SITXCCS007: Customer Service and Relationship Handling Project

This project delves into the realm of customer service and relationship handling, focusing on the case study of Black Pearl Epicure, a provider of specialty foods. The project encompasses several key areas, including the characteristics, needs, and expectations of both internal and external customers, such as Kate, the sales manager, Richard, the delivery driver, and various regular customers like Grace and Peter. It explores the products and services offered by Black Pearl, detailing the range of seafood, French delicacies, meat products, salt and spices, cheese, and vegetable oils. The project also addresses add-ons, their benefits, and effective selling strategies, such as free Wi-Fi and supplementary food items. Furthermore, it emphasizes anticipating customer needs, active listening, and customer analysis. The assignment outlines how to ensure product and service actioning before home delivery through a flowchart, and details an action plan for solving customer problems, including gift voucher and product return policies. Procedures for handling complaints and conflicts are also examined. Additionally, the project provides examples of promotional services and a customer feedback form, along with its evaluation and utilization for establishing customer rapport. The project also references the assessment brief which includes the Wholesale Price List and Customer Service policy.

Running head: CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Table of Contents
Assessment 1..............................................................................................................................4
Assessment 2............................................................................................................................11
Answer 1..............................................................................................................................11
Answer 2..............................................................................................................................11
Answer 3..............................................................................................................................11
Answer 4..............................................................................................................................11
Answer 5..............................................................................................................................11
Answer 6..............................................................................................................................11
Answer 7..............................................................................................................................12
Answer 8..............................................................................................................................12
Answer 9..............................................................................................................................12
Answer 10............................................................................................................................12
Answer 11............................................................................................................................12
Answer 12............................................................................................................................13
Answer 13............................................................................................................................13
Answer14.............................................................................................................................13
Answer 15............................................................................................................................13
Answer 16............................................................................................................................13
Answer 17............................................................................................................................13
Answer 18............................................................................................................................13

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Answer 19............................................................................................................................13
Answer 20............................................................................................................................14
Answer 21............................................................................................................................14
Answer 22............................................................................................................................14
Answer 23............................................................................................................................14
Answer 24............................................................................................................................14
Assessment 3............................................................................................................................15
Section 1...............................................................................................................................15
Question 1........................................................................................................................15
Question 2........................................................................................................................15
Question 3........................................................................................................................16
Question 4........................................................................................................................17
Question 5........................................................................................................................18
Question 6........................................................................................................................18
Question 7........................................................................................................................19
Question 8........................................................................................................................19
Question 9........................................................................................................................20
Question 10......................................................................................................................21
Question 11......................................................................................................................21
Question 12......................................................................................................................22
Question 13......................................................................................................................22

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Section 2...............................................................................................................................23
Question 14......................................................................................................................23
Question 15......................................................................................................................23
Question 16......................................................................................................................24
Section 3...............................................................................................................................24
Question 18......................................................................................................................24
Question 19......................................................................................................................24
Question 20......................................................................................................................25
Question 21......................................................................................................................25
Question 22......................................................................................................................25
Section 4...............................................................................................................................26
Question 23......................................................................................................................26
Question 24......................................................................................................................26
Question 25......................................................................................................................26
Question 26......................................................................................................................26
Question 27......................................................................................................................27
References................................................................................................................................28

4CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Assessment 1
1. Characteristics, needs and expectations of internal and external customers at
Black Pearl Epicure
Kate is a very productive employee as she has extensive knowledge about the vast
range of products offered by Black Pearl Epicure. Kate can successfully persuade the
customers in buying the products through her extensive knowledge on food. Kate could much
easily convinced the naïve customers, who would need some help while making the purchase
decision. The organization has made the right decision by appointing Kate as the sales
manager of Black Pearl Epicure. Being at the youth phase of her life, Kate enjoys socializing
by having dinner parties on the weekends. However, in her personal life also she prefers the
food items of Black Pearl Epicure. In order to satisfy and retain Kate in the organization, the
firm should address her needs. In terms of monetary motivation, the firm can increase her pay
or incentive. As part of a non-monetary motivation, the firm can provide their food items at
rebate to Kate, as she prefers eating Black Pearl food items during weekend’s dinner parties.
Richard works as a delivery driver in Black Pearl Epicure therefore he earns a
moderate amount of salary with which he needs to serve his family. Therefore, he cannot
afford to go at rich and expensive diners instead goes to the local golf club. At the age of 46,
Richard would not risk losing this job and finding another one therefore, he performs all the
duties given to him such as delivering to places, which is not under his assigned area. He
expects an adequate pay from Black Pearl, which would help him to sustain his family. The
firm should give some extra compensation to Richard whenever he provides delivery service
to other locations not under his designated area. Due to his hard work, the company should
provide food products as a gift whenever he achieves more than his specified target.
Grace is a regular customer of Black Pearl. As she is quite old, she prefers healthy
food items to the cheese and cream products. Grace does not favor the lactose due to the

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cheesy content yet as Black Pearl offers cheese free lactose, Grace purchases those. The firm
could import more fat free products for Grace and other customers like her to maintain
customer satisfaction. Grace is a business woman as well as a member of Brisbane social set
thus her busy life prevents her from visiting any store therefore the company should address
this need by operating in online mode and providing home delivery services. Having two
adult children and being a business woman makes her life hectic sometimes leading to
frustration therefore her fussy attitude should be handled effectively by the employees of
Black Pearl.
Peter is one of the oldest customer of Black Pearl and has good relations with the
owner of Black Pearl. He leads a lavish lifestyle and always prefers to buy big therefore, the
employees should take extra care of Peter and assist him during shopping.
2. Products and services offered by Black Pearl Epicure
Black Pearl provides a range of products from these five products and services are
listed below:
Black Pearl offers a wide variety of delicious and quality seafood in affordable prices.
Most of the seafood the firm provides are in pickled or caviar form. The various range of fish
and seafood caviar include Grade 1 iranian caviar, yarra valley salmon caviar, sterling royal
caviar, flying fish roe, Tasmanian smoked salmon, yarra valley trout caviar and wood-
smoked tuna.
Black Pearl provides a variety of French delicacies mostly the meat items, which
involves duck confit, foie gras, marriage freres tea, cassoulet and fresh truffles. Duck confeit,
cassoulet and foei gras is made from duck or goose meat. Along with French delicacies the
company also provides a wide range of meat products such as quail, bungalow sweet pork,
crocodile, wood pigeon, boudin noir, pheasant, jamon Serrano, guinea fowl, vension and
saucisson sec.

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Like every other wholesale store, Black Pearl also provides various salt and species
however the salt and spices of Black Pearl constitutes different cuisines such as herbies
spices, French salt, Spanish smoked paprika, chillies, spice pastes, portugese salt, Australian
smoked paprika, exotic spices range, Iranian saffron powder, Himalayan salt and curry.
Cheese is one of the sought after products of Black Pearl. The store provides unique
and premium quality cheese products, which it imports from various countries across the
globe at an affordable price to the consumers. The store offers a wide variety of cheese
products ranging from manchego, Roquefort, tallegio, pyengana, comte gruyere, parmigiano
reggiano, stilton and gorgonzola.
The store provide a range of vegetable oils imported from different countries at an
exotic price. The products include Australian extra virgin olive oils, umbria and amp, pure
citrus oils, Italian extra virgin olive oils from Tuscany, French nut oils, truffle oils and sicily.
3. Add-ons provided, their benefits if provided in package and the process to sell
them effectively
 Free Wi-Fi should be provided inside the store for the customer traffic.
 Based on the customer demand and wants the store can provide extras and add-ons on
their products such as the cheese is in high demand therefore the store can provide
any supplementary food item with cheese.
4. Anticipating customer needs
 Build a clear future vision I should build a clear vision of the future which
would be customer centered. I should be aware of the type of demands made by
the customer and who are the target customers. Thus helping in anticipating the
customer needs.
 Active listening Communication helps to anticipate customer needs and active
listening helps in effective communication. Keeping an open mind, staying alert,

7CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
asking questions and picturing what is being communicated helps in listening
actively to the customer.
 Performing customer analysis Keeping a track of the buying habits of
customers facilitates in anticipating the customer needs. This analysis should be
performing by enquiring the experienced and senior employees about the
customers they have dealt with.
5. How to ensure that all products and services are actioned before customer home
delivery? What would this entail in your service area?
A flowchart designed for delivery service to customers will help in ensuring that all
the products are actioned before their delivery. The flowchart will determine the links
between the customer expectation, service delivery and successfully meeting with the
customer expectations. The chart will ensure the figures and maps related to the delivery of
the products and service.
6. Action plan for solving customer problems
The management should check whether the customer was properly informed about the
expiry date of the gift voucher. If it is found that fault was with the institution who issued the
gift voucher then the store is liable to extend the gift voucher by charging some fees. If the
customer is faulty then the store is not liable to make any compensation.
According to the return policy of the wholesale store, the customer is capable of a full
refund as the food items were unfit for consumption.
When the customer comes for picking up the product the employee can give the
customer an explanation that the ordered cheese was damaged while transportation or delay
in arrival of the cheese and instead of that can provide a different cheese at a rebate due to the
inconvenience.
7. Ensuring proper service provisions and reducing problems

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The complaints handling policy provides solutions for all the problems and grievances
of the customers. The store provides opportunity to every customer in making a complaint if
they are dissatisfied with the service or any employee of the store. All the employees should
be informed and made to understand the complaint handling policy and its procedures.
Maintaining anonymity of the customer making a complaint will help in receiving honest
reviews. The complaints made by the customers will be observed without any biasness, the
needs of the customers and situation during the sales will be considered during the procedure.
The staff members, against whom complaints will be lodged, will be informed and given an
opportunity for explanation and sometimes extra support will be given to them. If possible
the company policies regarding complaint handling will be changed.
8. Procedures and requirements for dealing with conflicts.
If any customer is dissatisfied with the service or product they make lodge a
complaint according to the complaint handling policy of the store. The customers can either
verbally communicate with the staff about their complain. If the staff members are unable to
solve the problem then the customer can opt for non-verbal communication mode or
customer service staff over phone. The customer can fill up the feedback form on the official
website of the store or email the authorities. First the complaints has to be recorded and
acknowledged by the complaint handling team, the team must review and investigate the
complaint to find out who is faulty. After the investigation is done the team take action on
behalf of the complaint and a record of the complaint is kept for continuous improvement
process.
9. Three examples of promotional service and its effective use
 CollaborationsForming collaborations with other brands helps to expand the
business reach and minimize the resources used for promotions. For example, forming

9CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
partnerships with other brands involved in agro merchandising will help in boosting
the sales as well as gain unique promotional ideas.
 Sale of the returned products The returned goods are treated as a loss. However,
goods returned due to improper packaging or food items, which are close to the
expiry, can be used for resale. It is termed as garage sale where the products are sold
at a very low price and the needy consumers happily purchase them.
 Exclusive sales Everyone loves to be a part of something exclusive. The store can
host an exclusive sale and include hose customers who are loyal to their store.
10. Developing a customer feedback form
A customer feedback form helps to understand the suggestions from the customer
regarding a specific service or product. Below is the outline of a customer feedback form:
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK FORM
Personal Details:
Name:
Mobile number:
Address:
Email:
Your special preferences for any product or services:
Feedback:
Was the customer service satisfactory to you?
Yes No Average
If no, please state the reason:
Was the staff courteous and respectful?
Yes No Average
If no, please state the reason:
Did you find the products you were searching for?
Yes No

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If no, please state the reason:
Please provide some suggestions regarding our product and services:
11. Explain how you will evaluate this feedback form, how you would utilise the
collected data and how this would be useful to establish ongoing customer rapport.
The data collected through the feedback form need to be decoded for improving the
product and services of the store. The staff have to go through every feedback form and
analyze the data, specially the dichotomous questions, statistically. The graph and chart
showing either the highest positive or negative results should be priority for the store. The
results of this customer feedback form will help the store in realizing their weakness and
strengths thereby enhancing the performance of the store, which would in turn increase the
customer satisfaction. Thus helping in building a customer rapport.

