Business and Admin Level 2 Unit 2 assessment answers

Business and Administration
© Creating Careers Ltd 2011-2014 Page 1 of 19
Unit two: Principles of providing administrative services
Assessment
You should use this file to complete your Assessment.
 The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk
 Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly
 When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference
 Then, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My
Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and
Assessment number.
Please note that this Assessment document has 13 pages and is made up of 9
Sections.
Name: D S
Section 1: Using the telephone
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 1: Understand how to
make and receive telephone calls.
Learning objective Place in Assessment
1.1 Describe the different features of telephone systems and
how to use them
Question 1 Page 1
1.2 Describe how to follow organisational procedures when
making and receiving telephone calls
Question 2 Page 2
1.3 Explain the purpose of giving a positive image of self and
own organisation
Question 2 Page 2
1. Complete the table below with descriptions of at least two different features of a
telephone system and how / when they would be used. [1.1]
Feature How / when used
1.
Conference Calls
This feature is used when one needs to
speak to one or more people. This feature
can be used when same information needs
to be communicated to more than one
person and it saves time because it helps in
doing the above as well as answer all
questions or opinions from different people
at the same time.
2.
Speed Dialling
Speed dialling is a feature which uses
abbreviated dialling. It is helpful when one
needs to call certain people on regular
basis. They could be suppliers, regular
customers or any other people one needs
to be in regular touch with. This feature
saves time of looking back the contact
details when you need to make calls
urgently.

2. Prepare a brief report advising people on:
 How to follow organisational procedures when making and receiving
telephone calls
 The purpose of giving a positive image of yourself and your organisation when
making and receiving telephone calls.
If possible, use specific information from procedures in your own organisation (or
one that you are familiar with). [1.2] [1.3]
In today’s business world, being a skilled telephone user is essential. Most organisations
follow set procedures for making and receiving telephone calls. These procedures must be
followed in order to create a positive image of the organisation.
When receiving calls, the first thing that you should do is to greet the caller with time of the
day and name of the business, own name, followed by how can the caller be helped. In
response, the caller might greet back, tell their name and tell the purpose of their call or the
person they wish to speak to. Before proceeding any further, it is important to keep a pen
and paper handy and take notes or message in a neat handwriting about the information
provided by the caller above. If their name is unusual, they can be requested to spell it out.
This completes the identification of caller procedure.
Next step is to assess whether you are able to help the caller yourself or you need to pass it
on to the best person who can help them in place of the person they wish to speak to is not
available. If no one is able to help them, it is best to take a short message and other relevant
details and pass it on to your colleague. It is sometimes possible, that the caller doesn’t
want to disclose the purpose of their call or seems reluctant in replying to the basic
questions. In this case, it should be understood that the caller might have a confidential
reason to call and their name and phone number should be passed on to the respective
person.
All the above procedures show and create a positive image of you and your organisation
when your telephone manner is polite and courteous, even to the cold callers who often
need to be politely declined or are only given set answers to all questions etc with a positive
tone, you have used a simple language and not slangs or technically strong language which
might not be necessary, you have taken correct message and be careful when taking phone
numbers or email addresses by repeating them to make sure you have the correct
information.
Similarly making calls also require certain procedures and planning as without it, you might
end up having incomplete information which leads to incomplete work or mistakes. Before
making a call, you need to jot down all the questions in the right order of requirement that
have to be asked during the call, leave space for the answers or information that you will be
given, clarify if you have not understood anything so that you get the correct information.
For making calls as well, you can create a positive image of you and the organisation by
following basic telephone courtesies like greeting, polite tone, speaking with clarity and
slowly etc. Even when you make a call to provide information, it is very important to make a

list of what all the person needs to be told so that nothing is left out. In return, if you are
asked any question and you do not know the answer, rather than getting angry or rude, it is
very polite to seek help and give the right answer rather creating a bad impression by
delaying or giving wrong answer.

