module specification

Customer Service (Module code LT4F12GN) introduces students to the importance of customer service in improved customer relations, repeat business and staff well-being and retention.  It gives students an awareness of how to place customer service within an organisation’s culture and planned strategy.  It examines how important information can be gathered from customers and how it can be used for improved delivery.

This is a 30 credit module and will be delivered using lectures, group tutorials, individual tutorials and practical workshops conducted by customer service professionals from the hospitality industries.

The students will be able to gain relevant employability skills through familiarisation tours to different customer service related departments within the hospitality industries.

The students will be assessed based on written group coursework and individual coursework.

This module aims to:
• Encourage students to develop customer service policies.
• Assess the quality of customer service in a hospitality organisation.
• Identify and apply the skills needed to provide effective customer service.

• The customer service vision: concept; service strategy; service processes; designing and managing service networks.
• The nature of services: intangibility; inseparability; heterogeneity and perishability and the service package.
• Customer expectations and satisfaction: defining and managing customer expectations and perceptions.
• Service quality: dimensions of service quality; gaps in service quality; measuring service quality (SERVQUAL); achieving service quality.
• Empowerment, guarantees and recovery: service superiority; empowerment; service guarantees and service recovery, and complaint handling.

The module will be delivered through weekly teaching sessions in the form of 14 lectures, 14 group tutorials, 2 workshops by industry experts and 2 hospitality industry familiarisation tours which will cover front office and guest relations.

The lectures will aim to focus on theoretical knowledge and understanding whereas group tutorials will focus on application and analysis, using a variety of means including case studies, problem solving and debates.

Customer related industry experts with vocational skills and student workshop experience will be invited as guest speakers during direct learning time for 2 workshops (of a total duration of 6 hours) with a focus on vocational skills and employability issues.

On completing the module students will be expected to be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of ways an organisation can nurture excellent service delivery and innovation.
2. Identify ways of measuring and assessing the quality of customer service during and after service delivery.
3. Analyse the development of a customer-focused service as part of an organisation’s culture and strategy.
4. Investigate customer requirements, expectations and feedback to suggest areas of improvement.

Core textbooks:
• Buttle, F., (2012), Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies.  New York: Routledge
Recommended textbooks:
• Cook, S., (2011), Customer Care Excellence: how to create an effective customer focus.  6th ed.  London: Kogan Page
• Fitzsimmons, J.A., (2012), Service Management: Operations, Strategy and Information Technology. (7th ed.) Singapore: McGraw-Hill
• Johnston, R., and Clark, G., (2008), Service Operations Management: improving service delivery.  3rd ed.  Harlow, Essex: Financial Times/Prentice Hall
Other learning resources:
• The BBC’s Learning Zone frequently features programmes on customer service.  Information and programme timings can be found on: www.bbc.co.uk/education/lzone