Course Overview

Good customer service is key to the success of any business or organisation. It is one of those useful skills that is used in all sorts of industries and covers all the extras that make a customer’s experience better. As a Customer Service Apprentice, you will probably work at the front end of an employer’s business activities and regularly assist customers. In most cases you’ll be making sure that customers are dealt with in a positive, reliable and pleasant way.

What will I study?

  • Prepare yourself to deliver good customer service (mandatory)
  • Provide customer service within the rules (mandatory)
  • Recognise and deal with customer requests, queries and problems
  • Give customers a positive impression of yourself and the organisation
  • Make customer service personal
  • Go the extra mile in customer service
  • Deal with customers in writing using ICT
  • Deal with customers by telephone

Entry Requirements

  • Minimum Grade D in English and Maths at GCSE. You will have an initial assessment when you come in for an interview, and this will show the level of English and maths qualifications, known as functional skills, that you will study alongside your apprenticeship.
  • Rapid Improvement will work with applicants to help find a suitable employer where possible. However, we always advise anyone looking to undertake an apprenticeship to be actively seeking employment for themselves too.

How will I be assessed?

  • Course work
  • Exams
  • Oral questioning
  • Portfolio of evidence
  • Practical demonstration/assignment
  • Practical examination
  • Written examination

What can I do next?

On completion of the Advanced Apprenticeship, apprentices will be competent to work as a Team leader/Supervisor, Store Manager or Department Manager. Following further training and development, you may wish to progress to more senior roles such as Area Managers or into specialist areas such as learning and development or warehousing. You will also be able to move into Higher Education and will be able to apply for a range of University courses.

Overview

Team Leader Supervisor must manage people and have some form of budgetary responsibility, this can include making decisions about resource utilisation but the budgetary accountability for these resources exists at a higher level.

They will be professional in appearance, be able to communicate effectively at all levels, be able to manage projects and deliver presentations. Have a good standard of ICT including word, excel, PowerPoint. Excellent communication skills both verbal and written.

Apprentices must have 5+ GCSE Grade A*- C or 4 and above or have achieved Level 2 functional skills.

This level 3 apprenticeship is designed to give line managers excellent leadership skills.

Knowledge and behaviors:

  • Primary knowledge will be dependent on the job specification
  • May performed task similar to team members, but this is not the primary function
  • Engage in managerial tasks in which other team members do not engage
  • Have a wide span of control, responsibility, authority or power and degree of autonomy
  • Have to make decisions which have some resource implications
  • Have to initiate actions in relation to the employment of others (e.g. be involved in, but not decide about recruitment, decisions or disciplinary matters)
  • Have to operate with less supervision and control by others
  • Plan work looking several weeks or months ahead
  • Have a greater knowledge than members of the team of specific requirements of customers or suppliers (conversely, they are not likely to make decisions about varying terms of trading with customers or suppliers)
  • Be required to make subjective judgements that demand understanding of relationships between people working together (this may extend to the relationship between customer or supplier and the employing organisation or other market related criteria)

What will I study?

  • Leading and managing people
  • Building Relationships
  • Communication
  • Operational Management
  • Project Management
  • Finance
  • Management of self, including self-awareness; decision making; responsibility; professionalism

Entry Requirements

  • Apprentices must have 5+ GCSE Grade A*- C or 4 and above or have achieved Level 2 functional skills

How will I be assessed?

  • On-programme: Assessor workplace visits and assessments, day-release and completion of tasks.
  • End Point Assessment: Knowledge test; competency-based interview; portfolio of evidence; Professional Discussion relating to CPD activity – These assessments will be undertaken by an assessor.

What can I do next?

  • Potential to progress onto an ILM Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.

For more enquiries about this programme, please complete the form below and we will be in touch shortly.