Level 3 Customer Service Specialist Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship

Course Overview

Institute of Apprenticeships Reference Number: ST0071

This apprenticeship includes learning about how customer service professionals handle day-to-day customer queries, provide direct customer support within all industries across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

The apprentice will learn how to act as a referral point when dealing with complex or technical customer requests, complaints, and queries. As an expert in the organisation’s products/services, they will advocate for customer service to share knowledge with wider teams and colleagues.

Apprentices can provide a service in many types of workplace environments including contact centres, retail, webchats, service industry or any other point of direct customer service. Roles include Customer Service Assistant, Contact Centre Operator, Customer Support Specialist and Receptionist.

Course Content

The apprentice will develop their skills by gathering and analysing customer data that influences change and improvements to the service offered. The role will utilise organisational and generic IT systems, to carry out customer service tasks with an awareness of other digital technologies.

Some of the core competencies the apprentice will learn include:

Understanding your organisation’s current business strategy in relation to customers and making recommendations for its future
Understanding the reasons why customer issues and complex situations sometimes need referral or escalation for specialist attention,
Knowing your internal and external customers and how their behaviour may require different approaches from you.

Entry Requirement

Learners must be employed within the sector to enrol on the apprenticeship and have 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including maths and English or equivalent.

Assessment

As part of this apprenticeship programme, the apprentice will learn and work on the employer

premises, completing tasks for portfolio building and practical role-related projects.

The funding rules state that 20% of the apprentice’s time must be spent completing off-the-job training, this may include different activities and is measured over the course of the apprenticeship.

Apprentices will be required to undertake the equivalent of a day’s training to meet this funding rule. This

could be either attending BCoT, shadowing another department/role, online learning, or manufacturer training and will be fully documented in their portfolio.

As part of the apprenticeship, there is an endpoint assessment, which comprises a practical observation with Q&A, a work-based project - supported by an interview and a professional discussion supported by a portfolio of evidence.

Where does this course lead to

Upon completion of the apprenticeship, with the transferable skills gained, the apprentice can progress

further within the profession into a wide range of customer service roles across many sectors. You will

also be eligible to join as an Individual (Professional) member of the Institute of Customer Service and may be eligible for further professional membership including management.

The apprentice may also progress their training further and work towards other relevant qualifications related to their role in the workplace.