Customer Service

Unit standard: 18223 Level: 3

Credit: 4
Title: Provide customer service in
the tourism and travel industry
CUSTOMER SERVICE

18223
1 Assessment (project)
1 Role Play covering
elements 1-4
 Principles for
delivering good
customer
service

1. Appear friendly. Even if you are

having a bad day, no need to take
it out on your customer!
 2. Go the extra
mile.
If you are helping a customer
and seem to run into a dead
end, try to go the extra mile.
Call another wholesaler for a
service they are seeking.
Carry their brochures out to
their car (or arrange for
someone to do this for
them).
Have a magnifying glass
ready for small print

 3. Pay attention to the
customer.


Make sure to give the customer your
full attention when you are assisting
them.
 4. Make eye contact.

When you are dealing with a

customer, be sure to make
eye contact with them.
 



5. Give notice to other

patrons that you will
be right with them.
.



6. Keep brochures
stocked up.
7. Be courteous.

Imagine every one of

us has an invisible
sign around our neck
that says “Make me
feel important”

8. Tell them what you can do.
7 ELEMENTS OF GOOD
CUSTOMER SERVICE


Clarity of speech
Appropriate language
Questioning skills
Listening skills
Positive body language
Meeting and exceeding
customer expectations
Product knowledge
Because we all expect good
service!
A dissatisfied customer will tell 10 people
13% of that 10 will tell 20 people
Happy customers tell 3-5 people
Only 4% of customers
complain
This means we may not
hear from 96%
91% of those just go
away because they
believe that
complaining will will no
them any good.


Complainer are more
likely to do business
with you again,
assuming you acted on
Even without the
customers................. if bad
service is given this can relate
back to the staff in other ways
 So what are the benefits of good
customer service?
More satisfied customers
So Why do Satisfied Customers Defect?.
REPEAT CUSTOMERS
Satisfied customers become
loyal repeat clients who feel
you are taking the extra
service step in order to
exceed their expectations.
New customers through word of
mouth advertising

Creating positive personal
recommendations will generate new
visitor and business growth which
quickly translates into bottom line
profits.
Word of mouth is potentially the most
important business-builder in the
tourist industry

ATTITUDES

It costs five times as much to win a new

customer as it does to keep and existing
one.

Good or bad attitude?
Personal factors that influence
customer service
Motivation: You need to show
that you are motivated so
that your clients recognise
that you really want to help
them

Motivation, in and of itself, is little

more than a feeling, an urge to
move ahead.
Interest
Showing interest allows the client to know
that you are going that extra mile.
That you are genuinely interested in them as
people and not just making your agency
money
RESPONSIVENESS
continuous product and service improvement, cost
control and accountability,productivity and
responsiveness, and an emphasis on
customer satisfaction.

Customers know that it is getting hard to
trust any airline or travel agents to deliver
long-term customer service
Some of the customer’s past experiences
would have seen them treated with
complete disregard - like sheep.
And if they have done any waiting on the
phone in order to speak to you,  then they
will be doubly annoyed at what they
perceive to be a waste of their time.

Wow is king !


 Having spent money to gain

the customer in the first
place, it makes sense to Word bank

treat them well in every  Employee competence
respect so they come
back.  the capacity of employees
 An example: to act in a wide variety
" Let's try book that new of situations
agency in the bay!?"  Internal structure
"Mary said that she and  everything that does not
Bill booked a flight last leave at night: models,
week and the service was concepts, computer and
great!" administrative systems,
 All customers have a sphere the "culture" or "spirit"
of influence. Friends, of the organisation.
family & neighbours.  External structure
 Research shows us that  relationships with
customers who have a customers and
good experience dealing suppliers, networks,
with a company or a brand brand names and
will tell people within their reputation or "image".
circle of friends (their
Wow –word of mouth
Form of influence
 To receive a brand recommendation from one
friend to another is a very powerful form of
influence. The trust from the friendship
overlays onto the recommended product and
new product barriers are overcome.
 WOM (Word of mouth) is the most valuable form
of advertising/marketing you can ever have. 
 However, there is a huge downside to this form
of advertising.  Because, if they have a bad
customer experience with our company,  they
also tell other people but this time they tell
more.
 FACT:  People talk more about their
negative experiences than their good
ones
REMEMBER.......
Rule of Thumb: Stats show that a happy
customer will tell 10 other people of their
satisfaction. An unhappy customer will tell
20.
Furthermore, it's nine times more expensive
to get a new customer than it is to sell to
an existing customer. And you know as
well as I do that customers vote with their
feet!
  The Welcome
This can be anything from
THE GREETING good morning  / afternoon
or welcome. 
Just using "Welcome to..."
means that you won't get

the time of day of wrong!!  
It is also warmer as you are
welcoming the caller into
A standard the company...
professional call
 The name of your
opening should company / division
contain the This should be clear and
concise - NOT too long!  For
following example:
"Welcome to Polytechnic
elements: Travel and sales, customer
service office..." 
   Informative, BUT just a
little too long... how about:
 "Welcome to Polytech
travel"  - short, sharp and
concise