Section 2: Handling mail
handle mail.
2.1 Explain the purpose of correctly receiving, checking and
sorting incoming and outgoing mail or packages
Question 1 Page 3
2.2 Identify different internal and external mail services
available to organisations
Question 2 Page 3
2.3 Describe the methods of calculating postage charges for
mail or packages
Question 3 Page 4
1. Explain the purpose of correctly receiving, checking and sorting mail and
packages (both incoming and outgoing). [2.1]
Flow of mail in any business is important for its success. It can be used for many reasons and
purposes. This includes transfer of materials, equipment and invoices from suppliers,
transferring information or services, important correspondence, samples, orders for goods
and services, invoices or payment cheques from clients and suppliers, important legal
documents or requests for products and services etc.
Poor mail handling can harm the business in many ways like business loss if information
required is not sent on time, loss of business and income if order for products and services
are delayed in being delivered, loss of opportunities and penalties if legal documents are not
sent by deadlines, annoyance of suppliers if they have to chase invoices and more.
Sorting of mail needs accuracy and diligence and one or more members of staff are
employed for receiving, checking and sorting of letters and packages, depending on the size
of the business.
Incoming mail is required to be opened (unless marked confidential), contents removed,
date stamped, attach enclosures if any and then put them in their relevant pigeon holes or
trays belonging to different departments.
Inter departmental mail also requires equal importance. It has to be sorted as per their
addressee and subject matter. Internal mail is generally collected by different department
staff or has to be put in their tray.
Outgoing mail is also treated in the similar way which is sort them according to in what time
frame they need to be sent, which postal service should be used and then franked or sent
accordingly.
2. Complete the table below with the following information:
 At least two examples of internal mail services that are available to
organisations
 At least two examples of external mail services that are available to
organisations [2.2.]
Internal mail services External mail services
Internal mail service: This service is
used to handle mail between
Royal Mail: It contributes to majority of
mail and parcel delivery. Everyone from

departments and branch companies.
they use designated branch pouches to
segregate mail. Confidential mail is sent
in sealed envelopes or secured
containers as per its sensitivity. The
internal courier can also be assigned to
get the signatures for any mail that
needs to be hand delivered.
a smaller firm to a large organisation
use their services. Many companies
have a royal mail franking machines
within the building so it can be duly
stamped according to the time it needs
delivering in and then just posted in a
post box or given to the post office.
Intranet: Most of the companies use
their internal email system for
communication which is called Intranet.
It is a facility used to send confidential
and general mail, meeting invites,
calendar appointments etc.
MyHermes Parcels: It is a parcel or
courier service which is used for
sending packages delivering locally,
insured and signed for and international
at reasonable rates.
3. Describe two methods that you can use to calculate postage charges for mail and
/ or packages. [2.3]
There are many ways we can use to send letters and packages today. The cost of sending
letters and parcels depends on various factors. They are:
- Time and date when they need to be delivered.
- Are they going local or international.
- Contents of the letter (confidential, needs to be hand delivered or treated as general
post).
- Contents of the parcel (fragile or non-fragile, perishable or non-perishable, spoilable
etc).
- Size, weight and shape of the letter or parcel.
- Does it need to be tracked or signed for.
- Does the package need insurance in case of expensive items.
After considering these points, the type of service is used. Royal mail has classified their
postage and parcel services into first class, second class, next day, 48 hours, signed for and
tracked, international tracked and signed for etc.
Because royal mail prices seem to be higher, there are postage comparison sites which are
available for use by people. It helps you choose options from the above list and give you the
list of various postage options available. They are Parcelcompare, iParcel, Parcelmonkey,
Myhermes etc. The best available option one chooses can be booked and paid for.
The charges for these companies depend on the service they provide which is collection
from home that facilitates people who are not mobile so they get their parcels collected.
They also provide insurance of the goods sent so that one is rest assured to get their money
back if their parcel is lost in transit.

