NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

 

Course Title:	Customer Relations
Course Prefix & Number:		MRKG1301	Section Number:	320	Semester/Year:	SU2/19
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	48	Lab Hours:	0
Course Description (NCTC Catalog):    General Principles of customer service including skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Topics will include teamwork in an organization, internal and external customer relationships: communication in clear and professional manner and conflict resolution.
Course Prerequisite(s): None
Required or Recommended Course Materials: Customer Service Kills for Success, 7th Edition Robert Lucas, McGraw Hill NOTE: The digital version of the text with the online Connect access code is REQUIRED. You may choose to purchase a hardcopy version of the text, but it is not required as the content is a part of the digital access. CONNECT access code for Online REQUIRED

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Teresa Laman
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth
Telephone Number:	940-367-3787
E-mail Address:	tlaman@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Examine internal and external customer relationship management (CRM) strategies

 

 

 

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
1	Final Exam	20%
1	Final Project – Case Study (Learning Outcome)	20%
10	LearnSmart Assignments	10%
10	Chapter Quizzes	20%
5	Work It Out Writing Assignments	15%
5	Discussion Forums	15%

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

The Customer Service Professional	Overview
Contributing to the service culture	Defining and establishing a service culture including strategies
Verbal communication skill	Tow-way communication, positive/negative communication and strategies and feedback
Non-verbal communication	Definitions, gender, and culture
Listening to the customers	Defining listening, characteristics of good listeners and strategies for improvement
Customer Service & behavior	Behavioral styles and how to communicate with each other
Service breakdown and recovery	Defined, dealing with difficult customers and reasons for customer defection
Customer service & diversity	The role of diversity in customer service including values and communication
Customer service via technology	Role of technology, call centers, web based and mobile technologies
Encouraging customer loyalty	The role of trust and customer relationship management and enhancing customer satifacton

 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is JULY 31, 2019.          

 

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents). 

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage selfadvocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify. 

If you feel you have needs for services that the institution provides, please reach out to either Wayne Smith (940) 498-6207 or Yvonne Sandman (940) 668-4321.  Alternative students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)________       

• Communication          
• Mathematics                         o         Government/Political Science
• Life and Physical Science       o         Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Language, Philosophy & Culture       o         Component Area Option
• Creative Arts  
• American History

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

Critical Thinking Communication  o            Empirical and Quantitative

x           Teamwork  Personal Responsibility  Social Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

• Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)
• Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course 

x         WECM Course

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.  

 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

1. Zero on the Assignment & a warning. First Offense
2. Dropped from Course – Second Offense

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Dr. Cherly Furdge, Division Chair
Office Location:	Corinth Campus, Suite 239 Office 234
Telephone Number:	940-498-6238
E-mail Address:	cfurdge@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Debbie Huffman
Office Location:	Gainesville Career and Technical Center
Telephone Number:	940-668-3357
E-mail Address:	dhuffman@nctc.edu

 

Instructions for all assignments

ORIENTATION 

Students are required to complete the Start Here Module quiz. The orientation quiz is located in the “Let’s Get Started” module. Completing the orientation quiz ensures that you have read the syllabus and fully understands everything that is required of you. Upon completing the quiz, you will receive 5 bonus points that will be added at the end of the semester. Before sending an email asking a question, please read your syllabus first. 

 

Students must also complete the Acknowledgement of Reading the Course Syllabus and Policies.

 

ASSIGNMENT LOCATION 

All assignments are located under modules. You must click on module to see instructions and all assignments. Do not depend on the to-do-list to let you know what is due. It is vital to always go into the modules and initiate your quizzes and assignments from CANVAS. DO NOT start in CONNECT. If you are confused about any assignments, contact the instructor for more clarity. 

 

In order to complete some assignments in this class, you will need to purchase CONNECT. You may do so by visiting the McGraw Hill website at the link provided in modules. You may also purchase the book from the NCTC Bookstore. 