 Your name
Your callers should know
who they are talking to,  
reasons why
organisations lose their
customers; some of them
are obvious while some of
them may be less obvious


 1. Customer was
YOUR TASK: What turned away by the
indifferent attitude of
do you think are a company employee
the percentages of  2. Customer was
each reason why  dissatisfied with the
organisations lose product
 3. Customer was lured
customers?
away by competition
  4. Customer was
influenced by a
friend to go
 5. Customer moves
away
Meeting the customer's needs

For us to offer excellence in

customer service we first
have to understand what
the customers actually
want or expect from us.
How do we do that?    By
Listening!
By learning how to listen
actively a lot of information
can be gained from the
customers.

CHINESE SYMBOL “TO
LISTEN”
DID YOU KNOW?

Experts say that about two-

thirds of everything you
learn, you learn through
listening.
Yet, very few people are
good listeners.
"The average person
remembers only about 25
percent of what he or she
hears, and some people
remember as little as 10
percent. The problem is
that while hearing is
incredibly easy, listening
takes a real effort."
What affects listening?

What do you think of the subject

matter?
Is it new or have you a lot of experience
with it?
Will it be difficult to understand, or simple?
Is it important to you, or just fun?
Is the speaker experienced or nervous?
What are the  non-verbal cues of the
speaker?
What frame of mind is he or she?
How personable, threatening, intelligent,
etc.?

Prepare with a positive,
engaged attitude

Focus your
attention on the
subject
Stop all non-
relevant
activities
beforehand to
orient yourself
to the speaker
or the topic
Review mentally what you
already know about the
subject
Organize in advance relevant material in
order to develop it further
(previous familes, TV programs, newspaper
articles, web sites, prior real life
experience, etc.)

Avoid distractions


qSeat yourself appropriately close to the

speaker
Avoid distractions (a window, a talkative
neighbour, noise, etc.)

Acknowledge any
emotional state
Suspend emotions until later, or
Passively participate unless you can
control your emotions
Set aside your prejudices, your
opinions
You are present to learn what the speaker
has to say,
not the other way around

Lets recap on actively
listening:

 Be other-directed; focus on the person

communicating
Follow and understand the speaker as if you
were walking in their shoes
Listen with your ears but also with your eyes
and other senses
 Be aware: non-verbally acknowledge
points in the speech

 Be involved:
Actively respond to questions and directions
Use your body position (e.g. lean forward) and
attention to encourage the speaker and signal
your interest
 Follow up activities

O n e - to - o n e  In a g ro u p / a u d ie n ce
 

Give the speaker time and space
 Give the speaker space to regroup,
for rest after talkingExpress to debrief after talkingDuring Q & A
appreciation for the sharing  If posing a question
to build trust and encourage dialogue  Quickly express appreciation
 Check if you have understood  Briefly summarize a preliminary point
 Restate  Ask the relevant question
key points to affirm your understanding
& build dialogue  If making a point
 Summarize  Quickly express appreciation
key points to affirm your understanding  Briefly restate the relevant idea
& build dialogue as presented
 Ask (non-threatening) questions  State your idea, interpretation,
to build understanding reflection
 Continue dialogue:  Invite a response
 Reflect on your experience  Continued development
to demonstrate your interest (feedback)
 Interpret
 Get contact information
after you feel you have grasped content for later reference
 Apply what you have learned
 Invite friends/colleagues/etc.
to a new situation for discussion afterward

 Write out a summary with questions
for further review


 So why should we do it?  
What difference does it make to
us if we offer good service or not? 

Job security
Better environment
Personal satisfaction
Increased business from customers
Recognition from management
Bonuses or incentives



 What will the signs that will tell
you are on the track and offering
the service people want?

Compliments from customers

Happier customers
Reduced stress
Customers ask for you
Repeat business
New customers by referral

By offering the best possible service it
means the customers have an enjoyable
and easy experience which will probably
make them want to come back again, not
to mention telling other people.
Four Levels of Business

There are four stages we all go through

as a customer.  Some of the stages we
may not reach depending on how we
are treated by the companies we are
dealing with. 