Section 3: Using different types of office equipment
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 3: Understand how to use
different types of office equipment.
3.1 Identify different types of equipment and their uses Question 1 Page 5
3.2 Explain the purposes of following manufacturer’s
instructions when using equipment
Question 2 Page 5
3.3 Explain the purpose of keeping equipment clean, hygienic
and ready for the next user
Question 3 Page 5
1. Describe the main types of equipment found in offices and how they are used.
Include examples of at least three different types of office equipment. [3.1]
Most administrative tasks are done with the help of equipment. They are used to make
work faster, easier and cost effective. The purchase of equipment depends on the size of the
business and the volume of work done. The main types include:
- Computers: Most of the office work is done on computers and it is a necessity in
every business whether small or large. It makes most of the tasks whether it is data
entry, writing reports, letters or documents, making posters, emails and other
correspondence much simpler and saves a lot of time.
For e.g.
Desktops: They are used in every office, school, factory and many more. They are
used for interactive learning and research work by teachers and students in school,
data entry, recording information etc in an office and for operating machinery in
factories.
- Printers: Printers are used by almost everyone who work in an office environment.
They are used mainly for correspondence like letters, documents, record keeping
etc. The size and type of printers depend on its demand and usage.
For e.g. Inkjet Printer is used for small offices or even homes because they don’t
have much printing requirements and is compact and cheap
LaserJet printer is used by large organisations who do a lot of printing, scanning
faxing etc
- Photocopiers: These are mainly used for making multiple copies of one document
which can be in the form of letter, documents, certificates, reports etc. They can
produce large number of copies within seconds and are cost effective. They also
have a facility of doing back to back copies to save paper, making booklets, hole
punch and staple, enlarge and reduce size and they can be connected to many
computers at one time and can be used for functions like printing, scanning faxing
and emailing too.
- Scanner: Scanner is used to make copies of pre-made documents which are not
available as a soft copy. They can be signed letters, pages of a book or magazine or
any other document provided by anyone who doesn’t not want to or is able to give
originals. They can be made into soft copies after scanning and can be reprinted.

- Fax Machine: Fax machines are not much popular these days as most of the
documents can be sent electronically with the help of scanners, copiers or
computers, but due to any reason if the facility is not available, these can be used. It
works on a telephone line and to be able to send a fax, the receiver should also have
a fax machine.
2. Explain the purpose of following manufacturer’s instructions when using
equipment. [3.2]
Manufacturer’s instructions provide us with technical information and specific details about
equipment that which is not found anywhere else and can help reduce the risk of hazards.
They ensure that the equipment is used appropriately or only when necessary, according to
the instructions provided which means that there is less likely to be any problem with it in
the future.
Manufacturer’s instructions are there to protect the health and safety of all workers and
make sure that the equipment is used safely. If these instructions are not followed, it can be
a safety risk for the employee and the organisation.
For e.g. When using a shredding machine, it’s important that the machine is turned off when
emptying the bin and clearing the shredding section or while using the shredder, not to feed
too much paper at a time as this may cause it to get stuck and stop working or keeping fingers
away from the teeth when feeding the paper into the shredder etc.
In order to assure that any work equipment does not deteriorate to the extent that it may
put people at risk, it needs to be maintained in an efficient state by efficient usage of
equipment means being used according to the way it should be or the purpose for which
the equipment is designed and according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the
equipment remains within the manufacturer’s warranty and guarantee, it would save the
costs of servicing, replacement of any parts or the equipment itself if it gets worn out or is
damaged due to any other reason than negligence.
Following the above helps in reducing the wastage of material and manpower, keeps
accidents and safety hazards away and also provides the best results to the consumers
which is beneficial to the organisation economically.
3. Explain the purpose of keeping equipment clean, hygienic and ready for the next
user. [3.3]
Keeping anything clean prolongs its life. This is a well-known fact and applies to not only
machines but people too. People are mobile and have brains so they know how much
cleanliness and hygiene is important and it is their responsibility to keep the equipment they
use in a hygienic and clean which means free from dirt, dust, bacteria and germs which
would prolong its life as well as make it safe for every user.
The machines work with electricity so it is important to keep fluids or liquids away from it
because any spillage can lead to a short circuit which is a safety hazard. Similarly, any food
item or using an equipment with dirty hands can make the equipment unsafe for any other
user and could cause infection if they are unaware, so it is important to clean the equipment
with anti-bacterial sprays or use hand sanitizer before touching any equipment so no germs
are spread.

