Strengthening Customer Relationships With Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Skills

Strengthening Customer Relationships

Strong Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Skills Can Make the Difference!

We live in an era in which people from all over the world come together in various situations throughout any given day. They bring with them individual experiences, education levels, cultural and personal backgrounds, preferences, opinions, and perspectives. Any or all of these elements can impact the way they approach and receive others or the manner in which they communicate.

An old adage goes: It is not what you say, but how you say it that counts. Nothing can be truer than when you are dealing with customers from diverse backgrounds. For this reason, customer service representatives should always take their time to “read” their customers and think of their response (verbally and non verbally) before jumping into any situation where verbal and non-verbal messages communication might be misinterpreted.

Likely, the last thing that a customer service representative, or another employee from an organization, wants to do is falter in their efforts of building customer relationships.

To help reduce the potential of a customer-provider relationship breakdown; service providers should focus on building and practicing their positive communication skills (e.g. smiling, paying compliments, using open body movements and gestures and finding things to agree with when interacting with their customers).

For ideas on how to more effectively communicate verbally and non verbally in order to improve customer loyalty and enhance customer retention, get copies of my books: Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures, Customer Service Skills for Success, and How to Be a Great Call Center Representative.

About Robert W. Lucas

Robert ‘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.

Customer Service Quote – Robert Lucas

by Robert W. Lucas

Customer Service Quote – Robert Lucas

“Effective customer service is often the deciding factor in a globally competitive world” Robert W. Lucas, Author of Please Every Customer.

National Customer Service Week was established by the International Customer Service Association (ICSA) in 1988 as a way for businesses and organizations to recognize the efforts of their customer service professionals. In 1991 President George H. Bush declared National Customer Service Week. In 2013, the theme was “United through Service”.

The idea behind the week is for organizations to celebrate service by doing things to boost employee morale and motivation through recognition and rewards for their efforts in satisfying customer needs, wants and expectations. By raising customer awareness across the organization and also reminding customers how vital they are to the individual employee and organizational success, companies can potentially enhance employee morale and increase customer and brand loyalty.

For useful resources and information on how to create a positive customer-centric environment in your organization, check out the ICSA and Alexander Communications Group websites.

For additional proven ideas and strategies on how to enhance the quality of service that you build with customers and to help aid customer and brand loyalty while increasing retention, get a copy of Care Packages for Your Customers by Barbara Glanz.

About Robert W. 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.

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

The key to successfully making money as an author and/or self-publisher is to brand yourself and your company and to make yourself and your book(s) a household name. Part of this is face-to-face interaction with people at trade shows, library events, book readings, book store signings, blogging or guest blogging on a topic related to their book(s). Another strategy involves writing articles and other materials that show up online and are found when people search for a given topic related to a topic about which the author has written.

If you need help building an author platform, branding yourself and your book(s) or generating recognition for what you do, Make Money Writing Books will help. Bob’s popular book addresses a multitude of ideas and strategies that you can use to help sell more books and create residual and passive income streams. The tips outlined in the book are focused to help authors but apply to virtually any professional trying to increase personal and product recognition and visibility.

Strengthening Communication with Customers – Tip#2

by Robert W. Lucas

Strengthening Communication with Customers – Tip#2

Be Consistent

Customers who feel that they have an active role in and control of a service-provider interaction often feel more important and valued. Improved interpersonal communication can lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction and retention and reduced stress for you and your co-workers.

Take advantage of the following strategy to build stronger relationships with your internal and external customers by being consistent.

People tend to like what is familiar. If customers come to know that they can depend on you and your organization to regularly provide timely, factual information, they will likely be more loyal. Provide information and updates to customers on a regular basis, not just when it is convenient for you. This is especially true when you are working on a problem or service breakdown. Remember that they do not know what you know. For example, if you are gathering information or need more time than expected, come back to the customer with periodic updates to give him or her a status check. Do not wait until the time or date that you were expected to resolve the issue to contact the customer; Otherwise, they are likely to be very upset.

