Week 6: Communications in Customer Service

Week 6: Communications in Customer Service

• Effective communication is crucial for good customer service, as it involves listening to customer needs and explaining how to meet them
• Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, and understanding between two or more people
• Good communication skills are essential to show customers you understand their needs and build a positive relationship
• Good communication skills help customers understand the company and build respect for it
• Companies lose customers frequently due to poor understanding during communication
• A critical element in communication is understanding, if this is lacking, communicating with customers effectively becomes challenging
• Understanding customer needs and behaviours is vital for effective communication and good service
• 68% of customer loss is due to poor service, characterized by uncaring or rude attitude
• Customer intelligence is the process of gathering information, building a database of current, potential, and past customers to understand them comprehensively. Partial or selective data can create inaccurate or fragmented views
• Customer intelligence helps organisations, particularly customer service providers, to understand and serve customer groups better
• Businesses use customer intelligence to tailor services and approaches to individual customers, track purchases, and reward loyalty, creating an appreciated customer base
• Organizations use targeted reward programs to collect customer intelligence and reward loyalty (e.g., CVS, American Eagle, JC Penney, and hotel chains)
• Relationship marketing cultivates lasting mutually beneficial connections with customers, by enhancing relationship marketing through providing in-depth understanding of customer behaviour and preferences
• Businesses often gather large amounts of customer data but don't use it to improve customer relationships, meaning information such as customer purchasing patterns, preferred times of interaction and expectations fall under customer intelligence
• Businesses use customer intelligence to gain detailed insights into their customers' behaviour and preferences, enabling more effective communication and service delivery
• Customer intelligence goes beyond market segmentation by examining both current and past customers and using this data to improve customer relationships
• There are two types of communication: Verbal (using words) and nonverbal (using body language and vocal qualities)
• Listening involves hearing and understanding the speaker, nodding in agreement, and using active listening. Good listening is essential for good communication
• Writing involves using words clearly and efficiently to relay a message, often taking into account the context and the intended audience
• Talking involves using precise words and terminology, ensuring clarity to prevent misunderstandings. Clear communication is vital in face-to-face and phone calls.
• Reading is the ability to look at and comprehend written words, ensuring accurate understanding for customers.
• Effective listening is a critical part of customer service. It shows customers you care about their questions and concerns
• Taking the time to fully listen is critical as it avoids communication problems due to the listener interrupting before the speaker finishes
• Techniques to improve listening skills include being curious about the other's viewpoint, focusing on the message, tuning into both verbal and non-verbal cues, avoiding interrupting, paraphrasing, and providing positive feedback.
• Nonverbal communication, such as tone, facial expressions, posture and eye contact, has a significant impact on communication, sometimes contradicting the verbal message.
• Only 7% of a message is carried by words, and 93% from nonverbal cues and tone; nonverbal is most critical
• Voice inflection, including tone, timing, and volume, significantly reflects a person's personality, attitude, knowledge, or level of job satisfaction
• When leaving voice messages, speak clearly and slowly; identify the caller and their company; state the reason for the message; suggest needed next steps; give your name and number; and end with a positive farewell
• When receiving voice messages, pay attention to all nonverbal aspects of communication and consider individual differences such as gender, culture, and attitude
• Email etiquette involves proper formatting; concise messages; avoiding capitals, keeping mail organized, keeping subject descriptions; and asking for confirmation of receipt
• Texting is an efficient customer communication method that businesses increasingly leverage

Quick Quiz

• Customer service providers must be proficient communicators. (T)
• Customer intelligence is the process of gathering information, building a database, and understanding current, potential and past customers. (T)
• Relationship marketing has a positive impact on business. (T)
• Identifying why customers are lost can help business make improvements. (T)
• A good listener plans their answer while the speaker is talking. (F)
• How you use your voice doesn't impact how a message is received. (F)
• Taking notes during a phone interaction can help. (T)
• Words like 'can't, never, don't, and you have to' should be avoided in customer service. (T)
• Eye contact conveys sincerity and interest. (T)
• Email is replacing face-to-face communication (F)