The main benefit of keeping the equipment clean and dirt free helps in keeping it in better
condition which saves the cost of servicing or maintenance to the organisation.
Section 4: Minimising waste at work
keep waste to a minimum in a business environment.
4.1 Explain why waste should be kept to a minimum in a
business environment
Question 1 Page 6
4.2 Identify the main causes of waste that may occur in a
business environment
Question 2 Page 6
4.3 Identify ways of keeping waste to a minimum in a business
environment
Question 3 Page 6
1. Explain why waste should be kept to a minimum in a business environment. [4.1]
Keeping waste to a minimum works the same in a business environment as anywhere else.
It contributes to the environment positively whether it is solid waste, water waste or carbon
emissions. In a business environment, the waste that needs to be kept to minimum is
materials, time, manpower and resources.
The resources are consumed by inefficient processes or unimportant activities. This links to
the waste of time because the processes have to be redone. It results to waste of
manpower as the important work or activities are ignored due to unimportant ones. The
materials produced by the above process are left over as a waste stock as they do not meet
the requirements of a consumer and are discarded which then results in losses to the
business and also harms the environment as all waste ends up in a landfill.
All the above result in employees becoming negligent about using the available resources
seeing the already existing wasteful culture of the business. This also reduces their efficiency
and attitude towards work.
For example: A dress making company produces 10K skirts as part of an assignment but uses
a pattern which does not suit the end product. All these skirts are rejected by the customer
and have to be sold on dirt cheap prices to get rid of them. This whole process results in
wastage of material, time to make the item, manpower as they will have to do the work
again and loss of customers in future due to ill fame of the business.
2. Identify at least two main causes of waste in a business environment. [4.2]
Waste in the terms of business environment means waste of time, resources and energy. All
of them contribute towards making a business bare loss and make it less viable. Some of the
causes of waste are:
 Material and Equipment
- Waste of paper: An average employee prints about 10000 pages annually
which adds up to about 3.7 million tons of paper purchased. These days most

of the documents are sent, received and mailed electronically which does not
require to be printed and kept as a record unless something needs to have
hard copies as backup. The best ways to avoid waste of paper is to save
documents electronically, print double sided, use tablets or reusable note
books so that too much paper is not used.
- Bulk of departmental purchases: This is the most common example of waste.
In a business, different departments order their own materials according to
usage which costs more as it is bought in smaller quantities. To save this
wastage, a common list of items needs to be prepared which has all the items
and can be ordered in one go and then distributed according to their
requirement.
 People
- Human Error: To err is human but making a lot of errors can cause harm and
loss to the business. These mistakes waste time and effort of the one doing
the work and those who are getting affected by the errors. Such people can
become a liability and therefore replaced.
- Lack of Training: Some organisations replace staff and put them to do the
task they are employed for and learn while they do the work. This causes
another reason for waste as the work done is not of a standard quality and
hence rejected or has to be redone which consumes manpower, time and
materials.
3. How can you keep waste to a minimum in a business environment? Describe at
least two ways of doing this. [4.3]
Keeping waste to a minimum helps the business in many ways. It makes the employees
more efficient, helps workers to finish on time and keeps the workplace environment
friendly. There are many ways to keep waste to a minimum. Some of the ways are:
 Recycling and reusing: A business should invest in recycling bins to be kept in every
corner or near desks so that the staff can use these bins more easily rather than
putting paper in a waste bin. Using ceramic cups instead of plastic as they are
difficult to recycle. Reuse cardboard boxes and files so that a business can save
money to buy new ones. Keep printing to a minimum and shred the confidential
waste and recycle them. Avoid bringing plastic bottles for drinking water but use
glass or steel bottles.
 Making staff more aware: Another way to minimise waste is to periodically ask
everyone to purge their desks of excess pens, stickers, sticky notes and other
supplies and order a reasonable amount of supplies so there is no oversupply. Make
rules that staff should not take supplies home with them, or use printers/copiers for
excessively. A designated staff should organise supplies and remove those that are
out of date. Requesting for supplies from a specific person by a deadline so one
order can be placed. Turning off equipment and lights when leaving the room or the
desk for long period of time will also help reduce waste.

