MKTG06090 2022 Customer Service
Full Title
Customer Service
Transcript Title
Customer Service
Code
MKTG06090
Attendance
N/A %
Subject Area
MKTG - 0414 Marketing & Advertising
Department
BUS - Business
Level
06 - Level 6
Credit
10 - 10 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
€
Start Term
2022 - Full Academic Year 2022-23
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Catherine Kennedy, Susan Leonard, Breda McTaggart, Aine Doherty, Denis Haran, Kerry Dolan, Aileen Brennan, Emer Ward
Programme Membership
SG_BBUSO_C06 202200 Higher Certificate in Business in Business Studies (Online)
SG_BINSL_H08 202200 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Insurance Practice (Life) (Apprenticeship)
SG_BINSU_H08 202200 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Insurance Practice (General)
SG_BBISO_C06 202300 Higher Certificate in Business in Business Studies
SG_BINSL_H08 202400 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Insurance Practice (Life) (Apprenticeship)
SG_BINSU_H08 202400 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Insurance Practice (General)
Description
This module allows the student to develop effective customer care skills, empowering them to create positive customer experiences for both acquisition and retention of customers, build customer loyalty and cultivate a customer-centric attitude for the benefit of customers and the organisation. Core to this is the learning of key communication and interpersonal skills relevant to organisations.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
1.
Describe the principles of excellent customer service in the context of the customer's overall experience with an organisation.
2.
Consider the contribution of customer service to business performance.
3.
Develop and demonstrate key customer service and interpersonal communication skills.
4.
Apply concepts of consumer and business buyer behaviour to real world situations.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
This module was designed for the online Insurance programmes where there is a delivery time of 2.5 hours per week and two away days factored in. If taught on other programmes the allocation of hours may be different.
The lectures involve the presentation of the key theories and tools for delivering consistent high quality customer service. This requires participation from and discussion with the students, allowing them to apply the theories and tools to their own experiences both as customers and as service providers.
The investigation of businesses - (local, national and global) and their approach to customers is important as a benchmark for excellence and as an example of standards in current use.
Case studies, recent newspaper and magazine articles, videos, podcasts, interviews, journal articles and industry reports add to the level of knowledge being acquired, opens up paths for discussion and encourages critical thinking and a growth mind-set.
Small tutorial groups can be used to role play certain customer care situations and to monitor communication skills.
Reflective learning takes place by students considering their own experiences (as customers and/or employees) in the form of a diary. This allows them to gain insights on their own perceptions/feelings in comparison to the explicit standards set by the organisations. It also allows for cross sector comparisons and the identification of best and worst cases.
Seeing the business through customer's eyes is a key learning outcome from this activity.
Presentations of their views and reporting on organisations customer service behaviour allows them to demonstrate interpersonal, presentation and time management skills.
The sources of information for students is a mix of material from books, academic articles, contemporary articles and online sources. There is no requirement on the student to purchase books and they will be made available through the library.
Module Assessment Strategies
This module is 100% CA.
The assessments will be a mix of group and individual work.
(a) Case studies/research papers on key aspects of customer service.
(b) Role playing customer scenarios from industry.
(c) Interviews and reflective learning in the form of diaries, e-portfolios and presentations.
Repeat Assessments
Repeat failed element of the CA as appropriate.
Indicative Syllabus
1. The principles of Customer Service:
- The key elements of effective customer service.
- Customer care models.
- Creating, managing and exceeding customer expectations.
- Managing the customer's overall experience with the organisation - the customer journey and key touchpoints.
- Examples of customer service excellence.
- The importance of service culture and service leadership.
- The use of technology in customer service.
2. The contribution of customer service to business performance:
- Short, medium and long term monetary and non-monetary value of customer service.
- The importance of customer service to internal customers - front line staff, support staff, supervisors, managers and intermediaries.
- The challenges of delivering consistent high quality customer service.
- Research methods to measure and evaluate customer service activities and levels of customer satisfaction.
3. Customer Service Skills:
- The characteristics of an effective service provider.
- Understanding vulnerable customers expectations and policies in place for serving them appropriately.
