Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to respond effectively to client enquiries and complaints regarding company products and services. The worker needs to handle formal and informal enquiries, as well as negative feedback and complaints from clients.
The unit covers acknowledging and processing client enquiries and complaints, and communicating with clients to resolve issues. It also covers researching and documenting relevant information relating to an enquiry or complaint, which may include site visits where required; and referring the enquiry or complaint to other personnel or external organisations where appropriate.
The unit supports employees without managerial or supervisory responsibilities. Performance would usually be carried out under routine supervision, within company guidelines. It applies to workers who have significant contact with clients and who provide information on routine, well-defined services or products to clients, and deal with enquiries or complaints of a more complex nature.
Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit in some States. Relevant state and territory regulatory authorities should be consulted to confirm those requirements.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Identify nature and type of enquiry or complaint. | 1.1. | Client is addressed according to company requirements. |
1.2. | Details of enquiry or complaint and degree of urgency are clarified and confirmed with client according to company requirements. | ||
1.3. | Details of enquiry or complaint are recorded according to company and legislative requirements. | ||
1.4. | Impact of relevant legislative and company requirements on handling of enquiry or complaint is identified. | ||
1.5. | Arrangements are made for enquiries or complaints requiring additional research and follow-up, according to company requirements. | ||
2. | Investigate enquiry or complaint. | 2.1. | Information relevant to enquiry or complaint is obtained from internal and external sources as appropriate according to company requirements. |
2.2. | Site is inspected with client, where required, to clarify details of the enquiry or complaint according to company requirements. | ||
2.3. | Possible solutions to enquiry or complaint are determined and likelihood of associated problems is assessed using available information according to company requirements. | ||
2.4. | Advice is sought from appropriate personnel where necessary on nature of enquiry or complaint, and proposed solution according to company requirements. | ||
3. | Refer enquiry or complaint. | 3.1. | Enquiry or complaint that requires referral to other company personnel or external bodies is identified according to company and legislative requirements. |
3.2. | Referral to appropriate personnel is made according to individual level of responsibility and company requirements. | ||
3.3. | Investigation report and other relevant documentation are forwarded to appropriate personnel according to company requirements. | ||
3.4. | Progress of referred enquiry or complaint is followed up with appropriate personnel according to company requirements and within expected timeframes. | ||
4. | Determine and communicate solution to client and relevant staff. | 4.1. | Solution to enquiry or complaint is determined and documented according to company requirements. |
4.2. | Method for responding to client or their agent is established according to nature of enquiry or complaint and company requirements. | ||
4.3. | Response to enquiry or complaint is prepared and communicated to client or their agent according to company requirements. | ||
4.4. | Client or agent agreement to solution is confirmed, or solution is negotiated according to company requirements. | ||
4.5. | Relevant staff members are promptly advised of work allocations required to resolve enquiry or complaint according to company requirements. | ||
5. | Satisfy complex client needs. | 5.1. | Complex needs requiring adaptation of routine products or services are identified and clarified with client. |
5.2. | Possibilities for meeting client needs are explained to client according to legislative and company requirements. | ||
5.3. | Client is assisted to evaluate product and service options to satisfy needs according to legislative and company requirements. | ||
5.4. | Preferred action is determined and prioritised according to legislative and company requirements. | ||
5.5. | Potential difficulties in client service delivery are identified and appropriate action is taken according to legislative and company requirements. | ||
6. | Update company information | 6.1. | Information on type and source of enquiry or complaint is collated and processed according to company requirements. |
6.2. | Information on identified problems and solutions is recorded, processed and reported according to company requirements. | ||
6.3. | Information on resolved enquiry or complaint is shared with co-workers according to legislative and company requirements and strategies to avoid repeat issues are discussed. | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | find and interpret information relevant to client enquiries and complaints by searching company and industry data and using simple internet searches draw on experience of assessing and responding to client enquiries and complaints and apply knowledge to new issues, including assessing complexity of problem and need to refer to other personnel. |
Numeracy skills to: | interpret numerical information relating to client enquiries and complaints, including technical data in manufacturer specifications. |
Oral communication skills to: | interact effectively with clients to identify and resolve problems and complaints, and express technical information in appropriate language for the client negotiate and finalise agreed solutions to client enquiries and complaints. |
Reading skills to: | interpret information relating to client enquiries and complaints, including company procedures and manufacturers’ technical information extract critical information from at times complex text, such as legislative information and Australian Privacy Principles. |
Writing skills to: | record information regarding customer enquiries and complaints and their solutions using industry-specific technical vocabulary as required communicate proposed solutions to clients in writing, using appropriate language and explaining technical terms as required. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Clients must include those with one or more of the following: | routine enquiry for advice or general information that requires no specific research suggestion for service or product improvement special enquiry requiring further research or consultation with other staff routine complaint requiring investigation to clarify details complex complaint requiring referral to other technical or supervisory personnel complex need involving adaptation or combination of products and/or services. |
Information must include: | client records, including verbal reports from staff if available company policies and procedures relevant to the enquiry or complaint legislative requirements relevant to the enquiry or complaint manufacturer information relevant to the enquiry or complaint workplace information relevant to the enquiry or complaint. |
Appropriate personnel must include one or more of the following: | colleagues manufacturers staff and employee representatives supervisors suppliers technical experts. |
Method for responding must include one or more of the following: | face-to-face meeting letter phone call. |
Sectors
Common