Module 2

The customer

Brief introduction to module 2

• This module focuses on the ways organization can provide services to their customers.

• It looks at

– aspects of customer service

– ways in which organization can get feedback from their customers.

– concept of TQM

At the end of this module, you will be able to :

1) draw up an action plan.

2) give a briefing using standard expressions.

3) ask indirect questions

4) know what is TQM

5) know how TQM is managed

6) write a press release for a new organization

7) design a written questionnaire

Task I

Drawing up an action plan

• Following are some comments from customers of ABC Hotel. First decide if it is positive or negative.

• The receptionist was not very welcoming.

• It took ages to check-in, the receptionist checked everything in a pile of paper.

• I had to stand in the center of lobby when my father was checking-in, there was nowhere to sit in the lobby.

Activity1Negative or positive

Task I

(N)

(N)

(N)

Activity 2Using “must” or “have to” to

draw up action plan• If you are the manager in this hotel, what kind of action

plan will you draw up to satisfy your customers? Look at the list of actions below, then draw up an action plan.

Task I

We ________get some armchairs in the waiting area.

We _______ get the reservation system computerized.

1. Train the staff to be more friendly to the customers.

2. Get the check-in system computerized.

3. Get some comfortable chairs in the lobby.

must

must

• Must indicates that the speaker thinks the action is necessary.

• Have to indicates that someone else thinks the action is necessary.

Receptionists _________trained to be more friendly.

have to be

Task IIGiving a briefing

• Below are steps involved in giving a brief, look at them put them in order.

Activity 1: Put in orderTask

II

Expressing intention

Inviting questions

Clarifying/explaining

Closing comments

Opening comments

2

4

3

5

1

• Turn to page 65.

• Finish Activity 5.

• The expressions in Activity 5 will be useful when you are giving a briefing.

Activity 2:

Finish exercise

Task II

Activity 3:Giving a briefing

• Use the material given on the anterior slide, try to give a brief to your partner. For example, you can say like this:

• Good morning, nice to see you all here.• I am going to introduce…• Let me explain this more clearly…The aims…• …any question…• Well, that’s all...

Task II

Background material

• It is very important for the staff in an organization to know what customer want and how they feel about the service offered.

• In this module, you have seen three ways of getting feedback from the customers- ①in face-to-face interview②on the telephone③through a written questionnaire

Background material

a d v a n t a g e s d i s a d v a n t a g e s

F a c e - t o - f a c ei n t e r v i e w

T e l e p h o n e s u r v e y

W r i t t e nq u e s t i o n n a i r e

Read the text in Activity 1 on page 70, try to complete the table below.

Task III Asking indirect

questions and conducting an interview

Activity 1: ask indirect questions

Task III

Indirect questions are used in interviews because a direct question, such as Why do you like travelling on the airplane? can sound rude.

Could you tell me… Could I ask you…Would you mind telling me… Do you mind if I ask you …I wonder if you could tell me...

Turn to page 96 or page 98, try to complete table in Activity 1 on this page by asking your partner indirect questions. Make sure that you sound polite by using indirect questions. Below are some useful expressions.

Activity 2:Conduct an interview

• Have an interview with your partner. One of you will be interviewer, while the other will be interviewee.

• In this interview, questions will be asked about the customer service in the famous fast food restaurant—KFC.

Task III

• You can conduct the interview on the basis of steps below.

• Get the person’s attention.• Start the interview.• Ask polite questions.• Reacting to what someone

has said.• Thank the person for taking

part in the interview.

Task IV What is TQM

Activity 1: TQM

• Find out answers for the problems below, then you will know what’s TQM.

• What do TQM stand for respectively?• Who are involved in the final product or service to

the customer?• Must everyone in the organization understand

quality in the same way?• Will TQM happen by accident? Is TQM a

proactive or a reactive process?

Task IV

Activity 2: What are included in total

quality• Center Parcs, a holiday village company,

divided total quality into 3 parts:

• Quality of environment

• Quality of facilities

• Quality of service

• Now, my question is What are the parts of total quality in your own company?

Task IV

Task IV How is TQM managed

Activity 1: What’s people management

• It is one of the criteria for TQM.

• People management is defined as:– how an organization releases the full potential

of its people in order to improve its business continuously.

Task IV

Task VIWrite a press release for

an organization

Activity1: Structure of a press release

Look at the notes in activity 7 on page 62. Try to be aware of the structure of a press release.

Task VI

• Paragraph 1:

• Announcing the setting up of a new business.

• Paragraph 2:

• Giving the opening date , the exact location and general attractive features.

• Paragraph 3:

• Describing the surroundings in the restaurant.

• Paragraph 4:

• Specifying the variety of foods provided.

• The restaurant chain Pizza Hut has already opened its first outlet in Ningbo. It was opened on Sept. 9th and located at KFC’s side near Town God Temple.

• Now you are asked to write a press release for this restaurant. I’d like to draw your attention that the language must be simple and clear because this is a press release.

• This one need not to be submitted, it is for your self-assessment only.

Activity 2:

Writing a press release for Pizza Hut

Task VI

Task VII Design a written

questionnaire

Activity 1

• If possible, please design a written questionnaire in order to monitor and measure your customer/student satisfaction.

• A sample questionnaire can be found on page 75.

• This one need not to be submitted, it is for your self-assessment only.

Task VI