The Institute of the Motor Industry · RQF Level 3
IMI Level 3 Diploma in Customer Service
You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.
- LevelRQF Level 3
- Total credits55
- Guided learning289 hours
- Units in this qualification45
Awarded by The Institute of the Motor Industry · on the Ofqual register
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See how this course maps onto your role
Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this qualification rather than a generic one.
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What you’ll learn
What each unit actually teaches you to do
The IMI Level 3 Diploma develops customer service skills applicable across various industries. It includes units on business principles, verbal communication, and the use of social media. This qualification is suitable for individuals in administration roles.
These are the units The Institute of the Motor Industry registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.
Bespoke SoftwareReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Input and combine information accurately using bespoke software
- Create and modify appropriate structures within the bespoke software to organise and retrieve information efficiently
- Exploit the functions of the software effectively to process and present information in a clear and concise manner
Buddy a colleague to develop their skillsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the role and responsibilities of a buddy in supporting a colleague's skills development.
- Plan a buddying programme to support a colleague's development needs.
- Support a buddy colleague effectively while they are carrying out their work activities, providing guidance and feedback.
Build and maintain effective customer relationsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of building effective relationships with customers
- Understand the techniques used to build effective relationships with customers
- Determine the scope for building effective relationships with customers, considering organisational policies and customer needs
- Develop effective relationships with customers through appropriate communication and interaction
- Review and improve relationships with customers based on feedback and performance data
Buyer behaviour in sales situationsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the impact of different models of buyer behaviour on the sales cycle
- Respond to the buyer at each stage of the decision making process
Champion customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of championing customer service within an organisation and its impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Identify the scope for improvements to customer service processes and procedures.
- Champion customer service by promoting a customer-focused culture and advocating for customer needs.
Collaborate with other departmentsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the benefits of collaboration between departments within an organisation
- Understand the potential barriers to effective collaboration between departments
- Identify opportunities for collaboration with other departments to improve organisational effectiveness
- Communicate effectively with colleagues from other departments
- Contribute to collaborative projects with other departments
Communicate verbally with customersReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of effective verbal communication with customers, including active listening and questioning techniques.
- Use appropriate customer service language and communication skills to interact with customers in a professional and helpful manner.
Communicate with customers in writingReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of effective written communication with customers, including tone, style, and clarity.
- Plan written communications to customers, considering the purpose, audience, and desired outcome.
- Communicate with customers in writing, using appropriate language and format to convey information effectively.
Contribute to the organisation of an eventReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the key considerations for effective event organisation, including planning, logistics, and risk management
- Carry out pre-event actions, such as venue booking, marketing, and delegate registration
- Set up an event, ensuring all necessary equipment and resources are in place
- Carry out post-event actions, such as evaluation, reporting, and thank you communications
Deliver customer service to challenging customersReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the characteristics and behaviours of challenging customers
- Understand the potential causes of challenging customer behaviour
- Understand the importance of maintaining a professional and calm demeanour when dealing with challenging customers
- Use effective communication techniques to de-escalate challenging situations
- Resolve customer complaints and issues in a fair and timely manner
- Know when to escalate a challenging customer situation to a supervisor or manager
Deliver customer service whilst working on customers’ premisesReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the specific requirements for delivering customer service whilst working on customers’ premises, including health and safety and security protocols
- Understand how to adapt customer service techniques to different customer environments
- Deliver customer service effectively and professionally whilst working on customers’ premises
- Address customer needs and resolve issues efficiently whilst working on customers’ premises
Develop a social media strategy for customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the development of a customer service social media strategy, including its purpose and key components
- Develop a customer service social media strategy that aligns with organisational goals
- Promote the benefits of social media networking to customer service teams and stakeholders
Develop customer relationshipsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of developing strong customer relationships for business success
- Understand the different stages of the customer relationship lifecycle
- Understand the techniques for building rapport and trust with customers
- Communicate effectively with customers to understand their needs and expectations
- Provide excellent customer service to build customer loyalty
- Identify opportunities to develop and strengthen relationships with customers
Develop resources to support consistency of customer service deliveryReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how knowledge resources are used to support consistent customer service delivery
- Understand the principles of creating and maintaining a customer service knowledge base
- Create and maintain a customer service knowledge base, ensuring information is accurate and up-to-date
- Develop customer service resource materials, such as FAQs and training guides
- Ensure that customer service resource materials are accessible and easy to use
Employee rights and responsibilitiesReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the roles of organisations and industries in relation to employment law
- Understand employers’ expectations regarding employee conduct and performance
- Understand employees’ rights and obligations under employment law
- Understand sources of information and advice on employment rights and responsibilities
Exceed customer expectationsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of exceeding customer expectations in delivering excellent customer service
- Understand techniques for identifying and meeting customer needs and going above and beyond to provide exceptional service
