Entry 3 - Importance of Appearance and Behaviour



Award/Certificate/DiplomaLevel 1Subject TitleJanuary 2010XXXXxxDraft 2

Unit X: The Importance of Appearance and Behaviour in Customer Service

Unit code: A/601/6047

QCF level: Entry 3

Credit value: 2

Unit aim

This unit aims to introduce learners to the basic requirements in terms of appearance and behaviour in customer service, and the importance of these when interacting with customers.

Unit introduction

Learners who are interested in working in a customer service role need to understand the importance of appearance and behaviour and how they may affect customers.

In this unit learners will investigate the dress requirements for a customer service role and how general appearance affects customer perceptions. They will also explore how to interact with customers appropriately.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria determine the standard required to achieve the unit.

On completion of this unit a learner should:

|Learning outcomes |Assessment criteria |

|1 Know the dress requirements in customer service jobs |1.1 State the appropriate dress in a particular customer service|

| |job |

| |1.2 State inappropriate dress in a particular customer service |

| |job |

|2 Know how general appearance affects the way customers react |2.1 Identify customer expectations of appearance in a particular|

| |customer service job role |

| |2.2 Identify personal appearance that could cause negative |

| |customer reaction |

|3 Know how to interact with customers |3.1 State the importance of making a good first impression on |

| |customers |

| |3.2 Describe how to greet customers politely and positively |

| |3.3 State how to recognise when a customer wants or needs |

| |attention |

| |3.4 State how to respond when a customer wants or needs |

| |attention |

| |3.5 Describe how to focus on customers and avoid distractions |

| |when dealing with them |

| |3.6 State the importance of thanking customers for their |

| |business or for information given |

Unit content

1 Know the dress requirements in customer service jobs

Dress requirements: eg uniform/work garments, appropriate shoes, hair tied back for food service roles, minimal jewellery, current season’s garments for fashion

Customer service jobs: eg working at a pay point, serving behind a food counter, in a garden centre, at a customer service desk, at an information desk in a railway station, college, hospital or tourist attraction, in a DIY outlet or builder’s merchant, in a beauty salon, at a hairdresser, in a bank/building society, fashion outlet, as a personal shopper, specialist retailer ie electrical, fresh food, fast food, furniture/furnishings, vehicle, travel agent

2 Know how general appearance affects the way customers react

Customer expectations of appearance: eg clean and tidy clothes, personal cleanliness, uniform/work garments, name badge if provided

Personal appearance that could cause negative customer reactions: eg uniform/work garments not tidy or clean, body odour, inappropriate make up, untidy and unclean hair, unclean hands, body art on display

3 Know how to interact with customers

Good first impression: face to face eg smiling; eye contact, correct posture; telephone eg answering within three rings

Greeting customers: eg ‘Good morning/afternoon/evening, how may I help you?’

Recognising when a customer wants or needs attention: eg looking up and down aisles, standing in the centre of the shop, making eye contact, handling products

Responding when a customer wants or needs attention: eg ‘Yes sir/madam, what can I do for you?’, ‘How can I help?’, ‘Do you need some help?’

Focusing on customers and avoiding distractions: eye contact; concentration, good listening skills

The importance of thanking customers: eg good last impression, enhance reputation, repeat business

Essential guidance for tutors

Delivery

Tutors delivering this unit need to arrange a visit to or from a customer service manager or someone working in a service role at a supervisory level. This is essential and will provide much of the input learners need.

Learning outcome 1 may be addressed through the visit to or from a customer service manager, and the preparation of suitable questions before this activity. Tutors could also draw on learners’ own experiences of dress and behaviour codes in a range of retail environments, including financial institutions, fast food and other hospitality outlets, garden centres and DIY outlets, so learners can appreciate the role of a range of corporate workwear worn by customer service providers.

Learning outcomes 2 and 3 may also be partially addressed through these visits.

Additionally for learning outcome 2, learners could conduct surveys to establish customer expectations and views regarding the appearance of staff in a customer service role.

For learning outcome 3, tutors may devise a set of scenarios reflecting a range of customer interactions. Alternatively, learners could devise scenarios and test them out on each other.

Learners will need to produce an individual set of evidence for each learning outcome.

A DVD on customer service is a useful resource. Learners could be given a checklist and asked to look for certain points, and this leads easily into a discussion. Learners can then carry out role play relevant to the assessment criteria for learning outcome 3.

Outline learning plan

The outline learning plan has been included in this unit as guidance.

|Topic and suggested assignments/activities |

|Introduction to unit and structure of the programme of learning. |

|Tutor-led discussion – ‘What are the dress requirements in customer service roles?’ to include identification of appropriate and |

|inappropriate dress. |

|Assessment – tutor-led question and answer session recorded individually. |

|Assessment – learners respond to questions to cover their knowledge of dress requirements. (Learning outcome 1) |

|Visit to or from a customer service manager. |

|Practical activity – prepare questions for visit/guest speaker. |

|Visit/guest speaker – customer service manager. |

|Recording of information from visit/speaker. |

|Assessment – learners respond to questions to demonstrate their knowledge of dress requirements. Responses to be recorded |

|individually. (Learning outcomes 1-3) |

|Learner-devised survey of customer expectations and views regarding the appearance of staff in customer service roles. (Learning |

|outcome 2) |

|Tutor-devised scenarios reflecting a range of customer interactions. Tutor-led discussion: first impressions; greetings; recognising|

|and responding to customer wants and needs; avoiding distractions; thanking customers. (Learning outcome 3) |

|Assessment – learners provide a range of written evidence for learning outcome 3. This could also include annotated photographs. |

|Assessment feedback, review and evaluation of unit. |

Assessment

This unit is best achieved through practical activities. Assessment should be completed in a holistic manner, enabling learners to benefit most from their understanding.

Assessment criteria 1.1 and 1.2 may be assessed through a question and answer session. This will need to be recorded individually for each learner with witness statements. Learners need to state the dress requirements of one specific customer service job, and also state what would be inappropriate dress for this role.

For assessment criteria 2.1 and 2.2, learner surveys could provide assessment evidence. Learners need to identify at least two customer expectations for 2.1.

Assessment criteria 3.1–3.6 could be evidenced by written work stemming from the visit to or from a customer service manager. Additionally, annotated photographs, witness statements and/or a DVD of role play may form part of the assessment evidence.

Essential resources

Learners need to have access to a customer service manager and a range of retail environments where customer service is provided.

Indicative resource materials

TV programmes such as the Mary Portas: Secret Shopper programmes from Channel 4 and selected episodes of The Business Inspector from Channel 5 would be useful resources.

Websites

| |The Customer Service Zone – includes links to free customer service |

| |videos |

| |Institute of Customer Service |

|.uk |Office for National Statistics |

| |Provides links to other websites giving advice about aspects of retail|

| |The Sector Skills Council for Retail |

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