SITXCCS101

Provide Information
and Assistance
Learner Guide
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SITXCCS101
Provide Information and Assistance
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................3
Unit Description.............................................................................................................................6
Performance Criteria.....................................................................................................................7
Skills and Knowledge.....................................................................................................................8
Range Statement...........................................................................................................................9
Evidence Guide............................................................................................................................10
Housekeeping Items........................................................................................................................11
Objectives........................................................................................................................................11
1. Access and update information..................................................................................................12
1.1 – Source and access information on facilities and services........................................................13
Acquiring this knowledge............................................................................................................13
The opportunity may arise when.................................................................................................14
The precise areas that knowledge may be sought are.................................................................14
Informal research........................................................................................................................15
Formal research...........................................................................................................................15
Activities 1, 2 and 3......................................................................................................................17
1.2 – Incorporate information into day to day working activities....................................................18
Identify and obtain commonly requested information................................................................18
The range of local information required......................................................................................18
Further information.....................................................................................................................20
Activities 4 and 5..........................................................................................................................22
.........................................................................................................................................................22
1.3 – Support efficiency and quality of service by sharing information with colleagues.................23
Prepare a few local trips for your visitors....................................................................................23
Print up a special “local information” list....................................................................................23
Staff meetings..............................................................................................................................24
Greet regular visitors personally on their arrival.........................................................................24
Update the files...........................................................................................................................24
Update the displays.....................................................................................................................24
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Activity 6......................................................................................................................................25
1.4 – Identify and use opportunities to update and maintain facility and service knowledge.........26
Identify changes in customer preferences...................................................................................26
Suggest ideas...............................................................................................................................27
Activities 7 and 8..........................................................................................................................28
2. Assist customers.........................................................................................................................29
2.1 – Proactively identify information and assistance needs of customers, including those with
special needs...................................................................................................................................30
Determine customer preferences................................................................................................30
How to determine preferences...................................................................................................30
Active listening............................................................................................................................30
Questioning.................................................................................................................................31
Activities 9, 10 and 11..................................................................................................................33
2.2 – Provide accurate information in a clear, courteous and culturally appropriate way..............34
Offer accurate information..........................................................................................................34
Activities 12 and 13......................................................................................................................36
2.3 – Where appropriate, assist or instruct customers in the use of equipment and facilities
according to safety requirements, or refer to relevant colleagues..................................................37
2.4 – Identify and use opportunities to promote internal products and services............................38
Employ selling techniques...........................................................................................................38
Suggestive selling.........................................................................................................................38
Up-selling.....................................................................................................................................39
Make customers aware...............................................................................................................40
Activities 14, 15 and 16................................................................................................................42
.......................................................................................................................................................42
3. Seek feedback on services..........................................................................................................43
3.1 – Proactively seek feedback on services from customers..........................................................44
Shared feedback..........................................................................................................................44
Activity 17....................................................................................................................................45
3.2 – Observe customer behaviour to inform future service developments and follow procedures
for formal customer evaluation.......................................................................................................46
Observation and recognition of non-verbal signs........................................................................46
Customer preferences, needs and expectations..........................................................................47
Activities 18 and 19......................................................................................................................48
3.3 – Provide information on customer feedback to relevant colleagues.......................................49
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Sharing feedback among receptionists........................................................................................49

Sharing feedback among room attendants..................................................................................49
Sharing feedback with management...........................................................................................49
Activity 20....................................................................................................................................50
.....................................................................................................................................................50
Skills and Knowledge Activity.......................................................................................................51
Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit..........................................................................52
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Unit Description

Description

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to provide customers
with information and assistance on facilities and services.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of
endorsement.

Application of Unit

This unit applies to frontline service personnel working in a range of tourism, travel, hospitality,
entertainment and cultural contexts. Provision of information and assistance is often face-to-face
but may be by telephone or other remote mechanism. Customer service personnel working under
supervision undertake this function, but the unit is also relevant to those working in operational
roles where customer service may not be the main focus of work, e.g. animal handlers in a zoo or
technicians in a theatre.

Unit Sector

Cross-Sector
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Performance Criteria
Element Performance criteria

1. Access and update 1.1. Source and access information on facilities and services
information 1.2. Incorporate information into day to day working
activities
1.3. Support efficiency and quality of service by sharing
information with colleagues
1.4. Identify and use opportunities to update and maintain
facility and service knowledge

2. Assist customers 2.1. Proactively identify information and assistance needs of

customers, including those with special needs
2.2. Provide accurate information in a clear, courteous and
culturally appropriate way
2.3 Where appropriate, assist or instruct customers in the use of
equipment and facilities according to safety requirements, or
refer to relevant colleagues
2.4 Identify and use opportunities to promote internal products
and services