Section 5: Making arrangements for meetings
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 5: Know how to make
arrangements for meetings.
5.1 Identify different types of meetings and their main features Question 1 Page 7
5.2 Identify the sources and types of information needed to
arrange a meeting
Question 2 Page 7
5.3 Describe how to arrange meetings Question 2 Page 7
1. Complete the table below listing at least two different types of meetings and
describing the main features of each type of meeting. [5.1]
Type of meeting Main features
Problem solving and Brainstorming Meeting
- Putting forward an agenda on what
needs to be discussed or solved.
- Collaborate with right people to attend
and bring them together at one place.
- Give various tasks which relates to the
problem and encourage staff to
brainstorm through them.
- When results are in, discuss all possible
options and choose the best option
which solves the purpose of having the
meeting.
Information Broadcast Meeting
- For this meeting, company intranet is
the best option to choose.
- Information is broadcasted to all the
employees.
- Employees are encouraged to comment
on the same.
- Questions are asked on their comments
and reasons are requested.
- This meeting is a form of team building
exercise which can be done regularly.

2. When arranging a meeting:
 What sources and types of information are typically needed? [5.2]
 How should meetings be arranged? [5.3]
Arranging a meeting needs precision and accuracy in terms of purpose, agenda and
attendees. It is very important to set an objective of a meeting, which should be clear and
brief. It could be to communicate important information, making decisions, resolve problem
or assign tasks and actions. This would then determine the participants or attendees of the
meeting.
Selecting a meeting date and time based on availability of the meeting leader is equally
important information that is required for it to happen. Each attendee should be sent a
decided date and time when the meeting will take place and a confirmation is awaited.
Upon the receipt of the confirmation, the number of attendees is finalised, and a venue is
decided where that number of attendees can fit comfortably.
Materials like projector, screen, white board, eraser and pen is also an important part of the
arrangement of the meeting as they may or may not be needed but should be available if
required.
Finally, as per the role of the attendees of the meeting, an agenda is set which identifies
who will present the information and how it will be shared. It could be in the form of a
PowerPoint presentation which helps in sharing information, assigning future actions and
describes how the goals of the meeting will be met.

Section 6: Organising travel and accommodation
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 6: Understand procedures
for organising travel and accommodation arrangements.
6.1 Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and
requirements for business travel and accommodation
Question 1 Page 8
6.2 Outline the main types of business travel or
accommodation arrangements that may need to be made and
the procedures to follow
Question 2 Page 8
6.3 Explain the purpose of keeping records of business travel
or accommodation arrangements
Question 3 Page 9
1. Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and requirements for business
travel and accommodation. [6.1]
Someone or the other within an organisation travel for business purposes and the admin
staff is expected to make relevant travel arrangements. Before that, it is important to tick
some boxes which leaves no room for mistakes.
First of all, it is very important that the arrangements are made following the rules and
regulations on how the budgets are set and if they have to use particular suppliers who give
them set discounts and offers. Before travel, it is important to collect all information of
requirements from the traveller like the place, dates, times and purpose so that any
additional arrangements can be made if required. The options available to the traveller
should also be discussed before buying tickets.
Before the arrangements can be made, it is important to reiterate the information back to
the traveller so that there is scope for changes or amendments. Assumptions about what
could have been said can be disastrous if it turns out to be wrong and result in a loss of
money and business and time and purpose of traveller.
2. Complete the table below with an outline of the main types of business travel and
accommodation arrangements that may need to be made and the procedures that
should be followed when doing this. [6.2]
Travel and accommodation
arrangements
Procedures
By road, in a self-driven or chauffeur driven
car, for 3 days, staying in a B&B
 What type of taxi is needed?
 Mileage and fuel refill costs if own car
used?
 Is anyone else travelling?
 3 days means 3 days and 2 nights or 3
nights and back on 4th day?
 Expenses needed
By train, travel dates and times,
accommodation for 2 nights, taxi
arrangement.
 Which train class to book?
 Person wants to come back by train or
road?
 Hotel should be near station or venue?

