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Chapter 3
Verbal Communication Skills
Table of Contents
Teaching Tools …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Instructor Teaching Tools ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Student Learning Tools ………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Brief Chapter Outline …………………………..…………………………………………………………….. 3
Chapter Outline and Lecture notes………………………………………………………………………. 5
Class Activities and Sample Assignments …………………………………………………………… 16
Discussion Opportunities ………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
In the Real World Notes ……………………………………………………….………………………….. 20
Retail—Papa John’s Pizza …………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Work It Out Notes ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Work It Out 3.1—Communication Reality Check ………………………………………………. 22
Work It Out 3.2—My Pet Peeves ……………………………………………………………………. 22
Work It Out 3.3—Analyzing Your Verbal Communication Skills …………………………... 22
Work It Out 3.4—Feeling Special ……………………………………………………………………. 22
Work It Out 3.5—Perceptions Are Reality ………………………………………………………… 22
Work It Out 3.6—Standing Up Assertively ……………………………………………………….. 23
Work It Out 3.7—Improving Feedback Skills …………………………………………………….. 23
End-of-Chapter Material Notes ………………………………………………………………………….. 24
Key Terms …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24
Review Questions …………………………..……………………………………………………………. 24
Collaborative Learning Activity ……………………………………………………………………….. 26
Face to Face—Seeking Information from a Client …………………………………………….. 26
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Teaching Tools
This book has several tools for both students and instructors to assist in the learning
and development on the topic of customer service. Those tools are listed below:
Instructor Teaching Tools
▪ Instructor’s Manual
▪ PowerPoint Presentations
▪ Asset Map
▪ Test Bank
▪ Customer Service Videos
▪ Sample Syllabi
Student Learning Tools
▪ Customer Service Interactions
▪ Customer Service Videos
▪ Chapter Objectives
▪ Flashcards
▪ Online Quizzes
▪ Practice Tests
▪ Glossary
▪ Spanish Glossary
▪ Worksheets
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Brief Chapter Outline
Learning Outcomes
➢ 3-1: Explain the importance of effective communication in customer service.
➢ 3-2: Recognize the elements of effective two-way interpersonal communication.
➢ 3-3: Project a professional customer service image through positive communication.
➢ 3-4: Provide feedback effectively.
➢ 3-5: Avoid language that could send a negative message and harm the customer–
relationship.
➢ 3-6: Use assertive communication techniques to enhance service.
➢ 3-7: Identify key differences between assertive and aggressive behavior.
I. The Importance of Effective Communication
II. Ensuring Two-Way Communication
A. Interpersonal communication model
Environment
Sender
Receiver
Message
Channel
Encoding
Decoding
Feedback
Filters
Noise
III. Communicating Positively
A. Prepare for Positive Customer Interactions
Identify Pet Peeves
B. Let Your Customers Know They Are Important
Make Customers Feel Welcomed
Focus on the Customer as a Person
C. Address Your Customer’s Expectations Positively
Use Customer-Centric Language
Use “Small Talk”
Use Positive “I” or “We” Messages
Ask Positively Phrased Questions
Be Specific
Listen Carefully and Respond Appropriately
D. Nurture a Continuing Relationship
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Ask Permission
Agree with Customers
Elicit Customer Feedback and Participation
Close the Transaction Professionally
IV. Providing Feedback Effectively
A. Verbal feedback
B. Nonverbal feedback
Manage Body Language
Use Eye Contact Effectively
Use Positive Facial Expressions
V. Avoiding Negative Communication
VI. Dealing Assertively with Customers
VII. Assertive Versus Aggressive Service
A. Responding to Conflict
B. Causes of Conflict
C. Salvaging Relationships after Conflict
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Chapter Outline and Lecture Notes
I. The Importance of Effective Communication
• Two key elements in making one’s interactions with customers successful are to:
o Recognize how one tends to communicate
o Understand how the communication process works
• The process of communication involves active participation by both the business
and its customers.
II. Ensuring Two-Way Communication
• Two-way communication is an active process in which two individuals apply all
the elements of communication (e.g., listening, feedback, etc.) in order to
effectively exchange information and ideas.
• Being aware of the elements of two-way communication and the importance of
each will help facilitate people’s communication success.
A. Interpersonal Communication Model
Environment
• The environment (office, call center, etc.) in which people send or receive
messages affects the effectiveness of their message.
Sender
• Businesses take on the role of a sender as they initiate a message with
their customers.
• As the sender, businesses have a responsibility for thinking of the
message that they want the customer to receive, then using words and
nonverbal cues that effectively convey that message.
Receiver
• Initially, businesses may be the receiver of their customer’s message;
however, once businesses offer feedback, they switch to the sender role.
• As the receiver, businesses must effectively comprehend what the
customer has said.
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Message
• The message is the idea or concept that businesses or their customer
wishes to convey.
• Because businesses choose inappropriate words or nonverbal cues, the
customer misinterprets or does not understand their intended point.
o In order to prevent this from occurring, it is important to think before
speaking.
Channel
• The method businesses choose to transmit their message is the
channel.
• Examples of channels are face to face, telephone, e-mail, written
correspondence, and facsimile.
