UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Content

1. Deals with customers and colleagues – the moment of truth.

2. Identity the essential personal skills required when working in the Travel
and Tourism Industry.
3. Follow basic procedures when handling customer enquiries, making
reservations and payments
4. Use references sources to obtain information.

At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:

1. Understand the importance of working well with customers and colleagues

2. Identify the essential personal skills needed in Travel and Tourism Industry.
3. Describe how to handle enquiries, make reservation and receive money.
4. Identify the use a range of travel- related reference source.
5. Describe the presentation and promotion of tourist facilities.

The importance of customer care and at working procedures within the travel and
tourism industry.

1. To provide products and services that customer wants and needs.

2. Customer loyalty.
3. These will lead to increase customer satisfaction.
4. To attract new customer and retain/repeat customer in the future.
5. They will recommend products and services to others.

Who are our customers?

Business and private individuals staying for business or pleasure, mid-week or

weekends.

Customers attending meetings, conferences, restaurant and bar or banqueting

customers.

Elderly groups, disabled, special needs.

UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Our customers are people who come from different backgrounds, cultures,
religions, businesses, organizations. Some of our customers come from abroad
and often do not even speak the language.

If we know and understand our customers then we can help make their
experience at the hotel for superior.

Should do?

1. Greet the customers once they enter.

2. Treat in a good way.
3. Ask in a good way.

Should not do?

1. Eating chewing gum without knowing the customer enter.

2. Do other things (Eg. telephone someone, seller)
3. The seller does not treat in a good way to the customer.
4. It does not help to find the object that the customer asks.

Reliability – The ability to perform the promised service dependably and

accurately.

Responsiveness – The willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.

Assurance – The knowledge and courtesy of employees and the ability to convey
trust and confidence in dealing with a request.

Empathy – The caring, individualized attention provided to the customer.

Customer care means providing good quality services in a friendly, efficient and
helpful, positive attitude to the customers.

Customers have the right to be treated with dignity, respect and courtesy.

Customer is anyone who approaches a member of staff, partners, contractors for

support, information, advice. This also includes supplier or colleagues.

Colleague is a fellow worker or member of a staff.

UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Two categories of customers are:

1. External customers
They use the services provided by the organization/agency

You may meet them when they come to your place of work or when you go
out tours with them.

You may interact with them through the telephone, letters or emails, or face
to face.

2. Internal customers
They are people within your organization/agency. They are also customers as
you providing a service to them too.
They may include your supervisors/colleagues it can be individuals or groups of
people in other departments in your organization/agency.

There are many different situation in which customer services is provided.

 Providing information.
 Giving advice.
 Receiving and passing on messages.
 Keeping records.
 Providing assistance.
 Dealing with problems.
 Dealing with dissatisfied customers.
 Offering extra services.

Reasons why customer care is so important to the organization.

1. To provide products and services that customer wants and needs

2. Increase the number of customers using the products and services
3. Creates sales income and generating more profit.
4. To attract new customer and retain/repeat customers in the future.
5. Enhance the image and reputation of the organization.
UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Dealing With SPECIFIC Customer Needs

All customers are not the same. Some customers needs special attention

The reasons for these include

1. The customer requires a service that is more difficult to provide.

2. The customer has individual needs eg. Due to disability or a communication
issue.
3. The customer requires a service that is not usually available.

It is good customer service to do all you can to accommodate these needs as for
as possible.

However you may need to speak to your supervisor or manager before you are
able to do things that are out of your way.

Customer types?

Customer’s types are often classified under the following headings

1. Individuals.
2. Groups, families or parties.
3. People from different ages.
4. People from different cultures.
5. People with specific needs.
6. People speaking with different languages.

Procedures for handling complaints

Staff who work in frontline roles dealing with customers either face-to-face or via
the telephones are likely to be exposed to customers complaints from time to
time.

Guidelines set up for handling customer complaints aim to pacify customers to

such aim extent that they feel their needs have now been met.

