The six workshop customer service program provides learners with knowledge of key principles through interactive elements over six months. Assignments consolidate understanding and are reviewed in workshop 4. Learners are assigned an assessor for individual support, assessment, and feedback. The workshops cover topics like excellence in customer service, communication skills, dealing with difficult customers and complaints, teamwork, and using math in business. Assignments and meetings with assessors continue for three to four months after workshops to complete the program.

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Customer Service Programme - Workshop Overviews
The six workshops are delivered over a period of six to seven months and aim to provide learners with
knowledge and understanding of key customer service principles and techniques. There are interactive
elements throughout and learners are encouraged to question, explore and exchange ideas. Assignments
are set to consolidate understanding and encourage further learning.
The assignments require learners to investigate how customer service is managed and applied in their own
organisation, and in workshop 4 the assignments are reviewed and revised.
Learners are also assigned an assessor who will provide support and input throughout the programme on
an individual basis in addition to assessment and feedback on the work produced.
Workshop 1 - Induction session, excellence in customer service and personal
development
The first part of the programme is a full induction to the course, explaining programme content and the
personal commitment required from learners. It provides an overview of assessment methods and
timeframes.
Following induction, candidates discuss ‘excellence in customer service’ generally, and then are asked to
apply these principles to their own organisation. Any knowledge gaps become actions to add in the next
part of the course – Personal Development.
The personal development component explores the roles and responsibilities of all employees to deliver
customer service and how this links with career goals. Learners complete a self-assessment to identify
work-related skills gaps and agree SMART learning objectives. This section includes a learning style
diagnostic and creation of a personal development plan.
At the end of the workshop learners are given an appointment time to meet their personal assessor, this
meeting will generally be within two weeks of Day 1 and will formalise the assessment process and plan
with each learner individually for completion.
Workshop 2 – Delivering customer service within the rules
The day begins with a Speaking and Listening observation that forms part of the functional skills
assessment. Learners are required to fully participate in discussions here as this element will form the
Speaking and Listening element of the functional skills testing.
The next part of the workshop begins with a recap of the work done in the last session where learners
discuss how they have applied their learning into their workplace, and identify how they have changed
their approach to customer service as a result of the training.
Following this, learners participate in a series of activities designed to identify what the rules are that guide
how customer service is delivered and applied in their own organisation. This covers their own rights and
responsibilities relating to Health and Safety, Consumer Protection, Equal Opportunity and Diversity, and
Data Protection. Learners then analyse their own organisation’s procedures to identify where these have
their basis in the legal framework. This is designed to highlight the need for compliance in the work place
and in their own practice.
The next section covers dealing with problems. Learners are guided to understand how problems occur
and what can be done to avoid them happening, for example through developing an appreciation of the
customer service chain and ‘ownership’ of organisational issues.
At the end of this session learners are given a workbook relating to the legal framework to complete.

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Workshop 3 – Communication Skills
The session begins with a recap of the work done in the last two sessions where learners discuss how they
have applied their learning into their workplace, and identify how they have changed their approach to
customer service as a result of the training.
Following this, learners participate in an interactive session that explores communication. This includes
verbal and non-verbal communication, the communication cycle, methods of communication and when to
use them. Learners practice and develop active listening skills, and using ‘open’ and ‘closed’ questions.
Consideration is given to verbal and non-verbal communication and how own communication style and
approach can influence outcomes.
The afternoon section considers written communication in preparation for the final element, a Writing Test
that forms part of the functional skills assessment.
Workshop 4 – Delighting the customer, dealing with difficult customers, dealing with
complaints
The day begins with a Reading Test that forms part of the functional skills assessment.
The session begins with a recap of the work done in the previous sessions where learners discuss how they
have applied their learning into their workplace, and identify how they have changed their approach to
customer service as a result of the training.
The afternoon section looks at how to ensure that customers are delighted with the service given and
therefore return for further custom. Learners reflect on their own experiences as a customer and how
often dissatisfaction is a direct result of the service given, rather than the product or the price. Learners
then, through a series of interactive discussions and debate, identify how they can influence customers to
return even if the customer has raised a complaint.
Learners are encouraged to reflect on what causes customers to be dissatisfied, and then consider how
their own approach can be varied to achieve desired results and turn around situations to achieve these
results.
Workshop 5 – Understanding Customer Service
Learners are set assignments throughout the programme; this session is aimed at completing any
outstanding work. This session is facilitated by one of our experienced customer service assessors.
Workshop 6 – Working with numbers and using maths in business, Delivering
customer service as part of a team
The morning session is preparation for the Mathematics component of the functional skills tests. Learners
are given basic mathematical principles to enable them to understand the use of numbers in business and
this is followed by the testing.
The afternoon session begins with a recap of the work done throughout the programme where learners
discuss how they have applied their learning into their workplace, and identify how they have changed
their approach to customer service as a result of the training.
This sessions aims are to enable learners to identify the need for team work in organisations in order to
ensure that all elements, including across departments, need to work together to meet customer needs.
The benefits of team work and the responsibilities that come with it are identified along with how knowing
the products, procedures and policies enables more effective service to happen.
The afternoon ends with a plenary and ‘Team Challenge’ where the group is tested in an informal manner
on the content of the programme as a whole.
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Following the delivery of the workshop days, each learner will continue to meet with their assessor for a
further three or four months to review their progress across the framework and to work towards the
completion of the programme and gain their qualification.