Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify the ramifications of a crisis on a customer and to respond with assistance and support. It requires the ability to identify and interpret information relevant to the crisis, provide customer crisis care, and organise operational services to assist the customer in crisis.
The crisis would be significant and could involve the death, injury, illness or psychological trauma of a customer. It does not cover more operational circumstances, such as the loss of travel documents, passports and money.
This unit applies to individuals who operate independently or with limited guidance from others. This includes senior tour coordinators, senior travel consultants, hotel duty managers, guides, and tour managers who are able to use significant discretion and judgement to respond to customer crises.
The unit applies to all tourism, travel, hospitality and event sectors. It has particular application to accommodation providers, tour operators, travel agencies and inbound tour operators.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Identify and acknowledge the crisis. | 1.1.Determine scope and severity of customer crisis. 1.2.Consider impacts on customer ability to continue in service participation. 1.3.Consider impacts on other customers. 1.4.Access and interpret information relevant to crisis. 1.5.Acknowledge the incident as a customer crisis and communicate details to key people. |
2. Provide customer crisis care. | 2.1.Identify symptoms of customer trauma. 2.2.Monitor and assess severity of customer trauma. 2.3.Communicate with affected customer in line with organisational customer care, and communication and confidentiality standards. 2.4.Provide recommendations to customer in a manner consistent with customer care standards. |
3. Organise services to assist customer. | 3.1.Develop an action plan to manage the crisis. 3.2.Promptly identify and access sources of assistance. 3.3.Assist the customer to access service providers. 3.4.Minimise disruption to other customers and maintain their services. 3.5.Organise operational services to assist customer in crisis. 3.6.Involve key people in managing customer crisis and integrate their perspectives. 3.7.Provide explicit details of progress with and final confirmations of operational services to customer and other key people. |
4. Evaluate and debrief customer crisis management. | 4.1.Evaluate crisis management process to determine effectiveness of response. 4.2.Debrief and complete all reports. 4.3.Provide recommendations for improvements to future crisis management practices. 4.4.Seek assistance to cope with own or colleagues’ personal trauma experienced during crisis. |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
respond with customer crisis care to at least three different customer crises
identify ramifications of each of the above customer crises through:
discussions with affected customer and their friends, family and/or travelling companions
where available and appropriate, related reports from:
medical and emergency services
police
staff, contractors and suppliers
organise the following operational services where required to assist the above affected customers in line with availability of assistance, advice and support and organisational customer care, communication and confidentiality standards:
accommodation
cancellation of forward travel and tourism services
flights and ticketing to repatriate the customers
repatriation of bodies via:
airlines
consulates
funeral directors
high commissions
travel insurance companies.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
common customer crisis situations relevant to the tourism, travel, hospitality and event sectors:
accident, assault or mugging
family crisis and need for repatriation
major injury or illness
natural death, accidental death or suicide
incident resulting in psychological trauma
key symptoms of trauma
sources of medical and counselling assistance
communication techniques for supporting and reassuring customers
key people with whom to communicate in a customer crisis situation:
colleagues:
managers
operational staff
peers
supervisors
family members
personnel in the controlling office:
event management organisation
inbound tour operator
outbound tour wholesaler
professional conference organiser
travel agency
tour operator
personnel from suppliers on an extended tour
travel insurance provider personnel
travelling companions
professional standards in crisis care communications
operational services used to manage customer service and repatriation arrangements
role of key external people and organisations in managing a customer crisis
recommendations relating to customer crisis situations:
cancel the remainder of touring arrangements and return home
contact travel insurance provider
rebook a replacement holiday
report incident to the police
seek medical assistance
seek professional counselling
formats for and inclusions of incident reports
specific organisation:
roles and responsibilities of key staff members
procedures for reporting and managing customer incidents.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in an operational tourism, travel, hospitality or events environment where a customer is in crisis. This can be:
an industry workplace
a simulated industry environment.
Assessment must ensure access to:
customer service arrangements or itineraries
customer crisis information
current industry procedures for reporting and managing customer incidents
customers in crisis with whom the individual can interact; these can be:
customers in an industry workplace who are assisted by the individual during the assessment process; or
individuals who participate in role plays or simulated activities, set up for the purpose of assessment, in a simulated industry environment operated within a training organisation.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors.
Foundation Skills
Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement. | |
SKILLS | DESCRIPTION |
Reading skills to: | comprehend information and reports on customer crisis and service arrangements. |
Writing skills to: | document succinct action plans and accurate and complex crisis management reports. |
Oral communication skills to: | discuss details of customer crisis with key internal and external people. |
Numeracy skills to: | calculate immediate costs of service provision to the customer. |
Learning skills to: | research sources of assistance for the customer. |
Problem-solving skills to: | evaluate the severity of the impact of the crisis on the customer. |
Initiative and enterprise skills to: | provide sympathetic and sensitive support to the customer. |
Self-management skills to: | take responsibility for managing a customer in crisis. |
Sectors
Cross-Sector
Competency Field
Crisis Management