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Assessment 2
Answer 1
(a) People of different ages – look at the same aspects of products and services when making
their selection
(b) People on higher incomes – make different choices to those on budgets or limited
incomes
(c) People of different cultures – are drawn to similar things
(d) Clientele with young families – may look for the same holiday destination as those who
are single
Answer 2
(c) Tour group participants – often do so because this kind of travel offers a more stress-free,
cheaper and convenient travel experience, with opportunities to visit many attractions in a
short space of time.
Answer 3
(c) Which proportion of the price pays for the brand name?
Answer 4
b. Supervisors
Answer 5
b. Providing honest information
Answer 6
a. With today’s increased service expectations, it is not common practice to encourage a
service that goes above and beyond normal operations.

12CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Answer 7
a. Business travelers – may have good English proficiency; bring limited luggage; do not
require directions and local information; do not seek out cultural activities; don’t appreciate
friendly and personal service
b. Families – need luggage assistance; require car parking; prefer suites to separate sleeping
areas; do not require directions and local information
c. International tourists – need luggage assistance; require car parking; may require
additional bedding or cots; prefer suites to separate sleeping areas from entertainment areas;
interested in pool and recreational facilities
d. Backpackers – are not experienced travelers; are patient about mistakes; need
functional/uncomplicated rooms; no internet access and telecommunications; don’t need fast
service
Answer 8
a. Avoid certain foods, e.g. Muslims and Jews do not eat pork.
Answer 9
b. Down selling – is a technique whereby prices are quoted starting at a cheaper item and
moving down to further cheaper options.
Answer 10
d. Special dietary requests
Answer 11
c. The secondary close– involves letting the customer make a smaller decision that
commits them to a bigger decision. It can be combined with the alternative close
approach with good effect.

13CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Answer 12
c. Our customers’ time should be viewed as especially valuable and holding them up
unnecessarily will impact on the enjoyment of their visit.
Answer 13
c. If the customer does not need to be present, direct them to carry on with their activities
and offer assurance that the task will be attended to during their absence.
Answer14
d. The close and regular contact helps to build relationships between the businesses.
Answer 15
b. By having knowledgeable staff, you will encourage suggestions of new or improved
products and services.
Answer 16
b. Reduce the effect of the problem – e.g. by creating a substitute menu item; or offering a
similar experience instead of the unavailable one.
Answer 17
c. Respond – if the fault lies with the organisation, apologise immediately. If unsure,
apologise empathetically, expressing understanding for how they might be feeling.
Inform the guest what action you will take.
Answer 18
b. By listening to the complaint and finding solutions you defuse the situation and are able
to retain the customer.
Answer 19
b. Receiving a complaint is not a problem in itself; rather it should be seen as an
opportunity for quality improvement.

14CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Answer 20
a. Customers’ names, preferences, special requirements and details of products and
services that have been purchased.
Answer 21
c. Adjusting prices according to high levels of demand to enhance business profitability.
Answer 22
a. New staff members should be alerted to regular customers and their preferences.
Answer 23
d. Positive information from feedback is great for staff morale and negative information can
pinpoint areas which require staff training and improved service.
Answer 24
c. It is important to avoid direct eye contact with customers and avoid personal
conversation with customers as this is considered too personal and does not help to
establish rapport.