ADVOCATE
 Advocate - An existing customer who openly
recommends 
    you as a business partner.    The advocate
approach is the
    basis for many loyalty programmes or
'friend get friend' programmes.
 We are generally advocates every day.  We tell
people about a great movie we saw, a
fantastic sale that is on, a good book
or restaurant.  The power of word of mouth is
very successful because it is built on trust. 
Research has shown for many years that we
are more likely to believe someone we know
than advertising.
 How many of your customers are
advocates or raving fans 
Communication is a basic life
skill.

People are being constantly presented  with

situations 
where effective communication skills are
needed.
Relationships, both personal or those with
your co-workers 
will affect how each person chooses to
behave and communicate.

STYLES OF COMMUNICATION
Styles of communication are learned
behaviours that can be grouped into the
categories of
assertiveness,
aggressiveness,
and passiveness.
Ideally, everyone should aim to
communicate in an assertive manner, 
allowing thoughts and ideas to be conveyed
in a clear, thoughtful way.
 We can only accept responsibility for our
own communication behaviours.
Change is NOT easy though and this unit
standard is aimed at giving you
information to help you become more
assertive.  


 It's not what you say - 
but the way that you say it!

Well how many times have you heard that

said?  
Right through your childhood if you were
like most kids.
Well guess what? Nothing has changed!
As a Customer Service Professional,
you are completely reliant on your
voice. 
You will learn in this module,  it is thetone of
your voice that is your major
communication tool.  
Key point:
 It is quite common to have two behavioural
styles depending  on the circumstances we are
in.
 For example, we may act differently 
when relaxed compared to being at work.
 Customers also can be very different and can
communicate in different ways. 
 So, first of all we need to gain some sort of
understanding of the particular types of
behaviours and communication styles. 
 This knowledge will aid in understanding the 
types of responses and skills that are required
in effectively dealing with them. 


You need to be aware that your behavioural
style can affect how you communicate with
the customer.
Our behavioural styles are also likely to
differ depending on the circumstances we
are in.
For example, we may act differently when
relaxed compared to being at work or in a
social setting.

When dealing with customers
we need to be assertive. 

As customers we are looking for assistance,

advice and guidance from the people we
are dealing with. 
This must be communicated in a positive
and assertive manner so that customers
build faith in the people they are dealing
with.



 Different Communication
Requirements

Depending on whether we are face to face

or on the telephone with someone will
determine how our messages are being
transferred. 
Once we understand this we then know
where to put our focus and attention to
ensure the message gets across.

TELEPHONE SALES
Over the telephone we lose the aspect of
'seeing' the other person,  therefore what
we have to rely on is how they sound. 
It is amazing how much information can be
picked up just from someone's tone of
voice!   
Key Points:
Over the telephone, the majority of your
message will be communicated via your
voice,
So you need to:
Listen actively
Ask Open and Closed Questions
Employ a sense of humour
Be aware of the tone you are using

 Passive Behaviour 
Styles
 When people allow their ideas or rights to
be restricted by another individual or W o rd b a n k
situation, they are behaving passively. A m b ig u o u s:
va g u e ,
  Actions that indicate passive behaviour
u n cle a r
are:
 Use excessive professional courtesy.
 Use ambiguous statements and beat
around the bush.
 Express concerns in the form of a
question, rather than making a
statement.
 Avoid conflict.
 Refrain from challenging questionable
procedures used by another team
member.
 Are labelled as, “along for the ride”.
 Passive Communication
 Make long rambling statements  Use phrases that make it
(often justifying themselves)
easier for others to ignore
 Avoid making “I” statements or
qualify them, e.g.
their needs or wants, e.g.
 It’s only my     opinion but….   It’s not important really
 It doesn’t matter
 Use other qualifying words,
 I only meant…
e.g.             Never mind…. 
 Maybe…
 Would you mind very much?
 I wonder if…  Passive words include
 Just…. qualifiers such as
 Sorry to bother you but….  "maybe”
 If it's OK with you....  “I guess”
 “would you mind if”
 Passive communicators use “filler”  “only”
words, e.g.           
  Uh…You know…., Sort of…, I mean…
 “just”
 Put themselves down, e.g.        “I can't”
 I seem to be hopeless at this…  “if that's what you want."
 I can’t…

 I keep trying but…. 


