Skills for Work: Customer Service
Customer Service is an Open Awards Skills for Work unit offered at 5 levels, Entry Level 1 to Level 2, each a separate 20 guided learning hour unit. Learners move from recognising helpful behaviour and greeting customers to explaining the effects of good and poor service, adapting communication for different customers and handling complaints, with Level 2 adding a written first impression and reflection. Most evidence is role play and observed practice, collected in a portfolio. Digital demand is low: email, online messaging and online reviews appear only as examples, and no criterion needs a device.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level 1 (CBM216): Four learning outcomes: recognise helpful and unhelpful behaviour, identify a positive greeting and appropriate gestures and state a question to ask customers, identify a customer service problem and who to tell, and show how to help a customer and respond to a query with support. Evidence through matching, picture selection, supported demonstration and short verbal responses. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Entry Level 2 (CBM217): Three learning outcomes: identify an example of good service and state its positive effect, identify an example of poor service and state its negative effect, and show positive greetings, give a question a customer may ask, respond appropriately and state what to do if a customer has a problem. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Entry Level 3 (CBM218): Three learning outcomes: give examples of good service and explain why it matters, give examples of poor service and explain its impact, and demonstrate verbal and non-verbal greetings, good service behaviours and a response to a familiar complaint, for example through role play and observation. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Level 1 (CBM219): Three learning outcomes: outline why good service matters, explain first impressions and outline the effects of poor service on customers and organisations, describe ways of communicating with customers, explain positive communication and describe how to adapt style, and demonstrate good service and respond to a query and a complaint following a policy. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
- Level 2 (CBM220): Three learning outcomes and 10 criteria: describe how good service builds confidence, compare good and poor service and explain the economic impact of poor service, explain first impressions and demonstrate one face to face, on the telephone and in writing, apply communication styles for different customers, and describe approaches to complaints, respond to a complaint and reflect on what went well and what could improve. 20 guided learning hours, 2 credits.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Choosing between face to face, phone, email and online messaging
Level 1 learners describe ways of communicating with customers, and the examples include face to face, telephone, email and online messaging, with approaches for customers with different communication needs. Level 2 learners demonstrate a positive first impression in person, on the telephone and in writing. Email and online messaging are named examples, so a learner can meet the criteria without them.
DCF: Communication, Creating digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort customer situations, such as a lost order or a quick question, into whether a phone call, email or chat message suits each best.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a polite email reply to a customer asking about opening hours, with a clear subject line and sign-off.
- Year 9
- Pupils reply to a complaint by email in a formal structure, then compare it with a live chat reply and explain how the tone changes.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 (CBM219), AC 2.1 indicative content, page 21; Level 2, AC 2.2, page 24
“replying to an email enquiry promptly and respectfully”
Progression step 3
I can show an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of communication and when it is appropriate to use each, e.g. explain when video conferencing may be more appropriate than e-mail, and vice versa; explain the pros and cons of using instant messaging in social contexts; talk about purpose and audience.
I can exchange online communications, making use of a growing range of available features, e.g. add attachments or hyperlinks, change formatting.
Progression step 4
I can select and use different online communication tools for specific purposes with higher levels of competence, e.g. set up and manage an address book, organise contacts, use advanced features of e-mail provider (signature, auto reply, read receipt, widgets).
I can explore and develop a range of formal text document structures for different audiences and purposes.
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Understanding online reviews and reputation
Level 1 learners outline how poor service affects customers and organisations, and the example says ignoring a customer may lead to complaints or negative online reviews. Entry Level 3 and Level 2 examples also mention bad reviews and lost reputation. Understanding that customers share experiences online, and that reviews last and spread, explains why poor service matters. These are examples, not requirements.
DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Health and well-being, Online behaviour and online bullying
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils read 3 made-up online reviews of a cafe and say how each might make other customers feel.
- Year 8
- Pupils discuss whether a business should reply to a bad online review and write a calm, polite reply.
- Year 9
- Pupils investigate how one viral review affected a business and explain how online posts can be searched, copied and shared long after they are written.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 (CBM219), AC 1.3 indicative content, page 21; Level 2, AC 1.3, page 24
“may lead to complaints or negative online reviews”
Progression step 3
I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.
I can identify the wider positive and negative influences of technology, e.g. on my life, on society, on the environment.
Progression step 4
I can understand that I have a digital footprint and that this information can be searched, copied and passed on.
I can understand the implications of online actions, including my digital footprint and the legal implications of sharing inappropriate material.
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Keeping an e-portfolio of role play evidence
Learners collate evidence in a portfolio that can be digital or paper, and e-portfolios are encouraged wherever possible. Video of role plays, written replies to customers and reflections can be stored together, which suits a unit assessed largely through observation of practice. The format is a recommendation, not a criterion.
DCF: Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils record a short greeting role play on a tablet and save it to a named class folder.
- Year 8
- Pupils upload a role play video and a written reflection to the same folder and name both files consistently.
- Year 9
- Pupils organise an e-portfolio of 3 customer service role plays, adding a short note to each file to say which skill it shows.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Assessment Approach, page 7
“Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged.”
Progression step 3
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
I can upload files from a local drive to online storage.
Progression step 4
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
Good to know
- Each level is a separate 2 credit, 20 guided learning hour unit, CBM216 to CBM220: "Guided Learning Hours: 20" (Unit Content, pages 11 to 23; Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 22).
- Only one level counts in a qualification: "units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 17).
- The provider writes the tasks, pre-course verification must confirm they cover every criterion, and "No partial award can be made if any assessment criteria is not met" (Assessment Approach, page 7).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, digital or paper: "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged." Much of the evidence is role play and observation of practice (Assessment Approach, pages 7 to 10).
- The Welsh context is built in: greetings include "Bore Da", and the cross-cutting theme asks learners to think about customer service "in terms of living in Wales (ie communicating in Welsh) and outside Wales" (Entry Level 1, pages 12 to 13).
- Digital channels are examples only: Level 1 ways of communicating "could include" email and online messaging, and a Level 2 complaint "can be demonstrated in writing, in person or over the phone" (pages 21 and 25).
- A computer is a listed resource: "access to a computer or laptop for digital resources" (Physical Resources, page 6).
- Every level lists Literacy and Digital as its cross-curricular skills, written "Literacy / Digital" at Entry Level 1 (Unit Content, pages 13 to 25).
- The Entry Level 2 table of suggested assessment tasks is a word for word copy of the Entry Level 1 table (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- Level 2 indicative content labels two paragraphs "AC 1.3", the first of which is really AC 1.2, and says "how to creative a positive first impression" (page 24). Entry Level 1 has "AC 4.2 .2" and "show to help a customer" (page 13), and calls the Principles of Progression "Progress step" (page 11).
- The specification says nothing about the use of AI or about referencing sources. The text opens with the stray heading "Faith and Belief in the Community".
Links with other qualifications
Pearson and WJEC both have a Customer service unit at 20 hours, and both are rated low for digital; the Open Awards unit adds a Level 2 demonstration of first impressions face to face, by phone and in writing, and a structured reflection on a complaint. It sits closest to the WJEC VCSE and Foundation in Retail and Customer Service and to the hospitality and business strands of GCSE Business and GCSE Hospitality and Catering. Within the Open Awards suite it pairs with Work Experience and Enterprise Venture.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Work Unit Specification, Customer Service, Entry Level 1 to Level 2 (units CBM216 to CBM220).