Assessment Task 3: Skills Test

Case study

Online Media Solutions is a marketing and web development business based in Melbourne, Australia. From idea to design, development and marketing, we achieve results for our clients and grow their business. 

We have ventured into the web service industry to offer our superior and unique services to small businesses and organisations. Our experience and expertise in web sales and e-commerce give us the backing to provide solutions that are currently lacking in the market.

There is an all-time high demand for web development and marketing for small businesses with signs of rising further. Interestingly, few web developers have taken advantage of this opportunity, leaving the industry with no dominant provider.

The high costs of the projects and the focus on more prominent companies and organisations could be the contributing factor as to why this market remains untapped. We have a system that will reduce the project costs dramatically, giving us the opportunity to offer quality services at reduced prices.

Mission

Our professional team of specialists with industry expertise deliver solutions not only for leading brands but also for non-profit organisations and innovative start-up businesses. We aim to reach success by providing unique yet creative solutions to our customers that will elevate their online presence.

Our vision

Quality web solutions with a sound technical foundation that enable our clients to impress their customers and improve their online image worldwide. We want to make our customers stand out in the online environment and become the leading provider of online services for small and medium-sized businesses.

Keys to success 

• We will offer quality web services to small businesses and organisations at affordable prices.

• Customised and tailored services.

• Establishment of alliances and partnerships with internet service providers and organisations involved in computer consultancy

Services offered 

We offer the following services to our clients: 

• Interface and Web Design Services 

o E-commerce 

o Web development 

o Responsive web design 

• WordPress Development Solutions

• HTML and CMS Development Services

• Coding 

• Graphic Design

• Application development 

• Online marketing 

o Search Engine Optimisation

o Pay Per Click (PPC) Marketing 

o Content marketing 

o Social media marketing 

o Online Email Marketing

• Copyrighting 

o Content and Production Copyright

• Web hosting and support

Values

• Quality service to our clients

• Integrity and accountability 

• Reliability

• Quality 

• Innovation

• Respect 

Organisational hierarchy

Organisation’s commitment to customer service 

Online Media Solutions is committed to providing quality customer service to its customers. The company has the vision to build a creative, empowered, customer-focused family of employees who see beyond simply making sales and constructing workflows. The company’s emphasis on the customer experience permeates every level of its culture and collective work ethic. 

Following are the strategic customer service objectives of the Online Media Solutions:

• Achieve average customer satisfaction of 95% for customer enquiries. 

• Decrease average first reply time for e-mail support from 11 hours to 8 hours

• The service call resolution rate to be improved from 80% to 90% 

• The first contact resolution (FCR) rate to be improved by 10% by next month.

• Provide appropriate support and training to the customer service staff members to improve their skills or address any performance or other issues. 

• To promote team member accountability for personal work and team tasks.

Customer service team purpose, roles, and responsibilities

Purpose

The sole purpose of the customer service team is to ensure that the customer’s questions and issues are answered and solved, and the organisational objectives are met.

Online media solutions currently have the following customer service team members: 

• Customer service team leader (You)

• Customer service representative (Three team members)

o Yuki 

o Charon 

o Fernando 

Customer service team roles and responsibilities

Customer service team leader 

• Coordinate customer service team.

• Provide direct customer support 

• Review and resolve escalations. 

• Evaluate team performance and provide appropriate support or training. 

• Manage team effectiveness 

• Support process improvement 

Customer service representative 

• Maintaining a positive, empathetic and professional attitude toward customers at all times.

• Responding promptly to customer inquiries.

• Communicating with customers through various channels.

• Acknowledging and resolving customer complaints.

• Knowing products and services inside and out so that you can answer questions.

• Processing orders, forms, applications, and requests.

• Keeping records of customer interactions, transactions, comments and complaints.

• Communicating and coordinating with colleagues as necessary.

• Providing feedback on the efficiency of the customer service process.

• Ensure customer satisfaction and provide professional customer support.

