Occupational Summary
A Customer Service Specialist Level 3 apprenticeship trains apprentices to provide professional direct customer support across sectors and organisation types. Apprentices act as advocates for customer service, acting as a referral and escalation point for complex or technical requests, complaints and ongoing issues. They become experts in their organisation’s products and services, share knowledge with colleagues, gather and analyse customer data to influence service improvements, and utilise organisational and generic IT systems and other digital technologies. Work settings include contact centres, retail, webchat, service industry or any customer service point.
The programme covers 47 KSBs (knowledge, skills and behaviours), typically lasts 15 months and has maximum funding of £4,000. End-point assessment is carried out via professional discussion, portfolio of evidence, observation, presentation with questioning and a project report.
View official Skills England source text
Overview: The main purpose of a customer service specialist is to be a ‘professional’ for direct customer support within all sectors and organisation types. You are an advocate of Customer Service who acts as a referral point for dealing with more complex or technical customer requests, complaints, and queries. You are often an escalation point for complicated or ongoing customer problems. As an expert in your organisation’s products and/or services, you share knowledge with your wider team and colleagues. You gather and analyse data and customer information that influences change and improvements in service. Utilising both organisational and generic IT systems to carry out your role with an awareness of other digital technologies. This could be in many types of environment including contact centres, retail, webchat, service industry or any customer service point.
Important Notice
This apprenticeship is in the process of being revised. In the meantime, the version below remains approved for delivery. Further details of this and other occupational standards and apprenticeships in revision are available in the revisions status report.
What's in the Delivery Pack?
Every section is tailored specifically to the ST0071 standard, using official KSB data, the published assessment plan, and sector-specific context.
KSB Interpretations
Plain-English interpretation of every Knowledge, Skill and Behaviour
EPA Preparation
End-point assessment readiness, gateway checklist and method guidance
Delivery Risks
Occupation-specific risks, mitigations and early warning signs
Delivery Model Options
Model-selection guide comparing day release, block release and front-loaded approaches
On/Off-the-Job Mapping
Which KSBs are best taught by the provider vs developed in the workplace
Initial Assessment & RPL
Starting points, prior learning recognition and programme adaptation
English, Maths & Digital
Where functional skills embed naturally and standalone qualification guidance
Employer Engagement Guide
Employer commitments, progress reviews and workplace engagement guidance
Get the ST0071 Delivery Guide
Unlock all 8 AI-powered sections — KSB interpretations, EPA preparation, delivery risks, employer engagement, and more. Tailored to Customer service specialist.
From £14.99 · Instant PDF download · en-GB throughout
Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours
Knowledge
18- K1: Business: Understand what continuous improvement means in a service environment and how your recommendations for change ...
- K2: Business: Understand the impact your service provision has on the wider organisation and the value it adds
- K3: Business: Understand your organisation’s current business strategy in relation to customers and make recommendations for...
- K4: Business: Understand the principles and benefits of being able to think about the future when taking action or making se...
- K5: Business: Understand a range of leadership styles and apply them successfully in a customer service environment
- + 13 more items
Skills
17- S1: Business focused service delivery: Demonstrate a continuous improvement and future focussed approach to customer service...
- S2: Business focused service delivery: Resolve complex issues by being able to choose from and successfully apply a wide ran...
- S3: Business focused service delivery: Find solutions that meet your organisations needs as well as the customer requirement...
- S4: Providing a positive customer experience: Through advanced questioning, listening and summarising negotiate mutually ben...
- S5: Providing a positive customer experience: Manage challenging and complicated situations within your level of authority a...
- + 12 more items
Behaviours
12- B1: Develop self: Proactively keep your service, industry and best practice knowledge and skills up-to-date
- B2: Develop self: Consider personal goals related to service and take action towards achieving them
- B3: Ownership/Responsibility: Personally commit to and take ownership for actions to resolve customer issues to the satisfac...
- B4: Ownership/Responsibility: Exercises proactivity and creativity when identifying solutions to customer and organisational...
- B5: Ownership/Responsibility: Make realistic promises and deliver on them
- + 7 more items
End-Point Assessment
Assessment Plan
Type: PDF
Version & Source
- Version
- 1.3
- Updated SSA
- Last changed
- 10 Dec 2025
- Earliest start
- 10 Dec 2025
- Approved for delivery
- 10 May 2018
- EQA Provider
- Ofqual
- Sector Subject Area
- 15.3 Business management
- Last checked
- 11 Mar 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What knowledge, skills and behaviours are in the ST0071 standard?▼
The Customer service specialist apprenticeship has 18 knowledge items, 17 skills, and 12 behaviours that apprentices must demonstrate.
How long is the Customer service specialist apprenticeship?▼
The typical duration is 15 months, with a maximum funding band of £4,000.
What does a delivery guide for ST0071 include?▼
The KSB Planner delivery guide includes plain-English KSB interpretations, EPA preparation guidance, delivery risk analysis, on/off-the-job mapping, employer engagement strategies, and more — all tailored to ST0071.
Data sourced from Skills England. KSB Planner delivery guides are an interpretation and planning aid based on official published source material — not an official regulator-issued document.