 

WORK-IT-OUT ESSAYS (15% of Course Grade)

There are five (5) Work-It-Out essay activities. These assignments challenge students’ knowledge and provide an opportunity for specific work on a chapter topic or issue. 

 

Each essay is a formal academic assignment. Proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, paragraphs and complete sentences are required. Each essay is required to be at least 400 words long. The submission must be typed in a WORD document, using Times Roman, 12 point font size with 1” margins. No double-double spacing between paragraphs is allowed.

 

QUIZZES: (25% of Course Grade)

The quizzes require Respondus Lockdown Browser and a WebCam. NOTE: Lockdown Browser does not support ChromeBook. The student will need to make other arrangements if necessary to comply with testing requirements.

 

There are ten (10) chapter quizzes. Each quiz varies in the number of points. The are comprised of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. The instructor will manually grade the essay and short answer questions in all quizzes within one (1) week. Quizzes will be open after the due date for review by students.

 

LEARNSMART (5% of Course Grade)

McGraw Hill CONNECT access is required for this course. LearnSmart is an interactive reading assignment that checks comprehension at each section of the chapter reading. These are required for every chapter. The eBook is available online with the purchase of CONNECT.

 

FINAL PROJECT CASE STUDY: (25% of Course Grade) Course Objective assignment. 

The overall course objective as stated in the syllabus is that the student will be able to "explain the internal and external customer relationship management (CRM) strategies." 

 

For specific guidelines on the relationship of module objectives, textbook references see the FINAL

PROJECT LEARNING OUTCOMES AND OBJECTIVES REFERENCE GUIDE in the module below the assignment. 

 

This project will involve analyzing a company of your choice from an internal and external perspective using primary and secondary data. Primary data is information you collect personally such as personal interviews or the mystery shopper experience. Secondary Data is information you get from other sources like the internet or company annual reports. 

 

Customer Relations Company Case Study Requirements: This is worth 20% of the grade. 

 

This is a formal research paper. You are expected to write a scholarly paper. Using proper APA citation of all sources used in compiling this paper. Remember, even if information is paraphrased from a source and not quoted directly, it MUST be cited. The general rule is if you use three or more words from a source, it must be cited. 

 

FORMATING: Use 1” margins, New Times Roman 12 font, double space, do NOT double-double space between paragraphs. The paper should include a cover page with the company name, student name and class/section information. Include a works cited page at the end of the document. 

 

LENGTH Requirement: This paper should be 4-6 pages long – NOT including the cover page and works cited page. Pick a company that you are interested in. You will analyze this companies internal and external customer service practices using primary data (interviews, personal shopper experiences, etc.) and secondary data (Internet sources, company website, books, reports, new articles, industry information). 

 

If you want suggestions on some companies with great customer service reputations, these are few: Nordstrom, Zappos, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Disney, Ritz Carlton, GE, Chik-fil-a, Amazon, Lexus, Apple. 

 

1. Company Overview/History: Begin the paper with a detailed description of the company, its history, locations, and products and services offered. This information is usually available from the company website and other Online sources. Document these sources. 
2. Internal Customer Service: Next, analyze the internal customer service practices. What is the culture like at the company you chose? What information is available about recruiting and retention of employees? What can you find on how people feel about work there and with each other? Does the company have an EAP? Interviews with employees or hiring websites such as Glassdoor can provide this type of information. 

3. External & Customer Relationship Management: Examine the company’s Customer

Relationship Management Practices. This section may need to be completed through primary data sources such as interviews with company employees. The mystery shopper experience may also contribute to this section. 

