WELCOME TO UNIT 6Customer Service MT 221

Marilyn Radu, Instructor

Tonight’s Agenda

Tonight I am going to review the following topics with you:

•Nonverbal communication

•Effective telephone communication

In general, what percentage of a spoken message consists of

nonverbal signals?

1. 25

2. 35

3. 55

4. 10

If you were president of a company, would you use voice

mail to better serve your customers?

• Yes

• No

Are you generally tolerant and do not get too upset if

you are put on hold for more than one minute?

1. Yes

2. No

Unit 6Nonverbal Communication

Objectives

• Understand the elements and interpretations of body language

• Cite examples of business etiquette and manners

• Detail the essential customer service skills needed when communicating over the phone

• Understand the purpose of voicemail and how to leave a customer-friendly message

• Learn how to evaluate the quality and delivery of your voice, especially when speaking on the phone

• Distinguish between outbound and inbound telemarketing

Customer-FriendlyBody Language

• Body language includes tone of voice, eye movement, posture, hand gestures, facial expressions, and more.

• These nonverbal cues are more immediate, instinctive, and uncontrolled than verbal expressions.

A Message Consists of:

• 55% of the message = Nonverbal signals

• 38% of the message = Tone of voice

• 7% of the message = The words we use

Therefore, 93% of every conversation is interpreted through body language.

Major Elements of Body Language• Eye Contact – the eyes communicate more than any

other part of the human anatomy

• Tone of Voice – this is especially important on the phone when visual cues are missing

• Smiling – this shows customers that you enjoy helping them

• Posture – an alert posture tells the customer that you are interesting in helping

• Gestures – using gestures contributes to how your total message is interpreted

Answering the Telephone

• Telephone greetings help form first impressions with customers

• Key elements of a telephone greeting– The department or company name, your name, and

an offer of assistance– Example: “Customer service, this is Melissa. How

may I help you?”

Answering the TelephoneThe Basic Process

• Stay close to the phone

• Be friendly and pleasant

• Do not use technical language or abbreviations

• Always remain courteous, even if the caller is not

• Have paper and pencil handy to take notes

• Bring closure to the call

Transferring Calls

• Strategies to use– State what you can do, not what you cannot do– Avoid using the word “transfer”– Pass along customer information– Stay on the line– Don’t guess who to transfer a call to– Do transfer the customer, if that is his or her

preference

Reminders WhenPlacing Callers on Hold

• Tell the caller why you would like to put him or her on hold, and ask for permission to do so

• Keep callers on hold no longer than 45 seconds

• Thank the customer for holding

• Offer to call the customer back instead of putting him or her on hold

• Check back frequently

Handling Irate Callers

• Surveys show that almost 75% of people who complain will do business with the same company in the future if the problem is resolved quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction.

Voicemail–Outgoing Greeting and Leaving a Message

• Recording an outgoing greeting– State your name

and title and give reasons you cannot answer the phone at this time

– Request key information from the caller

– Remember to return calls promptly

• Leaving a voicemail message– State your name, date/time,

company name and why you are calling

– Say what you would like the recipient to do

– Give reasons for the request– Say, “Thank you.”– Finish with providing your

phone number clearly stated

Voice QualitiesWhile Speaking on the Phone

• General guidelines for using your voice– Use a steady, moderate rate of speech– Never allow your voice to become overly loud or shrill– Keep a smile in your voice– Increase the energy in your voice

Any Questions?

Thank you for attending!

See you next week.