NZQA registered unit standard
28268 version 1
Page 1 of 6
Title
Communicate with contact centre customers to meet their needs
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
8
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;
 communicate with challenging customers in a contact centre;
and
 receive and resolve customer complaints 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 in the workplace
using naturally occurring evidence or under realistic simulation of such a context.
Assessment should occur only following a period of practical experience.
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 registered unit standard
28268 version 1
Page 2 of 6
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.
Contact centre technology – hardware and software technology utilised in the running
of a contact centre.
Customer – a user, purchaser, or receiver of a service or product and may be internal
or external to the contact centre and may include colleagues.
CSR – Customer Service Representative. Also known as agent, customer care
consultant, customer service operator, call centre operator or account manager.
Interactions – include but are not limited to communication across all types of media
used for customer contact in a contact centre such as phone calls, letters, emails,
webchat, SMS, facsimilies, video calling, blogs, and other social media.
Organisational procedures – those policies, procedures, and/or guidelines of a real
workplace, or in the case of assessment being undertaken in a simulated workplace
environment they are those of a real workplace that reflect the policies and
procedures of the workplace rather than those of the training provider.
SMS – Short Message Service, also referred to as text messaging.
4
Range
a
Evidence of three different types of interaction is required for each evidence
requirement.
b
All activities and evidence presented for outcomes and evidence requirements
in this unit standard must be in accordance with organisational 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
Greet customer.
Range
greeting requirements may include but are not limited to –
standard welcome message, standard response to interaction,
tone and modulation, courtesy, timeliness, grammar and syntax.
Evidence of three is required for each interaction.
1.2
Establish customer identity and apply security processes to verify customer
identity where necessary.
1.3
Establish rapport with customer and utilise problem solving techniques to
identify needs and requirements.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
Range
1.4
28268 version 1
Page 3 of 6
establishing rapport may include but is not limited to – open and
closed questions, clarifying, reflecting, paraphrasing, summarising,
using customer name.
Evidence of three is required for each interaction.
Analyse customer needs and identify steps required to meet their needs.
Outcome 2
Meet customer needs in a contact centre.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Explain options for meeting customer needs and agree on course of action.
Range
2.2
Action customer needs outside CSR’s immediate responsibility or authority.
Range
2.3
may include but is not limited to – referral to other services,
referral to supervisor;
referral must include – explain the issue, advise customer of
timeframes and next steps.
Record interaction information accurately.
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.
includes but is not limited to – date, nature of enquiry, action
taken, follow-up details.
Comply with organisational procedures for content and layout of written
communication, and ensure it is fit-for-purpose, clear, accurate, concise,
complete, correct spelling, 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, SMS, webchat, social media;
organisational procedures may include but are not limited to –
addressing and signing, workplace security, level of delegation,
level of responsibility, etiquette, use of jargon, attachments,
hyperlinks.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28268 version 1
Page 4 of 6
Outcome 3
Close interaction and complete records in a contact centre.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Close customer interaction.
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, next course of action,
summarising interaction, farewell statement, provision of
timeframes.
Evidence of three is required for each interaction.
Complete records.
Range
records may include but are 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,
customers with special needs.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Communicate with customer to ensure their 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.
Propose a course of action.
Outcome 5
Receive and resolve customer complaints in a contact centre.
Evidence requirements
5.1
Identify complaint.
5.2
Determine possible resolutions for the complaint in accordance with constraints.
Range
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
options for resolution will depend on the nature of the company,
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28268 version 1
Page 5 of 6
the products or services, and the nature of the complaint. Options
may include but are not limited to – referring customer to another
organisation, providing information on the proper use of a product
or service, arranging replacement or repair of a product, refunding
or crediting payment.
5.3
Summarise cause of complaint and agree resolution with customer, or escalate
complaint to higher authority within the company in accordance with the CSR's
scope and authority.
5.4
Record details of complaint and its resolution. In the case of escalation, convey
details to the person to whom the complaint is referred.
5.5
Initiate follow-up actions according to the nature of the resolution of the
complaint.
follow-up actions may include but are not limited to – initiating
arrangements for repairs, assigning faults to service staff, crediting
money, arranging for delivery of replacement product, confirmation
or apologies in writing, initiating action to improve organisational
processes and performance.
Range
Replacement information
This unit standard replaced unit standards 16776 and
16784.
Planned review date
31 December 2018
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
17 April 2014
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0121
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.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28268 version 1
Page 6 of 6
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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact The Skills Organisation reviewcomments@skills.org.nz if you wish to
suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016