Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify the ramifications of a crisis on a customer and to respond with assistance and support. It requires the ability to identify and interpret information relevant to the crisis, provide customer crisis care, and organise operational services to assist the customer in crisis.
The crisis would be significant and could involve the death, injury, illness or psychological trauma of a customer. It does not cover more operational circumstances, such as the loss of travel documents, passports and money.
This unit applies to individuals who operate independently or with limited guidance from others. This includes senior tour coordinators, senior travel consultants, hotel duty managers, guides, and tour managers who are able to use significant discretion and judgement to respond to customer crises.
The unit applies to all tourism, travel, hospitality and event sectors. It has particular application to accommodation providers, tour operators, travel agencies and inbound tour operators.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

What You'll Learn

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
• respond with customer crisis care to at least three different customer crises
• identify ramifications of each of the above customer crises through:
• discussions with affected customer and their friends, family or travelling companions
• where available and appropriate, related reports from:
• medical and emergency services
• police
• staff, contractors and suppliers
• organise the following operational services where required to assist the above affected customers in line with availability of assistance, advice and support and organisational customer care, communication and confidentiality standards:
• accommodation
• cancellation of forward travel and tourism services
• flights and ticketing to repatriate customers.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
• common customer crisis situations relevant to the tourism, travel, hospitality and event sectors:
• accident, assault or mugging
• family crisis and need for repatriation
• major injury or illness
• natural death, accidental death or suicide
• incident resulting in psychological trauma
• key symptoms of trauma
• sources of medical and counselling assistance
• communication techniques for supporting and reassuring customers
• key people with whom to communicate in a customer crisis situation:
• colleagues:
• managers
• operational staff
• supervisors
• family members
• personnel in the controlling office:
• event management organisation
• inbound tour operator
• outbound tour wholesaler
• professional conference organiser
• travel agency
• tour operator
• personnel from suppliers on an extended tour
• travel insurance provider personnel
• travelling companions
• professional standards in crisis care communications
• operational services used to manage customer service and repatriation arrangements
• role of key external people and organisations in managing a customer crisis
• recommendations relating to customer crisis situations:
• cancel the remainder of touring arrangements and return home
• contact travel insurance provider
• rebook a replacement holiday
• report incident to the police
• seek medical assistance
• seek professional counselling
• policies and processes to be followed for repatriation of bodies for:
• airlines
• consulates
• funeral directors
• high commissions
• travel insurance companies
• formats for and inclusions of incident reports
• organisational policies and procedures:
• roles and responsibilities of key staff members
• procedures for reporting and managing customer incidents
• procedures for reviewing and debriefing customer crisis management.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in an operational tourism, travel, hospitality or events environment. This can be:
• an industry workplace; or
• a simulated industry environment set up for the purposes of assessment.
Assessment must ensure access to:
• customer service arrangements or itineraries
• customer crisis information
• current industry procedures for reporting and managing customer incidents
• customers in crisis with whom the individual can interact. These can be:
• customers in an industry workplace who are assisted by the individual during the assessment process; or
• individuals who participate in role plays or simulated activities, set up for the purpose of assessment, in a simulated industry environment operated within a training organisation.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors.

Foundation Skills

• {'skill': 'Reading skills to:', 'description': 'comprehend information and reports on customer crisis and service arrangements.'}
• {'skill': 'Writing skills to:', 'description': 'document succinct action plans and accurate and complex crisis management reports.'}
• {'skill': 'Oral communication skills to:', 'description': 'discuss details of customer crisis with key internal and external people.'}
• {'skill': 'Numeracy skills to:', 'description': 'calculate immediate costs of service provision to the customer.'}
• {'skill': 'Learning skills to:', 'description': 'research sources of assistance for the customer.'}
• {'skill': 'Problem-solving skills to:', 'description': 'evaluate the severity of the impact of the crisis on the customer.'}
• {'skill': 'Initiative and enterprise skills to:', 'description': 'provide sympathetic and sensitive support to the customer.'}
• {'skill': 'Self-management skills to:', 'description': 'take responsibility for managing a customer in crisis.'}

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