3. Seek feedback on 3.1. Proactively seek feedback on services from customers

services 3.2. Observe customer behaviour to inform future service
developments and follow procedures for formal customer
evaluation
3.3 Provide information on customer feedback to relevant
colleagues
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Skills and Knowledge

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills

 Communication skills to:

o interact in a friendly and courteous way with customers
o provide clear and accurate information
 Literacy skills to:
o source information on a predictable range of customer requests
 Problem-solving skills to identify and respond to situations where referral to others is
required
 Self-management skills to keep up-to-date with information
 Teamwork skills to share information with colleagues

Required knowledge

 Sources of information on organisational services and facilities

 Organisational facilities, services and procedures, including for those with special
needs, such as parking, exhibits, show times, retail outlets and special events
 Sources of advice and referral
 Safety and emergency procedures for customers, colleagues and self
 Sources of customers in the relevant industry context
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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, if used in
the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be
present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the
candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be
included.

Information on facilities and services  access

may relate to:  cloaking
 direction or location of facilities
 facilities for those with special needs
 food and beverage
 new activities, events or procedures
 opening hours
 operational changes
 pricing
 promotional activities
 retail
 ticket sales
 times of activities or events

Opportunities to update and  discussions with colleagues

maintain facility and service  internal newsletters
knowledge may include reference to:  leaflets and brochures
 staff noticeboards
 team meetings

Feedback may be:  formal, including surveys, interviews and

structured questioning
 informal, including observation or casual
discussion
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Evidence Guide
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the
performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for
the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and Evidence of the ability to:

evidence required to demonstrate  Access information on relevant services and facilities
competency in this unit  Provide information and assistance in response to
multiple and diverse requests in a courteous and
culturally appropriate manner

Context of and specific resources for Assessment must ensure use of:
assessment  Other people to allow for the demonstration of
interpersonal skills

Method of assessment A range of assessment methods should be used to assess

practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are
appropriate for this unit:
 Direct observation of the individual providing assistance
and information
 Use of case studies to assess ability to source different
types of information for different purposes
 Written or oral questioning to assess knowledge of
information sources and the role of information systems
within the venue
 Review of portfolios of evidence and third-party
workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the
individual

Guidance information for assessment The assessor should design integrated assessment activities
to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the
industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:
 SITTGDE101 Interpret aspects of local Australian
Indigenous culture
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Housekeeping Items

Your trainer will inform you of the following:

 Where the toilets and fire exits are located, what the emergency procedures are and
where the breakout and refreshment areas are.

 Any rules, for example asking that all mobile phones are set to silent and of any security
issues they need to be aware of.

 What times the breaks will be held and what the smoking policy is.

 That this is an interactive course and you should ask questions.

 That to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each
other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn.

 Ground rules for participation:

o Smile

o Support and encourage other participants

o When someone is contributing everyone else is quiet

o Be patient with others who may not be grasping the ideas

o Be on time

o Focus discussion on the topic

o Speak to the trainer if you have any concerns

Objectives

 Discover how to access and update information

 Know how to assist customers

 Learn how to seek feedback on services

 Gain essential skills and knowledge required for this unit

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1. Access and update information

1.1. Source and access information on facilities and services

1.2. Incorporate information into day to day working activities

1.3. Support efficiency and quality of service by sharing information with colleagues

1.4. Identify and use opportunities to update and maintain facility and service knowledge
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1.1 – Source and access information on facilities and services

Opportunities to develop product/service knowledge are all around us – be it in-house, industry or

local information.

Acquiring this knowledge may include learning about the following business sectors/departments:

 Tours and transport

 Accommodation

 Conferences and conventions

 Function facilities

 Food and beverage facilities

 Entertainment

 Shopping services

It is vital for you to develop product, service and market knowledge relevant to the enterprise you
are working in and to keep up-to-date with the many changes that occur.

One of the main reasons for this is that the customers visiting your
property may seek information from you about such
products and services – you have to be able
to supply this immediately in an accurate
and concise manner.

Another reason to develop knowledge is that

a customer may be indecisive about making a
choice – where to visit, what to eat, which room
to choose, which wine to select – and you might
be able to assist them.

Whenever you identify an opportunity to better your product and service knowledge, seize it.
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The opportunity may arise when:

 Speaking with colleagues

 Attending a staff meeting

 Attending a product launch

 Speaking with customers to receive feedback

 Speaking with friends and family

 Speaking with sales representatives

 Speaking with industry representatives

 Listening to, or reading, the media

The precise areas that knowledge may be sought are:

 General property features, services and facilities

 Special features – times when the venue is offering a special event, such as for
Christmas, Father’s Day, Melbourne Cup or the opening of a renovated section of the
property

 Benefits of customers taking advantage of certain offers, promotions or packages that

you offer

 Disadvantages – you need to know the bits about your venue that aren’t particularly
flash: the accommodation rooms that aren’t especially quiet (usually the ones closest to
the lifts) and the tables that aren’t the best (perhaps they are near the entrance, the
toilets, or the kitchen doors)

 Price – you have to know the bargains, discounts (and different types
that may be available – there are many different ones in
accommodation), when the happy hours are, when certain
savings apply, what packages are currently available
(including what they contain and the value they represent)

 Special offers – these can be in any area of the property.

