Home / Accredited / Unit-Standard Short Courses / Customer Service and Telephone Skills (Unit Standards 114974 + 14348) (2 days)
Quick Look Course Summary:Customer Service and Telephone Skills (Unit Standards 114974 + 14348) (2 days)
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Length: 2 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 14,642 EX VAT 3 Person R 9,476 EX VAT 10 Person R 6,472 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
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Customer Service and Telephone Skills (Unit Standards 114974 + 14348) (2 days)
Front-line staff who understand what good service means, handle every customer conversation and phone call to company standards, and follow queries through to the end – with 5 accredited credits.
Every customer conversation, face to face or on the phone, either builds the organisation's reputation or chips away at it. This accredited customer service course combines two unit standards, each taught and assessed on its own: unit standard 114974 on the basic skills of customer service (NQF Level 2, 2 credits), part of the National Certificate: New Venture Creation (SMME) (SAQA ID 49648), and unit standard 14348 on handling incoming and outgoing telephone calls (NQF Level 2, 3 credits), part of the National Certificate: Business Administration Services (SAQA ID 23833). BOTI delivers both under its Services SETA accreditation.
Day one follows unit standard 114974: what good service means and why it gives a business its edge, the different internal and external customers, opening and closing a conversation to company standards, listening actively, recording the customer's need accurately, and following a query through – escalating it when it falls outside one's own authority.
Day two follows unit standard 14348: telephone etiquette, answering promptly and greeting callers correctly, transferring and screening calls, working with hold and several lines at once, taking messages, and planning outgoing calls so that their purpose is clear and the follow-up is recorded.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Customers who are greeted, heard and helped to a consistent standard
- Queries that are recorded accurately and followed through
- Calls answered promptly, transferred correctly and never left hanging on hold
- Five accredited credits for front-line and administrative staff
For your delegates
- Five accredited credits from two unit standards
- Practical routines for opening and closing customer conversations
- Active-listening and query-recording techniques
- Confidence on the phone, including hold, transfers and messages
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain what good customer service is and what poor service costs
- Identify the different internal and external customers of an organisation
- Open, conduct and close a customer interaction to company standards
- Listen actively, confirm the customer's need and record it accurately
- Respond to a query, escalate it where needed and keep the customer informed
- Apply telephone etiquette and handle calls with discretion
- Answer, transfer and screen incoming calls and take accurate messages
- Plan and make outgoing calls and record the actions that follow
Who should attend
Receptionists, call centre agents, sales and service staff, administrators and anyone who deals with customers in person or by phone. Unit standard 114974 assumes a GETC or equivalent, with communication and mathematical literacy at NQF Level 1; unit standard 14348 assumes literacy and numeracy at NQF Level 1.
Course outline
Day 1 – Unit standard 114974: serving customers well
Outcome 1: What good customer service means
- Good service as a competitive edge in your sector
- Internal and external customers in your organisation
- What poor service costs the customer, the employee and the business
- Your limits of authority and when to escalate
Outcome 2: Engaging with a customer
- Opening the conversation to company standards
- Asking questions to clarify the need
- Reflecting the need back to confirm understanding
- Reading body language and other non-verbal cues
- Closing the conversation properly
Outcome 3: Communication skills that meet the need
- Active listening in different service situations
- Picking up key words and shaping your reply
- Recording requests and complaints and checking them with the customer
Outcome 4: Processing a customer query
- Using what you know to form the right response
- Plain, respectful language
- Escalating what is beyond your authority
- Agreeing follow-up actions
- Keeping the customer informed of progress
- Portfolio of evidence for unit standard 114974
Day 2 – Unit standard 14348: professional telephone skills
Outcome 1: Telephone etiquette
- Etiquette and answering procedures
- Barriers that disrupt communication on the phone
- Discretion and confidentiality
- Using hold correctly and checking back with the caller
Outcome 2: Answering the telephone
- Answering promptly
- Following standard operating procedures
- Greeting callers the company way
- Getting the caller's details early in the call
Outcome 3: Handling incoming calls
- Transferring calls to the right person
- Juggling several lines and callers on hold
- Screening calls according to procedure
- Taking and passing on messages
- Getting help when you need it
Outcome 4: Making outgoing calls
- Preparing information and documents before you dial
- Dialling the right number
- Stating the purpose of the call clearly
- Recording actions that result from the call
- Leaving clear messages
- Portfolio of evidence for unit standard 14348
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20. Learner guide and workbook for each unit standard, practical workplace activities, and a portfolio of evidence that delegates complete after the course for assessment and moderation.
What our clients say
“The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”
“All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”
“The sessions … were exceptionally well-organized and seamlessly integrated into our schedule. We were highly impressed by the calibre of the training and the deep expertise demonstrated by the facilitator.”
Frequently asked questions
Is this course accredited?
Yes. It covers unit standards 114974, Apply the basic skills of customer service (NQF Level 2, 2 credits, NC: New Venture Creation (SMME), SAQA ID 49648), and 14348, Process incoming and outgoing telephone calls (NQF Level 2, 3 credits, NC: Business Administration Services, SAQA ID 23833), delivered under BOTI's Services SETA accreditation (12582).
Until when can delegates enrol?
Delegates can enrol until 30 June 2028.
Are there entry requirements?
Unit standard 114974 assumes a GETC or equivalent, with communication and mathematical literacy at NQF Level 1; unit standard 14348 assumes literacy and numeracy at NQF Level 1.
How are delegates assessed?
Each unit standard has its own portfolio of evidence, completed after the course and then assessed and moderated. Delegates found competent receive a statement of results.
Is there a shorter version without assessment?
Yes. Customer Service Excellence Course and Slick and Confident Telephone Management Techniques each run in one day, with a BOTI certificate of attendance.
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