Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Unit code: L/600/1066

QCF Level 3: BTEC Specialist

Credit value: 2

Guided learning hours: 20

Unit aim

This unit will provide in-depth knowledge of how to supervise customer service performance in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector. The unit will be appropriate for supervisors and managers whose responsibilities include managing staff

Unit introduction: Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Effective customer service is of vital importance to all businesses within hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism. A reputation for providing excellent customer service will help businesses to attract and retain customers by differentiating them from their competitors. Supervisors play an important role in ensuring the continuity of an effective and positive customer service culture within a business.

This unit looks at how supervisors can help to develop customer service in their business, the relationship between customer service and selling, and the impact that excellent customer service can have on business performance.

Learners will explore the role of the supervisor in providing customer service and in building teams that can deliver effective customer service. The importance of staff development, training, coaching, and different methods of giving feedback in relation to customer service is also explored. Finally, learners will investigate the effectiveness of customer service in a business by measuring it against customer service standards and suggest improvements.

On completion of this unit, learners will appreciate the vital role they play, as supervisors or potential supervisors in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector, in contributing to high quality customer service.

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:

Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Unit content: Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

1 Understand how to develop a customer service culture within their business

Role of the supervisor: leading a team; demonstrating good customer service skills (personal presentation, knowledge of products and services, communication and listening skills); team goals; positive attitude

Customer service and business performance: business objectives (customer loyalty, repeat business, increased sales and usage, enhanced public image, new customers)

Customer service and selling: product knowledge; providing information or advice; identifying, meeting and exceeding customer needs

Monitoring delivery of customer service: business standards; monitor customer loyalty (repeat business, new customers); enhanced public image; customer satisfaction; techniques (mystery shoppers, comment cards, observation)

2 Understand how to build teams and motivate colleagues through techniques such as on-site coaching

Developing effective teams: recruitment; induction; motivation; training; team goals; team knowledge; retention of team members; threats to team development (high team member turnover, weak or authoritarian leadership, poorly defined goals)

Importance of staff development: planning; team knowledge (awareness of team member strengths, weaknesses and sensitivities); appraisals

Role of the supervisor: ability to motivate and lead a team; ability to take initiative; ability to defuse and resolve conflict; fairness in decision making

Implementation of training and coaching: to improve customer service; group or individual training (on-site or off-site); individual on-site coaching

Importance of providing feedback: to motivate team members; maintain team focus

Methods of providing feedback: meetings; staff appraisal; staff newsletter; email

3 Understand how to effectively monitor and communicate levels of customer service performance

Importance of customer service standards: important for customers, potential customers, employees and supervisors; defining what customers can expect; reminding supervisors and employees of their duties

Monitoring and measuring team performance: customer feedback (surveys, informal comments, complaints); financial data (turnover, repeat business); team objectives

Corrective action: support and development of underperforming team members; revising team responsibilities; reviewing and evaluating teamworking arrangements

Recording and communicating performance: performance set at staff appraisal; self-evaluation; standards checklist; customer feedback; communicating about performance (appraisal interview); team meetings

Improving future performance: of the operation (efficiency, staff training, staff levels, employee of the month scheme); of the products and services offered (quality, range, price, loyalty scheme assessment criteria

Essential guidance for tutors

Delivery

Delivery of this unit needs to focus on learners sharing their experience in classroom discussions and group work.

Investigating how businesses develop the quality of their customer service provision will put the unit into context for learners who may have different experiences of customer service. Company websites are a good way of looking at how companies portray themselves to customers.

A visit to the training department of a large business could give learners relevant and up-to-date information on training and staff development issues. Having copies of customer service standards used by companies available for learners would be useful when discussing business standards and how the delivery of customer service could be monitored. Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Although the unit is largely theoretical, learners could be given the opportunity to develop their presentation skills, or see themselves on video when giving feedback to colleagues/team members in a role-play situation for example at a team meeting or on an individual basis.

Learners could look at examples of how different businesses monitor and communicate customer service performance. While learner experience is relevant, a guest speaker from the industry could provide a managerial perspective on the subject.

In this unit learners have the opportunity to consider their own experience as a customer or supervisor who deals with customers, such as their own role within the business and how their behaviour, communication and leadership can impact on customer service performance, either negatively or positively.

As a result, learners can reflect on how they could improve their behaviour, communication and leadership skills in order to improve overall customer service within the business

Outline learning plan

The outline learning plan has been included in this unit as guidance and can be used in conjunction with the delivery of multiple choice tests.

The outline learning plan demonstrates one way in planning the delivery and assessment of this unit.

Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Assessment: Unit 3: Principles of Supervising Customer Service Performance in Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Tutors should ensure that learners cover all the unit content.

Essential resources

It is essential that learners have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector. This may be through work placements, employment, visits or interviews with industry spokespeople.

Learners should have access to IT resources for research and to produce written work and presentations. Video cameras could be used to record any evidence