Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
23/07/2026 2:26 AM AWST
23/07/2026 2:26 AM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Respond to a customer in crisis
Respond to a customer in crisis
Unit of competency
National Code
SITXCRI401
SITXCRI401
State Code
WF752
WF752
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
14/02/2014
Field of Education
110101 - Hospitality
Original Release Date
14/02/2014
Nominal Hours
5
Description
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify the ramifications of a crisis on a customer and to respond with assistance and support. It requires the ability to identify and interpret information relevant to the crisis, provide customer crisis care and organise operational services to assist the customer in crisis.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Identify and acknowledge the crisis.
- 1.1 Ascertain the scope and severity of the customer crisis.
- 1.2 Consider impacts on customer ability to continue in service participation.
- 1.3 Consider the impacts on other customers.
- 1.4 Access and interpret information relevant to the crisis.
- 1.5 Acknowledge the incident as a customer crisis and communicate details to key people.
2. Provide customer crisis care.
- 2.1 Identify symptoms of customer trauma.
- 2.2 Monitor and assess the severity of customer trauma.
- 2.3 Provide sympathetic and sensitive support and reassurance to the customer.
- 2.4 Avoid pitfalls in crisis care when communicating with customers.
- 2.5 Provide recommendations to the customer.
3. Organise services to assist the customer.
- 3.1 Develop an action plan to manage the crisis.
- 3.2 Promptly identify and access sources of assistance.
- 3.3 Assist the customer to access service providers.
- 3.4 Minimise disruption to other customers and maintain their services.
- 3.5 Organise operational services to assist the customer in crisis.
- 3.6 Involve key people in the management of the customer crisis and integrate their perspective.
- 3.7 Provide explicit details of progress with and final confirmations of operational services to the customer and key people.
4. Evaluate and debrief customer crisis management.
- 4.1 Evaluate the crisis management process to determine the effectiveness of the response.
- 4.2 Debrief and complete all reports.
- 4.3 Provide recommendations for improvements to future crisis management practices.
- 4.4 Seek assistance to cope with any personal trauma experienced.
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, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Customer may include:
the affected customer
their friends and family
travelling companions.
Information relevant to the crisis may be sourced from:
discussions with:
customer
their friends and family
travelling companions
medical reports
emergency services reports
police reports
staff, contractor, supplier reports on:
accident
assault
death
injury or illness
mugging.
Customer crisis may include:
accident, e.g. involvement of a vehicle
assault, e.g. sexual assault
death
family crisis and need for repatriation
major injury or illness
mugging
any incident resulting in psychological trauma
suicide
witnessing a serious incident.
Key peoplemay include:
colleagues, including:
managers
operational staff
peers
supervisors
family members
personnel within the controlling office:
event management organisation
inbound tour operator
outbound tour wholesaler
professional conference organiser
retail travel agency
tour operator
personnel from suppliers on an extended tour
travel insurance provider personnel
travelling companions.
Trauma may involve:
behavioural disturbance:
avoidance of thoughts, feelings or conversations associated with the trauma
detachment from others
efforts to avoid activities, places or people that arouse recollections of the event
exaggerated startle response
increased smoking or alcohol consumption
irritability or outbursts of anger
markedly diminished interest or participation in significant tourism activities
response to cues that symbolise or resemble the event
cognitive ability:
difficulty in concentrating
inability to recall important aspects of the event
inability to make a decision
difficulty in falling or staying asleep
distressing recollections of the event
emotional disturbance:
anxiety and nervousness
fear
grief
guilt
helplessness
resentment
poor interpersonal reactions
physical disability
recurrent distressing dreams.
Reassurance may relate to advice about:
availability of assistance, advice and support
confidentiality of customer information
customer taking the lead to seek assistance, advice and support.
Pitfalls in crisis care may include:
making jokes
making promises that cannot be kept
treating the event flippantly
trying to motivate or force customer participation in touring activities
use of negative or unhelpful statements.
Recommendations may include:
advising the customer to:
cancel the remainder of their touring arrangements and return home
contact their travel insurance provider
rebook a replacement holiday
report incidents to the police
seek medical assistance
seek professional counselling.
To assist the customer may involve:
accompanying customers to service providers
making appointments with service providers
making contact with and seeking options and recommendations from the:
customer’s retail travel agency
local tour or ground operator
organisation’s controlling office
travel insurance provider
providing customers with phone numbers of crisis counselling services
providing explicit directions and instructions to assist customers reach the service provider
providing transport to the service provider.
Service providers may include:
airlines
consulates
counselling services
funeral directors
high commissions
hospitals
medical and allied health professionals
offices of the local inbound tour or ground operator
police.
Operational services may include:
accommodation
cancellation of forward travel and tourism services
flights and ticketing to repatriate the customer
repatriation of bodies via:
airlines
consulates
funeral directors
high commissions
travel insurance companies.
Customer may include:
the affected customer
their friends and family
travelling companions.
Information relevant to the crisis may be sourced from:
discussions with:
customer
their friends and family
travelling companions
medical reports
emergency services reports
police reports
staff, contractor, supplier reports on:
accident
assault
death
injury or illness
mugging.
Customer crisis may include:
accident, e.g. involvement of a vehicle
assault, e.g. sexual assault
death
family crisis and need for repatriation
major injury or illness
mugging
any incident resulting in psychological trauma
suicide
witnessing a serious incident.
