NCFE

Travel and Tourism

NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Customer Service for Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Facts and Figures:

QCA qualification accreditation number:
Level:
Guided learning hours:
Candidate registration and certification fees (2004/05):
External assessment: Short answer question paper

100/4142/4
2
50 (10 hours per unit)
£24.00 registration; £8.00 certification
Short answer question paper

Background:

NCFE have worked closely with the Regional Tourist Boards to develop this qualification, which is based on their popular Welcome to Excellence programmes. Each unit of the qualification is based on one of the Welcome to Excellence courses.

Qualification Aim:

The qualification aims to raise standards of service and hospitality throughout the service sector, to improve job satisfaction and engender a sense of pride amongst those working in the service sector. It also aims to improve understanding of the importance of hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism within the local economy and provide service sector employers with new recruits already trained to Welcome to Excellence customer service standards.

Target Group:

This qualification is of benefit to anyone already working in the service sector. The Welcome to Excellence courses on which this qualification is based have long been recognised within the industry as the standard for customer service training. They are also ideal for those wishing to work in service sector operations either on a seasonal, casual, voluntary or permanent basis. Some or all of the units may be offered to candidates following a vocational qualification in the hospitality, leisure, travel, tourism and related sector business.

Qualification Content:

Mandatory units:

Unit 01 Welcome customers in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry (Welcome Host)
This unit is designed to improve the standards of customer service given to customers of hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism businesses. Candidates will gain an overview of the business before discussing the importance of providing excellence customer care. They will learn how to communicate successfully, how to provide helpful information and how to deal with difficult situations effectively.

Unit 02 Meet the requirements and expectations of customers in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry with specific needs (Welcome All)
This unit provides candidates with the knowledge to welcome customers with disabilities and specific needs. Candidates will recognise the benefits of providing excellence service to customers with a disability and gain an awareness of their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act. Candidates will also have the opportunity to identify possible improvements to access and service.

Unit 03 Welcome overseas visitors (Welcome International)
This unit is designed to give candidates greater confidence when meeting and greeting international visitors in another language. The first element improves candidates’ understanding of cultural needs of overseas visitors. In the second element, candidates learn basic language skills to improve their communication with overseas visitors.

Unit 04 Communicate by telephone and e-mail (Welcome Line)
This unit equips candidates with the necessary knowledge to improve customer service and sales through skilful use of the telephone and via e-mail. It provides them with the knowledge to communicate effectively through both media.

Unit 05 Deliver excellent customer service in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry (Welcome Host Plus)
This unit builds on and extends the knowledge developed in Unit 01. Candidates will improve their understanding of their customers and competitors. They will also identify the benefits of effective teamwork and be able to recognise successful teams. The final element develops candidates’ understanding of presenting products and services to customers.

Support Materials:

Qualification Specification
Available from the NCFE website (www.ncfe.org.uk) or from the Customer Support Team.
Gives full details of the learning outcomes, assessment methods and mapping to Key Skills and
National Occupational Standards where appropriate.
Candidate Information Pack
Available on registration of candidates.
Allows candidates to track their progress through the qualification and to aid Assessors and Internal
Moderators in finding their way around candidates’ portfolios.
Welcome to Excellence workbooks, materials and Trainer courses
Available from Tourism South East. For further information, contact Chris Hedley on 023 8062 5439 or via chedley@tourismse.com.

Additional Support and Guidance:

In addition to the materials listed above, NCFE also offers guidance to centres running our qualifications
through a number of support teams:
Customer Support Team: for general customer service, marketing, sales or PR queries and to order publications and support materials
External Assessment Team: for queries on external assessment
Processing Team: for queries on candidate registration or certification. On approval you will be allocated an individual Processing Assistant who will deal with any queries you may have
Internal Assessment Team: for queries on centre approval, internal assessment and external moderation
Qualifications Team: for queries on curriculum content, progression opportunities or delivery. This qualification is looked after by the Travel and Tourism Sector Team