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LO5 – Customer service
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
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Identify various methods of communicating with the
customer.
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Identify the benefits of methods of communication.
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Identify methods used to ensure quality.
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Demonstrate knowledge through group work and
answering exam question.
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Words – 7%

Tone of voice – 38%
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Body language – 55%
Face to face
 Immediate feedback
 Identify uncertainties and clarify
 Personal
Influence on impression made
 Body language
 Facial expression
 Professional appearance
 Tone of voice and manner
Telephone
 Customer doesn’t leave home
 General/brief enquiries
 Quick and inexpensive
However:
 less rapport than face to face
 lose advantage of visual clues.
Policy
 Number of rings
 Form of welcome
 Procedure of call, including closing
Training
 Talking pace
 Patience
 Helpful, courteous language
 Telephone body language
 Questioning for understanding
 Prompts for information
 Listening skills
Written – advantages:


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Creates a record
Confirms understanding
Provides reassurance
Allows customer time
Incoming
 Dealt with promptly
 Acknowledgement of receipt to customer
Outgoing
 Accurate, well presented and timely
 Personalised
Email - advantages
 Less formal than letter
 Receipt when not at desk
 Can draft before sending
 Other features of email
Email - disadvantages
 Customer expectation of speedy response
 Tone can be misread
Website – can communicate on website through:


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selling services and products
providing information
obtaining information
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Having quality management systems in place can help
ensure good internal and external customer service.

Total quality management – getting it right first time.

Investors in People – internal customer focuses on staff
training and development.
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Benchmarking – monitor your standards against those of
the market leader.
Various standards exist that promote effective quality
to the internal and external customer:
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ISO 9000
Scottish Quality Management System
British Standard BS5750