Also to protect the staff member from being abuse or aggression those are often
displayed by dissatisfied customer.
UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Checklist of what steps to take in handling customer complaints

1. Listen carefully to everything the customer has to say – do not interrupt or

argue.
2. Apologies in general terms for the inconvenience, to convey sympathy for the
problems.
3. Inform the customer that the problem will be investigated and steps will be
taken to put things right.
4. Remain calm and do not take the complaint personally. Even if the customer
appears to be critical of you personally.
5. Find a solution to the problem and agree this with the customer. If this not
possible, refer the customer to a supervisor or manager, who will be able to
deal with the matter.
6. Make sure that action is taken to ensure promises made to customer are kept.
7. Records details of the complaints and what action was taken (Log book).

The four most common complaints in the travel and tourism industry are.

1. Poor quality services.

2. Delays in receiving products and services.
3. Being given incorrect information.
4. Standard not meet customer expectations.

Identify the essential personal skills required when working in the Travel and
Tourism industry

a) Awareness of the need for essential personal and interpersonal skills in

particular jobs rates.
b) Importance of personal presentation, clear speech, innumeracy and literacy
skills.
c) Awareness of applications of technology.
Computerized reservation system, telephone. Telex, video text, facsimiles and
internet.
Awareness of the need for essential personal and interpersonal skills in
particular jobs rules
UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Staffs not only represent on organization but are part of the team responsible
for attractions sales and income.

It is very important that staff therefore present a positive image.

The mode of dress and the physical appearance of the front line of the staff
must have interpersonal skills as these are the skills that we use to interact or
deals with others.

Interpersonal skills are sometimes also referred to as communication skills,

people skills.

Improving these skills build confidence and enhance our relationships with
others.

Furthermore, people with good interpersonal skills have learnt to identify

which the best ways are interacting with others in different situation.

What are personal and interpersonal skills?

Interpersonal skills are the skills that we use to interact or deals with our
customer.
Communication skills.
Listening skills.
Telephone techniques.
Dealing with difficult situations
Dealing with customer with special needs

Essential personal and interpersonal skills (Key skills)

A lot of patience.
Ability to handle huge amount of stress.
An eye for detail.
Good language and communication skills.
UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Identifying customer’s needs

Older customers.
Families with young children.
Dietary needs.
First-time guests.
Special occasions.
Foreign-language.
People with disabilities.
People dining alone.

Communication skills

Face to face/Telephone/Email.
Verbal/Non-verbal (Body Language).
Language/Dialect.

Customer care

a) Who is a customer?
b) Customer service?
c) Why it is important?
d) Teamwork? – Purpose?
e) Skills need by working staff?
f) Why working staff must wear uniform and show good personal appearance?
g) How to handle customer complaints?

Answer:

a) People who pay/ receive products or services goods.

A partly that receives or consumer products (goods or services) and has the
ability to choose between different products and suppliers.

b) Provide good quality services in efficient way.

UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

Offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you
want.

c) - Increase customer loyalty.

- Increase the amount of money each customer spends with your business.
- Increase how often a customer buys from you.

d) Working together in a group

Good teamwork goes hand in hand with happiness, If you’re on a good team,
you’ll generally be more welcoming and upbeat than if you’re on a poor team.

Purpose:

- Save time.

- Finish work quickly.

- Able to handle work efficiently.

- Retains customers.

- Divide work among group.

- To achieve goal.

- Good customer service reduces problems.

- Prevent business failure.

e) Communication skills.
(1)Foreign language.
(2)First aid training.
(3)Able to handle customer at difficult situation.
(4)Teamwork.
(5)Willingness to learn.
(6)Resilience.

f) Easy to identify the staff and ask questions.

UNIT 3: CUSTOMER CARE AND WORKING PROCEDURES

(1)Look smarter.
(2)Establish company brand.
(3)Increase productivity.
(4)Ensure pride and responsibility.