For specific strategies on more effective communication with your customers, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Strengthening Communication with Customers – Tip#1

by Robert W. Lucas

Strengthening Communication with Customers – Tip#1

Gather Information

Take advantage of the following strategy to build stronger relationships with your internal and external customers by gathering information.

Ask for customer input whenever possible. By knowing more about their needs, wants and expectations, you will be better able to provide services and products that satisfy them. Use communication strategies in publications, books and on the Internet to gather valuable information from people who you encounter on a daily basis.

About Robert W. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Do You Feel That Fast Food Chain’s Prices Are Reasonable?

by Robert W. Lucas

Do You Feel That Fast Food Chain’s Prices Are Reasonable?

Have you ever suspected that what you pay is not what is always advertised on the menus at McDonald’s and Burger King restaurants? In recent weeks, I have visited several McDonald’s and Burger King fast-food restaurants. Generally, I have not had a problem, but on two occasions (one at each company’s locations), I have received an item on which the cost was more than what was listed on the menu.

In the case of McDonald’s I explained to the cashier that I wanted a hamburger the size of the Quarter Pounder, but I did not want all the normal items (e.g. American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onion) on it. Instead, I specified “lettuce, tomato, and mayo only.” I asked if there was anything like that on the menu and she said they could just switch items on the Quarter Pounder. Obviously, they saved money because the sandwich no longer had all the add-on and instead substituted the three items I requested. When I went to pay for the meals, I found out that there was actually a .50 upcharge because I added tomato. I did not see this charge indicated on their menu, nor did the cashier mention it before ringing the item upon the register. Interestingly, they do not give credit for the items they do not supply on sandwiches in such instances.

To McDonald’s credit, when I went online to complain through their website, the district manager did call me back later to discuss the issue. He was very apologetic and said they would address my concerns since customer satisfaction is a major goal for the franchise. He even mailed me a coupon for a free meal.

On a second occasion, when I visited the drive-through to get a Whopper less than a week later, I ordered a sandwich with mayo and tomato only. The cashier asked “do you want cheese?” and without thinking, I said yes, since it was for my mother who likes American cheese. Again there is no notation on their menu that there is an additional charge and the cashier did not mention it. When I got the receipt and realized that there was a .50 cent upcharge, I asked why they had not indicated so on the menu. The cashier’s response was, “I guess they should add that.” Since I had gone through the drive-through and did not feel like wasting time to complain, I have no idea how it would be handled. I can tell you that several years ago, I had another issue with the same location and did complain but nothing seemed to change. I guess I should have learned my lesson then.

Maybe it is just me, but in a competitive business world where the fast-food companies vie daily for customer loyalty, brand loyalty, and customer retention, it seems that these little add-ons might be just the thing to make customers think about going to a competitor that does not upcharge for everything (e.g. Chic-Fil-A or Checkers). I know that when I consider either McDonald’s or Burger King as a possible source, I pause. Also, if I owned a fast-food restaurant, I know I’d certainly list all costs on the menu and provide customer service training to my employees in order to ensure that add-on costs are pointed out during the order process.

Have you had similar experiences? Let’s hear them.

Building Customer Relationships Is an Integral Part of Selling

by Robert W. Lucas

Building Customer Relationships Is an Integral Part of Selling

Building customer relationships is an integral part of selling. If you are a customer service representative who deals with selling products or services, there is a difference between simply providing the information requested by a customer and building a lasting customer relationship in order to help make a sale. This is because you need to gather information to determine actual customer needs or why they are talking to you in the first place before you can effectively offer a specific product or service.

It is not unusual for a customer to ask for price early in a conversation. Several factors account for their actions. Many times it is because they have a history of a customer service representative who has taken advantage of them or not provided a competitive price. In other instances, they may have heard the phrase “buyer beware” and are acting cautiously to feel that they are in control of the interaction. Whatever their reason, you must respect that they are the customer and that you treat them with respect. You must act professionally in order to build trust and identify what best suits their needs. At the same time, you should not withhold the requested information from them.

