Reference no: EM133022917

INSTRUCTIONS- This task requires you to answer questions related to where you work, have worked or have a work placement in a hospitality service environment, by filling in the template provided. Some questions are general industry related questions and some will be specific to your workplace. Copy this template into another Microsoft Word (or similar) document and adjust the rows as necessary. Ensure you complete all parts of the template.

You may need to find out additional information from your supervisor, colleagues or from the staff intranet. Ensure you have access to customer service policies and procedures and codes of practice that are industry relevant from your workplace in order to answer specific questions. You will not be asked to include copies of these policies and procedures, however you will need to reference them in your answers.

Policies, procedures and codes of practice need to include:

Customer service standards

Designated response times

Presentation standards

Customer surveys and feedback collection

Recording and reporting customer feedback.

1. What main products and/or services does the industry in which this business operates provide?

2. What are some of the professional service standards and protocols that are followed by the personnel in this industry? Print a copy of the service standards of your particular business and attach with this assessment task. Discuss how service standards are generally made available to customers in this industry.

3. Discuss the attitudes and attributes that are expected of employees in this industry.

4. Discuss some of the different customer service needs and expectations you have come across.

5. What customer loyalty programs are used in this industry? Describe how these loyalty programs work.

6. Discuss how customer databases are used in this industry and some of their essential features.

7. Discuss the designated response times for providing service and resolving complaints at your workplace.

8. Discuss the complaints handling procedure making reference to the customer complaints policy.

9. Where are the customer service policies and procedures kept; and how does management ensure that staff are up-to-date in their knowledge of the policies and procedures?

10. What promotional services are offered at your workplace?

11. Discuss the procedures for dealing with the following:

a) Incorrect pricing or quotes

b) Delays or errors in providing products or services

c) Misunderstanding of customer requests

d) Escalated complaints or disputes

e) Other team members or suppliers not providing special requests

f) Misunderstandings or communication barriers

g) Unmet expectations of, or problems or faults with a service or product.

12. Discuss the methods of performing the following and provide an example for each.

a) Negotiating with suppliers on behalf of customers to get reduced rates or extra services for them.

b) Providing a service free of charge.

c) Providing a service at a reduced rate.

d) Providing discount vouchers to attend at a future time.

e) Providing an inexpensive add-on product.

f) Providing a small gift to a customer.

g) Providing special attention during the service period.

h) Providing special customer service delivery on next attendance.

13. How are financial constraints of the organisation and the profitability of the sale taken into consideration when making the decision to provide customers with free or discounted services? Provide an example of making a decision about the profitability of providing a service free of charge or at a reduced rate and include calculations in your answers.

14. Choose a cultural group you have had dealings with before and answer the following questions.

a) What is the cultural group you have chosen and why?

b) Discuss the customary greetings, farewells and conversation of this cultural group.

c) Discuss the body language and body gestures associated with this cultural group.

d) Discuss the formality (or informality) of language associated with this cultural group.

e) Discuss the clothing sometimes worn by this cultural group.

f) What may be some special or additional requests this cultural group may have?

15. What are the roles and responsibilities of the following positions in providing quality customer service?

a) Management

b) Supervisors

c) Operational personnel

16. List three sources where you can find information on current service trends and changes that affect the service industry.

17. Discuss how following internal and external environmental changes may effect quality customer service planning:

a) Changes in the competitive environment

b) Economic climate

c) Introduction of new technologies or equipment

d) Management changes and organisational restructures

e) Recruitment practices

f) Trends in customer service preferences

18. What are three reasons a business may choose to join industry schemes and/or align with industry codes of conduct?

19. Discuss the following methods of formal and informal customer research and feedback:

a) Analysis of the competitive environment and industry trends in customer service

b) Customer service surveys with structured questions

c) Customer focus groups

d) Feedback from service delivery colleagues over the course of each business day

e) Questioning customers informally

f) Observing customers

g) Regular staff meetings that involve service discussions

h) Staff surveys

i) Internal customer surveys (colleagues/other departments etc)

j) Improvements suggested by customers involved in complaints or disputes

k) Improvements suggested by suppliers

l) Improvements suggested by staff, supervisors and managers

20. A business needs to constantly assess its effectiveness in customer service practices. Explain how the following can be done:

a) Examine the overall business performance

b) Monitoring the effectiveness of staff in meeting customer service standards

c) Monitoring the effectiveness of policies and procedures in explaining practices

21. How does your workplace review the numbers and natures of:

a) Complaints

b) Disputes

c) Customer responses

22. Making reference to your workplace's policies and procedures, briefly discuss the following:

a) Presentation standards for the customer environment and for the customer service personnel

b) Pricing and service guarantees

c) Product quality

d) Refunds and cancellations

e) Customer service training

f) Technical training (systems and technology)