Communication Skills Training

Communication skills to improve customer service

1. Customer Service / Effective Communication Skills Training

2. Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Define communication Understand the process of communication Identify characteristics of effective communication Recognize barriers to effective communication Distinguish between types of communication (verbal, nonverbal) Provide examples of each type of nonverbal communication Understand the impact that verbal and nonverbal communication styles have on outcomes Evaluate communication skills from a script Understand facets of miscommunication and how to avoid misunderstandings Identify characteristics of active listening Apply effective communication skills to diffuse tense situations

3. What is communication? The word , Communicate , comes from the Latin word, Communis, which means to make common .

4. Communication has been defined in many ways; for our purposes, we will apply business terminology to a workplace setting.

5. Communication Means of sending and/or receiving a message Two-way process of reaching mutual understanding Participants exchange information , news, ideas, and feelings Involves creating and sharing meaning To inform, unite, join

6. Process of Communication Communication is a process involving much more than speaking The process begins with an individual’s mental images/representations including thoughts, ideas, and emotions coupled with a desire to convey such images to another One important goal of the communication process is to share a common meaning

7. Common Meaning Exercise Define each of the following words according to what they mean to you in terms of quantity (approximate number of occurrences) or timeframe. Seldom – Frequently – Soon – Shortly – Rarely – Often – Few – Several –

8. Communication Process Model Response Based on receiver’s interpretation of message Feedback Message back to sender Noise Physical and Psychological * Physical noise refers to distractions in the environment; psychological noise affects an individual’s ability to express and/or understand messages filtered through past experiences and perceptions of self and others.

9. Effective Communication Communication is effective when a message is conveyed clearly and received by someone who understands the message’s meaning in the way it was intended. Effective communication requires a set of skills including active listening, recognition and management of emotions (your own as well as those of the person you are communicating with), non-verbal communication, clarity of content delivery, questioning, and feedback. Components 1. Active Listening – fully engaged listening requires focus, not only the content of the message, but also the emotions behind it. Active listening involves restating or rephrasing what you heard the speaker say and asking questions to ensure clarity and mutual understanding. Further, an active listener does not interrupt or redirect the conversation to his or her own agenda. Problems cannot be resolved without listening to the customer’s concerns. Listening also provides a platform for an angry customer to vent. Oftentimes venting allows the customer to clear his head of frustrations, enabling him to proceed in a calm manner, more conducive to problem solving.

10. Effective Communication Continued 2. C lear, concise message – communication is enhanced by the use of easily understood words that are free of jargon or technical terms. Also keeping your statement brief fosters communication flow and understanding. Practice delivering messages without straying from the topic and repeating yourself. 3. Positive non-verbal communication – how we say something can be as important as what we say. Body language and voice tone should be consistent with the content of the message. Practice good posture, friendly tone of voice, maintaining eye contact, and using fewer gestures. Also pay attention to the customer’s non-verbal signals as these signals reveal clues into emotions behind the message and clues into how the the customer is receiving your message. 4 . Calm under pressure – stress can quickly escalate and derail communication. Remain aware of stress, recognizing how it manifests in your body and practice applying stress reduction techniques, such as pausing and taking a few deep breaths. Pausing to collect your thoughts can be achieved by asking the customer to repeat his question or comment.

11. Effective Communication Continued 5. Empathy – the ability to put yourself in another person’s position and experience their feelings and thoughts about the situation is called empathic concern. Empathy is the willingness to see things differently, through the customer’s eyes. Just as important as experiencing empathy is displaying or conveying empathic concern. Letting the customer know you can relate goes a long way towards effective communication and a successful outcome. 6. Respect – people are more willing to communicate and work towards a solution when they feel respected. Using the person’s name, maintaining eye contact, and actively listening are simple ways of showing respect for the customer. 7. Feedback – providing immediate, specific, clear, and constructive feedback to customers improves the chances of successful communication and generation of mutually beneficial solutions.

12. Non-verbal Communication Facial expression : We communicate (intentionally or unintentionally) vast amounts of information through facial expressions. Emotions such as happiness, fear, surprise, anger, sadness, and contempt are universally expressed across cultures and have a strong impact on the message. Gestures : The use of hands in an animated way while talking conveys different messages to different cultures; therefore it is wise to use gestures sparingly and cautiously to avoid misinterpretation by others. Body movements and posture : The manner in which one moves or carries himself communicates information to the observer. Even subtle movements and stances such as folded arms carry meaning. Eye contact : The way in which we look at someone or divert our eyes from them is indicative of our level of interest, affection, respect, hostility, or attraction depending on cultural norms. Maintaining eye contact while speaking and listening fosters communication flow and mutual understanding. Space : Although the amount of physical space considered appropriate varies among cultures, we all need physical space. Relative proximity and position occupied conveys feelings such as warmth, aggression, dominance, and respect. From a customer service perspective, research suggests that approaching a customer from behind creates a feeling of unease in most customers. Voice : Vocal qualities such as tone, pitch, volume, inflection, rhythm, and rate provide powerful clues about underlying feelings and unstated meaning. Tone of voice, for example can signify sarcasm, anger, affection, or confidence.