Some of these specials may also include off-site activities such
as tickets to a live show, entry to a zoo, or a free day tour of the
local attractions

 Availability – you don't have to keep up-to-date at all times with vacancies, occupancy
rates or table bookings; but you should know where to go, who to ask and what number
to ring to find out. There is little point in convincing a guest to stay an extra night or two
and then find out you have no vacancies

 How to purchase or order – even though you may work in a bar area, it is expected that
you can inform a guest or potential customer of how to order/make a booking in other
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areas of the property. This maximises revenue and provides outstanding customer
service

Research can be defined as a search for knowledge that may be conducted on an informal or formal
basis.

Informal research is generally verbal in nature and may include:

 Discussing information with colleagues

 Seeking customer feedback by asking questions

 Personal observation and self-reflection

 Discussing information with friends and family

 Discussing information with the public in public places

Formal research involves:

 Reading printed material from your property – food menus, beverage lists, advertising
and promotional material

 Enrolling in a course related to the area you want to find out about

 Reading product and service information brochures

 Reading or listening to the general media

 Surfing the internet for specified information

 Visiting the library – reading books and viewing tapes

 Developing, distributing and analysing questionnaires

 Attending conferences and seminars

 Attending product launches

 Attending industry association functions

Management will generally be supportive of attempts to find out information about their clientele,
so contact them and explain any proposed research you plan to undertake.

They may even pay for your course, or allocate you some time to do the research. Also, they may be
able to update you on recent research they have done, or are currently doing.

One example of (semi) formal research is the ‘questionnaire’ distributed in accommodation rooms
that seeks feedback from guests about the service provided.

Unfortunately this information is useless unless it is acted on .

Some properties will spend thousands of dollars on advertising and consultants, when the way of
improving their service, sales and profit is simply customer feedback/comments.
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Can you answer the following? Your customers may ask you these questions:

My establishment has special events or happenings for each of the following occasions, as
described:

Christmas:_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Mother’s day:____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Valentine’s day:__________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

St Patrick’s day:__________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Melbourne Cup day:_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
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Activities 1, 2 and 3
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1.2 – Incorporate information into day to day working activities

Identify and obtain commonly requested information

Each premises will have their individual needs – many of which can be dictated by their physical and
geographic location.

For instance, the information required in a facility in the snow fields will quite obviously be different
to that needed by guests in most other locations.

Guests at the snow fields will seek information about weather and snow conditions, which lifts are
operating, where to purchase tickets, the best place to hire skis, where to get a mechanic and so on.

Guests in the city may require advice about live theatre, public transport, the location of certain
shopping and dining precincts, guided tours and sporting venues.

Guests in an outback area may focus their questions on four-wheel drive tours, natural attractions,
old homesteads and museums, visits to working stations, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the
School of the Air.

The range of local information required may vary according to the particular industry sector and
the individual workplace. It can be expected to cover:

 Enterprise specific information – also known as 'product knowledge', this covers details
about the venue. The array of information available should be comprehensive – when
areas are open, prices, how to book the tennis courts, when the swimming pool opens
and closes, check-out times, arrangements for parking etc.

 Local transport options – staff should have a basic working knowledge of what's
available, including where the station and bus stops are and understanding of frequency
of buses, trams and trains. More detailed information should be in the file, together with
contact details for additional information. In some locations, options can include all
various modes of transport – from canoes, to camels to four-wheel drives. They can
include buggies, horses, motor bikes, scooters, push bikes, motor boats, ferries, planes
and taxis

 Local attractions – you need to know what's available, how far it is,
what there is to see when you get there, how much it costs, when it's
open, opening and closing times. The information should cover man-
made and natural attractions. Where the natural attraction conceals
or contains some sort of danger, this must be highlighted – it can be
information about wandering stock, snakes, the possibility of
dehydration and the length (in terms of metres/kilometres
and in terms of time) of walks.