• Resolve customer complaints via phone, e-mail, mail, or social media.

• Utilise computer technology to handle high call volumes.

• Work with the customer service manager to ensure proper customer service is being delivered.

• Handle changes in policies or renewals.

Current scenario and your roles and responsibilities 

HR Manager conducted the employee performance assessment last week and handed over the performance reports to the Customer service team leader (You) and the Operations Manager. The following are the outcomes of the employee performance assessment conducted: 

• Yuki has achieved an average customer satisfaction rating of 72%. This is very low as per the organisational standards. 

• Fernando has an excellent customer satisfaction rating of 97%. However, the service call resolution rate is 65%. 

• Charon has performed quite well and has achieved the desired customer satisfaction and service call resolution rating. However, there have been times, when she has not been able to manage her time properly and has been found guilty of either replying late to the customer enquiries e-mailed to her or not even replying back. 

Your role and responsibilities 

You are working as a Customer service team leader in your workplace. You oversee the customer service and support operations of your organisation. When managing the operations of the organisation, you lead teams and actively engage with the management of the organisation. 

As part of your job role, you have the following job responsibilities: 

• Encourage and foster a shared understanding of purpose, roles and responsibilities

• Develop performance plans with key performance indicators (KPIs), outputs and goals 

• Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders about team performance plans and team performance 

• Support team in meeting expected performance outcomes 

• Develop strategies for facilitating team member input into planning, decision making and operational aspects of team tasks

• Develop policies and procedures to promote team member accountability for personal and team tasks 

• Provide feedback to the team members on team effort, and contributions and encourage, value and reward others

• Develop processes to identify and address issues, concerns and problems identified by team members

• Encourage team members to participate in and to take responsibility for team activities and support them to identify and resolve work performance problems 

• Model desired behaviour and practices and promote work team collaboration through individual behaviour 

• Establish and maintain open communication processes and communicate information from line management to the team 

• Communicate and follow-up unresolved issues, concerns and problems

• Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by internal or external stakeholders.

Assessment activities

Activity 1: Develop a team performance plan

Activity context 

Management wants you to establish team performance plan that aligns with the strategic objectives of the organisation. This is to ensure that the team is focused on the strategic objectives and appropriate support is provided to the team members to meet the expected outcomes. 

Description of the activity

This activity requires you to develop a team performance plan with expected outcomes, key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals for the work team. You must use the performance plan template (Appendix C) to prepare the team performance plan. 

To develop a team performance plan, you are required to engage in discussion with the team members. The team members will be: 

• Yuki 

• Charon 

• Fernando 

The trainer/assessor will allocate the roles of the team members to the staff members/students. 

When engaging in discussion with the team to prepare a performance plan, you are required to: 

• Follow the communication guidelines 

• Ask questions to the team using the discussion prompts provided. 

• Comply with the organisation’s guidelines when communicating with the team members. 

• Use performance plan template (Refer to Appendix C). Document the following: 

o Team purpose 

o Roles and responsibilities (as per organisational and task objectives)

o Team goals 

o Expected outcomes

o Strategies to achieve team goals  

o Resources/support required to complete the goal activities 

o Key performance indicators/performance benchmarks according to the organisation’s objectives 

Communication guidelines for the customer service team leader 

During the discussion

• Work through the discussion prompts below, focusing on issues that you want to discuss.

• During the discussion, you can positively influence the discussion by:

o keeping honest communication going

o being respectful

o taking a positive approach and focusing on the future

o having realistic and reasonable expectations of each other

o seeking and confirming that you both understand what the other is saying by summarising key points and agreements

• Encourage and foster a shared understanding of purpose, roles and responsibilities 

• Promote work team collaboration through individual behaviour

• Incorporate input from team members 

• Confirm what has been agreed including any actions such as who will do what and by when.

• Decide what will be recorded and how it will be recorded.

Following the discussion

Prepare the performance plan by recording the main points and what was agreed using the template provided.