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Customer Service & Hospitality
The people skills that get you hired in retail, cafés and events: great customer service, handling complaints, and speaking with confidence.
People skills for retail and cafés
The people skills that get you hired in retail, cafés and events: great customer service, handling complaints, and speaking with confidence.
Free forever — like every pathway and course on Avro Academy: all lessons, quizzes, downloads and your certificates. Our promise
Who it's for
Anyone looking for work in retail, hospitality, events or any customer-facing role.
What you'll be able to do
- Give service customers remember
- Handle complaints calmly
- Speak clearly and confidently with customers
- Get ready to apply and start work
The courses
- Customer Service Essentials — Start here
- Confident English Speaking
- Speak Clearly: Articulation Training
Optional extras
- Job Ready: Resume to First Shift — Take this when you're ready to apply
How it works
- Join once, and track your progress across every course in one place, under My learning
- Take the courses in any order — they all open as soon as you join.
- 3 required courses, about 13.5 hours in total — at your own pace
- You get a certificate for each course, and a pathway certificate when you finish them all
- Completely free
Courses in this pathway
Lessons (0 of 26 done)
Module 1: What great service looks like
- What customers really want10 min
- First impressions and the welcome10 min
- Professional behaviour on shift10 min
- Module 1 quiz5 min
Module 2: Serving customers
- Finding out what the customer needs12 min
- Product knowledge and honest recommendations12 min
- Suggesting extras without being pushy10 min
- Closing the sale and the farewell8 min
- Module 2 quiz5 min
Module 3: The till and handling money
- Cash, cards and counting change15 min
- Refunds, exchanges and your consumer rights12 min
- Spotting scams and keeping money safe10 min
- Module 3 quiz5 min
Module 4: Busy shifts and teamwork
- Staying calm when it's busy12 min
- Working as a team10 min
- Phone, online and click-and-collect orders10 min
- Module 4 quiz5 min
Module 5: Difficult situations
- Handling complaints step by step12 min
- Angry, rude or abusive customers12 min
- Shoplifting and security: what to do (and not do)10 min
- Module 5 quiz5 min
Module 6: Hospitality basics and your final task
- Food safety and hygiene15 min
- Allergies and dietary requirements12 min
- Alcohol, age-restricted products and checking ID10 min
- Final task: your service plan12 min
- Module 6 and final quiz5 min
Confident English SpeakingNot startedLessons (0 of 26 done)
Module 1: Confidence starts here
- Welcome: why confidence matters more than perfect English8 min
- Why nerves happen — and how to handle them12 min
- Check where you're starting from and set your goal10 min
- Module 1 quiz5 min
Module 2: Speak clearly
- Pace and pausing: slow down to sound confident12 min
- Stress the words that matter10 min
- Cut the fillers: fewer "um", "like" and "you know"10 min
- Body language, eye contact and your voice10 min
- Module 2 quiz5 min
Module 3: Everyday work talk
- Introductions and small talk12 min
- Asking for help and checking you understand12 min
- Taking instructions and giving quick updates10 min
- Module 3 quiz5 min
Module 4: Customers and phone calls
- Serving customers with confidence12 min
- Phone calls without the panic12 min
- Handling complaints calmly12 min
- Module 4 quiz5 min
Module 5: Interview English
- "Tell me about yourself"15 min
- Answering with STAR15 min
- Common interview questions — and questions to ask them15 min
- Module 5 quiz5 min
Module 6: Speak up at work
- Speaking up in meetings and team talks12 min
- Disagreeing politely and saying no12 min
- Your 2-minute talk15 min
- Final challenge: your 60-second pitch15 min
- Module 6 and final quiz5 min
Speak Clearly: Articulation TrainingNot startedLessons (0 of 26 done)
Module 1: How clear speech works
- Clear speech: what it is — and what it isn't10 min
- How speech sounds are made12 min
- Your starting recording10 min
- Module 1 quiz5 min
Module 2: Warm up your speaking muscles
- Posture and breath support10 min
- A 5-minute warm-up for jaw, lips and tongue12 min
- Projecting your voice — and looking after it10 min
- Module 2 quiz5 min
Module 3: Clear vowels
- Open your mouth: beat the mumble10 min
- Short and long vowels15 min
- Module 3 quiz5 min
Module 4: Clear consonants
- Lip sounds: p, b, m, f, v — and v vs w12 min
- The two 'th' sounds12 min
- t, d, s and sh12 min
- R and L12 min
- Word endings: -ed, -s and -ing15 min
- Consonant clusters12 min
- Module 4 quiz5 min
Module 5: Connected speech
- Linking words and chunking12 min
- Numbers, names and spelling15 min
- Clear on the phone and on video calls12 min
- Module 5 quiz5 min
Module 6: Clear speech at work
- The tongue-twister workout12 min
- Read-aloud scripts for work15 min
- Your 21-day plan and final recording15 min
- Module 6 and final quiz5 min
Lessons (0 of 29 done)
Module 1: Know what you offer
- Welcome: what "job ready" really means8 min
- Your skills inventory15 min
- Choosing the jobs to target12 min
- Module 1 quiz5 min
Module 2: Build your resume
- What employers look for in 7 seconds10 min
- Resume layout and sections15 min
- Writing strong bullet points15 min
- The no-experience resume12 min
- Referees and final checks10 min
- Module 2 quiz5 min
Module 3: Cover letters and applications
- Reading a job ad12 min
- Writing a cover letter15 min
- Online applications and screening questions12 min
- Module 3 quiz5 min
Module 4: Finding and applying for jobs
- Where to find jobs12 min
- Applying in person and following up12 min
- Your professional image: email, voicemail and social media10 min
- Track your applications8 min
- Module 4 quiz5 min
Module 5: Interview ready
- Preparing for an interview15 min
- Phone, video and group interviews12 min
- After the interview: thank-yous, rejections and offers10 min
- Module 5 quiz5 min
Module 6: Your first job — what to know
- Your first day and first week12 min
- Tax, super and payslips15 min
- Pay, awards and your rights at work15 min
- Safety, licences and checks12 min
- Final task: your job-ready kit15 min
- Module 6 and final quiz5 min