 Whether a taxi is required to be booked
or ask hotel to do it?
By flight, travel dates and times,
accommodation for 4 days, taxi pickup and
drop
 Which class needs to be booked
depending on what position the
traveller holds in the company?
 What hotel to book? Again, depends on
the position of the traveller and
purpose of the travel
 Expenses to be given before travel?
 Travel insurance if needed?
3. Explain the purpose of keeping records of travel / accommodation arrangements
in a business environment. [6.3]
It is very important for admin staff to be meticulous and organised. Keeping appropriate
travel records show the efficiency of staff and also the organisation they work for.
Where staff is travelling on regular basis, it is important to negotiate relevant deals and
discounts with travel agencies, airlines, taxi companies, hotels etc., so that they are able to
search and sort travel arrangement on urgent basis and at reasonable cost. Maintaining a
regular record of staff using the above, which can be in the form of invoices, travel tickets,
copy of passports etc facilitates the requirements and effort to find different services used
before and saves the hassle of delaying arrangements as and when required.
Record keeping is also helpful with keeping track of cash flows and company profits because
the money used for business travel is kept separate as a budget. This money can be used for
boarding and lodging, transport, staff expenses and also entertainment of clients for some
companies who use travel as a medium to bring new clients for the business. Not only this,
having copies of the travel arrangements also makes it easier to make amendments to the
trip if required due to delays, change of plans, medical reasons etc.

Section 7: Diary management procedures
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 7: Understand diary
management procedures.
7.1 Explain the purpose of using a diary system to plan
activities
Question 1 Page 10
7.2 Identify the information needed to maintain a diary system Question 2 Page 10
1. Briefly explain the purpose of using a diary system to plan activities at work. Give
at least two reasons. [7.1]
Time, in a work environment is very important and it can be utilised in a very efficient way
by maintaining a diary system. It is one of the major resources within the office. It is an
employee’s weekly planner so they know where they should be at a particular time of the
day or day of the week. A diary can be manual or electronic.
A manual diary is a most common type of diary systems used in the office, a sort of book
where all the appointments are recorded. There are four types of manual diaries:
One day-a-page, which is suitable for people who have multiple tasks in a day at different
times. Two day-a-page, which is similar to above but for people with no so many
appointments. One week-to-view, which is for people who have one task a day and can see
what all they will do in the week and Two weeks-to-view which is for people who are
occasional travellers or have most work within the premises. This is easy to carry, no scope
of battery run out or not work, reliable and prompt.
An electronic diary system can be maintained on a computer, laptop, ipad or an electronic
organiser. This is suitable for people who are mostly on the go or at a senior position and
have multiple tasks to do at one time. The advantage of having an electronic system is that
it sends you reminders, saves paper, is password protected, is more compatible to database
and allows last minute add-ons and messages are conveyed without people along as it can
be used for anywhere.
2. Identify the information needed to maintain a diary system in the workplace. [7.2]
Information such as time, duration, date, venue, attendees, chair, visitors are required to
make diary entries. To have a successful meeting or event, accurate and complete
information is needed. Knowing what time meeting will start helps in sending reminders to
attendees so they don’t miss out on the meeting, date does the same as above, knowing the
venue facilitates the route and mode of transport planning, knowing how many people are
attending helps in arrangement of a big enough venue and refreshments if it is a lunch or
tea meeting, knowing the important people make other attendees aware of what decorum
needs to be maintained.
Apart from that, having all the information also allows room of minor changes and making
everyone aware of them so that anything important is not missed out or if the venue,
number of people or agenda of the meeting is changing, having all information allows to
communicate the same to all the attendees so they can prepare accordingly.

Therefore, a diary systemis an important tool for any business or workplace which makes
work life easy, organised and simple and prove to be beneficial for the reputation of that
company.
Section 8: Delivering effective customer service
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 8: Understand the
purpose of delivering effective customer service and how to do so.
8.1 Contrast the differences between internal and external
customers in a business environment
Question 1 Page 11
8.2 Explain why customer service should meet or exceed
customer expectations
Question 2 Page 11
8.3 Identify the purpose and ways of building positive
relationships with customers
Question 3 Page 12
8.4 Identify how customers demonstrate their own needs and
expectations
Question 4 Page 12
1. What are the differences between internal and external customers in a business
environment? [8.1]
Customers are important for any business. For an excellent customer service, it is important
to know their needs so that the workflows are clarified. Customers are known to be internal
and external.
Internal customers are all the colleagues who need assistance to do the jobs to meet the
business objectives. They have direct relationship with the company or are associated with
it. They know more about the company than anyone else, knows pros and cons of the
product made in the company. They can also be beneficiary in the profit or sale of the
product made and bearer of the loss if sale does not take place. As an internal customer,
they are responsible to deliver their best service to other internal customers. For e.g.
Service provided by employee to the manager, a manager to a director and director to the
owner.
External customers, on the other hand, are people who pay for the goods and services
provided by a company. They are not directly related to the company and could be the end
user of the product produced by that company. They could be purchasing it, distributing it
or selling it. A business is designed to provide service to them. They are, in other words
called the clients or accounts for a company who purchase the goods or avail services of the
company and in return, pay for the same which is the source of income and profit for the
company.an interest of the company always lies in choice of the external customer as they
are the ones who can generate revenues by repeat purchasing, build goodwill by referrals
and reviews and bring new external customers by word of mouth.
2. Explain why customer service should meet or exceed customer expectations.
Include at least three reasons in your answer. [8.2]