Encoding
• Encoding occurs as businesses evaluate what must be done to
effectively put their message into a format that their customer will
understand.
• Failing to correctly determine the customer’s ability to decode the
message could lead to confusion and misunderstanding.
Decoding
• Decoding occurs as businesses or their customer converts messages
received into familiar ideas by interpreting or assigning meaning.
• Depending on how well the message was encoded or whether personal
filters (e.g., gender, background, etc.) interfere, the received message
may not be the one businesses originally sent.
o This can lead to a service breakdown and potential conflict.
Feedback
• Unless a response is given to messages received, there is no way to
determine whether the intended message was received.
• Feedback is one of the most crucial elements of the two-way
communication process.
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Filters
• Filters are factors that distort or affect the messages people receive.
• They include, among other things, attitude, interests, biases,
expectations, experiences, education, beliefs and values, background,
culture, and gender.
Noise
• Noise consists of physiological factors (e.g., health or physical
characteristics and abilities) or psychological factors (e.g., level of
attention, mood, etc.) that interfere with the accurate reception of
information.
• Noise can also include environmental factors (e.g., external sounds or
room acoustics) that inhibit communication and listening.
III. Communicating Positively
• To maximize one’s potential and create a positive outcome with customers, a
person should use the PLAN acronym as a guide to effective communication with
those with whom the person comes into contact.
• PLAN stands for
o Prepare for positive customer interactions.
o Let your customers know they are important.
o Address your customer’s expectations positively.
o Nurture a continuing relationship.
A. Prepare for Positive Customer Interactions
• The first element of the PLAN acronym is all about getting into a mental state
of mind to effectively provide quality service to the customers.
• Too often service providers wait for something to happen and then react to
the situation.
o This is a formula for disaster, especially if they do not have the
knowledge or skills to address a customer’s needs.
o To prevent this from happening to oneself, the individual should
consider the types of potential customer situations he or she might
encounter
o Next, the individual should get training, discuss possible scenarios and
solutions with peers and his or her supervisor, and role play handling
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potential customer issues so that he or she can have in mind possible
actions to take should an actual situation arise.
Identify Pet Peeves
o Lack of cleanliness (environment or service provider)
o Abruptly putting someone on telephone hold without their
permission
B. Let Your Customers Know They Are Important
• The second element of the PLAN acronym deals with making the customers
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• Service providers should:
o Offer assistance
o Be prepared
o Provide factual information
o Be helpful
o Accept responsibility
o Take appropriate action
C. Address Your Customer’s Expectations Positively
• The third element of the PLAN acronym focuses on the area of interpersonal
communication with the customers.
• Communication is a major portion of a service provider’s job and has a
definite impact on the relationships and impressions that the service provider
forges with his or her customers or clients.
Use Customer-Centric Language
• A mistake by many service providers is to communicate as if they are the
important element of a transaction.
o In reality, it is the customer upon whom a message should be
focused.
• The following examples show the difference in focus:
o Provider-centered
▪ As soon as I have time …
▪ I’ll send out a form that we need you to complete and sign.
o Customer-centered
▪ I’ll take care of that right away.
▪ To make sure that we have all the information needed to ensure
you the best service, once you get the form, please complete and
sign it.
Use “Small Talk”
• Service providers should look for opportunities to communicate on a
personal level or to compliment their customer.
• One thing to keep in mind about small talk—dialogue used to enhance
relationships, show civility, and build rapport—is that service providers
must listen to their customer’s words and tone.
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Use Positive “I” and “We” Messages
• In addition to avoiding the “you” statements, service providers should
focus on what “I” or “we” can do for or with the customer.
• “I” or “we” messages go a long way in subtly letting the customer know
that one has the knowledge, confidence, and authority to help out.
Ask Positively-Phrased Questions
• To avoid creating a negative situation or escalating customer emotions
when things are already amiss, service providers should choose the
wording of their questions carefully.
• Service providers should find a way to rephrase any question that they
would normally start with “Why?”
o The reason is that this word cannot be inflected in a way that
doesn’t come across as potentially abrasive, intrusive, or
meddlesome.
• Service providers should ask questions that do not create or add to a
negative impression.
o This is especially important if they have a customer who is already
saying negative things about them, their product or service, or the
company.
Be Specific
• Whenever service providers have to answer questions, especially details
relating to costs, delivery dates, warranties, and other important areas of
customer interest, they should give complete and accurate details.
• For example, if deliveries are free but only within a certain radius, service
providers should make sure that they tell the customer about the mileage
policy.
Listen Carefully and Respond Appropriately
• Active listening is a key element of two-way verbal communication.
• One technique to ensure that the service provider has received the
customer’s message correctly is to use a technique called
paraphrasing—the practice of a message receiver giving back in his or
her own words what he or she believes a sender said.
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D. Nurture a Continuing Relationship
• The final element of the PLAN acronym deals with how well a service
provider closes a transaction, encourages the customers to return, and have
them say positive things about their experience.
• In order to maintain an ongoing business relationship with customers, each
person in the organization has to take responsibility for leaving a positive
impression on those with whom they come into contact throughout the day.