- Identify key communication skills necessary for customer care. - Active listening, dealing with enquiries, presentation skills, problem solving, empathy, assertiveness, written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- How to deal with dissatisfied customers. Handling complaints and challenging situations.
- Recruitment and selection of customer service staff.
- Staff training analysis, requirements and methods.
4. Consumer and Business Buyer Behaviour and insights:
- Influences on decision making when purchasing for individual or business purposes.
- The psychology of purchasing, satisfaction, loyalty and relationship building.
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework & Continuous Assessment
100 %
Coursework Assessment
| Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer Service | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 30 % | Week 4 | 1,2,4 |
| 2 | Role Play | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 50 % | Week 8 | 3 |
| 3 | Ongoing Reflective Learning | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 20 % | OnGoing | 1,2,3,4 |
Full Time Mode Workload
| Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop / Seminar | Online | Seminars online or face to face (IA) | 3 | Twice Per Semester | 0.40 |
| Lecture | Online | Online lecture (IA) | 2.5 | Weekly | 2.50 |
| Independent Learning | Not Specified | Independent learning | 4 | Weekly | 4.00 |
Total Full Time Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 2.90 Hours
Online Learning Mode Workload
| Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | Not Specified | Online Lecture (HC) | 2 | Weekly | 2.00 |
Total Online Learning Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 2.00 Hours
Required & Recommended Book List
Recommended Reading
2021-09-07 The Gold Standard
ISBN 1400224004 ISBN-13 9781400224005
2021-09-07 The Gold Standard
ISBN 1400224004 ISBN-13 9781400224005
Learn how to cultivate the most incredible customer experiences on earth through this essential guide by Colin Cowie, distinguished purveyor of unforgettable "wow" events for the world's most demanding clients. If you're searching for ways to ensure your customers walk away from your company with a smile on their face and a plan to return, you found it. And any business organization can adapt the tools and techniques in this book. Colin Cowie, one of the world's most sought-after event planners, shares the hard-won and hard-nosed advice he has learned through entertaining and engaging stories and examples. He gives readers the indisputable blueprint for creating a customer service culture that anyone can tailor to their own needs, whether you're a shopkeeper, corporate marketing director, or budding event planner Upon coming to the United States from South Africa with $400 in his pocket, Colin built his highly successful catering and event planning business from the ground up to become event planner to the most respected tastemakers and personalities in the world--including Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, and Kim Kardashian, to name a few. In this book, you will: Learn how to formulate your own vision, mission statements, and guiding principles, and effectively communicate them to your team. Learn how you can align your vision with your essential mission statement. Discover the core values, including service and accountability, that fuel Colin's customer care ethos, and how you can apply those values to your own business. Have a renewed understanding of how vitally important it is that you take good care of the people who work for you so they, in turn, can care for your customers. Become armed to inspire and empower your team. Be guided to create your own 'bible' of scripts, protocols, and procedures that will streamline customer care situations while making every customer feel like their individual desires are being taken care of. Learn how to use every complaint as an opportunity, as well as why you should be more afraid of a client who doesn't complain when something goes wrong than one who does.
