SITTTSL002 - Access and interpret product information

Unit code: SITTTSL002 | Study level: TAFE

Credit points

N/A

Location

Footscray Nicholson

Prerequisites

N/A

Overview

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to access product information on tourism, travel, hospitality, or events products to fulfil sales or operational needs. It requires the ability to identify sources of information and to interpret specific details of the products. The product can include any international or domestic product sold by any tourism, travel, hospitality, or events business. The breadth and depth of product knowledge and its application will vary according to the industry sector, workplace and job role. This unit is not about having an in-depth knowledge of products, but focuses on the ability to source and interpret information.

The unit mainly applies to frontline sales and operations personnel who operate with some level of independence and under limited supervision. It does, however, describe a fundamental operational function and those individuals who work with very little independence under close supervision would also use this skill. This includes visitor information officers, travel consultants, corporate consultants, inbound tour coordinators, account managers for professional conference organisers, event coordinators, tour guides, hotel guest relations officers, tour desk officers, and reservations sales agents.

Personnel selling travel insurance to a client must meet the requirements of the Financial Services Reform Act (2001).

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce and extend knowledge and skill competence within set and controlled parameters in accordance with each unit’s learning outcomes and performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines.

Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:

research and interpret current, relevant and accurate product information in response to at least three different sales-related and operations-related enquiries;
use at least two of the following sources to access product information for each of the above enquiries: computerised reservations systems (CRS); internet or intranet; global distribution systems (GDS); international government tourism authority information systems; organisation-designed information systems, such as inventory control databases; principal or supplier of the product; product library; social media websites; state and federal government tourism authority information systems;
interpret and correctly use industry terminology and common abbreviations in response to each of the above enquiries for product information;
share and interpret product information with colleagues, and;
complete activities within commercial time constraints and deadlines determined by the customer or organisation.

Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:

sources of product information and specific product types;
industry accepted terminology, codes and abbreviations for the major categories of tourism, travel, hospitality or event products and services;
features and benefits of tourism, travel, hospitality or event products;
major product categories;
sales or operational needs for product information in the tourism, travel, hospitality or event industry;
travel insurance products;
methods to obtain product information;
sources of specific product information;
special jargon or specifications;
risks relating to the sale or operation of tourism, travel, hospitality and event products;
safety risk to customer in participating in activities;
seasonal non-availability of the product;
unclear product provision, deposit, payment and cancellation terms and conditions, and;
unclear product, tax and levy costs.

Required reading

The qualified trainer and assessor will provide teaching and learning materials as required in the form of workbooks produced by the Polytechnic and/or via the Polytechnic e-learning system.