Formative Assessment 1

• Self-assessment

1.What type of service impresses you on the phone?

2.What type of service irritates you on the phone?

3.Think of your own job description.  What does it say about customer service?

4.Your attitude towards customers

5.Your ability to answer customer’s questions

6.The way you talk to customers

7.Your knowledge about your organisation and what they do.

• Individual Activities

8.Draw up a list of ten questions that customers usually ask you.  Are you able to help them?

9.  Individual Work

• Identify the nature of the problem
• What is the origin of the problem?
• Who should solve the problem?
• How should the problem be documented?
• Select the response that would indicate effective service.

NB: Present your findings to the rest of the class and note important points.

Case study 1

You purchased a new house six months ago and one of the necessary actions you took was to organise for the electricity company to disconnect the electricity and reconnect it in your name on the day you moved in.  However, it would appear that this was not done and although you have been paying on a monthly basis it has not been recorded as the account is still in the name of the previous owner.  Today the electricity company switched off your lights and you have gone to address this with them.  Their representative responds …

1. “I am sorry sir, but you should have made sure it was in your name”.
2. “We are short handed and have not had time to update new accounts yet”.
3. “The new accounts clerk is not in, come back tomorrow”.
4. “I am sorry sir, would you give me the account number and I will see if I can rectify the situation.”

Case study 2

You purchased groceries at your local supermarket and when you returned home, you found several items were missing.  You went back to the store only to be told…

1. “I packed all your groceries, you must have overlooked them when you packed them away”
2. “Which items are missing sir? Let me call my Supervisor and we will replace them for you”
3. “Which items are missing sir? Let me call my Supervisor and see what action we can take”
4. “Next time check your purchases before you leave the counter”

Case study 3

Salaries and Wages have deducted your pension payment twice from your salary this month.  You telephone the Human Resources Department to inform them and are placed on hold for several minutes.  Someone else returns to the line and asks about your problem.  She too places you on hold.  A third person then answers the phone and asks if they can help you.  Angrily you say “this is the third time I have explained my problem and if put on hold again I will…!”   The person responds …

1. “You didn’t speak to me so don’t shout at me.”
2. “You will need to come into the office with your pay slip before I can sort it out”
3. “I am sorry sir, you must be very frustrated. Let me draw your pay slip and we can see how to handle this’.
4. “We will check your pay slip and if you are correct, will refund it next month”.

Case study 4

You made reservations last month to fly to Cape-Town to deliver a Training Programme.  Today, two days before your departure, the travel agent phones you to inform you that they lost your booking form and have just found it, but the flight is now full and only business class seats are available.  You explain that the company only pays for economy class.  The agent responds …

1. “So I take it you want me to cancel it?”
2. “Perhaps you should try the bus”
3. “We will make a reservation for you in business class but only charge you or economy class”
4. “You can go to the airport early and request to be put on standby, maybe you’ll be lucky”.

Case study 5

You purchased a fridge last month and it keeps defrosting.  You have phoned the agent to put in a service call.  The response is …

1. “I am sorry you have had this trouble sir. We are very busy at the moment and I can only book a service call for next week, however, let me see if I can get a replacement fridge in the mean time”.
2. “Certainly Sir, As we are very busy I have booked it for two weeks on Friday”
3. “If you have a complaint about the product, please submit it in writing”
4. “I’m sorry about that, we’ve found that this model of fridge is always faulty, I’ll book a service call”