The sales process is a lot like walking a tightrope. Too much deviation in one direction or another could mean your customer walks with the memory of a rude, controlling or uncooperative sales representative. On the other hand, taking the time to move forward slowly and carefully, can end in having the customer feel as if she or he guided the transaction and succeeded in getting a deal with which they are pleased.

The key to effectively interacting with customers during a sale is to ask appropriate open and closed-ended questions that guide the customer to explain what they need, want and expect. Without such information, you cannot properly negotiate with them to provide a price that is fair for them and your organization.

In situations where a customer asks for pricing upfront, he or she may simply be comparative shopping or trying to control the negotiation in order to get a lower price. Without first asking questions to determine your customer needs, you cannot appropriately respond to their request. This does not mean that you immediately say “no.” It means that you counter professionally with something like, “I’d be happy to share pricing information if you can just answer a question for me. How important are complete satisfaction and guaranteed satisfaction to you?” Once they respond to this, you can provide information about the product/service that you are offering and reinforce your organization’s commitment to customer satisfaction. before moving into price negotiation.

Simply giving pricing to a customer might cause them to say thank you and leave instead of allowing you to share the benefits of the product or service to the customer. Your goal should be to explain how the product or service features you are offering can help meet their needs and wants. You should also provide details about the quality, customer satisfaction, post-sales service, return policies, and other pertinent information that make you the preferred vendor or supplier for customers.

For additional techniques and strategies on how to build strong customer relationships, identifying customer needs, wants and expectations and delivering the best possible customer service, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Building Customer Relationships Leads to Customer Satisfaction

by Robert W. Lucas

Building Customer Relationships Leads to Customer Satisfaction

When was the last time that you had a positive, memorable customer service experience at a bank, store, laundry or other organization? In an age when technology-based service dominates many aspects of business, many organizations have lost the ability to make customers feel special and appreciated. Smart managers and their organizations can separate themselves from the pack by focusing on old-time customer service. When all employees are trained in the skills necessary for creating and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships with customers, companies can take a lead from their competition. That is because building customer relationships leads to customer satisfaction.

To be successful in creating a stellar customer service environment, organizations must prove that they are customer-centric. Customer service must become a strategic initiative driven from the top and practiced by all. Employees at all levels must be trained and held accountable for making customers feel valued. Service in such organizations is a standard, not an exception provided by a few.

The following are strategies that each employee can use for building customer relationships.

Communicate effectively. With so much communication occurring during any given day via technology, many people are forgetting how to effectively communicate with one another face-to-face or over the telephone. Sound verbal and nonverbal communication, coupled with active listening skills, are the keys to any successful interpersonal relationship. This is especially true in a customer service environment where building customer relationships often determines whether someone makes a purchase and shares their positive experience with others or goes away dissatisfied and spreads that message. Through corporate training sessions, online courses and videos, professional development events, articles and books, there is a plethora of information on how to better communicate with others. Each employee should take responsibility for enhancing and honing the communication skills necessary for building customer relationships.

Emphasize the value. It does not matter whether you are selling products, services or both. When you come into contact with a customer or potential customer, you must share reasons why what you offer is the best possible alternative. Your goal is to show that you can meet the needs, wants and expectations of your customers. A rule of successful sales is to sell the benefits, not the features of you offerings. Show the customer why they should choose what you offer over that of a competitor. This can be challenging in a world where your competition is only a mouse click away. Often, your competitors might offer discounts or sell at a lower rate. The differentiator can be that the service and effort you put forth in building customer relationships exceed that of your competition. Think of a time when you paid a bit more for something because you liked the way an employee made you feel during an interaction. Now take that feeling and put it into action for your customers. Go a little further to listen, respond in a friendly manner and make the customer feel valued.

Maintain a flexible stance. Before you ever encounter a customer, make sure that you discuss with your supervisor the level of decision making that you have when it comes to satisfying a customer. Often, organizations that empower front line employees to take extra steps to satisfy a customer are the ones that succeed in building customer relationships. They have lower customer churn rates and higher levels of brand and customer satisfaction.

