Customer Service Training Should Address Nonverbal Communication

Good verbal and nonverbal communication skills are crucial for any customer service representative who wants to deliver the best customer service possible. This is why any customer service training should address nonverbal communication.

The art of sending and receiving messages through words and with facial expressions, gestures, and other body language is crucial in dealing with customers. This is especially true when dealing with people from other countries or cultures since one’s values and beliefs impact the interpretation of nonverbal cues. Failure to be aware of diverse differences can lead to an unfortunate breakdown in communication.

Because facial expressions are closely tied to human emotion, you should be careful about projecting subconscious biases that you might have toward any group because you might unintentionally send a negative message to a customer before you realize it. For example, if you disapprove of customers who have facial piercings and tattoos you might indicate your displeasure nonverbally. This might be done unconsciously with a smirk or other facial gestures. You might also unintentionally stare when a customer matching that description walks up to you or passes by.

The bottom line is that customer service is all about being in the people business. By better establishing sound relationships and communicating effectively with your customers, you can move from good customer service to the best customer service possible.

To better understand why customer service training should address nonverbal communication, search nonverbal communication on this blog. Want to explore the role of facial expressions and other nonverbal cues that impact relationships in a diverse business world? Check out 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.

Three Positive Non-Verbal Communication Cues for Customer Service Representatives

by Robert W. Lucas

Three Positive Non-verbal Communication Cues

for Customer Service Representatives

Many customer service representatives struggle to gain and maintain strong relationships with their customers. Often, this is due to their inability to effectively communicate face-to-face with others. In many instances, they do not even realize that their nonverbal communication style is sending the wrong message, especially their nonverbal communication cues.

Since numerous nonverbal communication studies have found that the unspoken messages sent with the body, face, and hands often overshadow the words that people use, it is crucial for service providers to master the art of body language.

The following are three positive nonverbal communication areas on which you might focus to improve if you want to enhance communication and relationships with customers:

Direct eye contact (based on culture) – In Westernized cultures, making eye contact as an important means of communicating sincerity, interest, honesty, and other factors is taught early in life to children. When interacting with others, use intermittent (do not stare) direct eye contact in conjunction with periodic smiling and other positive non-verbal cues to show that you are friendly and have the other person’s interest in mind.

One important thing to keep in mind about eye contact is that it often varies in different cultures and sub-groups (e.g. Caucasians, African-Americans, women, and men). Do some research on other cultures and groups to see how eye contact is perceived and adjust your communication style accordingly when dealing with customers with those backgrounds. Monitor your customer’s reaction to your cues and modify as necessary and do not make assumptions. If someone reacts and you are not sure why to ask them to clarify.

Smiles – Often perceived as the universal language, smiling can communicate openness, friendliness, interest, and other aspects relevant to sound relationships. Use smiling when appropriate during conversations (e.g. upon meeting, when the conversation is going in a positive direction, or when the other person smiles) and you may see your bond with others start to form.

Facing the customer – Too often in today’s busy workplace, a customer service representative is busy multi-tasking when a customer approaches. As a result, they might have their head down or be facing in another direction while focusing on something else. To build and maintain good customer-provider relationships, stop what you are doing and give undivided attention to the person in front of you in order to help build brand and customer loyalty.

For additional ideas and strategies for effectively using non-verbal cues, get a copy of Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas is an expert with Non-Verbal Communication Cues

Motivational Customer Service Quote – Robert W. Lucas

by Robert W. Lucas

Motivational Customer Service Quote – Robert W. Lucas

Professional customer service is all about providing high-quality products and services that can meet your customer’s needs, wants and expectations. If you are a customer service representative, it is your responsibility to master as many customer service skills as possible in order to deliver excellent customer service to those with whom you come into contact in the workplace. This can ultimately lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction and customer retention.

About Robert C. Lucas

The Importance of the Eyes in Non-Verbal Communication with Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

The Importance of the Eyes in Non-Verbal Communication with Customers

The manner in which you communicate nonverbally with your customers is crucial in their perception of the quality of service that they received. It is also a major component of relationship-building and whether or not they are satisfied. Various research studies have shown that nonverbal components of the communication process (i.e. posture, gestures, vocal quality, and eye contact) often override the verbal messages that you send.