- Exceed customer expectations by providing a high level of service that meets and surpasses their needs and requirements
Gather, analyse and interpret customer feedbackReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of gathering, analysing, and interpreting customer feedback to improve customer service
- Understand different methods for collecting customer feedback, including surveys, focus groups, and online reviews
- Plan the collection of customer feedback on customer service issues, selecting appropriate methods and target audiences
- Gather customer feedback using a variety of methods, ensuring that data is collected accurately and ethically
- Analyse and interpret customer feedback to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement
- Recommend improvements to customer service based on the analysis of customer feedback
Lead direct sales activities in a contact centre teamReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Carry out sales activities in a contact centre, adhering to organisational procedures and targets
- Analyse contact centre sales data to identify trends and areas for improvement
- Lead a team involved in direct sales activities in a contact centre, providing guidance and support
- Motivate a team to achieve sales targets in a contact centre environment
- Understand the different types of sales activities undertaken in a contact centre team
- Understand the importance of data protection and confidentiality in a contact centre environment
Manage a customer service award programmeReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the key principles involved in the management of a customer service award programme
- Understand the requirements for a successful customer service award programme
- Plan the different stages of a customer service award programme, including setting objectives and timelines
- Manage the implementation of a customer service award programme, ensuring adherence to planned activities and timelines
Manage diary systemsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the features and functions of different diary systems
- Understand the importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date diary records
- Schedule appointments and meetings using a diary system
- Manage and update diary entries effectively
Manage incidents referred to a contact centreReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Manage incidents effectively through a contact centre, following established procedures
- Provide support to colleagues on incident management in a contact centre environment
- Understand how to manage incidents reported to a contact centre, including escalation procedures
Manage individuals’ performanceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the organisation's policies and procedures for managing underperformance in the workplace
- Understand the potential causes of underperformance and how to address them
- Monitor and evaluate individuals' performance against agreed targets and standards
- Provide constructive feedback and support to individuals to improve their performance
- Implement formal performance management procedures where necessary
Manage personal and professional developmentReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Identify personal and professional development requirements based on self-assessment and feedback
- Create a personal and professional development plan with clear objectives and timescales
- Fulfil a personal and professional development plan through appropriate learning activities and experiences
- Maintain the relevance of a personal and professional development plan by regularly reviewing progress and updating objectives
Manage team performanceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of effective team performance management, including setting objectives, providing feedback, and addressing performance issues
- Allocate work to team members, taking into account their skills and experience
- Assure the quality of work produced by the team, providing guidance and support as needed
- Manage communications within a team, ensuring that information is shared effectively and that team members are kept informed
Manage the use of technology to improve customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to manage the use of technology to enhance and improve customer service delivery.
- Identify opportunities for customer service improvement through the effective application of technology.
- Implement changes in technology to improve customer service processes and outcomes.
Monitor the quality of customer service interactionsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of monitoring the quality of customer service interactions
- Understand the different methods used to monitor the quality of customer service interactions
- Prepare for monitoring customer service interactions, including identifying key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Monitor customer service interactions using appropriate methods
- Provide feedback to customer service staff based on monitoring results
Negotiate in a business environmentReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles underpinning negotiation, including different negotiation styles and strategies
- Prepare effectively for business negotiations, including gathering information and setting objectives
- Carry out business negotiations, using appropriate communication and negotiation techniques
Negotiating, handling objections and closing salesReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to handle objections effectively and negotiate favourable outcomes with customers.
- Prepare thoroughly for potential objections and negotiation scenarios with customers.
- Handle customer objections in a professional and constructive manner.
- Negotiate with customers to reach mutually agreeable solutions.
- Close the sale successfully following negotiation, securing the customer's commitment.
Obtaining and analysing sales-related informationReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the different uses of sales-related information within an organisation
- Understand a range of tools and methods used to analyse sales-related information
- Obtain sales-related information about customers, markets and competitors using appropriate methods
- Use tools and methods to analyse sales-related information to identify trends and patterns
Organise and deliver customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to organise customer service delivery within an organisation
- Plan the delivery of customer service to meet customer needs
- Deliver customer service in line with organisational procedures
Principles of businessReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the characteristics of different business markets and their impact on business operations.
- Understand the importance of business innovation and growth strategies for long-term success.
- Understand the principles of financial management, including profitability, liquidity, and solvency.
- Understand the process of business budgeting and its role in financial planning and control.
- Understand the key elements of sales and marketing and their contribution to business performance.
Processing sales ordersReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to process and follow up sales orders
- Process sales orders accurately and efficiently
- Follow up sales order processing to ensure customer satisfaction
Promote additional products and/or services to customersReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles and techniques involved in promoting additional products and/or services to existing customers.
- Promote additional products and/or services to customers, tailoring the approach to individual needs and preferences.
Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplaceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the organisational policies and procedures relating to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
- Understand the legal requirements relating to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
- Understand the personal responsibilities relating to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
- Support equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace through own actions
- Challenge discriminatory behaviour in the workplace
Provide post-transaction customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of post-transaction customer service in building customer loyalty
- Provide post-transaction customer service effectively, addressing customer needs and resolving issues
Provide reception servicesReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the purpose and importance of reception services in an organisation
- Understand the different types of reception services that may be required
- Greet visitors and direct them to the appropriate person or department
- Handle telephone calls and messages in a professional and efficient manner
- Manage appointments and meeting room bookings
- Maintain a clean and organised reception area
Resolve customers’ complaintsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the processes for monitoring customers’ complaints within the organisation
- Understand the procedures for resolving customers’ complaints effectively
- Deal with customers’ complaints in a professional and timely manner
- Implement solutions to resolve customers’ complaints
Resolve customers’ problemsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the importance of monitoring customer problems
- Understand procedures for resolving customer problems effectively
- Identify and assess customers’ problems
- Implement solutions to resolve customers’ problems
Support customer service improvementsReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to support customer service improvements within an organisation
- Identify the potential for improvements to customer service processes and procedures
- Support the implementation of improvements to customer service, contributing to a positive customer experience
Support customers through real-time online customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles of providing effective customer support through real-time online channels
- Understand the organisation's policies and procedures for online customer service
- Accurately identify the specific customer service support required by individual customers
- Provide real-time online customer service that meets customer needs and expectations
Support customers using self-service equipmentReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to support customers using self-service equipment, including common issues and troubleshooting techniques.
- Identify the specific help needed by customers using self-service equipment through observation and questioning.
- Help customers to use self-service equipment effectively and efficiently, providing clear instructions and guidance.
Understand customers and customer retentionReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the principles and purpose of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
- Understand how CRM systems can be used to improve customer service and retention
- Understand the importance of customer retention for organisational success
- Understand the strategies and techniques used to improve customer retention
- Understand the methods used to measure customer satisfaction, such as surveys and feedback forms
- Understand how customer satisfaction data can be used to improve customer service and retention
Understand the customer service environmentReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the concepts and practices underpinning customer service delivery, including customer expectations and service standards
- Understand the relationship between customer service and a brand, including how customer service impacts brand reputation
- Understand the structure of customer service within an organisation, including different roles and responsibilities
- Understand the implications of legislation on customer service delivery, including data protection and consumer rights
Use service partnerships to deliver customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the use of a service partnership in customer service delivery, including the benefits and challenges
- Understand ways of building relationships within a customer service partnership, including communication and collaboration techniques
- Deliver customer service effectively within a customer service partnership, adhering to agreed service levels
Use social media to deliver customer serviceReal unit · The Institute of the Motor Industry
What you'll be able to do
- Understand the role of social media within a business environment
- Understand the different social media platforms used in business
- Communicate with customers using social media channels
- Respond to customer enquiries and complaints via social media
The honest bit
You’ve started things before
Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.
There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.
And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.
Your passport
Every credit is a stamp you keep
Level 3 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.
Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.
Who’d teach you this

The Evidence Evaluator
Assessor
Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.
Meet all twelve tutorsWhere this connects
Where these credits take you
A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.
- Build and maintain customer relations
- Deliver brand promise using social media
- Deliver customer service to challenging customers
- Gather, analyse and interpret customer feedback
- Manage incidents and emergencies in a contact centre
- Monitoring and Control of Relationship Management Activities
- Resolve customer payment queries and disputes
- Respond to complaints and resolve problems within your organisational service standards
Where this can lead
Corporate Receptionist
Your journey starts here, but where it goes is really up to you. We're committed to supporting your growth, whether you want to climb the management ladder, become a deep subject matter expert, or even pivot into a related field. We want you to build a fulfilling career.
See the whole journey →Showing 6 roles, drawn from 60 job records mapped to this qualification.
Skills it covers
What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.
How you’ll actually learn this
One-to-one, on your own real work
A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.
Applied to your work in any of these jobs
This unit enables learners to input and combine information accurately using bespoke software. They will create and modify data structures and utilise software functions to organise, process, and present information efficiently.
- Remember
- Understand
- Apply
- Analyse
- Evaluate
- Create
Built for IMI Level 3 Diploma in Customer Service
45 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by The Institute of the Motor Industry.
- Bespoke Software
- Buddy a colleague to develop their skills
- Build and maintain effective customer relations
- Buyer behaviour in sales situations
- Champion customer service
- Collaborate with other departments
and 39 more in the full unit list below.
One to one, not one to many
No two people run this the same way
A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.
- Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
- What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
- The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
- How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
- Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.
See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.
Why it sticks
Most courses stop at remembering
There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.
- 6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
- 5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
- 4AnalyseThe Analyst
- 3ApplyThe Coach
- 2UnderstandThe Connector
- 1RememberThe Builder
Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you
The value
Why the companion is worth £70 a month
You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.
That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.
Earned on your own work, taught to the top.
Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.
Build my plan, freeNo card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.