Provide basic business support and services
Overview
This standard coexists alongside, Implement and maintain safe, hygienic and effective working practices. This standard is for Hair and Beauty professionals providing basic business support and services to promote the smooth running of the business. The benefits are increased customer satisfaction and business growth. You will also be required to do a post procedure evaluation and reflection for continuous improvement. Users of this standard will need to ensure that their practices reflect up-to-date information and emerging technologies, policies, procedures and best practice guidance.
* The main outcomes are:*
- Assist in promoting products and services
- Attend /respond to customer enquiries
- Make appointments for services
- Handle payments from customers
- Assist with stock takes, ordering and deliveries
- Liaise with the team
- Handle paperwork and administrative tasks
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Health and Safety
1. maintain your responsibilities for health and safety in accordance with legislative requirements
Assist in promoting products and services
2. provide clear information and deal with customer enquiries
3. assist with promotional events/displays/social media posts
4. inform customers of promotions
Attend /respond to customer enquiries
5. attend to people in a polite manner
6. identify the purpose of enquiries
7. confirm appointments informing the relevant person
8. refer enquiries which cannot be dealt with to the relevant person for action
9. record messages and pass them to the relevant person in a timely manner
10. provide clear information
11. give confidential information only to authorised people
12. balance the need to give attention to individuals whilst ensuring others are not left without attention
Make appointments for services
13. deal with all requests for appointments
14. identify customer requirements for the service requested
15. confirm the customer has had relevant tests when scheduling appointments
16. arrange for the customer to have relevant tests, when necessary, within the limits of your own authority
17. schedule appointments in a way that satisfies the customer, the practitioner and ensure the most productive use of commercial time
18. confirm that the appointment details are acceptable to the customer
19. record appointment details to meet your organisation's requirements
Handle payments from customers
20. calculate total charges for the customer
21. inform customers of charges
22. visually inspect purchases for condition and quality as they are processed for payment
23. establish the customer's method of payment and acknowledge receipt of payments
24. ensure accepted payments are correct
25. record information about the sale to meet the organisation's requirements
26. gain authorisation for accepting non-cash payments when the value exceeds the limit you are able to accept
27. inform customers when authorisation cannot be obtained for non-cash payments
28. identify and resolve, where possible, any discrepancies **in payments within the limits of your own authority
29. refer payment discrepancies which you cannot resolve to the relevant person for action
30. give the correct change and issue receipts when required by customers
31. follow cash point security procedures at all times
32. identify and report low levels of change in time to avoid shortages
Assist with restocking, stock takes, ordering and deliveries
33. carry out stock take, re-stocking, stock rotation and maintenance
34. record orders following the organisation's policies and procedures
35. identify and resolve, where possible, any discrepancies which you cannot resolve to the relevant person for action
36. research and assist with purchasing products, tools and equipment in accordance with legislation and regulatory guidelines
37. check off a delivery ensuring all items have been received and are of good condition
Liaise with the team
38. take part in meetings
39. take minutes of meetings
40. inform staff members of customer arrival and assist in greeting and completing necessary paperwork
41. undertake duties to help the smooth running of the business including housekeeping duties
Maintain administration and records
42. carry out stationery stock take and order including consultations and customer record cards
43. adhere to legislation related to personal data
44. update social media accounts under the direction of a senior member of staff, to include:
44.1 in accordance with cyber security and organisational policies and procedures
45. follow/carry out risk assessments in accordance with legislative requirements and organisational policies and procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
Health and Safety
1. the health and safety responsibilities in accordance with legislative requirements
Assist in promoting products and services
2. the importance of providing clear information when dealing with customer enquiries
3. how to plan a promotional event/display/social media post
4. how to promote and inform customers of promotions
Maintain the reception/virtual reception
5. your organisation's procedures for:
5.1 maintaining the reception/virtual reception
5.2 customer care
6. the limits of your authority when maintaining the reception/virtual reception
7. how to maintain and rotate stock to meet the organisational requirements
8. manual and digital booking services and technologies and who to refer software issues too
Attend to customers and make appointments for services
9. the importance of effective communication has on the business reputation and success
10. how and when to ask questions
11. the importance to speak clearly in a way that promotes understanding
12. how to show you are listening closely to what people are saying to you
13. how to adapt what you say to suit different situations
14. how to show positive body language
15. the organisation's procedures and limits of authority for:
15.1 maintaining confidentiality
15.2 taking messages
15.3 making and recording appointments
15.4 carrying out tests
15.5 authorising non-cash payments when these are ‘over limit’
15.6 personal safety
15.7 dealing with suspected fraud
15.8 dealing with payments and discrepancies
15.9 reconcile credit notes and purchase ledger
16. the importance of confirming and making appointments correctly
17. the types of information required to make an appointment
18. the importance of taking messages and passing them on to the right person in a timely manner
19. who to refer to with different types of enquiries
20. the person in your organisation to whom you should refer problems or issues that arise
21. the importance of checking that customers have had tests for specific services
22. the services available and their duration and cost
23. the products available for sale and their cost
24. the importance of maintaining customer interest through promotional activities and new technologies
25. how to balance giving the correct amount of attention to individual customers whilst maintaining a responsibility towards other customers in busy trading periods
Handle payments from customers
26. the digital payment portals, associated risks in accordance with legislative requirements and organisational policies and procedures
27. common methods of calculating payments including point of sale technology and physical calculations
28. how to keep cash and other payments safe and secure
29. the types of payment that you are authorised to accept
30. how to gain electronic authorisation for payment cards
31. how to identify and deal with discrepancies
32. how to deal with customers offering suspect tender or suspect non-cash payments
33. consequences of failure to handle payments correctly
Assist with restocking, stock take, ordering and deliveries
34. the principles on restocking, maintaining appropriate stock levels, rotating and managing stock, to include:
34.1 reference to shelf life and/or expiry dates
35. how to record orders following the organisation's policies and procedures
36. how to identify and resolve, where possible, any discrepancies which you cannot resolve to the relevant person for action
37. the importance of researching and purchasing products, tools and equipment in accordance with legislation and regulatory guidelines
38. how to check off a delivery ensuring all items have been received and are of good condition
Liaise with team
39. the importance of adhering to scheduled activities, rooming and equipment, to include:
39.1 how to deal with problems and who to refer too
40. the importance of taking part in meetings
41. how to take the minutes for a meeting
42. how and when to inform staff members of customer arrival and assist in greeting and completing necessary paperwork
43. the importance of being proactive and undertaking duties to help the smooth running of the business. including housekeeping duties
Maintain administration and records
44. how to carry out stationery stock take and order including consultations and customer record cards
45. the importance of maintaining customer confidentiality and data protection in accordance with legislative requirements
46. how the update social media accounts and create promotional posts
47. the cyber security required in accordance with data legislation
48. how to follow requirements set out within risk assessments
Scope/range
Enquiries
- in person
- by telephone
- digitally
Appointments
- in person
- by telephone
- digitally
- mobile apps
- social media
* *Methods of payment
- cash
- card
- banking portal
- mobile apps
- social media
- non-cash payments
- credit notes