1. Operations. Examine the company’s sales and service activities. How do they handle sales, advertising, complaints and service requests? 
2. Culture. What approach(s) are evident in the company’s service culture to the external customer? Relational or Collaborative. How does the company interact with external customers (what channels)? 
3. Technology. Does the company use technology in their customer service practices? For example AVR system, website, internet. Does this differ for B2B customers, consumers and internal employee customers, etc.) 
4. Analytical Data. How does the company analyze data for marketing, finance and service quality levels? How does the company acquire, retain and satisfy customers? Loyalty Program. Does the company have customer loyalty program? If so, what is it and how successful is it at promoting customer loyalty. 

4. Conclusion: Conclude the paper with a summary of your findings and analysis of the company.

 

DISCUSSION FORUM REQUIREMENTS & RUBRIC

By Wednesday at 11:59 pm Central Time please post a 300-word minimum length "Initial Post" in response to the topic requirements on each forum during its scheduled week. 

 

As this is a Discussion Forum and not a “Comment Forum” additional posts are required. Also, required for each forum are two (2) 150-word minimum length “Reply Posts” to at least two different classmates by Friday at Midnight. Additionally, two (2) 150-word minimum length “Response Posts” are required by Sunday at Midnight. Respond to at least two (2) posts from other students made to your “Initial Post”. In the event that no one has posted to your “Initial Post”, you should respond to four (4) other student’s “Reply Posts”.

 

Forums are scholarly dialogs, so while sharing what you think and not just what published authors wrote is encouraged, only stating opinion isn't acceptable. The key textbook concepts must be used when completing discussion forum posts.

• Instead, thoughtfully integrate relevant Textbook concepts and theories or research you read about this week and strive to make connections between that academic content and your own observations and experiences. 
• Formal citations are not required in the discussion forums.

Your responses to the postings of other students should be relevant and substantive. It must contribute significantly to the discussion.

• Reply posts containing just a few sentences or statements of agreement or disagreement only or that stray away from the topic, congratulating classmates for a “good job”, or repeat what another classmate has already said in his or her posts does not demonstrate substantive discussion.   
• Please be certain to post the name of the person you are responding to in each post you make; this is essential for tracking who said what to whom. 
• A ZERO will be given if a majority of Reply and Response Posts are made on Sunday.

 

Weekly Discussion Forum Rubric:

 

	Excellent	Satisfactory	Needs Improvement	Unsatisfactory	Points Awarded
Initial Post Content 10 points possible   MUST be made before Midnight on Wednesday to receive credit.	Comments are thorough, well written, and insightful. Ideas are well organized. Student’s mastery of content is demonstrated through critical analysis of the material and comments are grounded in scholarly research or textbook concepts and theories. Posting demonstrates in-depth understanding of the topics.   (9-10 Points)	Comments are well written and complete. Ideas are mostly well organized. Student demonstrates analysis of the material and makes some integration of research or textbook concepts and theories. Posting demonstrates an understanding of the topics.  (7-8 Points)	Comments lacks critical analysis and depth. Student demonstrates a basic understanding of the topics, but does not support that understanding with relevant research or textbook concepts and theories.  ( 5 – 6  Points)	Posting does not meet the requirements for the assignment and demonstrates little understanding of the material.  (0 – 4  Points)
Peer Responses and Replies Content 12  points possible 3 points per peer post	Student posts at least four, well-developed, substantive posts to classmates that demonstrate in-depth analysis and critical thinking.	Student posts at least three posts which are welldeveloped, substantive, and demonstrate indepth analysis and critical thinking.	Student posts at least two post to peers which somewhat contributes to the discussion; however, post does not demonstrate indepth analysis or critical thinking.	Student does not post to peers and/or posts do not add to the discussion.
Utilizes Correct Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling and Sentence Structure 3 points possible	Postings are professional and generally free of errors in mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence structure.  (3 Points)	Postings are professional but may contain minor errors in mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence structure.  (2 Points)	Posting is adequate but contains some errors in mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence structure that somewhat interfere with understanding.  (1 Point)	Posting has numerous errors in mechanics, usage, spelling and sentence structure. Errors interfere with readability.  (No Points)
Total points earned					/25