communication skills

Use Head Nodding Effectively With Customers to Avoid Misunderstandings

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Use Head Nodding Effectively With Customers to Avoid Misunderstandings

Use Head Nodding Effectively With Customers to Avoid Misunderstandings

Nodding of the head is often used (and overused) by many people to signal agreement or to indicate that they are listening to a speaker during a conversation.

As a customer service representative, you must be careful to occasionally pause to ask a question for clarification when you are using this nonverbal communication technique or when you are watching others who are doing so. Stop and ask for, or provide, feedback through a paraphrased message. A question such as, “So what do you think of what I just said?” will quickly tell you whether the other person is listening and understands your meaning or is simply being polite by smiling and nodding—but not understanding. The latter sometimes happens when there are gender or cultural differences or when someone speaks a native language other than yours.

If you are a woman, be careful not to overuse the nodding technique. Some research has shown that many North American women often nod and smile more than men during a conversation. Doing so excessively might damage your credibility or effectiveness, especially when you are speaking to a man. The interpretation may be that you agree or that you have no opinion, whether you do or not.

Although nodding your head generally signals agreement, if you nod without a verbal acknowledgment or paralanguage (a vocal effect such as “uh-huh, I see, hmmm”), a missed or misinterpreted cue could result. For example, suppose that you want to signal to a customer that you are listening to and understand her request. You may nod slowly, vocalize an occasional “I see” or “Uh-huh,” and smile as she speaks. She might interpret this to mean that you are following her meaning and are nonverbally signaling acceptance of it. This can present challenges if she is stating something contrary to your organization’s policy or that is outside your level of authority. In such an instance, she might misinterpret your non-verbal signals by thinking that you agree with her, not that you are merely signaling to understand. Later, she might be upset, saying something like, “Well, earlier you nodded agreement when I said I wanted a replacement.”

To learn more about effective non-verbal communication when interacting with customers or potential customers in order to deliver excellent customer service, get copies of Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

The Power of Non-Verbal Communication Skills in Customer Service

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The Power of Non Verbal Communication Skills in Customer Service

The Power of Non-Verbal Communication Skills in Customer Service

Like other customer service skills, nonverbal communication is a strong component of interactions between a customer service representative and current or potential customers. For example, nodding of the head is often used (and overused) by many customer service professionals people to signal agreement or to indicate that they are listening to a customer during a conversation.

An important thing to be careful about when you are dealing with your customers is that when you use nonverbal cues, and when you are watching others who are doing so, you should occasionally pause to ask a question for clarification. For example, stop and ask for, or provide, feedback through a paraphrased message. A question such as, “So what do you think of what I just said?” will quickly tell you whether the other person is listening and accurately understanding your meaning. Their answer will also make it clear if the other person is simply politely smiling and nodding—but not understanding. The latter sometimes happens when there are cultural differences or when someone speaks a native language other than yours.

If you are a woman, one other point related to nonverbal communication cues is to be careful not to overuse the nodding technique. Some research has shown that many North American women often nod and smile more than men during a conversation. Doing so excessively might damage your credibility or effectiveness, especially when you are speaking to a man. The interpretation may be that you agree or that you have no opinion, whether you do or not.

For more information customer service tips on the effective use of non-verbal communication skills between customer service representatives and their customers, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

The Impact of Gender Roles on Customer Service

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The Impact of Gender Roles on Customer Service

The Impact of Gender Roles on Customer Service

Culturally and individually, people view the role of men and women differently. Although gender roles are continually evolving throughout the world, decision-making and authority are often clearly established as male prerogatives within many cultures, subcultures, or families. For example, in some Middle Eastern, Asian, South American, and European cultures, women have often not gained the respect or credibility in the business environment that they have achieved in many other parts of the world.

In some countries, it is not unusual for women to be expected to take a “seen and not heard” role or to remain out of business transactions. In Korea and other Pacific Rim countries, it is not typical for women to participate in many business operations. Men often still have higher social status than females. You do not have to agree with these practices, but you will need to take them into consideration when facing them as a customer service representative.

When serving customers from different countries, you would do well to remember that people leave a country, but they take their cultural norms and values with them. Failure to consider alternative ways of dealing with people in certain instances might cause you to react negatively to a situation and nonverbally communicate your bias unconsciously.

One example of what could potentially occur if you are a female customer service representative dealing with a male whose cultural background, like one of those just described, is that he may reject your assistance and ask for a male customer service provider. Another example could occur if you are a male customer service representative working with a male and female from such a culture. Do not be surprised if your conversation involves only the male. Attempts to draw the woman into a service transaction or make direct eye contact and smile with her may embarrass, offend, or even anger some male customers and/or their family members who are present.