 Local events – these are often the reason that

visitors come to an area and we must ensure we
do everything in our power to support them. We
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need to develop a comprehensive list of all the annual local events – the visitor centre
will help with this, as they will traditionally already have such information published. You
may elect to enhance this list and add more details, information and advice – all
designed to entice visitors and further explain the particular event by explaining what it's
all about, who it attracts, costs, duration, and special points of interest. In some cases
you may also supply details about how the guests can participate in the event, if they
want to

 General visitor facilities – your file should contain information about shopping locations,
markets, currency exchange sites, post offices, banks and emergency services. Very few
of these organisations have pamphlets or brochures, so it will be up to you to seek out
and record the relevant information. Your own local knowledge, coupled with use of the
telephone and a trip to the visitors centre should allow you to source all the details you
need. Many establishments will also subscribe to a "This Week in …" publication, that
carries this and other tourist-related information

 Dining – hopefully, most guests will dine in-house (and we certainly must be alert to
selling our dining facilities to visitors); but frequently we will be asked "where's a good
place to eat?", "is there a good Mexican restaurant in town?", or "where can I get a
quick take-away?" Your local knowledge comes into play here and it's a good idea to get
some more information before you make a recommendation – do they want a quick
meal or a full night out? How much do they want to spend? Do they have transport?
With this information, you can then make an informed suggestion – it is great too if you
have a copy of the menu for the place you have recommended. Keep a file with
information and menus for dining facilities such as cafes, restaurants (of all types, classes
and styles), take-aways, function centres, bistros and even hamburger caravans

 Personal service businesses – this includes a detailed list of dentists, doctors,

chiropractors, beauticians, remedial masseurs, podiatrists, travel agents, and computer
technicians. This will need to include names, addresses, contact details, prices, plus
other relevant information

 Entertainment – this should cover theatres, cinemas, venues, local sporting clubs and
facilities, health clubs and gymnasiums, shooting
ranges, fishing spots, as well as tours

 Travel – in many locations (both metropolitan

and country), visitors require detailed
information about the best way to get to a
certain location; this can be a tourist destination
or their next port of call. A road map or street
directory can handle the majority of queries
but, in more remote areas, guests may require
information about road conditions and
accessibility. The local police and road service clubs are
a good start, together with local input from the service station
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 Weather – this often depends on the location of the venue (sometimes coupled with the
season/time of year), but you may be asked to provide information about weather
conditions. This is common where you are near the sea and guests want to do a sea
cruise or go fishing – you may subscribe to a Bureau of Meteorology program which
provides weather and tidal information for a fee. Similar requests may also be made by
guests who are at snow resorts, in the outback, up the mountains or wish to enjoy
outdoor activities, from golfing to simple sightseeing. Some establishments feature a
prominent notice board with current weather conditions posted, together with any
relevant warnings that have been given. A similar type of board can be considered for
roads that are impassable and chair lifts that are open/closed

Further information

The filing cabinet drawer(s) containing local information may also have the following:

 Advertising brochures – not only for use by yourself as a source of information, but in
sufficient quantities for you to give them away as required

 Timetables – for a variety of transport options, including traditional modes (buses, trains
and trams), local airlines, ferry services, natural events, and tides. Try to get sufficient
numbers so you can distribute them as required

 Local visitor guides – contact your visitor centre and have enough of these to put in
guest rooms, public areas and behind reception

 Local council information – your local council will have one or more
information directories. They can include the telephone numbers of
various by-laws officers, together with contact details and opening
times of tourist information centres, libraries and other public utilities

 Local people – this can be a valuable resource. There are often

excellent local 'contacts' – people who are in the know about certain
things, have been in the area for years and know all the local goings-on.
They may be local identities, movers and shakers, pillars of the society,
people that have newly arrived or those that were born and bred in the
area. They may be the president of the local fishing club, secretary of the
local Lions club, or a member of the local CFA

 Get their permission first – the list won't be for public distribution
but simply one that you can use to source specific information
about pertinent issues. Most people won't mind being included
but it is worth checking if they are happy to be contacted for
information

 In-room directories – the compendiums supplied to guests in their rooms are an

excellent source of information. Too many in-room directories do not carry sufficient
information about the local area, or they are out-of-date/a haphazard collection of
materials. The information supplied must be both comprehensive and timely. This
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means a regular 'hands-on' inspection and re-stocking of all compendiums – once per
week would be preferable – unless the staff that service the rooms can be relied on to
do this

 Maps – this map should list all the attractions together with a variety of dining, sporting
and emergency services; churches, parks, and transport links are also common. Where
these maps are provided to you by another organisation free-of-charge, it is a great idea
to give one to each guest/party on registration as a form of welcome and as an incentive
for them to get out and see the local area

 Internet – it can be a brilliant source of information, if you know where and how to look.
It is advantageous if your establishment can arrange for guests to use the internet to
search for any local information they need. The alternative is for you to search on their
behalf, but this can be very time consuming, and may find you are forced to ignore more
urgent tasks
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Activities 4 and 5
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1.3 – Support efficiency and quality of service by sharing information with

colleagues

Part of the role of staff who are responsible for creating and maintaining local information is to share
updated knowledge with customers and colleagues as appropriate, and to incorporate such
information into day-to-day working activities.

