NZQA Expiring unit standard
16776 version 7
Page 1 of 5
Title
Communicate with contact centre customers
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
3
This unit standard is for contact centre customer service
representatives (CSR), and covers communications with
internal and external customers by oral and written means
using contact centre technology.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
 greet customers in a contact centre and identify their needs;
 meet customer needs in a contact centre;
 close interaction and complete records in a contact centre;
and
 communicate with challenging customers in a contact centre.
Classification
Contact Centres > Contact Centre Operations
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Recommended skills
and knowledge
Unit 26848, Demonstrate knowledge of legislation applicable to
contact centres.
Explanatory notes
1
This unit standard has been developed for learning and assessment on-job.
2
References
Companies Act 1993;
Consumer Guarantees Act 1993;
Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003;
Fair Trading Act 1986;
Financial Transactions Reporting Act 1996;
Human Rights Act 1993;
Privacy Act 1993;
Securities Regulations 2009;
and all subsequent amendments and replacements.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
16776 version 7
Page 2 of 5
3
Definitions
Contact centre – an organisational unit that acts as a focal point for communication
between organisations and customers using live voice telephony and/or information
technology to meet service purposes. Contact centres exist across a wide range of
industries. Examples include – banking, insurance, telecommunications, computer
companies, retailers and suppliers of services, local government, government
agencies, travel industry, market research companies, and charity organisations.
Company procedures – policies, procedures, and/or guidelines currently in use in the
contact centre.
CSR – Customer Service Representative.
Customer – both internal and external customers and refers to the recipient of goods
and/or services.
Interaction – includes but are not limited to communication across all types of media
used for customer contact in a contact centre such as phone calls, emails, webchat,
SMS, facsimile, video calling, and other social media.
SMS – Short Message Service, also referred to as text messaging.
4
The contact centre industry considers the complexity and technology of the contact
centre environment to be such that competency in the skills of this unit standard are
not able to be fully demonstrated under simulated conditions. Assessment must
therefore only take place after a period of practical work experience in an actual
contact centre.
5
Range
For outcomes 1-3, evidence of three interactions is required.
All activities and evidence presented for outcomes and evidence requirements in this
unit standard must be in accordance with company procedures.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Greet customers in a contact centre and identify their needs.
Range
examples of customer needs may include but are not limited to – standard
enquiries, problem solving, enquiries outside the usual range of goods and/or
service provision, multiple but linked needs, issue recognition.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Interaction is answered and customer is greeted.
Range
1.2
greeting requirements may include but are not limited to –
standard welcome message, standard response to interaction,
warmth and smile in voice, tone and modulation, courtesy,
timeliness, grammar and syntax.
Rapport is established with customer and customer needs are identified.
Range
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
establishing rapport may include but is not limited to – full
attention, open and closed questions, clarifying, reflecting,
paraphrasing, summarising, using customer name.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
16776 version 7
Page 3 of 5
1.3
Customer needs are identified in accordance with company procedures and
customer’s requirements.
1.4
Customer needs are analysed and steps to meet their needs are identified.
Outcome 2
Meet customer needs in a contact centre.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Options for meeting customer needs are explained, and a course of action
agreed where appropriate.
Range
2.2
Customer needs outside CSR’s immediate responsibility or authority are met.
Range
2.3
may include but are not limited to – referral to other services,
referral to supervisor.
Interaction information is recorded.
Range
2.4
options may include but are not limited to – presentation of
information, solutions, goods and services, products;
explanation may include but is not limited to – advantages and
disadvantages of the options, customer education where
expectations are unrealistic.
recorded information may include but is not limited to – date,
nature of enquiry, action taken, follow-up details.
Written communication complies with content and layout of company
procedures; and is clear, accurate, concise, spell checked, and complies with
the rules of English grammar and syntax.
Range
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
written communication may include but is not limited to – emails,
letters, faxes, internal memorandum, webchat, blogs, and other
social media;
content and layout of company procedures may include but is not
limited to – addressing and signing, workplace security, level of
delegation, level of responsibility, etiquette, use of jargon,
attachments, weblinks.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
16776 version 7
Page 4 of 5
Outcome 3
Close interaction and complete records in a contact centre.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Customer interaction is closed.
Range
3.2
closure may include but is not limited to – confirmation of
agreement made, use of customer’s name, invitation to use goods
and/or services again, thanks for patronage, positive use of
language, next course of action, summarising interaction, farewell
statement.
Records are completed.
Range
records may include but is not limited to – database, legal
requirements, diary notes, invoices, stock control, sales slips, any
other relevant follow-up documentation.
Outcome 4
Communicate with challenging customers in a contact centre.
Range
challenging customers may include but are not limited to – angry customers,
sad customers, confused customers, stressed customers, customers for whom
English is not the first language.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Communication skills used ensure that the customer’s requirements are
identified.
Range
4.2
communication skills may include but are not limited to –
maintaining calm tone of voice, acknowledging a dissatisfied
customer’s grievance, paraphrasing and checking for
understanding, using open questions and prompts.
Course of action proposed is appropriate for customer needs, and within CSR's
limits of authority.
Replacement information
This unit standard and unit standard 16784 have been
replaced by unit standard 28268.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
16776 version 7
Page 5 of 5
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
25 July 1999
31 December 2011
Review
2
25 February 2000
31 December 2011
Revision
3
3 April 2001
31 December 2011
Review
4
26 July 2005
31 December 2012
Review
5
9 December 2010
31 December 2012
Revision
6
8 December 2011
31 December 2017
Review
7
17 April 2014
31 December 2017
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0003
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016