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Assessment 3
Section 1
Question 1
Provide 4 examples for different needs of customers according to demographic markets
Markets are segmented based on the demographics of customers in order to attract
potential customers. To answer this question four examples of various customer needs are
chosen based on the demographic market, which are illustrated below:
 Customer’s demographics of a salon and hairdresser An hairdresser business attract
different kinds of customers from different demographics. The hairdresser can expect
young male customers who would desire an edgy and stylish cut or group of middle
aged women who desire a cut or hair color every month.
 Financial services Businesses providing financial services need to target people
who have higher incomes.
 Real estate businessA first time buyer will have different needs than a second time
house buyer. There would difference in needs among young customers and middle
aged customers.
Question 2
What are the general, behavioural characteristics of the following type of customers?
 Younger people
 Business or corporate travellers
 A visitor or tourist

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Till age 12, parents have very high influence over the purchase decisions of children. In
adulthood the adults gain an independent lifestyle and involve themselves in complex
purchase decisions.
Business travellers visit a place for a short period of time, they prefer everything to be
arranged in time. Sightseeing and leisure activities does not come under their main priorities.
A traveller has an adventurous personality which is perceived as an advantage in the
tourism industry. Travellers prefer fashionable clothes, are health conscious, prefers to
meet new people, make friends or like partying.
Question 3
What are the general needs and characteristics of the following customer groups?
 Family tourists
 Individual tourists
 Tour group Participants
 Backpackers
 Domestic tourists
 Conferences and the corporate market
Family tourists prioritize the needs of their children, local experiences, adventures and
creating memories. Family tourists demand for less time on road and a comfortable
accommodation during their travel (Niemczyk, 2015).
Individual travelers tend to be irresponsible or not acquainted with their needs. These
travelers generally have a tendency of escaping from their home environment. Individual
travelers usually prefer beaches as their travel destinations.
Tour group participants are generally on a low budget. They prefer a low to average
accommodation and food supplies. The group participants are mostly depended on one

17CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
another for showing way during travel. These people do not prefer travelling solo rather they
like to make friends during their travel.
Backpackers does not prefer a lavish accommodation during their travel, they view
shower, gourmet meals as a luxury. They prefer visiting those destinations, which are
mentioned in any guidebooks or travel destinations.
Domestic tourists usually visit religious pilgrims or houses of friends. They are much
more knowledgeable than the international tourists are as they visit places within their own
country (Frolova, Rogach, Kabanova and Ryabova 2016).
Most conferences require larger rooms to make the conference more lucrative and
increase the professional status of the conference.
Question 4
Which questions would you need to answer to establish a clear customer profile once
you have decided which market segments are part of your target market?
The data based on the age, gender, marital status, income, business or profession of
the customer help to understand the target demography. On the basis of this demography the
following questions are prepared to create an ideal customer profile:
1. Which product or service would I like to sell to my target customers?
2. My product or service provide solution to which problem prevailing in the society.
3. What is the gender and age of the customers who frequently purchase my product or
service?
4. What is the annual income of my frequent customers?
5. What will be my unique selling point, which would provide me a competitive
advantage?
6. Where does my business originate?
7. Which marketing strategies have become successful in past and why?

18CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Question 5
Which questions should you ask yourself to determine whether you meet customer
needs and expectations from a customer’s perspective?
For exploring more about the wants and needs of my target customers, I need to ask
myself the following questions:
What am I looking for in the store or organization?
What are my interests?
Which products interests me?
What do I think about the company’s catalogue?
Did I find the products easily?
What interested me in the offer before purchasing?
For which occasion am I purchasing this product or service?
Did I use any search engine to gather information before the purchase?
What made me choose the product?
Was I satisfied with the purchase?
Does the product meet my expectations?
Question 6
Provide 5 examples for internal customers
Internal customer is a member or employee of an organization, consuming services
given by the organization to them and not to any external customers. The examples of
internal customers of an organization are mentioned below:
 Human resources
 Operations

19CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
 Information technology
 Consulting
 Facility management
Question 7
Provide 7 examples for common service standards that should be upheld in the
Tourism, Hospitality and Events industry.
 Speed standards The query made by the customers should be answered within the
minimum time available. The time to solve the issue and waiting period of the
customer should be as short as possible.
 Accuracy standards Customers should get what they have come for, it will increase
the satisfaction of the customers.
 Efficiency standards The customer issues should be solved with efficiency and
speed. There should not be any backlog.
 Customers should be greeted in a respectful, professional and courteous manner.
 Listening effectively to the consumers, their request and taking necessary actions. The
customers should be informed about the time that will be needed for solving the issue.
They should be informed if any delay occurs.
 The questions and requests made on the company websites should be answered within
24 hours.
 While communicating with the customer the staff should maintain a direct eye contact
and high tone of voice.
Question 8
What are the underlying principles and methods which can be used to anticipate
customers’ needs in the TH&E industry?

20CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
 The company should look for the problem which needs to be solved not the products
which needs to be sold The company should prioritize in solving the problem first.
Making a problem solving decision will help in achieving customer satisfaction (Han
and Hyun 2015).
 The customers should be allowed to try the product before they purchase them
Customers need to try the product before they purchase them. Many software
companies allow trial usage for their customers before they purchase the actual
version.
 Giving attention to the future demands and current customer needs The current
customers should be considered within the future initiative that would be taken by the
company.
 Provide customers with a way for sharing their ideas The customer should be
engaged in conversation in a way which will help to solve their problems.
Opportunities should be provided for capturing what the customers say and do.
Question 9
What are the typical needs you should consider when providing advice and services to
the following type of customers?
Business travelers
Families
International tourists
Business travelers need accommodation for large number of guests with comfortable
beds and additional features. Along with it, WiFi is necessary for researching and gathering
data for work proposals. The guests need wakeup calls in the morning and proper
arrangement for dining. The location of the hotel can be fascinating which will help the

21CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
travelers in discovering the area after their area. Lastly, there should be convenient mode of
transport.
Question 10
Provide 5 examples for general expectations and requirements which would typically
apply to customers from diverse cultures
 Knowing the customers Talking with customers will help in understanding their
culture and gather some knowledge about their beliefs and values. Knowing the
customers will help in meeting their needs.
 Recognise their communication patterns Paying attention to the communication of
the customers will help in understanding their needs and demands.
 Gathering knowledge relating to the culture of customers The staff should
memorise some phrases of their language. The staff should be knowledgeable about
the various culture.
 Building relationshipsThe employees should build a cultural relationship with the
customers for conducting a business.
 A diverse workforce will attract a diverse range of customers A welcoming
environment reflecting diverse cultures will prevent the customers from feeling an
outsider.
Question 11
Explain the principles of the following sales techniques:
 Upselling
 Downselling
 Cross-selling
 Suggestive selling

22CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
a. Upselling – This practice often uses the technique of starting from the cheapest price
and moving to more expensive options until the customer selects the level which
appeals to them.
b. Down selling – is a technique whereby prices are quoted starting at a cheaper item and
moving down to further cheaper options.
c. Cross-selling – refers to an offer from your product range that you do not sell to an
existing customer. For example: you would not cross-sell a holiday package to an
existing corporate client.
d. Suggestive selling – gives you the chance to recommend options that the customer had
already considered. The idea behind suggestive selling is to show little interest in the
customer.
Question 12
Provide 7 examples for Extras and Add-ons to offerings in the TH&E industry
Seven examples for extras and add-ons provided by the tourism, hospitality and event
industry are:
 Additional destinations
 Special packages or special offers
 Seat selection prior to travel
 Provision for extra food
 Anniversaries and birthdays
 Discount vouchers or services provided at reduced rate
 Travel insurance
Question 13
Explain the following techniques which could be used for making a sale:
The alternative close or preference close.

23CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
The summative close
The secondary close or incremental close
a. The alternative close– involves providing the customer with 2 choices. People do not
like to be given an ultimatum to buy something, so giving them a choice between 2 or
more options and lets them feel in control.
b. The summative close – can be used when the conversation has run out; don’t ask the
customer whether they have any other concerns or questions. Sum up the
disadvantages to both parties.
c. The secondary close– involves letting the customer make a smaller decision that
commits them to a bigger decision. It can be combined with the alternative close
approach with good effect.
Section 2
Question 14
What is the essential procedure to be followed when providing service to customers?
What is the importance of teamwork for effective service provisions?
 The staff should analyze the reason, which rose the problems, the person lodging the
complaint and frequency of the complaint encountered.
 The details of the findings should be recorded for proof and future references.
 The employees should understand the customer needs for providing a solution.
 The employees should have full information of the company’s budget, service and
communication for taking better action to achieve the solution.
 Fast action should be taken and follow up after the task is mandatory.

24CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Question 15
What are the requirements for communicating delays in service and prioritizing service
requests from customers?
The employees should make sure that the complaints of the customers is properly heard and
then the problem solving decision takes place.
The response time should be reduced to the minimum extent.
Question 16
What is the importance of liaising with colleagues and suppliers to ensure effective
customer service provisions?
To ensure proper delivery of service the employees need to talk to other departments or their
colleagues for providing the associated services.
Q17.
Sharing information you have gained on your products and market with your
colleagues will enhance team effectiveness, by focussing all staff members on providing
the same type and level of service to customers.
List 4 examples of information which should be shared with colleagues.
Legal issues, availability, changes in price, changes in methods and upcoming offers are
some of the types of information which should be shared with the colleagues.
Section 3
Question 18
Provide 5 proactive steps you should take to prevent and respond to service or quality
issues in customer service
According to Ţîţu Răulea and Ţîţu (2016),
 Knowing the customers
 Getting leadership or responsibility of the problem

25CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
 Spending effort and time on the customer issues
 Procuring the right people for handling customer issues
 Building a culture of customer service
Question 19
Which key aspects should you consider when dealing with unhappy patrons to prevent
an escalation?
The employees must stay calm, composed and apologized for their mistakes. They
should take total accountability and responsibility of the customer issues and their needs.
Question 20
List and explain the 5 step procedure which should be followed for a successful
resolution of a problem
 The source responsible for the conflict should be identified and defined
 The conflict situation should be perceived from other angles.
 A solution should be reached after analysing the different viewpoints
 The solution should resonate with both the customer and the organization
 An agreement should be made
Question 21
What is the importance of assessing a customer’s body language and responses for
solutions during a conflict situation?
Human communication is necessary for conducting a business and solving conflicts. Body
language is form of human communication. Understanding the body language of your
customer will help in understanding what is going on in their mind and their emotions.

26CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Question 22
Which organisational constraints and policies do you need to consider when dealing
with a complaint?
The customers should be informed about the procedure for lodging a problem.
Section 4
Question 23
Provide 3 examples for data which should be collected when creating a customer data
base
 PrivacyAll information relating to the customer should be kept private and
protected
 TargetingCustomers needs have to be organized according to their different
profiles.
 UpdateThe customer data base needs to be updated regularly as their needs and
preferences keeps on changing.
Question 24
Provide 4 examples for benefits of a customer data base to Tourism, Hospitality &
Events businesses
 It develops a customer loyalty
 The customer service is enhanced
 A brand affinity is created
 Easier for launching new products

27CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
Question 25
What is the importance of sharing customer information with relevant staff in an
organisation?
The true information will help in making better decisions, will promote trust, ensure efficient
collaboration, promote synergy and build an integrated workflow.
Question 26
How could you establish a customer profile? How do customer profiles assist a business
in providing products and services effectively?
Focus should be on the problem for solving it, the customer demographics should be properly
established and feedback should be collected from time to time.
Question 27
What is the importance of establishing rapport with customers? Which methods are
useful to help establish rapport?
Building rapports with the team members will help in getting along with the members.
Creating a bond between the employees will help in enhancing the efficiency of the team.

28CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIP HANDLING
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