This all sounds like a big task, especially in addition to all the other work you are expected to do.
Here are a few tricks to help you:

Prepare a few local trips for your visitors – it won’t take much for you to put together a few
trips around the local area, which guests will really appreciate. Our key aims are to get the guest to
stay another day and to maximise their enjoyment during their stay. These ‘trips’ can be ‘mud maps’
with hand-written features or you may create them on your workplace computer and printer – you
may elect to take them to a professional to have them produced and
printed. Naturally the trip/the itinerary you prepare should describe any
potential dangers, obstacles or hazards. It should also list any
items that people should take with them – this may include
petrol, sun screen, drinking water, coins for machines, a hat
etc. Depending on your clientele, you may prepare these
trips in different languages too. There are three trips that
you can organise:

 Full-day trip – this should spell out the route

to take, distances involved, times allocated
and details of all the destinations you have planned for them to see. Try to fit in as
many as you can. There may be subtle variations between trips based on different
opening days/hours for some attractions – your area may have some that are not
open, for example, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

 Half-day trip – this should be a four-hour trip. You may have different ones for
different days (again, due to timing), as well as different ones for the morning and
afternoons. You may even prepare variations for different weather conditions. Night
walks are a fairly common extension of this concept

 Two hour trip – this is for people who want to squeeze that little bit extra into a day.
The same advice as above applies but it is just shorter – you may be able to divide a
half-day trip nicely into two, or it may be a totally new idea.

Print up a special “local information” list – if the council and the visitor
centre don’t have any suitable lists that accommodate this, then make up
your own. Do it properly – make your establishment a central feature, but
be prepared to sell space to other operators who are likely to benefit to
help pay for the production costs. You might even make a profit and get
free advertising for your property
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Staff meetings – if your workplace holds

staff meetings, you can pass on
information about updated local
knowledge at these. Doing this properly
and professionally will impress the boss
with your skills (research, organising,
writing, public speaking, word
processing, networking etc.), and also
serve to update other staff members.
You could speak briefly about the
alterations, additions, amendments and
deletions, and also supply a printed
memo/list of the updates for people to take away from the meeting. This
would cover changes to opening times, entry charges, things that have
opened up, premises that have closed down, new brochures, revised
advertising, new offers that establishments are making and so on. A copy
could also be posted in a permanently on the staff notice board. Where
your establishment has numerous departments, this information must also
be sent to them so that they can update their copy of the information
file/folder

Greet regular visitors personally on their arrival – if you know that a

regular visitor is coming in tomorrow and that they love to go fishing in the
local tidal river, then make sure that you, the receptionist or the manager
hands them a current copy of the tides and a current price list of the boat
hire charges from the local hire shop. The same idea applies for any regular
visitor where you know their tastes, preferences and hobbies. The extra
effort makes you stand out from your competitors

Update the files – this is sometimes overlooked and it can cause as much
confusion and disappointment as not providing anything. If the system is
not maintained, giving out-of-date information can cause all the problems
it should alleviate. It is important to appoint someone, perhaps on a
cyclical or rotating basis, to be in charge of local information updates and
filing. When a new price list, brochure, flyer, or catalogue comes in this
person must replace the old one with the up-to-date copy

Update the displays – make sure new information is included in any displays,
racks or in-room directories too
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Activity 6
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1.4 – Identify and use opportunities to update and maintain facility and
service knowledge

Identify changes in customer preferences

Preferences expressed by customers can alter for a number of reasons. These include:

 Local trends

 Overseas trends

 Individual customer needs

 Individual customer tastes

 Customer type – sex, age, nationality, accompanied by family or not etc.

The following are some changes in customer preferences that have been noticed in
accommodation businesses over the past ten years or so:

 Serviced apartments

 All-suite accommodation

 More casual accommodation

 Function or conference facilities

 Computer technology

 In-house entertainment

 Additional facilities, such as restaurants, bars,

gymnasiums

 Non-smoking suites

 Signs in other languages

These changes indicate the need for us to 'keep close' to our guests, to find out what they are
thinking and what they want.

It is an error of judgement to believe that we know what they want.

We must all pay close attention to these ever-changing needs and respond to them. Many things
have a long lead-time (the time taken from the conception of a thought, to the final creation of the
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physical service or product) and this means that we must be alert and act quickly, or risk being
beaten by the competition.

Suggest ideas

Sometimes, on the basis of the research you have done, you will feel that adjustments have to be
made to various products and services and promotions to bring them more in-line with current
customer demands.

Providing you can substantiate your claims, senior management may make your adjustments.

