Cert III in Water Industry Operations
Workbook
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
Learners Name:
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Instructions for use of Workbook
The workbook is designed to help you work through the Toolbox.
You can use the workbook in a number of ways – you may prefer to print it out and
write in it, alternatively you may prefer to use it electronically.
The sections in the workbook match those found in the Toolbox.
You will notice some sections have the statement – Attach print out. This is to remind
you to attach the print out document from the Toolbox to your answers. This can be
attached to your workbook rather than writing information into your workbook.
If you prefer to write the information you will see a table in your workbook where the
information can be written.
Remember you don’t need to complete all learning tasks. It is important to check with
your trainer / assessor if there are specific learning tasks that need to be completed.
Use the checklist provided to ensure that you have completed all the required
learning tasks and project. Use it to track your progress as you work through the
Toolbox and again once you think you have completed the Toolbox as a double
check that you have done all the required learning tasks.
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Learning tasks
Learning tasks give you the background knowledge and information to complete your
project. In this unit there are three sections: apply, respond and contribute.
Remember you can do learning tasks in any order.
If you are confident you can go straight to the project.
In the context of water operations, these terms mean:
Apply
Understand how your organisation’s plans, policies and procedures relate
to customer service
Apply the plans, policies and procedures for customer service
Use communication skills
Understand and explain products and services
Respond
Understand customer needs and expectations
Address customer needs and complaints
Make appropriate referrals
Contribute
Identify opportunities for improvement
Review your own work performance
Monitor customer satisfaction
Contribute to improving standards
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Checklist
Apply
Section and notes
Tick
sections
completed
Date completed
Customer charter
Communication barriers
Communication strategies
Positive alternatives
SOPs
Quality issues
Respond
Customer types
Listening skills
Question types
Contribute
Contribute
Project
Project
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Apply – Customer charter
This activity has 12 hotspots; six have questions for you to answer below.
Hotspot
Answers
The customer is standing
with his arms folded. What
do his posture and
expression suggest about
how he sees the situation?
Central Water operator
talking. The operator is
explaining the situation.
What should he be telling
the customer?
Documentation. The
operator is carrying some
documentation. What
documentation would you
need in this situation?
Traffic controls. Traffic
controls are essential for
everyone’s safety. What
controls and personal
protective equipment are
needed in this situation?
Leaking main. This main
has sprung a leak directly
under the customer’s
driveway. What effects will
this have on the customer?
Water spill. Water is
spreading across the
customer’s front yard. What
OHS and customer
satisfaction issue does this
raise?
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Apply – Communication Barriers
Web search 'body language' for photos of people in situations of difficult
communications and discuss barriers and consequences you identify with workmates
and record key points from your discussions below.
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Fill in the drag and drop activity from the toolbox.
Examples
"If you can't understand this you must be
stupid."
Strategies
"You idiot! Why did you do that?"
"It's your fault this isn't working."
“You’re only saying that because you
don’t want to follow through”.
“When did it happen? What were you
doing? Are you sure you didn’t do
something? How do you think it
happened, by itself?”
"I don’t care how you feel."
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Apply – Communication Strategies
At times, it can be easy to overlook simple strategies that can be used to enhance
communication. The consequences of using positive communication strategies far
outweigh the effort of learning to use them.
Web search 'body language' for photos of people in situations of successful
communications and discuss consequences you identify with workmates and record
key points from your discussions below.
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Fill in the drag and drop activity from the Toolbox.
Examples
"Do you mean ...?"
Strategies
Repeating in your own words.
"I see why you might feel that way."
"The first issue seems to be ..."
Smiling, nodding and looking concerned.
"I see what you mean. Go on."
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Apply – Positive alternatives
Providing excellent customer service starts with a commitment from management
and flows throughout the organisation. Everyone in the organisation plays an
important role in developing a customer service culture. It’s in your best interest to
strive to provide excellent service. Customer displeasure quickly becomes customer
animosity
Write a more positive response for each comment.
Central Water positive communications
Situation
"That’s not my job ..."
Your positive comment
"That’s not my fault."
"You want it when?"
"Call me back."
"We can't do that."
"You’ll have to ..."
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Apply - Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Applying your organisation’s processes for handling customer queries, complaints
and disputes is particularly important when dealing with an unplanned event such as
a burst main. In such an incident, applying involves being able to sum up a situation
quickly and apply the organisation’s process
Read the case study about the burst main in Ruby Lane.
Navigate to the SOPs section of the Central Water Intranet.
Read the SOP for dealing with customers affected by water supply interruptions.
Locate the SOPs or other documentation used at your workplace in these situations.
Look for differences and similarities between these and the ones from Central Water.
Consider ways that the SOPs you are using might be improved.
Discuss with co-workers or other learners the concerns of customers in situations of
water supply interruption and how you would respond.
Identify the key difference in procedures between scheduled and unscheduled supply
interruptions.
Describe how you would apply the Central Water SOP to a burst main in a street with
a kindergarten.
List the issues most likely to be of concern to a hospital during a water supply
interruption.
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Apply – Quality issues
Every communication between you and your customers is an opportunity to promote
your organisation’s products and services, and an opportunity to enhance your
customer service. It’s all about keeping the customer informed. Sharing your
understanding of your organisations products and services with customers will give
them more confidence in you and the organisation.
The Customer Relations Manager (CRM) at your workplace may offer professional
development.
Having watched the slide show discuss with other water industry workers or other
learners how you communicate information to your customers about your products
and services and their availability and make notes below.
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Respond – Customer types
Responding to customer needs and concerns is about meeting customer
expectations. To do this effectively, you need to know who your customers are and
what they require. Your customers can be divided into two groups:

external customers are those people from outside the organisation that you
directly provide with a product or service, assistance, information or advice

internal customer’s are those people within your own organisation who are
affected by your work
Read the two customer contact case studies
Central Water hydrologist Gino Agostini
Central Water office manager Muenda Nkosi
Identify the type of customer for each worker. Which of Gino’s contacts are internal?
Which are external? Do the same for Muenda’s contacts.
Customer type
External
Gino
Muenda
Internal
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Respond – Listening skills
In order to respond effectively to your customers, you need know exactly what your
customers want. Understanding customer needs will help you to identify the things
you can do to fulfil their expectations and needs. You can establish what your
customer needs and expectations are through active listening, questioning,
responding, empathising and establishing a relationship with your customer.
Listening skills questionnaire
Instructions
Read each of the statements below and click in the box for all items you believe
reflect your behaviour.
 I maintain attention even if the information is unfamiliar or uninteresting to me
 I listen carefully for the speaker’s main point and surrounding ideas
 I take notes during meetings and record key points and follow-up action
 I am not easily distracted
 I don’t fake attention
 I wait for the speaker to finish before I decide the meaning of the message
 I don’t interrupt the speaker
 I use encouraging body language and phrases
 I controls my emotions
 I am aware of my biases and keep them in check when I am listening
 In a group situation, I allow others to have their say
 I often restate, paraphrase or summarise what has been said to check that I
have understood
 I am sensitive to the speaker’s emotions and feelings
 I ask questions for clarification
 I don’t finish other people’s sentences
 I focus on the speaker rather than myself
 I assess the content of the message rather than the speaker
 I am patient and give the speaker as much time as is required
 I don’t change the subject
 I take care to listen in an environment that is relaxed and free from
interruptions.
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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Respond – Question types
The best way to find out what a customer needs is to ask effective questions. You will
find that people will give you better information if you have good questioning skills.
You may need to use open and closed questions to get a clear picture of the request.
You may need to use clarifying questions to establish the details. (See the glossary
for more information about these terms)
Write open or clarifying questions to clarify the customer’s needs.
Closed question:
Open or qualifying question:
“Have you got a problem with your
supply?”
“Are you having problems filling out the
form?”
"Is the problem the water pressure?"
“Do you understand the new policy?”
“Is there something wrong with your
account?”
“Did you follow the instructions properly?”
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Respond – Complaints and disputes
Generally, responding to customer needs and expectations is relatively easy;
however some customers make it difficult to meet their needs. Difficult customer
service situations include:

handling customer complaints

handling upset customers
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handling angry customers