Generally, people who have lived or worked in westernized cultures for longer periods may have acculturated and may not take offense to more direct behaviors that are meant to convey friendliness and to engage customers (e.g., smiling, engaging in small talk about families, or compliments on the dress). Even so, remain conscious of potential reactions and stay focused on verbal and nonverbal communication cues to help ensure that you do not negatively cross-cultural boundaries when interacting with customers of the opposite sex.

For additional customer service tips for interacting successfully with people and cultures that are different, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success 6th edition and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service across Cultures.

Customer Service Skills for Success 6th by Robert W. Lucas Now Available

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Customer Service Skills for Success 6th by Robert W. Lucas Now Available
Customer Service Skills for Success 6th by Robert W. Lucas Now Available

Customer Service Skills for Success 6th by Robert W. Lucas Now Available

The top-selling customer service textbook in the United States, Customer Service Skills for Success by Robert W. Lucas, is now in print from McGraw-Hill. This 6th edition includes a four-color layout with more images to enhance the content and a completely changed graphic appearance.

In the book, readers will find real-world customer service issues and provides a variety of updated resources, activities, and examples for customer service representatives at different levels in an organization. It also includes tips from the author and other active professionals in the industry designed to gain and hold readers’ interest while providing additional insights into the concepts and skills related to customer service that is found throughout the book.

The text begins with a macro view of what customer service involves today and provides projections for the future of the customer service profession, then focuses on specific customer service skills and related topics.

Here’s what readers will find inside the book:

Part One – The Profession

  • The Customer Service Profession
  • Contributing to the Service Culture

Part Two – Skills for Success

  • Verbal Communication Skills
  • Nonverbal Communication Skills
  • Listening Skills

Part Three – Building and Maintaining Relationships

  • Customer Service and Behavior
  • Service Breakdowns and Service Recovery
  • Customer Service in a Diverse World
  • Customer Service via Technology’
  • Encouraging Customer Loyalty

This book answers everything from “What is Customer Service?” to “How do I handle a variety of diverse customers in various customer service situations?”.

To gain thousands of ideas, strategies and customer service tips for interacting successfully with internal and external customers in any type of customer service environment and deliver excellent customer service, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success 6th edition.

Customer Service Quote – Marshall Field

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Customer Service Quote - Marshall Field

Customer Service Quote – Marshall Field

Whether you like it or not, if you are in the customer service profession, you are in the people business. That requires continually looking for ways for building customer relationships and strategies for customer retention.  To succeed, you must have a sound understanding of people from all walks of life and master the skills of verbal and non-verbal communication.

Who was Marshall Field?

Though most famous today for his retail business, during his lifetime his wholesale business made far more money. During the 1880s, Field’s wholesale business generated 5 times more revenue than retail annually. The wholesale business even had its own landmark building, the Marshall Field’s Wholesale Store, erected in 1887.

In 1905, Field’s fortune was valued at $125 million. The Field Museum of Natural History was named after him in 1894 after he gave it an endowment of one million dollars. Mr. Field was initially reluctant to do so, reportedly saying “I don’t know anything about a museum and I don’t care to know anything about a museum. I’m not going to give you a million dollars.” However, he later relented after railroad supplies magnate Edward E. Ayer, another early benefactor (and later first president) of the museum, convinced Field that his everlasting legacy would be achieved by financing the project. The year after his death the Field Museum received a further $8,000,000 in accordance with his will. The University of Chicago was founded by both Field and New York’s John D. Rockefeller, to rival nearby Evanston’s Northwestern University. A bust of Marshall Field stands aside from other early 20th century Chicago industry magnates on the north riverbank on the Chicago River facing the Merchandise Mart.

Famous Marshall Field Quotes

  • Goodwill is the only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy.
  • A man with a surplus can control circumstances, but a man without a surplus is controlled by them, and often has no opportunity to exercise judgment.
  • Right or wrong, the customer is always right.
  • Give the lady what she wants!

If you are looking for ways to enhance your interpersonal communication and customer service skills and to create an environment where customers enjoy their contacts with you and your organization, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

What is Great Customer Service?

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What is Great Customer Service?

What is Great Customer Service?

What is great customer service? This is a question often asked in my customer service workshops and by people trying to determine how to get the best value for their money when searching out businesses where they might spend it. Unfortunately, this is a very subjective question based on the person asking. Since each individual has differing needs, wants and expectations based on their experiences and perceptions; what is excellent customer service to one person might only be considered good customer service to another.

In my opinion, in order for organizations to provide great customer service consistently, they must provide ongoing customer service training to their staff. In addition, customer service representatives must demonstrate at least the following qualities to earn trust, business, and customer or brand loyalty.

  • Excellent customer service skills;
  • Positive verbal and non-verbal communication skills;
  • Positive employee attitude;
  • Appreciation for customers;
  • Friendliness and a true interest in people;
  • Honesty;
  • Trustworthiness;
  • Demonstrate Integrity;
  • Have sound business acumen;
  • Possess solid product and service knowledge.