Your suggestions may include:

 Changes to food items – making dishes bigger or smaller; deleting certain items from
the menu; introducing new menu items

 Changes to beverage lists – revision of selling prices; revision of drink/cocktail names

 Offering combination packages – accommodation and theatre tickets; accommodation

and a bay cruise

 Offering greater selection of food and beverage products – for room service; at the
coffee shop; in the dining room

 Offering secretarial services – for your business clients

 Installing air conditioning or

heating systems – where
complaints about the present
environment have been
substantial

 Computerising systems – at front

office, accounts or the dining
room/kitchen interface

 Purchasing updated cleaning

equipment – to make cleaning
quicker, quieter and more
effective

 Increased recycling activities – to generate revenue, save money and enhance image

 Specialist areas - making several floors totally non-smoking, and/or ‘women only’

Whatever the adjustment, it must be done by someone with the authority to do it, and comply with
any enterprise policies and procedures. Note that certain changes may require a significant rewrite
of existing policies and procedures.
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Activities 7 and 8
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2. Assist customers
2.1. Proactively identify information and assistance needs of customers, including those with
special needs

2.2. Provide accurate information in a clear, courteous and culturally appropriate way

2.3 Where appropriate, assist or instruct customers in the use of equipment and facilities
according to safety requirements, or refer to relevant colleagues

2.4 Identify and use opportunities to promote internal products and services
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2.1 – Proactively identify information and assistance needs of customers,

including those with special needs

Determine customer preferences

The best way to encourage customers to use and buy products and services is to promote them
according to a few simple guidelines:

 Don’t pressure customers to purchase something they don’t want

 Encourage customers to purchase something they may want

To adhere to the above, you must have in-depth knowledge about the products and services and
have the ability to match them to the customer’s needs.

Examples:

 You wouldn’t suggest to a business guest that you have a new crèche open at the hotel.
However, you would offer the crèche services to a young family with several children

 You wouldn’t try selling a single room to a newly wedded couple. However, you may try
to sell them a premium double suite overlooking the parklands

Common sense should always be applied when matching products and services with customers and
any promotion should be done in accordance with establishment policies and procedures.

How to determine preferences

Some guests may indicate a preference for room type, room location, table position, special needs
etc:

 This may come to us via their booking/travel agent

 Requests might accompany or follow an advance deposit

 The message could be via fax, mail, email or the telephone

Where this easy option has not presented itself, you can use several commonly applied techniques
to help find out what the guest preferences are. These techniques are:

Active listening

This is the most effective way of listening.

To be an active listener you must concentrate on what is being said – this

sounds easy but most people tend to drift off and focus on something else. This
means they miss what is being said, which only serves to fuel a conflict.

You cannot listen effectively and think about something else at the same time.
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When we listen actively we should be tuned-in to the non-verbal communication and also:

 Analyse – when listening to someone, we continually analyse and agree, disagree

and take mental notes to remember the information.

 Interpret – interpretation can be either verbal or non-verbal signals, or a mix of

both. It can also depend on the sender/receiver clearly understanding the motives,
feelings and needs of the person communicating the message. This is where we start
to read into what was said.

When communicating verbally it is essential that you relay accurate thoughts and feelings. You must
ensure your message is received, accepted and understood in the manner you intended it; whenever
there is misunderstanding, or less than total understanding, there is potential for conflict.

Questioning

Asking the right questions at the right time is an important part of

being an effective communicator. You can also acquire more
accurate information when you ask questions – this is a key aspect
when determining customer preferences.

Taking the time to structure your questions properly will save

time, confusion, and embarrassment, as well as reducing the
likelihood of an irrelevant answer.

A question can be asked in many ways but can either be open or

closed.

Closed questions are direct questions that require only a 'yes' or

'no' answer:

 ‘Did you know that we have a revolving restaurant that offers spectacular views of
the city at night?’

 ‘Should I bring an extra bucket of ice, Sir?’

 ‘Will you be requiring the use of our secretarial services, Madam?’

There is nothing wrong with asking closed questions; they have their place, but they do not offer
much additional information.

When trying to determine guest preferences, we are trying to get the guest to talk to us and explain
how they feel and what they want us to provide. Asking closed questions in these situations is not all
that helpful.
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Open questions are questions requiring more than a 'yes' or 'no' answer.

Open questions start with 'who', 'what', 'when', 'why' and 'how'. For example:

 “Who did you speak with, Sir?”

 “What kind of wines do you prefer?”

 “Where would you like me to place your meal, Madam?”

 “When did you want to visit the planetarium?”

 “How may I help you?”

As with active listening, asking open questions takes practice – you have to make a point of asking
them because they often don’t come naturally. When you get into the habit of asking them, you will
be impressed with the extra information they produce.
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Activities 9, 10 and 11
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2.2 – Provide accurate information in a clear, courteous and culturally

appropriate way

Offer accurate information

It is essential for service staff to have knowledge about their establishment, particularly in these
areas:

 What they sell

 Prices

 Policies

 Procedures

 Opening/trading times

 Room layouts and locations

 Menus and food items

 Beverages available

 Services, products and facilities available

If you don’t know any of the above – you must know

how to access it quickly.

When offering information to customers, honesty is very important.