Eye contact, in particular, is important when interacting with others. An old adage explains why this might be true – “The eyes are the window to the soul.” In effect, people often interpret the emotional meaning behind your spoken words by looking into your eyes. That is why you must be conscious of your eye contact and the messages you are potentially sending with them. For example, if you have tentative eye contact (e.g. looking around and failing to look a customer in the eye without staring) while speaking to a customer, some people may interpret that to mean you are insincere or not committed to your message or that you are untrustworthy. Through your eyes, you can show that you are interested in a person and what they have to say. On the other hand, you can demonstrate that you are dissatisfied, frustrated, or even angry about something they said.

The bottom line is that the eyes can be a powerful tool in bonding with customers and can help send positive messages that might potentially help meet their needs, wants and expectations and lead to positive word-of-mouth advertising for you and your organization. To be more effective at what you do as a customer service representative, spend time honing your non-verbal customer service skills.

For more information on how the eyes and other nonverbal cues can help build stronger customer-provider relationships, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication Skills Quote – Robert W. Lucas

by Robert W. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication Skills Quote – Robert W. Lucas

Excellent customer service skills are crucial if you want to deliver the best possible service to your internal and external customers. By practicing positive interpersonal skills such as verbal and nonverbal communication, eye contact, gesturing, body language, and listening skills, you can effectively send and receive messages to all types of customers.

As customer service author and performance consultant Robert W. Lucas is quoted as saying:

To gain insights into more effectively communicating with customers verbally and nonverbally, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Non-verbal Communication With Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

Non-verbal Communication With Customers

To be successful in the service profession, you must be aware that nonverbal communication is occurring between you and your customer(s). These unspoken messages to others make it impossible for you to not communicate. That is because no matter how you position your body and use your facial expressions or body extremities, you are constantly being evaluated by your customers. Body language, eye contact, and other nonverbal cues aid or detract from communication.

Through awareness of potential nonverbal messages that you might be sending and the fact that people interpret them based on their own backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences, you can increase your effectiveness in customer encounters or anywhere you come into contact with another person. A significant fact to remember is that, according to a classic research study by Dr. Albert Mehrabian on how feelings are transmitted between two people during communication, nonverbal signals can contradict or override verbal messages. This is especially true when emotions are high.

For more insights on nonverbal communication in a customer service environment and how to more effectively harness the power of communicating without speaking, check out copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Customer Service Is Driven By Many Factors

by Robert W. Lucas

Customer Service Is Driven By Many Factors

Any customer service professional who has been on the job a period of time will tell you that dealing with internal and external customers can be a challenge at times.

To succeed in providing excellent customer service requires patience, a desire to help others and sound customer service skills. As the world becomes more global and you encounter people of all types and backgrounds, you will be required to gain new talents and insights, and to continually update your knowledge and skills. Sound customer communications and better understanding of people, in general, can lead to more satisfied and loyal customers in the long run.

Interpersonal Communication – Your Key to Customer Service Success

by Robert W. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication – Your Key to Customer Service Success

To be successful in your interactions with customers whose values, beliefs and experiences differ from your own, you will need to broaden your scope of knowledge related to interpersonal; communication, especially nonverbal signals (cues).

Because nonverbal communication styles and interpretations often differ from person-to-person and from one culture to another, the likelihood of breakdowns in interpretation and misunderstandings of nonverbal cues is high.

To enhance your awareness and skills in this area, attend seminars on nonverbal communication and cultural diversity, explore books, articles, and other information online or at the library, watch other people and talk about differences with others that you know. The more you know, the better your interpersonal communication skills will likely become.

For additional ideas and tips on more effectively honing your interpersonal communication skills, get copies of Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

Nonverbal Communication Quote – Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Robert W. Lucas

Nonverbal Communication Quote – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The importance of effective nonverbal communication when dealing with customers cannot be overemphasized. This is because people send and receive nonverbal cues differently based on many factors in their backgrounds (e.g. culture, education, experiences, ethnicity, and many others).

As Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted as saying:

Interpersonal Communication Skills Tip

by Robert W. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication Skills Tip

Effective interpersonal communication skills are crucial for delivering excellent customer service.

Verbal communication skills are important, but nonverbal communication cues are often more so. Still, while you may potentially gather a lot of information through nonverbal cues received from others, be careful of putting too much emphasis on your interpretation. Why? Because many factors influence the messages being sent by others. For example, nonverbal cues can have different meanings or be interpreted differently based on factors like gender, culture, diversity, education, personal experiences and other factors.

The easiest way to prevent misinterpretation is to always ask someone to clarify their nonverbal cues when you are not sure of their meaning.

For more tips on dealing effectively with customers, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.