Capitalize on complaints. Many people fear feedback and often do not ask for it. This is likely based on relationships they have maintained in the past and how they were made to feel. In a service environment, you should always ask for and graciously accept all customer feedback. Look at it as a way to improve yourself, your organization and the way that you deliver service in the future. You can gather feedback at the end of customer interactions, if other customers will not be kept waiting. Take the time to ask if there was anything else that you might have done to make the customer’s experience more positive. Thank them for any feedback that they provide. After they have gone, think of whether there is a way to implement their suggestions. Share these ideas with your supervisor and peers so that all employees benefit.

Building customer relationships is not difficult. It just takes practice and a determination to put forth the effort required to exceed your customers expectations. To get additional ideas on ways to enhance customer experiences in the future, search this blog for other articles on topics on which you have an interest or area in which you need to grow. Also, check out Customer Service Skills for Success, Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and the AMA training course – How to Be Great Call Center Representative.

What suggestions can you offer other readers related to how to build stronger customer relationships? Share them in the comments section.

Building Customer Satisfaction

by Robert W. Lucas

Building Customer Satisfaction

There are many elements in a service environment that contribute to a customer-centric atmosphere. One of the key components for building customer satisfaction is sound interpersonal communication. Effective verbal, nonverbal and written communication with customers is simple and inexpensive ways to ultimately gain customer loyalty.

Simply put, you must be able to articulate or clearly explain (verbally and in writing) information in a manner that customers can comprehend and act upon. Otherwise, they will not believe in you or your organization. To that end, you must provide more than facts and figures; you must send a message of sincerity, knowledge, and honesty during each encounter. Never forget that customer-provider relationships are based on personal interactions, not on policy and procedures.

As you communicate with your customers, project your feelings and emotions by being positive and enthusiastic. Let customers know that you are human and approachable. Also, communicate frequently and keep your customers informed. This is especially important when a problem has occurred or they are awaiting a product or service that has been delayed. In such instances, you must update them regularly. Failure to do that can lead to frustration and a belief that you are lying or trying to hide something from them. The result of such perceptions could be that they might cancel their order, complain, or take their business elsewhere. They are also likely to tell others about their disappointing experience in person or via social media.

Building customer satisfaction is not that difficult. It is to your advantage to continually upgrade your knowledge and skills in order to build or hone your communication skills. By doing so, you can better ensure that the message you intend always reaches your customers. Check with your organization’s training department for classes or resources they might offer. If those resources are not available, do an Internet search for podcasts, webinars, book articles, blogs and other free sources of information or training. For example, YouTube has an assortment of video segments on various customer service skills and communication topics. There are also several books on customer service available at http://www.robertwlucas.com/books-by-robert-w-lucas/.

Perceptions of Time Can Impact Customer Relationships

by Robert W. Lucas

Perceptions of Time Can Impact Customer Relationships

Perceptions of time can impact customer relationships. An understanding of the concept and value of time differences between individuals is crucial for any employee since they are likely to interact with people from other cultures periodically.

By recognizing that customers from diverse backgrounds may not view punctuality or tardiness from the same perspective as you, the potential for a more positive relationship between you and them is possible. For example, if you are looking forward to a vacation or other special event time may often seem to drag on. On the other hand, if you are in a hurry or are late for a customer meeting, time might seem to fly. These feelings may not be true for someone else. In the latter situation, you may feel greater pressure or feel stressed while someone from a culture where time is viewed as less important (e.g. Hispanic or Middle Eastern) may not have the same reaction.

Often the situation or the people involved in a given interpersonal scenario will dictate how someone perceives time. For example, many college students in the United States go by an unwritten standard that if their professor is late, they should wait a given period of time before leaving or assuming that a class is canceled. If the teacher has full professorial (tenured) status, they might wait fifteen minutes before leaving. If the instructor is an adjunct or associate professor (non-tenured), they might only wait ten minutes. In the workplace, you are wise to wait for at least fifteen to thirty minutes or so and then verify the cancellation of a meeting if you are scheduled to meet with a customer or a member of senior management.

