Certificate in Customer Experience Management (Contact Centre) (Microcredential)

Note: As a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, UCOL Te Pūkenga is committed to providing the best learning outcome for you. As part of this, all programmes are currently being reviewed to make them portable, consistent, and closely aligned with the needs of the industry. When published, this course information is correct, but the courses offered may change over time. If you have any questions call an Enrolment Advisor on 0800 468 265.

This programme is comprised of 30 credits and is taught over ten weeks. This is three weeks on campus and seven weeks on work experience placement.

Customer Experience Management (Simulated Environment) (10 Credits)

Develop an understanding of the contact centre industry and develop key knowledge and practical work skills. The course covers:

• Contact centre functions and environment (purpose and role, organisational structure, Health & Safety, workstations, expectations and standards, KPIs, workplace values).
• Careers within the contact centre industry.
  
• Communication skills (cultural competence including te Reo Māori, active listening, verbal and non-verbal communication, questioning).
• Account management (customer relationship, building rapport, empathy and trust, call etiquette and management, managing demanding customers, records management).
• Inbound and outbound sales process (general processes, strategy, telesales, negotiating skills, handling objections, sales agreements, closing).
• Compliance (call and sales compliance, quality assurance, compliance in telemarketing).
• Legislation (Fair Trading Act, Privacy Act, Health & Safety, Consumer Guarantee, Data Security, Employment Relations).

Customer Experience Management (Contact Centre) (20 Credits)

Learn to apply and further develop specialist knowledge and practical work skills in a contact centre, to ensure your effective and compliant contact centre practice meets industry requirements. The course covers:

• Contact centre induction (workstation, Health & Safety, workplace policies, rules and expectations, products and services specific to the contact centre, team members/roles, KPI's and performance management).
• The role of the supervisor/learning coach (support, guidance, giving feedback).
• Setting development targets/goals.
• Professionalism and teamwork (what good conduct looks like in the workplace).
• Specialist information specific to the individual contact centre, including (but not limited to):
• Account management (call etiquette and management, records management, escalating calls).
• Legislative and compliance requirements (relevant legislation, call and sales compliance, quality assurance, data security, employment relations).
• Contact centre technology as applicable (records management, calling technology, computer and database use, computer telephony integration or CTI, call recording, chatbots).
• Inbound and outbound sales process (processes, strategies, telesales, negotiating skills, sales agreements).
• Common customer challenges and strategies for dealing with them (communication/language, problem-solving, de-escalation techniques, managing multiple stressors in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment).
• Reviewing and reflecting on own and others' customer experience management outcomes.

Entry into the programme is conditional on applicants having NCEA Level 2 (including Literacy 10 credits at Level 2 and Numeracy 10 Credits at Level 1)
OR
Equivalent academic achievement
OR
On a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Executive Dean.

In addition to the Domestic Entry Requirements, the following applies to international learner applicants.

English language proficiency
International learner applicants whose first language is not English must have an IELTS Academic score of 5.5 with no band score lower than 5 (or equivalent including TOEFL). IELTS scores used must be taken from a single IELTS Test Report Form (i.e. combining scores from more than one test is not permissible).

Under 20 years of age
In addition to this, international applicants under 20 years of age must have NCEA equivalency.

The programme consists of a minimum of 140 hours of work experience in a supervised contact centre setting organised by UCOL to achieve the required work experience hours. Learners may be required to be available to work weekends and/or evenings.

Placements are conditional on a satisfactory conviction background check (from the New Zealand Police Licensing and Vetting Agency) and meeting minimum professional behaviour standards during the first course.

Recognition of prior learning
Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning, including Cross Credit, Credit Transfer and Assessment of Prior Learning may be made on the Recognition of Prior Learning Form where a learner believes all learning outcomes for a course have already been met. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the UCOL Te Pūkenga Academic Statute and other relavant policies and procedures.

Application checklist
It will make the process easier if you prepare the following before you apply:

• National Student Number (NSN) (If you don't have a NSN, you may request one from NZQA, or you can supply a verified copy of your birth certificate, passport or Whakapapa statement.)
• Evidence of your highest level of academic achievement (and evidence of prior learning, if applicable)
• Evidence that you meet the entry requirements of the programme
• Check if you're eligible for additional support or a scholarship. If you're 19 years or younger, you may be eligible to enrol in one of our free Youth Transition programmes.

Note that you will need to provide any verified documents in person, via post or email (not via the online application form).