 Problems with Passive
Behaviour: 

These people tend to keep their feelings

inside.
Their emotions, such as fear, anxiety,
depression, fatigue and nervousness may
build to unsafe levels and cause internal
conflict which can eventually lead to health
problems 
So what does this mean for the
customer?
From a customers point of view this
behaviour can be very frustrating. 
A customer wants and needs to know the
person they are dealing with is in charge of
the situation and assisting them to the
outcome they require.
Indirect or Passive Aggressive
Behaviour:

The purpose of passive-aggressive

behaviour is to express anger without
having to be responsible for that
anger, so anger can be denied.   
This type of communication is frustrating for
people who have to deal with it because
the person using it is not willing to actually
deal with whatever is bothering them, but
would prefer to play guerrilla-warfare by
'pecking at others' in oblique ways. 

Examples:
 ‘why would you think I would be angry at being
taken for a ride?"
 "no, no, there's no problem" (when clearly there
is)
 These people use what is termed as "below
the radar "behaviour.  

This means that they are manipulative in

their dealings and make others around
them begin to question their own
abilities.
W o rd B a n k
 Passive-aggressive behaviour is the term
M a licioused
u s:
to describe  n a sty
In te n t: a im
behaviour that is passive in expression but is 
Actions that indicate passive
aggressive behaviour are:

 Never dealing with issues head  Fails to come out and say /
on but always complaining ask what they want
about them  Well I wouldn't have…
 Having snipes at other people  I didn't say that...
behind their back when they
are supposed to be friends.  I wonder if…
 Denying issues if directly  Is it just me or….
confronted with them.  If you are sure you don't
 Blaming others around them for mind....
their mistakes and believing it
is their fault
 Use phrases that make it
 Passive Aggressive
Communication easier for others to
ignore their needs or
 Putting down people around wants, e.g.      
them
 It’s not important really
 Avoids taking personal
responsibility  It doesn’t matter
for things and blames  I only meant…
others  Never mind….

 These people will:

Try to undermine us and catch us out. 

We need to be direct and honest with
these people

AGGESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Problems With Aggressive Behaviour
Inappropriate anger,
rage or misplaced hostility
expresses aggressive responses.
this behaviour restricts communication
within the team.
trust is non existent as people around them
feel they will get the blame if something
goes wrong.
    
These people need to be
calmed down.

In essence, you can overcome the difficulties

by empathising, 
repeating the problem back to the person,
showing you understand how they feel -
rather than just telling them you do and try
to agree on a solution to the problem.

So what does this mean for the
customer?

   
Nobody likes to be talked down to, bullied or
even made to feel like they have been
threatened. 
This is no way to try and conduct business
as it is a sure fire way of pushing
customers to the competition.

Problems with Assertive
Behaviour
  
Assertive people feel empowered to speak
up and do it with respect.
The team leader, supervisor or manager
must be able to harness the energy of
assertive team members.
They may stand out from the others as
being thought of as out spoken or direct.

So what does this mean for the
customer?
The ability to be assertive means you sound
confident,
you take control of the situation
and you guide others to a solution or an
outcome that is suitable.

Customers will be more relaxed and happy
knowing they are dealing with a
professional and someone who will take
care of their needs with little effort on their
part.
Did you know?

We can think four times faster than we

can talk?
 
This is the reason that 'listening' is a
hard skill to master

What customers want: 

 Clients want a chance to get their own ideas and

opinions across first. 
 Remember they call/come to see you because they
have something to ask or something to say. 
 A consultant who is a good listener lets them do it.
 Wait until they finish talking before you speak. If you
let them do that upfront, the rest of the call will go
easier.
 Try and listen "between the lines" - in this case
'between the words'.   
 Listen for sighs, exasperated intakes of
breath. 
 A raised voice is a sign of someone who feels as if
they have been given the run around.
 Concentrate on what is not being said as well as
what is being said and the way it is said. 
 3 Great Opening Steps 
to Manage and Calm 
an Upset Customer:

This model uses every requirement a

customer is looking for:
SORRY -  acknowledgement / empathy
ownership
GLAD  -  acceptance / willingness to help
SURE   -  action plan / solution

What they want
 Upset customers may want a variety 
of responses from you:
 to be taken seriously
 to be treated with respect
 to get immediate action
 to gain compensation/restitution
 to have the party who wronged them reprimanded
and/or punished
 to clear up the problem so it never happens again
 to be listened to
 Expressions of empathy such as, "I can see why that
would make you feel that way" are phrases to
show that we care.
 

How they might react!

How these customers react when they reach

you will depend on a number of things:
Are you the first person they have spoken
to?
How serious is the issue?
How many times have they had to repeat
their story?
Is this the first time they have complained
about this issue?
How long have they been kept waiting?

Successful agents manage to find out
what customers want, expect and
need. 
They go out of their way to do this by
asking questions and really listening
to the answers.
it-All 
and Rude customers!

Here we look at 4 types of aggressive clients

and strategies to either end or take control
of the call/or the person in front of you!