The manner in which someone uses or addresses time often differs for various reasons. For example, some individuals grew up in a household or cultural environment where one or both of their parents or other caregivers had a lackadaisical attitude toward time and were often late. If this was the case in your home environment, the chances are that you may not be as punctual as someone who learned early on that being on time for meeting commitments was an important personal value. Depending on the situation and other people involved, this may or may not be an issue. In some cultures being late by as much as an hour is acceptable. The higher a person’s status, the longer you might have to wait for them. In the United States and other monochronic societies, five to ten minutes is an acceptable wait time if someone is late, unless they are high ranking in an organization, government or military. The logic in such cases is that because of the demands on their time and the level of decisions in which they are typically involved, senior-level people are more likely to be detained or called into unscheduled meetings or telephone calls which might cause tardiness.

The concept and value of time differ between individuals. By understanding that customers from diverse backgrounds may not view punctuality or tardiness from the same perspective as you, the potential for a more positive relationship between you and them exists. For example, if you are looking forward to a vacation or other special event time may often seem to drag on. On the other hand, if you are in a hurry or are late for a customer meeting, time might seem to fly. In the latter situation, you are likely to feel greater pressure or feel stressed. Even so, someone from a culture where time is viewed as less important (e.g. Hispanic or Middle Eastern) may not have the same reaction.

The bottom line in customer service is that you should always conduct yourself in a professional manner. This includes punctuality, following through on commitments and working to show your customers that you value and respect them. Effective time management should be part of your persona. Educate yourself on the traditions and values of customers from around the world and act accordingly when dealing with people from different cultures. This can lead to enhanced customer retention and satisfaction.

The information in this article is derived from Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures. For additional information on interacting with customers from various backgrounds and hundreds of ideas on ways to enhance your customer service relationships, get a copy of the book.

Typical Customer Contact Center Representative Competencies

by Robert W. Lucas

Typical Customer Contact Center Representative Competencies

To perform well in a call center/customer care center, employees must possess some very special competencies or capacities/abilities to perform required job tasks. Because of the specific requirements of the job, organizations must look for candidates possessing many of these typical customer contact representative competencies as possible. It is essential that call center/customer care center personnel have strong interpersonal communication skills, be organized, able to problem solve, and have a strong sense of the importance of their function as the “face” of the organization.

The following are some common competencies that employers look for in applicants desiring to work in a call center/customer care center. These are listed in alphabetical order and vary in importance depending on the organizational mission.

Business acumen. An understanding of the relationship between their jobs and how they impact the business and customers.

Contact management. Ability to control customer interaction once they contact the representative through a variety of assigned technology.

Change management. Ability to adapt to and handle changing situations and customer and business environments.

Conflict resolution. Ability to use effective interpersonal skills to resolve difficult customer-provider interactions.

Cross-selling. In environments where selling of products and services is a business focus, the ability to recognize potential customer needs and opportunities to sell or up-sell to customers.

Decision making. Ability to gather and analyze information, then apply appropriate interventions to resolve and issue or come to a decision.

Interpersonal communication. Ability to actively listen, question appropriately, provide feedback, and use customer communication skills to build and strengthen customer relationships.

Managing diversity. Cultural diversity knowledge and the ability to interact with a variety of people from various backgrounds in the workplace.

Managing stress. Ability to maintain a calm demeanor and mental state when situations and emotions escalate to higher levels when interacting with a customer.

For additional call center/customer care center competencies, ideas, techniques and strategies for enhancing customer relationships, and information on ways to build solid interpersonal communication skills, check out How to Be a Great Call Center Representative. In this self-study course book, you will find hundreds of powerful ideas for improving knowledge and skills that can aid in meeting customer needs, wants and expectations and lead to greater customer satisfaction and retention. You also receive a certificate from the renowned American Management Association.