CIM Level 4 Certificate in Professional

Marketing
Customer Experience (2102)

December 2014
Assignment
The assignment comprises THREE compulsory tasks
Task 1 is worth 25 marks
Task 2 is worth 40 marks
Task 3 is worth 25 marks
10 marks are available for format and communication of information
Total marks available 100
Candidate guidance

Answer all tasks

The available marks are shown alongside each part of the task
10 marks are available for overall format and communication of information
Read all tasks carefully before attempting them

The Chartered Institute of Marketing 2014

Customer Experience (2102) December 2014

Scenario:
Customer experience is a potential source of competitive advantage for organisations in all
sectors. Understanding customers expectations and the role played by marketing in the
development of that understanding enables competitive advantage to be gained. Managing
customer expectations is therefore a key consideration in this regard.
In your role within the marketing function of your own organisation, or one of your choice,
your manager has asked you to prepare a report for senior management which explores
both the theory and the reality of customer experience in detail.
Your report will describe, analyse and make recommendations on how customer
experience can be enhanced, with reference to appropriate supporting theoretical
frameworks.
Guidance notes:
This assignment consists of three tasks and the report should flow as a single document.
There will be TEN marks available, for the entire report, where you will be rewarded for
continuity of tasks, appropriate language and format used. This is awarded under Format
and communication of information.
While it is helpful to include an introduction and summary in the report, these should be
brief, with the main focus being on the content outlined in the assignment provided. FIVE
marks will be awarded for the organisation summary, which should appear at the end of
the main report, using the headings supplied as guidance. You should write this summary
in report format rather than bullet format. This is included in the marks allocated to the
report in Task 1.
You should acknowledge all sources/methodologies/applications using the Harvard
referencing system.
Customer experience can be applied differently across B2B, B2C and not-for-profit
organisations. Application to your chosen organisation is crucial to providing this context
and understanding.
Maximum page count: 12 pages

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Customer Experience (2102) December 2014

TASK 1

Assessment criteria covered in Task 1:

AC1.1, AC1.2, AC1.3, AC1.4, AC2.1, AC2.4
Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details.

You are required to understand and analyse how your chosen organisation is structured
and managed to deliver effective customer experience within the organisations
marketplace.
An important consideration is to demonstrate an understanding of customer expectations,
and appreciation of the importance of fulfilling them, relating to theories of consumer
behaviour.
Required:
(a) Using the organisation summary guidelines, provide a background to
your chosen organisation. This section should be placed at the end of
your report.

(5 marks)

(b) Assess the level of understanding of customer expectations within your

chosen organisation, and the role the marketing function plays in
developing that understanding.

(5 marks)

(c)

Demonstrate the importance of fulfilling customer expectations for your

chosen organisation, comparing the current satisfaction levels with those
provided by competitors.

(d) Evaluate consumer behaviour theory relating to customer expectations

within the context of your chosen organisation.

(10 marks)

(5 marks)

(Total 25 marks)
(Maximum page count 3 pages)
(1 page of the total 3 pages for this task should be used for the organisation summary)

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Customer Experience (2102) December 2014

TASK 2

Assessment criteria covered in Task 2:

AC3.1, AC3.2, AC4.1, AC4.2, AC4.3, AC4.4
Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details.

The customer journey and the marketing mix are important elements in the delivery of
customer experience, in which value can be created.
This task requires you to produce a report that explores in greater depth the practicalities
of developing customer experience.
As part of your overall report, you are asked to prepare a section detailing how your
chosen organisation could utilise the different elements of the marketing mix, and then
make recommendations for a promotional mix, both of which should be focussed on
enhancing the customer experience. The marketing mix and promotional mix should be
based on ONE of your organisations products or services.
Required:
(a) Describe the customer journey for TWO important customer segments
for your chosen organisation, identifying the points at which value is
created.

(8 marks)

(b) Using frameworks for customer experience management, recommend

how your chosen organisation can improve the experience for
customers.

(6 marks)

(c)

Develop clear proposals to show how your chosen organisation could

utilise the different elements of the extended marketing mix for ONE of
its products or services, in order to enhance customer experience.

(d) Present recommendations for a promotional mix for the product or

service, identified in (c), which would help create enhanced customer
experience.

(14 marks)

(12 marks)

(Total 40 marks)
(Maximum page count 6 pages)

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Customer Experience (2102) December 2014

TASK 3

Assessment criteria covered in Task 3:

AC5.2, AC5.3, AC6.2, AC6.3
Please refer to the module specification for assessment criteria details.

Measurement of customer experience is essential in understanding whether the

organisations activities are meeting customer expectations.
For the final section of your report, within your chosen organisation you are required to
explore relevant customer experience metrics, using the results from them as a basis for
making improvements to that experience.
Required:
(a) Identify and demonstrate application of appropriate market research
methods to measure effectiveness of customer experience activities
within your chosen organisation.

(6 marks)

(b) Evaluate the relevance of customer complaints, compliments and other

feedback as part of the measures of effectiveness of customer
experience within your chosen organisation.

(5 marks)

(c)

Explain how information obtained from TWO key metrics relevant to your
chosen organisation could be analysed to contribute to improvements in
customer experience.

(d) Recommend improvements that could be made to the customer

experience of your chosen organisation, based on the analysis of
metrics explained in (c).

(6 marks)

(8 marks)
(Total 25 marks)

(Maximum page count 3 pages)

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Customer Experience (2102) December 2014

TASK 1 REPORT FORMAT

TASK 1 MAXIMUM page count: 3 pages

Candidates are encouraged to make reference their organisation
summary throughout the task, to avoid repetition and provide context
to their answers.
Guidance notes:

Use of appropriate theoretical frameworks to underpin answers and

provide structure is recommended.
Application of the theories to the chosen organisation, recognising
specific customer experience expectations and provision, should be
included throughout the answer.

TASK 2 REPORT FORMAT

TASK 2 MAXIMUM page count: 6 pages

The use of theoretical underpinning to support practical examples
appropriate for the context of the chosen organisation is essential.

Guidance notes:

Candidates will be rewarded for utilising an integrated marketing mix,

including an appropriate range of promotional tools, relevant to the
product/service described.
This should be based on segments which are clearly identified and
both good and less good stages of the customer journey in relation to
the provision of customer experience should be discussed.

TASK 3 REPORT FORMAT

TASK 3 MAXIMUM page count: 3 pages

Guidance notes:

Candidates will be rewarded for demonstrating clear linkages between

research information obtained relating to customer experience
metrics, information already existing within the organisation, and
improvements that can be implemented based upon this information
and knowledge of best practice from external sources.

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Customer Experience (2102) December 2014

Organisation summary
To be included at the end of the report. Contents will contribute to the FIVE marks
available in Part (a) of Task 1. The following headings should be included:

Organisation name

Type of organisation, for example, profit or not-for-profit, local, national, global, and
type of legal entity

Size of organisation in terms of turnover and number of employees

Range of products and services provided

Customer base, for example, B2B/B2C

Competitors

Cross-functional relationships within the organisation

Other important stakeholders

Other relevant information

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