252210 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Formative assessment
Self-assessment
What type of service impresses you on the phone?

What type of service irritates you on the phone?

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

Your attitude towards customers

Your ability to answer customer’s questions

The way you talk to customers

Your knowledge about your organisation and what they do

Group Activities
In a group, draw up a list of ten questions that customers usually ask you. Are you able
to help them?

Divide into 5 groups. Each group works with one case study.
 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.
Present your findings to the rest of the class for discussion. 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 …
a) “I am sorry sir, but you should have made sure it was in your name”.
b) “We are short handed and have not had time to update new accounts yet”.
c) “The new accounts clerk is not in, come back tomorrow”.
d) “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…
a) “I packed all your groceries, you must have overlooked them when you
packed them away”
b) “Which items are missing sir? Let me call my Supervisor and we will
replace them for you”
c) “Which items are missing sir? Let me call my Supervisor and see what
action we can take”
d) “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 …
a) “You didn’t speak to me so don’t shout at me.”
b) “You will need to come into the office with your pay slip before I can sort it
out”
c) “I am sorry sir, you must be very frustrated. Let me draw your pay slip
and we can see how to handle this’.
d) “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 …
a) “So I take it you want me to cancel it?”
 b) “Perhaps you should try the bus”
c) “We will make a reservation for you in business class but only charge you
or economy class”
d) “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 …
a) “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”.
b) “Certainly Sir, As we are very busy I have booked it for two weeks on
Friday”
c) “If you have a complaint about the product, please submit it in writing”
d) “I’m sorry about that, we’ve found that this model of fridge is always faulty,
I’ll book a service call”
Note important points on flip chart paper.

Formative assessment: Coping With Difficult

Customers
Scenario
You are working in the support department of a large dealership. It is late in the
afternoon. All the service engineers are out and your boss is elsewhere on business. The
telephone rings and it is a customer complaining about a faulty PC recently delivered...
Analyst: Technical Support, speaking, how may I help?
Customer: This is ________. You delivered my new PC this afternoon and it
doesn't work - the whole thing's just died. I want someone to come out right
now and fix it or bring me another one.

Activity
 In pairs, assign the role of Analyst and Customer
 Take 10 minutes to play out the scenario outlined above to your and the
customer's satisfaction.
 When you and your partner have taken turns at each role, discuss with each
other how well you think you behaved (good or bad)
 Change pairs and repeat the scenario playing the other role

Formative assessment
Self-assessment
Describe a moment of truth as you experience it when walking into a store.

Group activities
Refer to your individual case studies and demonstrate and explain the following to the
rest of the class:
  How you will commit to resolving the complaint
 How you will use the 8 customer need to make sure that the customer is satisfied
with the complaint process
 What support there is in your company for the individual as well as the customer
This is a learning activity where learners should learn from each other. Make notes of
important points

Formative assessment
Group activities
Refer to the individual case studies.
 Describe the steps that have to be taken to solve the customer’s problem
 Name the stakeholders that you have to contact in order to solve this problem
 What is the timeframe within which the problem should be solved?
 Why is it important to stick to the timeframe?
Present your work to the rest of the class

Formative assessment
Individual self-assessment
Do the following self-analysis to determine your level of customer service:

Almost Some- Almost Not

Always times Never Applicable

1. I know my products well, and I always try to teach

my customer more about my organization’s
products or services.

2. I offer my customers options and alternatives so

they may make a wise decision

3. I explain all information, especially answers to their

cancers and questions, carefully, fully, and
respectfully.

4. I do things for my customers, even when it’s not

my job.

5. I accept personal responsibility for solving a

customer’s problem.

6. I routinely follow up with several of my customers

each week to see if they are happy with our
product and services

7. I learn my customer’s name whenever possible,

use their name at least once in a conversation, and
remember their names.

8. I work at noticing something special about each

person or listening for personal information he or
 she might

9. I’m willing to give up personal time (breaks,

lunchtime, at the end of my day, weekends) when
the customer needs it

10. I often do something extra to surprise and please

my customer (exceed expectations).

11. I take a sincere personal interest in my customer,

and their families.

12. I take a sincere personal interest in my customer,

and their families.

13. I really listen to my customers’ needs and feelings,

then I act on what I hear

14. When either my organization or I make a mistake, I

do my very best to fix it.

15. I often make suggestion of other things we can do

to help the customer. If my organization/division or
I can’t solve the customer’s problem, I’ll
recommend another resource.

16. I trust my customers and always assume that their

intentions are honest.

17. I always express my thanks and appreciation for

choosing our organization/division when help a
customer.

18. I always treat the customer with respect, even if

we disagree.

19. I empathize with the customer’s concerns, even if t

don’t agree with them. I use listening skills to
acknowledge his or her feelings and show the
customer that I care

20. Even when the customers aren’t there. I do what’s

best for them-not what’s easiest or fastest for me.

I hope you answered almost always to most of the above questions. If you did not, you
will have to work hard at your customer service skills.

Group activities
Refer to your individual case studies and report the problem as per the procedures in the
organisation

Exercise
Why do you think cooperation is important?
What do you think are the advantages of good communication?

Exercise
In a group, identify internal suppliers for:
Purchasing

Production

Stores

Despatch

Sales

Administration
Finance department

Who are your external suppliers? Also state what they supply. Don’t forget about
telephone, electricity, etc.

What can you do to improve relationships with other departments in your organisation?

What can you do to improve relationships with external suppliers?

Formative assessment
In your groups, discuss the steps you could take to build relationships with suppliers and
customers
Also discuss the opportunities for selling more than one product or service to the same
customer