Monitor and solve customer service problems Legacy

This standard is about monitoring customer service problems and taking action to develop a solution. This standard is for hospitality team leaders, first line managers or supervisors.

It only needs one unsatisfied and unhappy customer to ruin a perfectly good day at work for everyone. Furthermore, with the power of social media unhappy customers can reach a multitude of potential customers and spread the word about how poorly they feel they've been treated.

However, an opportunity always exists to take control of customer complaints and turn them to our advantage. Monitoring customer concerns effectively and handling complaints is a real skill; a skill that has become increasing important in recent years and one that will continue to be at the forefront of any successful organisation's focus. This standard covers the behaviours, processes and approaches that are most effective when handling customer service problems.

When you have completed this standard you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of and your ability to:

• Monitor and solve customer service problems

1. Respond positively to customer service problems following organisational guidelines
2. Solve customer service problems when you have sufficient authority
3. Work with others to solve customer service problems
4. Keep customers informed of the actions being taken
5. Check with customers that they are comfortable with the actions being taken
6. Solve problems with service systems and procedures that might affect customers before they become aware of them
7. Inform managers and colleagues of the steps taken to solve specific problems
8. Identify repeated customer service problems
9. Identify the options for dealing with a repeated customer service problem and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option
10. Work with others to select the best option for solving a repeated customer service problem, balancing customer expectations with the needs of your organisation
11. Obtain the approval of somebody with sufficient authority to change organisational guidelines in order to reduce the chance of a problem being repeated
12. Action your agreed solution
13. Keep your customers informed in a positive and clear manner of steps being taken to solve any service problems
14. Monitor the changes you have made and adjust them if appropriate

1. ​Organisational procedures and systems for dealing with customer service problems
2. Organisational procedures and systems for identifying repeated customer service problems
3. How the successful resolution of customer service problems contributes to customer loyalty with the external customer and improved working relationships with service partners or internal customers
4. How to negotiate with and reassure customers while their problems are being solved

The following behaviours are provided as guidance to underpin effective performance of a hospitality supervisor​

1. You recognise changes in circumstances promptly and adjust plans and activities accordingly
2. You develop and tailor products and services to ensure customers' needs are met
3. You generate and recognise imaginative and innovative solutions
4. You keep people informed of plans and developments
5. You recognise recurring problems and promote changes to structures, systems and processes to resolve these
6. You identify and work with people and organisations that can provide support for your work
7. You act within the limits of your own authority

​This standard has particular links with the following standards in the Hospitality Supervision & Leadership suite of standards: 
 HSL1-6HSL8 - HSL10HSL11HSL16HSL17HSL20HSL21HSL22HSL23HSL26​

This standard is tailored from Unit 32 in the Level 3 framework of the Institute of Customer Services standards.  ​