitality and Event Industry is reliant on strong teamwork. List 7 characteristics of an
effective team.

Characteristics of an effective team

1. Strong sense of purpose. Realize where the team is going
2. Active listening. Focused and get the key points.
3. Clear roles and responsibilities
4. An efficient leader to control or delegate the whole organization
5. Lack of selfishness. Contribution is respected
6. Mutual appreciation. Understand each other and be grateful. Celebration is one way to unify.
7. Trust. The team trusts the leader and each team member. They will be confident and make decisions
effectively.

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8. Many guests at Hotel come from diverse backgrounds: some are Indian, Muslims, Jewish, German and
Japanese. Identify 6 cultural requirements you may need to accommodate or provide for people from these
backgrounds.

Provisions to provide for cultural requirements

1. Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. Service providers should offer the customers the same rights under the
anti-discrimination law
2. The law helps resolve individual complaints of discrimination, harassment or vilification
3. Special rituals and dressing should be respected and provided convenience
4. Ensure guests receive adequate information or training on culturally sensitive caring
5. Government agencies have a commitment and responsibility to offer guests access to interpreting and
translating services, based on fairness, equity and mutual respect.
6. Guests have the right to receive assistance in coordinating consultation and advice on service
development and delivery

9. The General Manager of Hotel has delegated the responsibility of fixing the internal problems highlighted in
Mr Washington’s letter to the 4 department managers. List at least 6 steps the team of managers should
follow in order to get the task completed.

Steps to resolve the internal service issues identified by the Washington family
1. Listen to the customer and show genuine empathy. It is important to get involved into the issue being
empathetic. Listen to the Washington family and also the internal staff.
2. Assess the situation. Conclude and repeat the main points, asking for clarification where necessary. it is
for the further investigation.
3. Pay attention to customer’s needs and preferences. Ask Washington family if they have any specific
request and also a sort of compensation such as the bill for the airport private transfer.
4. Offer a solution and give options whenever possible. The hotel should offer the most appealing solution
to the customer and offer options whenever possible.
5. Deliver the solution. The hotel should always value these issues as opportunities to improve their
service. It is a good chance to regain the trust.
6. Follow up. It’s very significant to follow up with the customer to see their feelings about the resolution
and to make sure the problem was indeed resolved. This step shows customers the hotel is trying to do
better customer experience.
7. Highlight the issue within the company and policies can be improved. Especially in hospitality industry,
customer service issues are vital to the business.

10. Draft a letter of reply to Mr Washington, apologising and thanking him for bringing the service downfalls to
your attention. Ensure that your reply letter is structured in alignment with the ‘rules’ of written
communication (accuracy, simplicity, sequential flow of thoughts and use of an appropriate and professional
tone).
Print the letter and attach it to this case study.

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Dear Mr Washington,

Thank you for taking your time to explain your experience and the issues in our hotel recently. We sincerely
apologize for all inconvenience and troubles occurred because of our problems. We assure that we are anxious
to retain you as a satisfied customer.

Our satisfaction team is working on this issue and conducting a thorough investigation to resolve this problem
effectively and fairly. We will send you the result within 72 hours and provide the solution.

If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

General Manager

11. List all the policies and procedures which should be in place in the establishment to prevent the occurrences
in this case study. What would these need to include?

Policies or Procedures Details to be included

Training program should be regular conducted Training concerning customer service should be
scheduled and provided to all staff both for the new
and the experienced to offer better service quality

Rewards and punishment Set up the reward prize for the top list of staff who
offers the better customer service. Meanwhile,
punishment will be conducted once the staff
intentionally ignores the customer reasonable needs.

Feedback process Feedback can also be provided in person, by

telephone, through email, or by other means as
appropriate. All should be recorded.

Diverse culture can be assisted with appropriate The application process will be open to all customers.
professionals or other assistance Staff can apply for the assistance based on the needs if
appropriate.

Welcoming standard Floor managers need to check the daily grooming and
the welcoming protocols. Standards can be listed in a
form and managers will mark on daily check.

All customer request have to be responded in A unified template for responding to customers’ needs
written form will be available. Each customer request is required to

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 receive one response in written form.

Special treatment policy On special occasions such as birthday or other

celebrations, staff can apply for special treatment and
offer to customers.

Compensation rules Customers can get a gift or other compensation if they

encounter dissatisfaction caused by our problems

12. The General Manger has suggested that in future all departments must collect feedback to consistently
enable the organisation to monitor customer satisfaction and enhance continuous improvement.
List 3 formal and 2 informal methods which can be used for collecting feedback:

Formal method of collecting feedback Informal method of collecting feedback

Surveys  Observation

Interviews  Discussion

Structured questioning

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13. You are the receptionist at Hotel.
Mrs Joan Myers has telephoned you today, Wednesday 15 June at Hotel. She has requested a quote for 3
different lunch menus, which you have discussed with her in detail, to be emailed to her. Her email address
is (use your teacher’s email address).
The all-inclusive price for each menu is:

Menu 1 $ 21.50
Menu 2 $ 23.50
Menu 3 $ 27.80

A. Write an email to Mrs Myers, quoting the prices for each menu.
B. Ensure correct format, appropriate language and spelling
C. Include your name and position in the footer
D. Email the quote to your teacher’s email address.

Dear Mrs Joan Myers,

As you have requested a quote for 3 different lunch menus on Wednesday 15 at Hotel, here we sincerely gather
three menus for you with the all- inclusive price:

Menu 1 $ 21.50
Menu 2 $ 23.50
Menu 3 $ 27.80

Any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Regards,

Harry Lee
Receptionist at Hotel

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