13. Barriers to Effective Communication Use of jargon – The use of technical terms the listener may not be familiar with impairs the listener’s ability to understand and can create frustration. What are some examples of jargon in the carwash industry? How can you avoid using jargon in your job? Background (external) noise – the nature of the carwash environment lends itself to distractions. From loud equipment in the tunnel to conversations, music, and cars driving in the parking lot/full-service area, noise is pervasive and often unavoidable. Practicing focused, active listening and clear speaking are key to overcoming this barrier. Internal noise – thoughts, self-talk, worry, boredom, emotions, and planning are examples of internal distractions that limit full attention on what the speaker is saying.

14. Barriers to Effective Communication Continued Closed mindedness – preconceived notions about the speaker and/or content of message can impair ability to receive message. Ask yourself if are you trying to PROVE your point or IMPROVE your understanding of the situation. Challenge yourself to become aware of biases you may have about the speaker, situation, and/or outcome of the communication. Cultural norms and language – different cultures express themselves (verbally and non-verbally) in distinct ways that are not always familiar to the listener. Language differences including accents are common sources of misunderstanding. Effective use of questioning and feedback can help mitigate this barrier.

15. Customer Communication Exercise Customer “Umm … hello … .excuse me, Sir.” Employee “Hang on a second, Mam, I will be right with you.” (said without looking at customer, walking quickly towards office) Customer “Sir, what am I supposed to do with my car? I just finished going through the tunnel, here is my receipt.” (said while following employee into the office) Employee “I need to give another customer his keys, then I can help you.” (said rushing out the office, customer keys in hand) Customer (waiting awkwardly in office) “Finally, please tell me what to do now, someone is supposed to clean the inside of my car.” Employee “Let me see your receipt.” (said while reaching for customer’s receipt) “Okay, I’ll get started on your car right away … it’s the blue Honda, right?” Setting the Scene: The conversation takes place at a full service car wash. A new customer approaches a busy employee near the end of his shift. The customer, being new, needs guidance and direction in addition to an interior cleaning service. As you read the interaction, remember the definition of communication and notice what is going right and what could be improved upon to foster a common understanding and good will? Customer: (Approaching employee who is working on a vehicle) “Umm … hello … .excuse me, Sir.” Employee: “Hang on a second, Mam, I will be right with you.” (said without looking at customer, walking quickly towards office) Customer: (Following employee into office) “Sir, what am I supposed to do with my car? I just finished going through the tunnel, here is my receipt.” Employee: (Rushing out of the office, customer keys in hand) “I need to give another customer his keys, then I can help you.”

16. Customer Communication Exercise Customer (wondering where lobby is) “Okay, thanks?” Employee “Your car is ready, Mam. Does everything look okay?” Customer “I thought you were supposed to clean the tires and wheels?” Employee “No Mam … .tires and wheels are not included in the package you bought.” Customer “Well I want the tires and wheels cleaned, how much does that cost?” Employee “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask my manager … .or here is a menu, you will have to buy a package that includes tires and wheels.” Customer (Waiting awkwardly in office) “Finally, please tell me what to do now, I need someone to clean the inside of my car.” Employee “Let me see your receipt.” (said while reaching for customer’s receipt) “Okay, I’ll get started on your car right away … it’s the blue Honda, right?” Customer “Yes, how long will this take? I have to be at work at 6:00.” Employee “Shouldn’t take long.” (said while walking quickly towards customer’s car) Customer “Do I wait here? In the office?” (feeling confused and frustrated) Employee “No, wait in the lobby or outside.” (said while gathering cleaning supplies) Customer Communication Exercise Continued

17. Customer Communication Exercise Customer (Wondering where lobby is) “Okay, thanks?” Employee (30 minutes later) “Your car is ready, Mam. Does everything look okay?” Customer (Irritated) “I thought you were supposed to clean the tires and wheels?” Employee (Defensively) “No Mam … .tires and wheels are not included in the package you bought.” Customer “Well, I want the tires and wheels cleaned, how much does that cost?” Employee (Clocking out, preparing to leave work) “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask my manager … .or here is a menu, you will have to buy a package that includes tires and wheels.” Customer Communication Exercise Continued