“Customer service is not a department, it is an attitude”
After learning this chapter, you will be able to understand:
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the importance of
listening
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the importance of
speaking
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the importance of
nonverbal communication
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how to work in customer
service situations
11.3.1 A Good Customer Servant
Think: What are the features of a good customer servant? Explain why.
There are several features for a good customer servant. The essential features are availability, friendliness, accuracy, honesty, flexibility, understanding and competence.
It is easy to contact a customer servant, who is available and friendly. He shows his willingness to serve with his words and gestures. He appreciates the customers and shows it in a natural way, suitable for the situation. An accurate and honest customer servant works as agreed, and according to expectations. His promises are trustworthy.
A flexible and understanding customer servant works according to customer and customer service situation. He is able to customize his service for each customer. He listens to, interprets and understands the customer in the right way. A competent customer servant is able to adjust his selling style according to the customer. For example he shows models, pictures and calculations as much as possible for a customer who perceives things visually. To a customer who wants to hear details, he describes the products also in words, and explains things in details. A customer, who enjoys trying things himself, should be provided opportunities to feel, sense, and try the product.
Think: What type of a customer are you? Has any customer servant ever paid attention to this?
Communication
When stepping into the shop, the customer has certain expectations about the service. These expectations either are met or fail to be met by the customer servants. Communication plays a big role in these situations.
11.3.2 Communication at Customer Service
Think: What does good communication mean to you?
Customer communication can be done by the customer servant himself, the whole staff as well as the business premises themselves. Customer communication is an outcome of good customer service performed by the whole staff. Therefore, you always have to keep up your quality in customer service and earn your customer’s trust.
It is said that the customer is always right. That is not always the case, but you always have to understand the customer and find out their needs and desires. To capture the attention of your customer, you need to be sensible, tolerant and show empathy. It is also important to notice every customer and give your attention to them every single time.
Effective customer service is based on the effective communication with the customer. A sociable, friendly, polite, knowledgeable employee, who can build effective communication with the customer, will make a positive contribution to the image. The three basic conditions for a customer servant are effective listening, effective speaking and nonverbal communication.
Effective listening means, that a customer servant listens the customer without interruption. He should not be engaged with anything else than listening to the customer, it is important to make the customer feel that he is listened to. While listening to him, a customer servant makes eye contact with the customer when necessary, should not make a comment without fully understanding his request and asks him further questions when needed. A customer servant has to pay attention to what is said, because he has to interpret what the customer said, remember and understand it.
Effective speaking is the ability to express oneself to the listener by transferring his feelings and thoughts. The use of body language in customer communication is one of the key techniques for effective listening and speaking. People make their first impression visually, that´s why a customer servant who is dressed properly will earn trust from customers, and this will help when selling the products. A smile is a key that can open any door. A good customer servant should be able to smile unconditionally even in the hardest customer service situations.
A customer servant has to be aware of nonverbal communication. Communication without words is called non-verbal communication. According to various studies, the importance of spoken messages accounts only for 5-30% of the total communication. If a customer servant places his hands on his hips, puts his hands into his pocket, folds his hands together in front or behind his back, folds his arms on his chest, leans on the stand or the counter, the customer might feel disrespected and the selling process might end without success in an instant.
A customer servant shows open-mindedness and honesty when he has open arms and palms, open eyes and a smile. He shows interest when he leans forward, has a hand on one cheek, head bent to either side, and keeps eye contact. A customer servant shows rejection if his hands and legs are crossed, he is leaning backwards, his legs and body are turned away, he is looking over his glasses or pointing with his fingers. He shows doubt and dishonesty if he has a hand in front of the mouth or he is rubbing the nose or eyebrow. He shows consideration when he has a look aside upwards, is scratching the head, putting a pencil or other object close to the lips.
A competent customer servant senses the customer’s feelings already before the first word. The customer servant adopts their own communication and behavior according to their observations. He speaks clearly and changing the tone and being enthusiastic can show to the customer. A good customer servant recognizes the message in the customer’s non-verbal communication and adopts their behavior according to the situation: If the customer seems to be tired or doubtful, the customer servant can make a question or let him alone for a while and come back to him with it later. The customer can see it quickly whether the customer servant is interested, has self-confidence, believes in the product and wants to serve him.
Tips for customer communication situations
1. A positive facial appearance is expressed with a slight smile and lively eyes. Never pout or yawn, or perform any similar behavior.
2. When talking to the customer, look in the eye but do not focus on the pupils or the other parts of the face.
3. Keep your head up and nod in approval now and then.
4. Keep an upright posture in a way which wouldn't be perceived as defying by the customers.
5. Do not stand in a humpback posture, lean on the shelves, fold your hands or cross your legs.
6. Avoid biting nails, scratching, playing with your hair, biting lips, digging your ears, chewing gum, etc.
7. For example, continuously stomping your foot on the ground would give the message of “I 'm tired of talking to you” to the customer.
8. Avoid placing your hands on your hips, making a fist, folding your hands, etc.
9. Do not follow the customer’s steps too closely.
10. A smile can be heard from the voice.
11. Do not touch the customers or kiss the children of the customers.
Case: Non-verbal communication
Alma is working with Rihan in her shoe store. She notices that Rihan is biting her nails and playing with her hair when she is selling shoes to Ms. Morales. How should Alma react?