As a business, it is an absolute necessity to be able to keep the customers happy as they are
the source of revenue generation and building up reputation of an organisation. If
customers receive excellent customer service, they would return, resulting in fulfilling a
business’s future needs. This loyalty results in securing future employment and retaining a
business for long. Investing in a good customer service also has other reasons:
 Differentiating from competition: A business which provides an exceptional customer
service separates it from its competitors and leave them behind, even if the cost of
products and service might be same or even more than others. Standing out from the
crowd always grabs attention, therefore it attracts many more customers. Being
cheerful with every customer, not losing your calm and taking their complaints as a way
to improve yourself makes a company worthy of being doing business with or buying
products and services from.
 Creates loyal customer base: Knowing that there are customers who would never go
anywhere else gives a feeling of security to any business. Customers, also do not want
to go to different places to try new product or service every time if they are made to
feel special. Exceeding customer service levels on regular basis satisfies their needs and
gives them more reasons to come back, because as you know them, it becomes much
easier to fulfil their needs without them telling you much, therefore retaining their
loyalty towards a business.
 Word of mouth: Loyal customers become the best source of bringing more business to
a company, even if they are their family or friends. It is a basic nature if people to trust
personal recommendations as they cannot deny their choice and also when they know
it would make their life easier by not wandering to find a good product or service
elsewhere. Even a problem related to those recommended customers can turn into an
exceptional experience for the business as they are able to find more ways to improve
their customer service in lieu of the problem.
3. Explain the importance of building positive relationships with customers. Outline
two ways in which this can be achieved. [8.3]
Positive customer relationships are soul of any business. Like personal relationships, they
too need nurturing, understanding and cultivating so they reap into loyal clients, positive
reputation and more revenue for a business. Building customer relationship is not only
about making sales but about the service and aftercare that makes customer develop a
feeling about a business. Acquisition of a customer is easier but retention of a customer is a
difficult task as this is where one has to demonstrate professionalismas well as care
towards them.
There are many ways to achieve a good customer relationship. Some of them are:
 Communication: As a key to any good relationship, communication is an essential
way to build customer relationship. Rather than telling customer about the business,
it is important to communicate with them so that their needs are known and then
selling the solution to fulfil their needs. As managers, it is important to demonstrate
good customer service skills to the employees so that they are able to adapt them
and use them as per their own relevant set of skills.
 Showing appreciation: Appreciation in any form provides a boost to any relationship
and makes it stronger and lasting. Rewarding loyal customers with a discount

program, coupons, vouchers or offering a free service are some of the ways the
customers can be made to feel special. Rewarding them with a brand merchandise
not only keeps them but also encourages a positive word of mouth. This helps in
creating a bond that doesn’t allow them to go anywhere else.
4. How do customers demonstrate their own needs and expectations? [8.4]
A customer’s relationship with the business is need and expectation based. If they are
giving their loyalty to the business, they are expecting a good service in return which
fulfils their needs. Similarly, expectations are the anticipated circumstances of a
purchase. It includes their journey to make a purchase, all interactions with the people,
the effects and experience of the purchase and the practical benefits to satisfy their
emotions attached with the purchase.
All these factors are mandatory for a customer’s feedback. Therefore, all businesses
have a policy of customer feedback through various ways. They could be emails, forms,
phone calls, customer interviews, online reviews etc.
These feedback channels are completed by the customer either in spoken or written
language. The reliability of these feedbacks is based on the key factors of a product or
service which is analysed by the business itself while they are in process of production.
To evaluate the feedback, is prone to subjective bias. To draw a reliable conclusion, the
input needs to be collected and categorised. For e.g. Amazon allows their customers to
rate their product from stars 1 to 5 according to their liking and encourage them to give
their review a title and write one or two lines about their experience of the purchase
they made, from the ease to find the right thing, product information, pictures or
description, communication with the seller or the company if needed to get more
information, delivery and packaging and ultimately their experience of using the
product.
Without a feedback, the chances of making improvement to a product or service
becomes difficult which makes the product lose its sales and hence the closure of the
business.

