Principles of Customer Care
Module Description
Understanding the importance of providing an excellent customer service is crucial for a thriving hospitality business, in creating new customers, keeping loyal clients, and developing referrals.
Customer service is the first opportunity to create a positive long-lasting impression.
This module aims to provide students with examination of customer care principles, relevant codes of practice, customer types and their needs and expectations, as well as tools to handle customer complaints and excellent customer care.
Entry Requirements
Candidates who apply for this course must possess:
- A qualification at MQF Level 4 (one ‘A’ Level or equivalent in any subject) and a pass in English Language* and Mathematics at MQF Level 3 (‘O’ Level or equivalent).
In the case of students who do not possess all the formal required academic qualifications, then the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process could be applied such that if evidence of equivalent learning is found then the applicant could still be accepted on the course. Such RPL process will subject applicants to an interview held with a board of experts within the field, chosen specifically by IDEA College, so as to verify their experiences and prior learning.
Evidence may include:
- A detailed CV outlining relevant work experience and responsibilities.
- Employer reference letters outlining job role, duration, and key competencies.
- Related documentation demonstrating relevant skills (e.g. work portfolio).
IDEA College’s RPL Policy: https://mt.ideaeducation.com/app/uploads/2024/07/Doc_007_24-Recognition-of-Prior-Learning-Policy-and-Process.pdf
*Students whose first language is not English and do not possess an ‘O’ level pass in English Language will be required to demonstrate English language capability at IELTS level 6.0 or equivalent.
Target Audience
The programme targets the following groups:
- Individuals seeking to advance their academic and professional knowledge in the Tourism and Hospitality Management.
- Individuals wanting to pursue a wide range of career paths in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Career Paths
The potential positions for which this programme aims to prepare could be and are not limited to: –
- Travel consultant.
- Operations manager.
- Event organiser/planner/manager.
- Business Development executive.
- Hotel manager.
- Travel agency manager.
- Marketing executive.
- Tour operator.
How you’ll be assessed
The course comprises:
- Evening classes for part-time courses.
- Classes held throughout the day for full-time courses.
- Guided learning, presentations, comprising synchronous online discussions, tutorials and/or videos.
- Self-study hours comprising research, reading and assignment work.
Assessment
Assessment is carried out via two mandatory components:
- Formative Assessment
- Summative Assessment
The programme includes different forms of assessment which allow for and promote students’ critical engagement. The formative and summative assessment tasks may include an in-class assignment and/or a home-based written assignment using diverse assessment tools which may take the form of online and in-class discussions, examinations, case studies, reports, proposals, essays, and presentations, etc., as applicable to the diverse modules.
Learning Outcomes
Competences:
At the end of the module/unit, the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:
- Appreciate the significance of customers’ loyalty in hospitality and the impact of losing them.
- Examine customers’ needs and use this insight in providing customer care service of superior quality.
- Examine how to capture feedback from customers and how this feedback can enhance customer care.
- Solve customers’ concerns and deal adequately with various customer personalities during stressful situations.
- Manage customers’ experience to facilitate satisfaction.
Knowledge
By the end of the module/unit, the students will be able to:
- Introducing Customer Care Principles
- Industry codes of practice and legislation
- Knowing and Understanding the Customers and their Needs
- Importance of Communication to Serve Customers
- Handling Customer Complaints and the Way Forward
- Staffing and Training for Service
Skills
At the end of the module/unit, the learner will have acquired the following skills:
- Develop strategies to solve and monitor customer service problems and complaints by discovering and anticipating customers’ needs and working in teams.
- Use information-gathering techniques to tackle customer requests / complaints.
- Demonstrate quality customer care by actively applying relevant codes of practice, communication skills, and positive attitude.
- Examine the importance of hospitality product knowledge and staffing to serve to organisational success and positive customer experience.
- Identify and comply with relevant industry codes of practice and legislation related to customer care.
- Identify appropriate skills and techniques to communicate effectively with people from different cultures.
Module-Specific Learner Skills
At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to:
- Develop one’s own customer service skills.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences
The learner will be able to:
- Navigate through the online learning platform to find, download, and upload assignments, discussion boards, literature, tutorials, etc.