Ask Permission
• Service providers should get approval before taking action that was not
previously approved or discussed.
o By doing so, service providers can raise the customers to a position
of authority, boost their self-esteem, and empower them.
Agree with Customers
• Like most other people, customers like to hear that they are right.
• When a customer has a complaint or is upset because a product and/or
service does not live up to expectations, service providers should
acknowledge the emotion the customer is feeling and then move on and
help resolve the issue.
o Defusing by acknowledgment is a powerful tool.
• Service providers should listen carefully for the level of emotion.
• If the customer is very angry, service providers may want to choose their
words carefully.
o In this situation, the best approach probably is to let the customer
vent and describe the problem without interrupting, apologize as
often as appropriate, and do everything they can to resolve the
issue fairly (assuming that the customer has a legitimate complaint).
Elicit Customer Feedback and Participation
• Service providers should make customers feel as if they are a part of the
conversation by asking questions.
o They should ask opinions, find out how customers feel about what
service providers are doing or saying, and get customers involved
by building rapport through ongoing dialogue.
• Service providers should acknowledge customers’ ideas, suggestions, or
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information with statements such as, “That’s a good idea”.
o This will foster a feeling that the service providers and customers
are working together to solve a problem while putting the customers
in psychological control of the situation.
Close the Transaction Professionally
• Instead of some parroted response used for each customer, service
providers should offer a sincere “Thank you” and encourage the
customer to return in the future.
• Service providers should remember that a part of the service culture is
building customer loyalty.
IV. Providing Feedback Effectively
• Feedback is a response to messages a listener receives.
o This response may be transmitted verbally or nonverbally.
A. Verbal Feedback
• Verbal feedback is the response given to a sender’s message that allows
both the sender and receiver to know that a message was received correctly.
• When providing verbal feedback, service providers should also be conscious
of how their customer is receiving their information.
B. Nonverbal feedback
• Nonverbal feedback refers to messages sent to someone through other than
spoken means.
• Examples of nonverbal feedback are gestures, appearances, and facial
expressions.
• Nonverbal feedback can be more powerful than the spoken or written word
because it is often subject to interpretation based on the customer’s
background, culture, gender, age, and many other factors.
Manage Body Language
• The ways in which people sit, stand, gesture, position their body (face to
face or at an angle), or use facial expressions can all send positive or
negative messages.
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o This is why service providers should consciously think about their
nonverbal cues when interacting with customers.
Use Eye Contact Effectively
• In addition to greeting the customer, service providers should make
regular eye contact (normally no longer than three to five seconds at a
time) and assume a positive approachable posture throughout their
interaction with a customer.
• Service providers should also be careful about giving customers the “evil
eye” or showing their displeasure with them through their eyes when
emotions are high or they are struggling with a difficult situation.
Use Positive Facial Expressions
• Service providers should spend more time (and less facial energy)
projecting a pleasant, positive image with their face, rather than one that
might send a negative message to the customers.
• Since customer service is about building relationships with customers
and people generally prefer to be around someone who is happy rather
than unhappy, service providers should be conscious of the power of
their face.
V. Avoiding Negative Communication
• Service providers’ choice of words or phrasing can often lead either to
satisfaction or to confrontation, or it can destroy a customer-provider relationship.
o They shouldn’t use vague or weak terminology.
• Another pitfall to watch out for is the use of global terms (all-encompassing or
inclusive expressions such as always, never, everyone, all).
• If customers can give just one example for which the service provider’s statement
is not true, the service provider’s credibility comes into question and they might
go on the defensive.
VI. Dealing Assertively with Customers
• Assertiveness involves projecting a presence that is assured, confident, and
capable without seeming to be aggressive or arrogant.
• People’s level of assertiveness is directly tied to their style of behavior and their
culture.
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• Some people are direct and to the point; others are calm laid back or come
across as being passive or nonassertive
• Figure 3.5 lists several examples of nonassertive and assertive language and
behaviors.
VII. Assertive Versus Aggressive Service
• Assertiveness can assist in solving problems; aggression can escalate and cause
relationship breakdowns.
• Service providers should not become defensive or confrontational.
o They should use appropriate eye contact.
• Service providers should listen openly and use affirmative acknowledgments of
what the customer is saying.
o They should use an open body posture if they are face to face.
• Service providers should avoid blaming or judging their customers.
o They should use “I” statements, where they let customers know how they
feel about the situation or something the customer said.
• Service providers should ask for feedback and then listen carefully to the other
person.
o They should learn to say no to unreasonable requests in a confident, yet
nonthreatening manner.
• When appropriate, service providers should paraphrase the customer’s point of
view.
o They don’t have to say, “I’m sorry” every time anything goes wrong.
• Service providers should strive for win-win solutions.
A. Responding to conflict
• Conflict involves incompatible or opposing views and can result when a
customer’s needs, desires, or demands do not match service provider or
organizational policies, procedures, and abilities.
• Conflict should be viewed as neither positive nor negative.
o Instead it is an opportunity to identify differences that may need to be
addressed when dealing with the internal and external customers.
B. Causes of Conflict
• The following are some common causes of conflict:
o Conflicting values and beliefs
o Personal style differences