If you are looking for ideas and strategies on creating a positive customer-centric service environment in which customers feel appreciated, get copies of my books Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

About Robert C. Lucas and why he can answer the question – what is great customer service?

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Sound Customer Relations Strategies at TBS Travel Keeps Cruisers Coming Back

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Sound Customer Relations Strategies at TBS Travel Keeps Cruisers Coming Back

Sound Customer Relations Strategies at

TBS Travel Keeps Cruisers Coming Back

I thought I’d take time to share a real jewel in the travel industry if you love to travel as much as my wife and I do. We are enthusiastic cruisers and world travelers. There are so many beautiful and unique things to see and be awed by that we leap at any opportunity to visit our own country and distant lands. Unfortunately, we have yet to win a lottery and neither have rich relatives who might someday leave use the wealth necessary to keep us in a lifestyle to which we’d love to get accustomed!

To compensate for the conundrum of inadequate funds to cruise at the drop of a hat, we did quite a bit of research to find qualified and competent travel agents. The group that we use whenever we cruise are the travel agents at TBS Travel (http://ourcruiseagent.com/). The husband and wife owners (Steve and Barbara Tanzer) of the agency possess credentials from several cruise companies and from international certifying agencies for cruise agents. In addition to being knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the complicated cruise industry, they also very customer-centric and have the customer service skills to deal with any type of customer situation that they encounter.

Some of the attributes that we looked for in cruise agents were friendliness, solid communication skills, honesty, integrity, business acumen, positive employee attitude, industry and world knowledge (they cruise regularly and have been on over 60 cruises themselves on various cruise line ships), and a sincere desire to do whatever it takes to help their clients. They possess these qualities and more. With their extensive personal travel experience, they have proven to be a tremendous asset in recommending the pros and cons of different lines, ships, itineraries and shore excursions, destinations, and associated travel needs, such as hotels, airlines, and trains.

By taking an interest in their customers and providing customer support before, during and after a cruise, Steve and Barbara have proven to be a benchmark for other agencies to copy by providing exceptional customer service. If you’d like to see some additional qualities that we used to identify a worthy organization with which we do business, get a copy of my Customer Service Skills for Success book.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Building Customer Relationships

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Building Customer Relationships to Increase Customer Retention

Building Customer Relationships to Increase Customer Retention

The only way for customer service representatives and their organizations to excel is by first building strong customer service relationships.

By exhibiting stellar product and service knowledge and employing effective customer service skills, listening and communicating verbally and non verbally they are able to properly determine customer needs, wants and expectations. Once they determine these things, they are on their way to providing customer satisfaction and helping build customer and brand loyalty.

If this makes sense to you and you would like to learn specific strategies for enhancing interpersonal relationship skills and other strategies for obtaining and retaining customers, get copies of my books, Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Effective Verbal Communication Can Lead To Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention

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Effective Verbal Communication Can Lead To Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention

You may have heard that the expression is sometimes not what you, but how you say it that makes a difference. Nothing is truer when you are dealing with a multi-cultural, diverse customer base.

Effective Verbal Communication Can Lead To Customer Satisfaction and Customer RetentionIn many situations, when customer service breaks down it can often be attributed to what a customer service representative does or does not effectively say verbally or non verbally. In some cases, the lapse may be due to an unconscious message (e.g. non-verbal gesture, body movement, signal, or eye contact) that was interpreted differently than intended. In other instances, it might be an incorrect tone, word or inflection added to a message that was received incorrectly by the customer.

Whatever the reason(s) for such failures in communication, it is crucial that anyone dealing with internal and external customers is prepared for potential interactions that might go wrong. The easiest means of doing so is to enhance customer service and communication skills and to become educated related to approaches to verbal and communication practices in various cultures.

If this topic is of interest to you and you want to get ideas and strategies related to communicating effectively with diverse customers, get copies of my books Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Nonverbal Communication in Customer Service

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Non Verbal Communication Quote - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nonverbal Communication in Customer Service

The power of the eyes in communication has been known for centuries. This is demonstrated by a simple nonverbal communication quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 19th century. Projecting what he was saying to today’s workplace… nonverbal communication in customer service can take precedent over spoken words during an interaction. This is an important lesson if you are a customer service representative. When you consciously send nonverbal cues when communicating with your customers,  you have the power to strengthen customer and brand loyalty.

A well-used adage about the eyes being the windows of the soul effectively describes the power of eye contact when dealing with others in the workplace. You must be aware of the messages sent with your eyes and other nonverbal forms of communication when dealing with customers. Otherwise, you might inadvertently send messages that can damage the customer-provider relationship. This is especially true when communicating with someone from a culture other than your own. That is because each culture assigns a variety of meanings to different nonverbal communication cues (e.g. eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, and body posture).

Want to know more about sending and receiving messages effectively with your eyes and other forms of nonverbal communication in customer service, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures. Also, search for nonverbal communication posts in this blog.

About Robert C. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

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