Required Reading
2020 The Cult of the Customer
ISBN 1640951539 ISBN-13 9781640951532
2020 The Cult of the Customer
ISBN 1640951539 ISBN-13 9781640951532
"This book is about creating a corporate culture that is so focused on taking care of and tending to employees and customers that the culture itself creates evangelists. Evangelists are special people who go out of their way to tell the world just how great you and your company are. They are exactly the kind of advocates that you want your organization's culture to create. That's the end result of The Cult of the Customer. There are many companies who have managed to build a culture that has reached this level-a culture rooted in a concept called amazement. In this book, I'll tell you their stories, show you exactly how they made The Cult of the Customer happen, and show you how you can make it happen, too. You'll start by determining what cult you're in now and then by figuring out what cult you want to be in. Bear this in mind as you make your way through this book: a cult is nothing more or less than a system of shared belief, interest, or experience-in other words, a group of people with a shared agreement about what they will be cultivating together. When it comes to business, I'm in a cult, and I hope you are, too: The Cult of the Customer! Years ago, I identified five phases that customers go through from the time they first start doing business with you until they become loyal to you and your company. That much was set, even though the names I gave those phases changed over time. Here is the interesting part-the part that matters to you and me as business people. Employees of your company go through identical phases. So for a company to create an amazing experience-one that creates not just loyal customers but company evangelists-the employees of that company must move through these phases before the customers do. These phases are the various cults that your company may be in. You'll learn about all these phases in this book"--
Recommended Reading
2020-07-30 Customer Experience 2
ISBN 1912774658 ISBN-13 9781912774654
2020-07-30 Customer Experience 2
ISBN 1912774658 ISBN-13 9781912774654
24 international CX professionals share their current best-thinking, strategies and insights for achieving impact and visibility using world-class, best-practice CX principles. Editors: Naeem Arif, Ian Golding, Andrew Priestley. Contributors are experienced, qualified and certified CX experts including Greg Melia (CEO CXPA), Marleen van Wijk, Sirte Pihlaja, Stefan Osthaus, Daniel Hoff-Rodrigues, Gayana Helder, Olga Guseva, Ruth Crowley, Spiros Milonas, Olga Potaptseva, Nick Lygo-Baker, Richard Jordan, Stacy Sherman, Bruno Guimares, Betl Ylmaz, Michelle Badenhorst, Patricia Sanchez Diaz, Alec Dalton, Janelle Mansfield, Christopher Brooks, Hannah Foley, Umer Asif, Sarb Rana, Sharon Boyd, and Katie Stabler. Topics include: Customer centric culture Organisation adoption and accountability VoC insight and understandings CX design and improvement CX metrics, measurement and ROI CX strategy This is the anticipated follow-up second volume packed with frontline experience, insight and value for professionals wanting to dramatically enhance the customer experience in their organization. The bestselling Customer Experience 1 (November 2019) is available on Kindle and paperback.
Recommended Reading
2012-02-17 Customer Service in Ireland Gill Education
ISBN 071715260X ISBN-13 9780717152605
2012-02-17 Customer Service in Ireland Gill Education
ISBN 071715260X ISBN-13 9780717152605
Updated edition of this popular text introducing the fundamental principles and concepts of customer service and presenting them in an Irish context. New to this edition: DX Ireland customer service case study The impact of technology on customer service The value of nurturing customer trust and loyalty. Role play guidelines and exercises prompt students to engage in and practise the principles of customer service. Develops the skills to deliver good customer care, meet customer needs and effectively deal with customer complaints. Leads to an understanding of the role of customer service in organisational effectiveness. Presents Irish consumer legislation throughout and includes the rights of the individual where relevant. Guides the student through the preparation and implementation of a customer care plan. Includes sample FETAC Level 5 exam papers, general exam questions and exercises. WRITTEN FOR Any course where FETAC Level 5 Customer Service or Level 6 Customer Care is a module.
Module Resources
Non ISBN Literary Resources
Journal Resources
Journal of Marketing.
Harvard Business Review.
Sloan Management Review.
Journal of Services Marketing.
Journal of Service Management.
Journal of Customer Service in Marketing & Management.
URL Resources
www.ccpc.ie
www.thecai.ie
www.cseireland.ie
www.pwc.ie
www.kpmg.ie
www.amarach.ie
www.linkedin.ie
www.mintel.ie
www.mii.ie
www.mckinsey.ie
Other Resources
Industry reports
Marketing magazine
Newspapers - Daily, Sunday, National and International
Business and Finance
The Economist
Times
News Week
Ted talks
Podcasts
Videos
Additional Information
This module uses the service marketing triangle as the model for teaching the principles of customer service.
The focus in three pronged - Customer, Company and Customer Facing Employees. It begins with understanding who the organisation's customers are and what they expect and where those expectations come from. This leads into the role and importance of customer service in the organisation, beginning with the organisation's philosophy of customer service, followed by the exploration of customer standards, the customer charter and the training of staff.
The final element is on the student as an employee and the building of appropriate skills to deliver excellent customer service to both internal and external customers.