Key peoplemay include:
colleagues, including:
managers
operational staff
peers
supervisors
family members
personnel within the controlling office:
event management organisation
inbound tour operator
outbound tour wholesaler
professional conference organiser
retail travel agency
tour operator
personnel from suppliers on an extended tour
travel insurance provider personnel
travelling companions.
Trauma may involve:
behavioural disturbance:
avoidance of thoughts, feelings or conversations associated with the trauma
detachment from others
efforts to avoid activities, places or people that arouse recollections of the event
exaggerated startle response
increased smoking or alcohol consumption
irritability or outbursts of anger
markedly diminished interest or participation in significant tourism activities
response to cues that symbolise or resemble the event
cognitive ability:
difficulty in concentrating
inability to recall important aspects of the event
inability to make a decision
difficulty in falling or staying asleep
distressing recollections of the event
emotional disturbance:
anxiety and nervousness
fear
grief
guilt
helplessness
resentment
poor interpersonal reactions
physical disability
recurrent distressing dreams.
Reassurance may relate to advice about:
availability of assistance, advice and support
confidentiality of customer information
customer taking the lead to seek assistance, advice and support.
Pitfalls in crisis care may include:
making jokes
making promises that cannot be kept
treating the event flippantly
trying to motivate or force customer participation in touring activities
use of negative or unhelpful statements.
Recommendations may include:
advising the customer to:
cancel the remainder of their touring arrangements and return home
contact their travel insurance provider
rebook a replacement holiday
report incidents to the police
seek medical assistance
seek professional counselling.
To assist the customer may involve:
accompanying customers to service providers
making appointments with service providers
making contact with and seeking options and recommendations from the:
customer’s retail travel agency
local tour or ground operator
organisation’s controlling office
travel insurance provider
providing customers with phone numbers of crisis counselling services
providing explicit directions and instructions to assist customers reach the service provider
providing transport to the service provider.
Service providers may include:
airlines
consulates
counselling services
funeral directors
high commissions
hospitals
medical and allied health professionals
offices of the local inbound tour or ground operator
police.
Operational services may include:
accommodation
cancellation of forward travel and tourism services
flights and ticketing to repatriate the customer
repatriation of bodies via:
airlines
consulates
funeral directors
high commissions
travel insurance companies.
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
identify the ramifications of a customer crisis, respond with customer crisis care and organise operational services to assist the customer
integrate knowledge of the key symptoms of trauma and communication techniques for supporting and reassuring customers.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure use of:
a real or simulated tourism, hospitality or event industry customer service environment where a customer is in crisis
customer service arrangements or itineraries
customer crisis information
current industry procedures for reporting and managing customer incidents
customers with whom the individual can interact.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
evaluation of a portfolio, prepared by the individual, incorporating documents used for the management of a customer crisis:
summary of customer crisis information
an action plan to manage the crisis
notes on the organisation of operational services to assist the customer in crisis
reports produced post crisis
direct observation, using role plays, of the individual supporting and reassuring customers
use of case studies and problemsolving exercises so the individual can identify and evaluate the impacts of different types of customer crises and provide responses
written and oral questioning to assess knowledge of:
the key symptoms of trauma
communication techniques for supporting and reassuring customers
role of key external people and organisations in managing a customer crisis
review of portfolios of evidence and thirdparty workplace reports of onthejob performance by the individual.
Guidance information for assessment
The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:
SITHACS303 Provide accommodation reception services
SITTGDE401 Coordinate and operate tours
SITTGDE402 Manage extended touring programs
SITTTOP403 Operate tours in a remote area
SITTTSL306 Book supplier services.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
identify the ramifications of a customer crisis, respond with customer crisis care and organise operational services to assist the customer
integrate knowledge of the key symptoms of trauma and communication techniques for supporting and reassuring customers.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure use of:
a real or simulated tourism, hospitality or event industry customer service environment where a customer is in crisis
customer service arrangements or itineraries
customer crisis information
current industry procedures for reporting and managing customer incidents
customers with whom the individual can interact.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
evaluation of a portfolio, prepared by the individual, incorporating documents used for the management of a customer crisis:
summary of customer crisis information
an action plan to manage the crisis
notes on the organisation of operational services to assist the customer in crisis
reports produced post crisis
direct observation, using role plays, of the individual supporting and reassuring customers
use of case studies and problemsolving exercises so the individual can identify and evaluate the impacts of different types of customer crises and provide responses
written and oral questioning to assess knowledge of:
the key symptoms of trauma
communication techniques for supporting and reassuring customers
role of key external people and organisations in managing a customer crisis
review of portfolios of evidence and thirdparty workplace reports of onthejob performance by the individual.
Guidance information for assessment
The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:
SITHACS303 Provide accommodation reception services
SITTGDE401 Coordinate and operate tours
SITTGDE402 Manage extended touring programs
SITTTOP403 Operate tours in a remote area
SITTTSL306 Book supplier services.
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWQ61 | SITXCRI001 | Respond to a customer in crisis | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| J451 | SIT50212 | Diploma of Events | Qualification |
| J444 | SIT40312 | Certificate IV in Hospitality | Qualification |
| J627 | SIT50313 | Diploma of Hospitality | Qualification |
| J623 | SIT40313 | Certificate IV in Hospitality | Qualification |
| J432 | SIT30112 | Certificate III in Tourism | Qualification |
| J443 | SIT40212 | Certificate IV in Travel and Tourism | Qualification |