For example:

 If Room 334 is a bit noisy because of its air conditioner, tell the guests before they take it

 If there is a 35 minute wait for steaks, tell the customer who orders one

 If the beer is not as cold as it should be, let them know when they order – don’t let them
find out when they take the first mouthful and hope they won’t complain

This strategy is appreciated by the majority of people.

Tell customers about all the good points of things you have to offer, but don’t be dishonest.

Hospitality staff must be aware of the differences between cultures.

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Things that Australians regard as normal, acceptable, likeable or even preferable can be very
different to what overseas tourists or staff expect.

Despite cultural differences, there is no excuse to provide sub-standard service, below par facilities
and ignore, or be rude to, foreign visitors.

It is true that overseas visitors wish to experience the true spirit of the country, but Australia must
realise that the tourist industry is more competitive than ever and laissez-faire attitude won't cut
it anymore.
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Activities 12 and 13
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2.3 – Where appropriate, assist or instruct customers in the use of equipment

and facilities according to safety requirements, or refer to relevant
colleagues
In your career within hospitality, you will be asked to explain to customers how to use certain pieces
of equipment.

These will include what some people may envisage as simple, but we must help customers who
may not know how to use, or unsure of how to use equipment such as:

 Toaster in the dining room – there are many and varied types that may confuse
people

 Coffee machine in the dining room

 Air conditioning – how to use the remote in the

bedrooms

 Wi-Fi – how to connect to the network provided in guest

rooms

 Television

 Fax/internet – in the business centre

These may appear obvious, but our guests may need help because of the various types they
encounter when travelling. Likewise, new staff may need to ask similar questions – again, because
they have not used a particular type of equipment before.
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2.4 – Identify and use opportunities to promote internal products and

services

Employ selling techniques

Selling is an important role for most hospitality employees but it doesn't come easy to lots of people.

It requires confidence and skills, backed by accurate knowledge.

Adjectives (describing words) should be used when selling a service or product.

Examples of useful ones include:

 excellent

 fantastic

 comfortable

 luxurious

 entertaining

 satisfying

 modern

 private

A key strategy in is to 'sell the benefits', not the actual properties of a product or service.

For example, Room 222 may have the properties of being 'a double room equipped with all modern
conveniences, bath and VCR', but this same room 222 has the benefits of a spectacular view of the
beach and, being at the end of the corridor and away from the lift, is very quiet.

To sell a product or service successfully, you have to deliver the item to the customer in a manner that
makes them feel they will benefit from the purchase and are getting something unique.

For everything you sell, try to think of at least one benefit that you could pass on to a potential
guest.

Suggestive selling

Suggestive selling is when the employee promotes a product or service that will enhance or
complement the customer’s original order.

The employee suggests an item with the hope that the customer will like it and therefore take up the
offer.
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The following situations are examples:

 When taking a booking, suggest a room with a view, rather than one facing an office
block

 When taking a reservation, suggest a package of two

nights' accommodation and complimentary breakfast

 When checking in guests, mention the hotel facilities

along with restaurants and bars

 When speaking with a guest, suggest that the room

service is great

Some guidelines to use when selling products and

services include:

 Always match the product and service to the customer

 Provide as many choices as possible

 Don’t go for the 'hard sell' by placing customers under pressure to purchase

Up-selling

Up-selling is where the employee suggests a more expensive product or service over a cheaper one.

This selling technique is mainly used where the customer orders a product or service, though isn’t
specific about exactly what they require.

An example of where up-selling can be effective can be seen in the following scenario:

Receptionist: “Yes, we do have vacancies, Sir.”

Guest: “Excellent, then book me a room.”

Receptionist: “We have a number of rooms available, Sir. Starting at the deluxe suite of
$350.00 per night; then, we have the standard double room of $280.00.
Both rooms come with a complimentary breakfast.”

Guest: “The first one you mentioned, the deluxe suite. I’ll take that for three
nights.”

Although it can be a useful selling technique, up-selling should not be overused. Up-selling can come
across as being too sale- orientated and not focused on satisfying customers' wants and needs.

An example is of a person who typically drinks regular beer. They come into a public bar and ask for
a beer. Up-selling would be ineffective and may be detrimental to further patronage, if the bar staff
were to ask that person if they wanted a boutique beer.
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Selling techniques that include up-selling and suggestive selling, may involve:

 Serving

 Helping

 Advising

 Building rapport with customers

 Arousing interest

Make customers aware

An 'add-on' or an 'extra' are services provided by the hotel, in addition to its standard ones.

Some examples of extras or add-ons may include:

 Dry cleaning and laundry services

 Valet parking

 Crèche service

 Restaurants and bars

 Secretarial services

 Security storage

 Internet services

 In-house movie channels

Making customers and guests aware of these services

or facilities not only provides a potential service, but may also increase revenue.

Don’t be afraid to make people aware of the services you offer – it may be exactly what they are
after.

