Customer Care: Getting it Right

First contact sets the tone for everything that follows. When someone contacts your organisation – whether by phone, in person or online – those initial moments shape their entire experience and their willingness to engage further. Poor customer care at the first point of contact doesn't just disappoint individual customers; it damages organisational reputation, drives away potential clients or service users, and demoralises staff who then inherit difficult relationships.

Yet providing genuinely high-quality customer care isn't something that happens by accident. It requires specific knowledge, clear communication skills, and the ability to remain professional under pressure. Frontline staff – receptionists, first-contact team members and others who welcome people to your organisation – often receive minimal training in this crucial area, despite the significant impact they have on organisational success.

This e-learning module, developed by Professor Bernard Moss, a highly respected author, educator and expert in communication skills and Dr Nel Thompson, offers the equivalent of a full day's professional development focused directly on mastering first-contact customer care. It's designed specifically for anyone whose role brings them into face-to-face contact with the public in private, voluntary or public sector organisations.

The course uses a distinctive learning approach: acted-out scenarios that show both excellent and poor examples of customer care in action. Rather than telling you what good customer care looks like, you see it demonstrated. Equally importantly, you see common mistakes and poor practice, enabling you to recognise and avoid the pitfalls that undermine first impressions. This scenario-based learning helps you develop practical judgement about how to respond to real situations – angry customers, confused enquiries, complex requests – with professionalism and genuine care.

You'll receive a comprehensive Module Companion E-book that serves as a focal point for notes and reflection and includes practical exercises that consolidate your learning and help you apply new skills immediately in your role.

Although equivalent to a full day's training, the course is entirely flexible. You can work through it at your own pace, fitting the learning around your working schedule, which means you can immediately apply what you've learned without significant disruption to your organisation's operations.