Section 9: Reception services and procedures
This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 9: Understand the
purpose of reception services and how to follow reception procedures.
9.1 Describe the purpose of the receptionist role as the first
point of contact between the public / client and an organisation
Question 1 Page 13
9.2 Explain how to present a positive image of self and the
organisation and the purpose of doing so
Question 2 Page 13
9.3 Explain how to carry out entry, departure, security and
confidentiality procedures in a reception area
Question 3 Page 13
1. What is the purpose of the receptionist role as the first point of contact in a
business environment? [9.1]
As we know, first impression is the last impression. For a business, a receptionist is that first
impression in a form of person, who a customer would see or interact with when contacting
a business. It also means that a receptionist is a face and voice of any business. A face,
which is smiling and welcoming and a voice which allows the visitor to approach
comfortably and confidence that they would get the answers they are looking for.
For any business, the experience with a receptionist is a key point on which a customer’s
initial judgements are made. It is like a driving force for them that their first or sometimes
only point of contact is influential, in their appearance, manners, knowledge and helpfulness
because this would reflect on the overall reputation of the company or business.
2. Describe how a receptionist can present a positive image of themselves and the
organisation and explain why this is important. [9.2]
A receptionist presents a positive image of themselves and the organisation mainly with a
high level of customers service and good behaviour. The first thing a customer would see
when they enter through the door is a smiling face, who is greeting them. Being presentable
is an added-on factor of an individual’s personality and contributes towards a company’s
reputation. A well organised reception area with no clutter, magazines for customers to look
at while they are waiting, a bell or a message on the counter in case they are away from the
desk and always ready with a pen and note book to take any message or being able to lend
the customer one if they require.
The receptionist has to be helpful, polite and a careful listener. This enables a customer to
convey their message once without having to repeat and lessening the chance of
miscommunication. They should be able to think fast and solve problems with their well
informed and knowledgeable character so they are able to give the clients a feeling of being in
good hands. If they are not able to find anyone who the customer wishes to meet, they have
relevant ways to convey to the customer so they don’t feel bad or walk away. They have to
treat everyone equally and with respect as all of this will make and create a positive image
for themselves and for the organisation.

When receptionists are presenting positivity then the organisation is presented positively
through them. How they are looking at work and the how they are treating people and
dealing with them builds their opinion and results in a positive feedback about the business.
This way a business can have loyal customers, who would recommend the name to their
acquaintances who can become potential customers.
3. In relation to your own organisation (or one that you are familiar with), explain
what must be done when carrying out entry, departure, security and confidentiality
procedures in a reception area. [9.3]
I am very happy that I work in a secured and safe office environment. Our security systems
are very efficient and reliable. Before anyone can enter we have a camera enabled intercom
outside the building facing the door which has a buzzer. We are able to see who has come
to the door and before we let them in, we greet and ask them the reason for their arrival. If
they are expected or come to meet someone in the organisation, we let them in. After the
entry, our receptionist would make them sign into the online register with their name,
phone number, photo and car reg. on doing that, a visitor’s badge is printed and we hand it
over to the visitor with a lanyard so everyone knows they are a visitor.
As far as confidentiality is concerned, we have a clean desk policy where we have to always
lock the screens before getting up from the desk, make sure there are no papers or
documents which have confidential information on is kept in anyone’s sight.
When a visitor departs, they have to sign out and return the lanyard so that we can then
shred it later.
Once you have completed all 9 Sections of this Assessment, go to
www.vision2learn.com and send your work to your tutor for marking.

Business and Admin Level 2 Unit 2 assessment answers

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Business and Admin Level 2 Unit 2 assessment answers

Similar to Business and Admin Level 2 Unit 2 assessment answers (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Business and Admin Level 2 Unit 2 assessment answers