 Angry client-Don’t react to
emotion, react to
information 
 
 Step One:  Step Five: 
 Be Calm  Apologise
 Example: control your  Example: “I apologise for the
breathing, try standing up inconvenience this has caused”
 Step Six:
 Step Two:
 Paraphrase
 Empathise  Example: “So if I understand…”
 Example: “I can see why that “May I confirm…”
would be frustrating; if that
happened to me I would be 
angry too.”  Step Seven:
 Step Three:  Propose action plan
 Get the customer details  Example: “What I can do…; What I
can suggest…”
 Example: “In order to help you,
may I ask you some 
questions?”  Step Eight:
 Step Four:   Follow Through
 Let them know you are listening  Example:Do what you say you are
 Example: “uh huh” “mmm” going to do!
 The know it all client
 Step One:  Step Four:
 Acknowledge their  Be honest
knowledge  Example: “Let me confirm
 Example: “as you would this for you”, “Let me
check”
be aware”, “as you  Step Five:
would appreciate” “as  Make sure you know your
you would understand” products/services
 Step Two:  Example:Find out where
 Ask open/probing information is stored/use
market research
questions  Step Six:
 Example: “Tell me more  Make sure you have the
about…” delegated authority
 Step Three:  Example: Check this out with
 Be firm but polite your manager
 Example: “In order to help

you, I need to
Dealing with the non-stop
talking customer


This customer telephones with a query and

then wants to talk about everything else.  
You may have been the first person they
have spoken with all week.
They can frustrate you and they prevent
other clients from getting through

with 
     a language barrier

Until they become completely fluent in

English, people who speak English as a
second language normally go through the
following process:
they hear what you say in English
they translate what you’ve said into
their language
they construct their answer in their
first language
they reply to you in English

 Remember raising your
voice does not act as a
translator!!
 “Be patient with
these people”
Handling Verbal Complaints
The steps are:

a) identify yourself, listen, record details and determine what the

client wants;
 b) confirm the details received; 

c) acknowledge the client’s feelings and empathise with the

client in a courteous manner; 
d) explain the courses of action available, i.e. that the
complaint will be sent to the appropriate person for immediate
attention
e) do not attempt to lay blame or alternatively do not be too
defensive at this stage; 
f) ensure that the client is informed that the complaint is
receiving attention and the likely response time for the client
to receive an update on the progress of the complaint; 
g) set a timetable and take action to gain a resolution within
the timetable; 
h) report the complaint to the appropriate business
department
Acknowledge feelings
Acknowledge the person's feelings and
apologize for the inconvenience the
customer has encountered. Make an effort
to be sincere.
In today's impersonal society, it's incredibly
rare to hear the words "I'm sorry that
happened. Let me get the ball rolling to fix
it."
You'll probably spend about 80 percent of
your time massaging the caller's feelings
and 20 percent actually solving the
problem.

Sympathize and empathize
with the caller.
 Phrases like, "I can understand why you're
upset," help soothe ruffled feathers.
Pretend it is you calling.
Then get busy solving the problem.

Accept 100 percent
responsibility for the call
.This is probably the toughest part.
Chances are you had nothing to do with the
problem.
However, it is your job to accept
responsibility and initiate work on a
solution.

Prepare to help
 Begin by reintroducing yourself – callers
don't usually remember your name.
State that you will be able to help. 
Use the caller's name, if possible, which
helps diffuse the anger. 
A willing attitude is essential because if the
caller senses insincerity or indifference, he
will stay angry. 
It's exasperating to file a complaint with
someone who obviously doesn't care.

THE COST OF POOR SERVICE
[Link] revenue
$10,000.00
[Link] number of customers
2500.00
c.% of dissatisfied customers x
0.25
[Link] of dissatisfied customers =
625
e.% of dissatisfied likely to switch =
0.70
f. No. of customers who will switch =
437.5
 Lost Opportunity Revenue

i. Number of other people dissatisfied

 customers tell (437.5 x 10)
4375
J. Number of potential customers
 who buy elsewhere due to negative
 word of mouth (assume one in 50 tell,
 therefore 1 x.02) 87.5
k. Potential lost revenue (JXG)

$(350,000)
Customer replacement cost
l. Customer acquisition costs
 (66% of A) $6,600,000
[Link] cost per customer $2640
[Link] cost of lost customers
$(13200)
Total Costs
[Link] annual cost (H+K+N) $(2,113,200)


[Link] cost over customer's lifetime of doing

business for 10 years (o x 10)
 $(21,132,000)
As you can see from this frightening
example, our hypothetical company will
lose more than $2million a year due to
poor customer service and customer
retention.