handling abusive customers
Considerable time and energy can be saved when you stop trying to decide whether
a customer is right or wrong. What matters is that you are committed to providing
your customer, whenever possible, with what they want and need.
Refer to the Complaints and Disputes Policy on the Intranet site
Discuss with co-workers or other learners the policies they use to deal with customer
concerns and complaints.
Look for differences and similarities between theirs and those from Central Water.
Think of a recent customer complaint or concern that you have experienced. How did
you handle it? What resulted?
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Respond –Upset customers
It is important to deal with customer concerns and complaints in a professional
manner. You should check you organisations policies and procedures for dealing
with customer concerns and complaints. There are also models that can be useful in
maintaining a professional approach.
The diagram below demonstrates an effective way to deal with concerns and
complaints. If a customer is particularly difficult or angry, you can move in a
continuous loop between steps 1 and 4 before moving on to steps 5 and 6.
Describe an incident which you have been in or seen involving an upset customer.
Step 6 Take
actions and
explain
Step 1
Stay silent and
listen
attentively
Step 5
Ask questions
to clarify
Step 2
Paraphrase
Step 4
Apologise if
appropriate
Step 3
Empathise
Explain which of the steps in this diagram were used and what effect they had.
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Contribute – Feedback
Customer service within an organisation is everyone’s business. Each person in an
organisation can play an important role in contributing to the ongoing development of
customer service standards in the organisation. One way of doing this is to review
your own customer service and explore ways of improving that service to your
internal and external customers.
Think about how you review your own customer service.
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Does your workplace encourage you to seek feedback on your work
performance?
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Does your workplace have a performance feedback system in place that
includes customer service standards?
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Discuss the following questions with other water industry workers or other
learners
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What methods of obtaining feedback from internal and external customers
does your organisation use?
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How is the feedback collated?
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What happens to the information? How is it used?
Write about these questions in the space below.
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Contribute – Standards
Every contact you have with a customer provides you with an opportunity to see if
your organisation’s policies and procedures serve your customers. Take a look at the
following scenario check to see if the operator meets Central Water’s Customer
Service Standards.
In the Toolbox, read the case study about a customer who is unhappy with service
standards. (Customer contacts for Muenda Nkosi, Office Manager for Central Water)
Read the section on ‘key service standards’ in the 'Central Water Customer Charter'
from the Policies section of the Intranet.
Compare the case study with the 'key service standards' and write what you think
should have happened.
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Contribute – Improving service
Your ideas and suggestions for improvement will be welcomed by your colleagues
and management, providing you use the organisation's processes.
The better the service you provide, the happier customers are. Happy and satisfied
customers make your work - and the work of your colleagues -a lot more satisfying
and less stressful.
Think about an improvement to customer service in your workplace.
Explore the process for making recommendations for improvements to customer
service standards.
Write a description of the process below.
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PROJECT - Customer Complaints
“My water smells and is a brown colour my son drank some water this morning and
has been vomiting since and it’s your fault”.
How would you handle a compliant like this?
Would you refer it on to someone else?
How would new staff be trained to deal with customer compliant?
Other difficult customer situations are illustrated by the following four examples:
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"You stupid #@&*#! You don't understand what I'm talking about! I want to
talk to the manager!”
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”I’ve just moved into a new house and my water pressure is extremely low”.
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“The operator that came out to check my meter broke one of my plants and
left the gate open so my dog got out…I would like to be compensated for the
broken plant and the fine I had to pay to the council ranger that picked up my
dog”.

My drains are blocked, water and sewage is welling up in my yard and water
won’t drain away from the shower and bath…there is a bad smell coming up
through the pipes. Last time this happened your office told me to call a
plumber…I did that and the plumber said that the problem was not on my
property. He said the problem was tree roots on the street, interfering with the
pipes on the nature strip. I’m tired of this happening and don’t want to pay for
a plumber again”.
You may have examples from your own experience – it might be worthwhile
discussing these with your Trainer / Supervisor and / or co-workers.
The following learning tasks will help you with understanding how to deal effectively
with customers in such situations
Apply – SOP see Case Study
Apply – Communication barriers
Apply – Communication strategies
Apply – Positive alternatives
Respond – Listening skills
Respond – Questioning types
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Project
Writing an SOP sounds simple but you may find it more difficult than you think.
You may find that you will not get the SOP right first time – be prepared to write
several drafts. Feedback from others will help improve your first draft. Don’t hesitate
to ask your Trainer / Supervisor or co-workers for feedback.
The Central Water Intranet contains a number of SOPs that relate to how Central
Water staff deal with the customer, but none specifically on how to deal with difficult
external customers.
You may wish to base your SOP on the layout of the Central Water SOP or you may
prefer to use the SOP layout from your own organisation.
Your SOP should be in simple clear and concise language so that it is understood by
all those in the organisation who deal with external customers
Also SOPs are often used in training programs for staff and in this case the SOP you
develop should be suitable for this purpose.
The following learning tasks may help you with your SOP

Apply – Customer charter
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Apply – SOP
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Respond – Complaints and disputes
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Respond – Upset customers
NWP300B – Provide and promote customer service
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