Pro-actively promote products and services

You should be aware at all times that products and services are to be promoted to customers in
accordance with current enterprise goals and promotional targets.

Where your job involves customer/guest contact, it includes being a salesperson – even though this
may not be mentioned in the job title.

Your boss will expect you to sell what is on offer. No manager will be pleased to have someone on
the staff who is not pro-active in terms of trying to make a sale or up-selling.

You must ensure you are an 'order maker' not just an 'order taker'.
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An 'order taker' simply takes the order that a guest gives and that’s it – the customer buys, rather
than the staff member selling.

An order taker up-sells and uses appropriate suggestive selling.

Other features that can assist in the promotion of products and services include:

 Eye-catching displays

 Free tastings

 Actively promoting room

inspections

 Holding an open day

 Special offers

 Packages and deals

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Activities 14, 15 and 16

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3. Seek feedback on services

3.1. Proactively seek feedback on services from customers

3.2. Observe customer behaviour to inform future service developments and follow procedures
for formal customer evaluation

3.3 Provide information on customer feedback to relevant colleagues

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3.1 – Proactively seek feedback on services from customers

Where and when appropriate, customer feedback should be shared with colleagues to enhance the
service level and sales effectiveness of the team.

If the sales per head are high in an establishment – and continue this way – it can be a reflection of a
high standard of customer satisfaction.

Sharing feedback with other colleagues is one way of achieving greater customer satisfaction.

Shared feedback can be of two types:

 Nice to know feedback

 Need to know feedback

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Activity 17
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3.2 – Observe customer behaviour to inform future service developments

and follow procedures for formal customer evaluation

Observation and recognition of non-verbal signs

When you first see your customer, you may well be able to work out what this person’s preferences
are likely to be.

Everyone action or inaction, contains non-verbal signals that we can pick up on. It is hard get these
cues right in every circumstance but you should continue to look for them. Watch your customers
and be on the lookout for the following signs that can indicate needs:

 Sighing

 Slumped shoulders

 Looking around anxiously

 Drumming fingers on the table or desk

 Eyes rolled backwards

 Looking tired, angry, frustrated or ‘lost’

The above are known as 'reading your customer/guest'. If you 'read'

your customers well, you should realise that there are certain actions
you should take, when they do the above. By 'reading' your guests and
anticipating their needs, you can achieve provide them with a positive
experience.

You should analyse your customers/guests on a regular basis – you

won’t always get it right, but a breakdown of what you see and hear can
be very useful.

Things to observe are:

 Their clothes

 The car they drive

 Their luggage

 The way they walk, talk and act

 Their general demeanour

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Customer preferences, needs and expectations may include:

 A need for friendliness – perhaps the customer is in a foreign country or an

unfamiliar environment

 Assistance – if this is their first time in your country, they might not know where
things are

 A need for courtesy – following a particularly

bad experience elsewhere, or perhaps due to
their up-bringing or age

 An expectation of value for money –if they’ve

saved for five years for this holiday, their
experience needs to be worthwhile

 Prompt service – if they are going to a show or

they want to get checked in quickly so they can
go to bed

 Empathy and support – guests need things done on

their schedule and not yours – sympathise that they have things to do or may be
exhausted from travelling

 Comfort – on the basis of the adverts for your establishment or what their travel
agent has told them

 A new experience – guests are constantly looking for something that is a little bit
different and that they tell their friends about

The basic needs are food, comfort and shelter – guests may want a basic and no-frills service.
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Activities 18 and 19
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3.3 – Provide information on customer feedback to relevant colleagues

Sharing feedback among receptionists

It would be nice for the other receptionists to know that a guest checking out paid the hotel a huge
compliment.

However, the other receptionists would need to know if a guest this morning checking out started a
fight with another guest who is still staying in the hotel.

Sharing feedback among room attendants

It would be nice for the room attendants to know that a guest wrote a
note of thanks to the management and mentioned how clean the
rooms were.

However, the room attendants would need to know that an occupied

room door was left unlocked after cleaning yesterday and a number
of items were stolen from the guest’s suitcase.

Sharing feedback with management

It would be nice for the management to know that a guest gave a
receptionist a bunch of flowers to thank them for great service.

However, the management would need to know that a customer

complained about the noise coming from an adjoining room and
wanted to be moved immediately.

Remember: all positive feedback should be passed on to colleagues when and where appropriate
– all negative feedback should be acted on immediately.
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Activity 20
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Skills and Knowledge Activity

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Nearly there...

Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit

At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find an activity titled ‘Major Activity’. This is an
opportunity to revise the entire unit and allows your trainer to check your knowledge and
understanding of what you have covered. It should take between and 1-2 hours to complete and
your trainer will let you know whether they wish for you to complete it in your own time or during
session. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move onto the next,
well done!
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Congratulations!

You have now finished the unit SITXCCS101 'Provide Information and Assistance'
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