Chapter 04 – Nonverbal Communication Skills
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Chapter 4
Nonverbal Communication Skills
Table of Contents
Teaching Tools ………………………………………………………. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Instructor Teaching Tools ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Student Learning Tools ………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Brief Chapter Outline …………………………..…………………………………………………………….. 3
Chapter Outline and Lecture Notes ……………………………………………………………………… 5
Class Activities and Sample Assignments …………………………………………………………. 188
Discussion Opportunities ………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
In the Real World Notes …………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Retail—Field’s Auto Group ……………………………………………………………………………. 21
Work It Out Notes ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
Work It Out 4.1—Facial Expressions ……………………………………………………………… 23
Work It Out 4.2—Gesture Practice …………………………………………………………………. 23
Work It Out 4.3—Adding Emphasis to words …………………………………………………… 23
Work It Out 4.4—Spatial Perceptions……………………………………………………………… 23
Work It Out 4.5—Gender Communication ……………………………………………………….. 24
End-of-Chapter Material Notes ………………………………………………………………………… 255
Key Terms ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2525
Review Questions ……………………………………………………………………………………… 255
Collaborative Learning Activity …………………………………………………………………….. 277
Face to Face—Handling Customer Complaints at Central Petroleum National Bank
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .277
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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
➢ 4-1: Define nonverbal communication.
➢ 4-2: Recognize various nonverbal cues and their effect on customers.
➢ 4-3: Explain the effect that gender has on communication.
➢ 4-4: Describe the effect of culture on nonverbal communication.
➢ 4-5: Identify unproductive behaviors.
➢ 4-6: Use a variety of nonverbal communication strategies.
➢ 4-7: Demonstrate specific customer-focused nonverbal behavior.
I. What is Nonverbal Communication?
II. The Scope of Nonverbal Behavior
A. Body Language
Eye Contact
Facial Expressions
Posture
Nodding of the Head
Gestures
B. Vocal Cues
Pitch
Volume
Rate of Speech
Voice Quality
Articulation
Pauses
Silence
Semantics
C. Appearance and grooming
Hygiene
Clothing and Accessories
D. Spatial Cues
Intimate Distance (0 to 18 inches)
Personal Distance (18 inches to 4 feet)
Social and Work Distance (4 to 12 feet)
Public Distance (12 or more feet)
E. Environmental Cues
F. Miscellaneous Cues
Personal Habits
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Time Allocation and Attention
Follow Through
Proper Etiquette and Manners
Color
III. The Role of Gender in Nonverbal Communication
IV. The Impact of Culture on Nonverbal Communication
V. Negative Nonverbal Behaviors
A. Unprofessional Handshake
B. Fidgeting
C. Pointing a Finger or Other Object
D. Raising an Eyebrow
E. Peering Over Top of Eyeglasses
F. Crossing Arms or Putting Hands on Hips
G. Holding Hands Near Mouth
VI. Strategies for Improving Nonverbal Communication
A. Seek Out Nonverbal Cues
B. Confirm Your Perceptions
Perception Checking Example
C. Seek Clarifying Feedback
Clarifying Feedback Examples
D. Analyze Your Interpretations of Nonverbal Cues
VII. Customer-Focused Behavior
Stand Up, If Appropriate
Act Promptly
Guide Rather than Direct
Be Patient with Customers
Offer Assistance
Reduce Customer Wait Times
Allow Customers to Go First
Offer Refreshments, If Appropriate
Be Professional
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Chapter Outline and Lecture Notes
I. What is Nonverbal Communication?
II. The Scope of Nonverbal Behavior
• In addition to verbal and written messages, people continually provide nonverbal
cues that tell a lot about their personality, attitude, willingness and ability to assist
customers.
• Customers receive and interpret the messages service providers send, just as
they receive and interpret their messages.
A. Body Language
• The key to “reading” body language is to realize that one’s interpretations
should be used only as an indicator of the customer’s true message
meaning.
o This is because background, culture, physical condition, communication
ability, and many other factors influence whether and how well people
use body cues.
Eye Contact
• In most Western cultures, the typical period of time that is comfortable for
holding eye contact is 5-10.
• If either the length of the frequency of eye contact differences from the
“norm,” many people might think that one is being rude or offensive.
• Much research has been done on the correlation between a person’s
interest in an item or object being viewed and the size of the person’s
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pupils.
o Typically, when a customer is interested in an item, his or her pupils
will dilate (grow larger).
