Application
This unit involves the application of knowledge of the store book or newsagency product range to provide advice to customers and other sales team staff with regard to types of publications in the store range, frequency and availability of publications, marketing tie-ins, price and ancillary products and services offered by the store. Frontline service personnel are responsible for these functions. | |
Prerequisites
Nil | |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA | ||
1 | Research book and newsagency products. | 1.1 | Develop product knowledge by accessing relevant sources of information. |
1.2 | Demonstrate accurate knowledge of the location of books, newspapers and other products in the store product and service range. | ||
1.3 | Operate store inventory system to accurately locate and manage stock. | ||
1.4 | Demonstrate accurate knowledge of store procedures for book and newspaper recall and stock withdrawal from public sale at specified times. | ||
1.5 | Develop knowledge of store procedures relating to compliance with legislative requirements pertaining to the sale of books, newspapers and magazines. | ||
2 | Recommend book and newsagency products. | 2.1 | Identify customer needs through questioning and active listening. |
2.2 | Identify and locate products according to customer requirements and use product information to create a buying environment. | ||
2.3 | Apply product knowledge to assist customer buying decisions. | ||
3 | Advise on and arrange reader and newsagency services. | 3.1 | Negotiate and confirm newspaper home delivery arrangements with customers when included in store and service product range. |
3.2 | Record book, newspaper and magazine reservations and organise supply according to store procedures to meet customer requests. | ||
3.3 | Process lottery tickets, entries, and prizes and issue according to local lottery rules and procedures when included in store service and product range. | ||
4 | Process returns to publishers. | 4.1 | Batch out-of-date books and newspapers and magazines for regular return to publishers according to store procedures and publisher requirements. |
4.2 | Complete relevant publisher returns documentation in an accurate and timely manner according to store procedures. | ||
Required Skills
This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit. |
The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit: interpersonal communication skills to: apply product knowledge by providing information and advice to customers and staff make recommendations and advise on services through clear and direct communication ask questions to identify and confirm requirements use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences use and interpret non-verbal communication handling customers with special needs, including difficult or abusive customers operating of store inventory and returns systems and locating store range of products literacy skills in regard to reading product titles, blurbs and information numeracy skills in regard to: processing returns handling money. |
The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit: store policy and procedures in regard to: sales and customer service methods of dealing with special needs and requests of customers customer complaints newsagency product recall and processing returns to publishers types and features of store range of book or newsagency products store range of reader and newsagency services, including book reservation, home delivery, lottery tickets and related services and procedures basic operation of the newsagency industry relevant legislation and statutory requirements relevant industry codes of practice relevant OHS legislation and codes of practice. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: continually updates and applies product knowledge to provide comprehensive advice to customers and staff, including accessing information consistently applies store policy and procedures and industry codes of practice in regard to sales and customer service procedures advises customers and informs other sales team members of types and features of store range of books, newspapers and magazines, and other products and services, including editions, quality, content and age suitability uses and applies the store inventory system to check stock levels, supplier lists, price lists, reserve books, record publisher returns data and accurately administer publisher returns demonstrates correct negotiation and administration with regard to reader or newsagency services according to store policy and procedures, including home delivery and newspaper and magazine reservations. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure access to: a retail book or newsagency work environment relevant sources of product information relevant documentation, such as: store policy and procedures manuals relevant legislation and industry codes of practice OHS legislation and codes of practice an appropriate range of book or newsagency products and services a range of customers with different requirements. |
Methods of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of performance in the workplace third-party reports from a supervisor customer feedback answers to questions about specific skills and knowledge review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended. |
Assessing employability skills | Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts. Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically in the context of the job role and with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below. | |
Product knowledge may include | types of publications in the store range authors genre age suitability edition and forthcoming titles associated productions, e.g. films editions frequency of publications marketing tie-ins price availability ancillary products and services offered by the store. |
Relevant sources of information may include: | publisher and distributor brochures sales posters catalogues internet trade and association journals bibliographical lists store brochures leaflets and newsletters book reviews blurbs on book covers sales representatives customer or other staff recommendations designated staff members. |
Store product and service range may include: | new books second-hand books book clubs incentive schemes local or overseas magazines. local or overseas newspapers stationery office supplies art materials greeting cards and wrapping papers film cigarettes sweets home delivery newspaper and magazine reservations lottery or other services. |
Inventory system may be manual or computerised and may include: | cataloguing systems location of books in store publisher lists publisher returns supplier lists prices stock availability and supply time. |
Legislative requirements may include: | censorship and copyright legislation consumer law customs regulations X and R rated licensing arrangements sale of second-hand goods GST lottery licensing Trade Practices and Fair Trading Acts OHS sale of cigarettes. |
Customers may include: | people with routine or special requests regular or new customers people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities. |
Home delivery arrangements may be recorded: | manually online. |
Sectors
Sector | Retail |
Competency Field
Product Knowledge | |
Employability Skills
The required outcomes described in this unit contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements. | |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.