Deal with customers by telephone
This element focuses on equipping housing professionals with the skills to manage customer interactions via telephone effectively. It covers the technical operation of telephony systems, strategic planning and execution of outbound calls, and the professional handling of inbound inquiries, complaints, and service requests. Mastery ensures high standards of customer service, compliance with data protection, and the ability to resolve issues efficiently while maintaining positive tenant and stakeholder relationships.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The City & Guilds Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Housing is a vocational qualification designed for individuals working in housing roles, such as housing officers, support workers, or tenancy managers. It focuses on developing practical skills and knowledge to effectively manage housing services, support tenants, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks. This qualification is part of the Health & Social Care sector because housing is a key determinant of health and wellbeing, and housing professionals often work alongside social care teams to address complex needs.
The qualification covers core areas including understanding the housing sector, managing tenancies, supporting individuals with housing needs, and promoting safe and sustainable communities. It emphasises person-centred approaches, equality and diversity, and safeguarding. By completing this NVQ, learners demonstrate competence in real-world tasks such as conducting needs assessments, handling rent arrears, and coordinating with external agencies. This qualification is essential for career progression in housing and related fields, as it validates the skills needed to address the UK's housing challenges.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Tenancy Management: Understanding different types of tenancies (e.g., assured shorthold, secure), rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and procedures for ending tenancies.
- →Housing Legislation: Key laws such as the Housing Act 1996, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, and Equality Act 2010, and how they impact housing practice.
- →Person-Centred Support: Tailoring housing services to individual needs, including vulnerable groups like care leavers, people with disabilities, or those experiencing homelessness.
- →Rent Arrears and Financial Inclusion: Strategies for preventing and managing rent arrears, including benefit claims, budgeting support, and referral to debt advice services.
- →Safeguarding: Recognising signs of abuse or neglect in housing settings and following local safeguarding procedures, including the Care Act 2014 principles.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Operate the telephone system functions accurately to manage, transfer, and record calls in line with organisational protocols.
- Prepare structured outbound call plans that include clear objectives, key discussion points, and anticipated outcomes.
- Apply active listening, questioning, and summarising techniques to respond effectively to diverse customer needs during incoming calls.
- Resolve customer queries and complaints professionally, following housing policies and relevant legislation, while confirming customer understanding and satisfaction.
- Demonstrate thorough knowledge of confidentiality requirements, data protection regulations, and consent procedures when handling personal information over the phone.
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating correct use of call management features (hold, transfer, conference) with minimal errors.
- Evidence of a call planning template or notes that show clear purpose, customer details, and intended outcomes for outbound calls.
- Assessment should confirm the ability to accurately capture and record key information from calls in the CRM or housing management system.
- Look for consistent use of professional greetings, empathy, and clear language throughout call evidence.
- Credit for correctly identifying when escalation is required and following the appropriate procedure without breaching confidentiality.
- Evidence must show understanding and application of GDPR principles when discussing or recording personal data during calls.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Include authenticated evidence such as call recordings, supervisor observations, and feedback forms to demonstrate competence across multiple call types.
- 💡Use reflective accounts structured with the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to showcase your decision-making during challenging calls.
- 💡Ensure your portfolio covers a variety of scenarios: routine queries, complaints, urgent maintenance reports, and sensitive conversations (e.g., arrears).
- 💡Reference specific policies or legislation (e.g., GDPR, Equality Act, housing association procedures) in your knowledge evidence to show underpinning understanding.
- 💡Review common assessment criteria for the unit and cross-map your evidence to each criterion to avoid omissions.
- 💡Use specific legislation and policy names in your answers, e.g., 'Under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the local authority has a duty to prevent homelessness for eligible applicants.' This shows depth of knowledge.
- 💡Link theory to practice: When describing a concept like 'person-centred support', give a concrete example from your own work experience, such as adapting a property for a tenant with mobility issues.
- 💡For assessment tasks, ensure you provide evidence of your role in multi-agency working, e.g., collaborating with social services or mental health teams, as this is a key competency.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Relying solely on a script without adapting to the customer's responses or tone, leading to poor engagement.
- Forgetting to confirm the customer's identity before accessing or sharing sensitive tenancy or personal information.
- Neglecting to summarise agreed actions and next steps at the end of a call, causing confusion or repeat contacts.
- Failing to mute or use hold correctly, resulting in background noise or accidental disclosure of private information.
- Not logging call outcomes and notes immediately after the call, leading to incomplete records and potential follow-up failures.
- Misconception: Housing is only about bricks and mortar. Correction: Housing is a social determinant of health; poor housing can lead to physical and mental health issues, so housing professionals must consider wellbeing and support needs.
- Misconception: Tenancy agreements are all the same. Correction: Different tenancy types (e.g., assured, introductory, demoted) have distinct legal implications for eviction, rent increases, and succession rights.
- Misconception: Rent arrears always lead to eviction. Correction: Landlords must follow a legal process, and many arrears can be resolved through payment plans, benefit claims, or discretionary housing payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for CITY & GUILDS LIMITED Deal with customers by telephone
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic understanding of the UK housing system, including social housing, private renting, and homeownership.
- •Familiarity with key legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
- •Some experience in a housing or support role is beneficial but not mandatory.
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Telephone system proficiency
- Call planning and objective setting
- Inbound call handling techniques
- Customer service and communication standards
- Data protection and confidentiality
- Complaint resolution and escalation
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