• According to research on pupilometrics (the study of pupil reaction to
stimuli), other factors such as drugs or a person’s physical attraction to
someone can also cause dilation.
Facial Expressions
• By being aware of the power of one’s expressions and using positive
ones, such as smiling, people can initiate and sustain relationships with
others.
• Smiling typically expresses a mood of friendship, cheerfulness, pleasure,
relaxation, and comfort with a situation.
o Even so, like any other nonverbal cue, people have to be cautious
of “reading into” the intent of someone’s cue because some people
smile to mask nervousness, embarrassment, or deceit.
• Service providers should be conscious of cultural and personal
differences that people may have, and take their cue from the customer.
Posture
• Posture (or stance) refers to how one sits or stands in order to project
various nonverbal messages.
• Various terms—formal, rigid, relaxed, slouched, awkward, sensual, and
defensive—describe posture.
Nodding of the Head
• 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.
• People must be careful when they are using this technique and, when
they are watching others who are doing so, to occasionally pause to ask
a question for clarification.
o They should stop and ask for or provide feedback through a
paraphrased message.
o The answer will make it clear if the other person is simply politely
smiling and nodding—but not understanding.
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or when someone speaks a native language other than one’s own.
• Some research has shown that many North American women often nod
and smile more than men during a conversation.
• Although nodding one’s head generally signals agreement, if people nod
without a verbal acknowledgment or paralanguage (a vocal effect such
as “uh huh,” “I see,” “hmmm”), a missed or misinterpreted cue could
result.
Gestures
• The use of head, hands, arms and shoulders to accentuate verbal
messages adds color, excitement, and enthusiasm to one’s
communication.
o Typically, such movements are designed to gain and hold attention,
clarify or describe further, or emphasize a point.
• Open, flowing gestures (gesturing with arms, palms open and upward,
out and away from the body) encourage listening and help explain
messages to customers.
o On the other hand, closed, restrained movements (tightly crossed
arms, clinched fists, hands in pockets, hands or fingers intertwined
and held below waist level or behind the back) could send a
message of coolness, insecurity, or disinterest.
B. Vocal Cues
• Vocal cues, that is pitch, volume, rate, quality, and articulation, and other
attributes of verbal communication can send nonverbal messages to
customers.
Pitch
• Changes in voice tone (either higher or lower) add vocal variety to
messages and can dramatically affect interpretation of meaning.
o These changes are referred to as inflection or pitch of the voice or
tone.
• Inflection is the “vocal punctuation” in oral message delivery.
o For example, a raised inflection occurs at the end of a question and
indicates a vocal “question mark.”
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Volume
• The range in which vocal messages are delivered is referred to as the
degree of loudness or volume.
• Service providers should be aware of the volume of their voice, for
changes in volume can indicate emotion and may send a negative
message to their customer.
o For example, if a communication exchange with a customer
becomes emotionally charged, the service provider’s voice may rise
in volume, indicating that he or she is angry or upset.
Rate of Speech
• Rate of speech refers to the number of words spoken per minute.
o This varies for many people.
• Rate of speech is often a result of the person’s communication abilities,
the region of the United States in which he or she was reared, or his or
her country of origin.
Voice Quality
• Message interpretation is often affected by the sound or quality of your
voice.
• The variations in service provider’s voice quality can help encourage
customers to listen or could discourage them, depending on their
perception of how the service provider’s voice sounds.
Articulation
• Articulation, enunciation, or pronunciation of words refers to refers to
the clarity of people’s word usage.
• If people tend to slur words (“Whadju say?” “I hafta go whitja”) or cut off
endings (goin’, doin’), they can distort meaning or frustrate listeners.
Pauses
• Pauses in communication can be either positive or negative depending
on how people use them.
• On the negative side, people can irritate someone through the use of too
many vocal pauses or interferences.
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o The latter can be audible sounds (“uh,” “er”) and are often used
when people have doubts or are unsure of what they are saying, not
being truthful, or nervous.
o They are sometimes called verbal fillers.
Silence
• Silence is a technique used to gain attention when speaking, to allow
thought, or to process information received.
o It is a good way to show respect or show that one is listening to the
customer while he or she speaks.
Semantics
• Semantics has to do with choice of words.
• Although not nonverbal in nature, semantics is a crucial element of
message delivery and interpretation because people interpret one’s
intentions or meanings based on their understanding of word definitions.
