Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Customers may be:
industry customers, e.g. retail travel consultants and inbound tour companies or operators
end users of the service, i.e. the consumer.


Customer details may be recorded using:
a computer file
a manual file.


Reservation:
may be made by:
phone
facsimile
mail
face-to-face
internet

may be for:
individuals
groups
VIPs
conference delegates.


Customer profiles may include:
full name and title
address
phone, fax, email and other communication methods
special requirements
amount of business generated by the customer
usual method of payment.


Documents issued to customers may include:
invoices
credit notes
receipts
service vouchers
confirmation letters
information packs.


Updating the financial status of the reservation may include:
receiving, processing and recording payments
generating and issuing invoices and credit notes for changed reservations
checking and recording that the reservation has been fully paid.


General and specific customer requirements and reservation details may include:
special requests
timing details
special needs
payment arrangements
information of a style of customer, e.g. special interest group or VIP status
details of other services being used.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this TrainingPackage.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
ability to make accurate reservations according to established systems and procedures and within typical workplace time constraints
ability to receive and process multiple reservations in response to multiple customer requests covering a range of tourism products and services and ideally as a component of integrated work activity
understanding of the different sources of reservations and the industry interrelationships that apply

project or work activities that show the candidates' ability to receive and process reservations within the context of the particular industry sector in which they are working or seeking work; for those undertaking generic pre-employment training, assessment must cover a range of industry contexts to allow for a broad range of vocational outcomes.


Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
demonstration of skills within a fully equipped industry-realistic office environment using appropriate telephones, computers and printers
access to a computerised or manual reservations system currently used by tourism and hospitality industry operators to control the reservations function for the supply of their product or service
use of industry-current reservations documentation.


Methods of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
direct observation of the candidate receiving and processing reservations
evaluation of integrated activities completed by the candidate, including sourcing information on products, selling products, providing quotations and issuing documents
evaluation of reservations documentation and booking data generated by the candidate
activities to assess ability to process differing types of reservations, including booking, retrieving and amending a series of bookings
written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of the principles underpinning reservations procedures and the relationships between different sectors of the tourism industry
review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
SITTTSL005A Sell tourism products and services
SITTTSL006A Prepare quotations
SITTTSL010A Control reservations or operations using a computerised system.
Assessing employability skills
Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.