• Malapropism—the unintentional misuse or distortion of a word or phrase
that sounds somewhat like the one intended but with a different context—
often has humorous results.
C. Appearance and Grooming
• The way people look and present themselves physically and their manner of
dress send a message of either professionalism or indifference.
• Even though service providers provide attentive, quality service, the
customer will typically form an opinion of service providers and their
organization within 30 seconds based on their appearance and that of their
workspace.
o For example, the service provider’s clothing, grooming, and choice of
jewelry or other accessories could send a negative message to some
people.
• Through one’s appearance and grooming habits, service providers project
an image of themselves and the organization.
• Good personal hygiene and attention to one’s appearance are crucial in a
customer environment.
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Hygiene
• Effective hygiene (regular washing and combing hair, bathing, brushing
teeth, using mouthwash and deodorant, washing hands, etc.) is basic to
successful customer service.
• Although good hygiene and grooming are important, going to an extreme
through excessive or bizarre use of makeup, hair coloring, etc. can
create a negative impression and may even cause people to avoid the
service provider.
Clothing and Accessories
• Work clothing does not have to be expensive, but it should be well–
maintained and appropriate to one’s work setting.
• No matter what type of clothing is designated in the organization, clean
and pressed clothing, as well as polished shoes (where appropriate),
help to project a positive, professional image.
D. Spatial Cues
• Each culture has its own proxemics or spatial cues (zones or distances in
which interpersonal interactions take place) for various situations.
• Each culture has unwritten rules about contact and interpersonal proximity of
which service providers should be aware and that should be respected when
dealing with people from a given culture.
Intimate Distance (0 to 18 inches)
• Typically this distance is reserved for one’s family and intimate
relationships.
o Most people will feel uncomfortable when a service provider
intrudes into this space uninvited.
Personal Distance (18 inches to 4 feet)
• This distance is used when close friends or business colleagues, with
whom one has established a level of comfort and trust, are together.
o It might also occur if people have established a long-term customer
relationship that has blossomed into a semifriendship.
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Social and Work Distance (4 to 12 feet)
• This is usually the distance range in face–to-face customer service
situations.
o It is also typically maintained at casual business events and during
business transactions.
Public Distance (12 or more feet)
• This distance range is likely to be maintained at large gatherings,
activities, or presentations where most people do not know one another,
or where the interactions are formal in nature.
• An important thing to remember about spatial distances in the service
environment is how others might perceive one’s actions.
E. Environmental Cues
• Environmental cues refer to any aspect of the workplace with which a
customer comes into contact.
• Such things as the general appearance of an area, clutter, unsightly or
offensive items, or general disorganization contribute to the perception of an
environment.
F. Miscellaneous Cues
• Miscellaneous cues refer to factors used to send messages that impact a
customer’s perception or feelings about a service provider of organization.
o Examples are personal habits, etiquette, and manners.
Personal Habits
• If service providers have annoying or distracting habits, they could send
negative messages to their customers.
• For example, eating, smoking, drinking, or chewing food or gum while
servicing customers can lead to negative impressions about service
providers and their organization.
Time Allocation and Attention
• Some organizations have standards for servicing customers within a
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specific time frame, but these time allocations should be targets
because customer transactions cannot all be resolved in a specified
period of time.
• The key is to be efficient and effective in one’s efforts.
Follow-Through
• Follow-Through, or lack of it, sends a very powerful nonverbal message
to customers.
• If service providers tell a customer they will do something, it is critical to
their relationship that they do so.
Proper Etiquette and Manners
• People appreciate receiving appropriate respect and prefer dealing with
others who have good etiquette and manners.
• Tied to nonverbal messages, the polite things service providers do go far
in establishing and building relationships.
Color
• Although color is not as important as some other factors related to
nonverbal communication in the customer service environment, the way
in which service providers use various colors in decorating a workspace
and in their clothing can have an emotional impact on customers.
• Figure 4.3 lists various colors and the possible emotional messages of
color they can send.
III. The Role of Gender in Nonverbal Communication
• Gender communication is the term used to refer to the communication between
genders.
• Although similarities exist between the ways in which males and females relate to
one another, there are distinct differences in behavior, beginning in childhood
and carrying through into adulthood.
• The lessons learned early in life usually carry over into the workplace and affect
customer interactions.
• The basis for gender differences is the fact that the brains of males and females
develop at different rates and focus on different priorities throughout life.
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IV. The Impact of Culture on Nonverbal Communication
• If service providers are to be successful in interacting with a wide variety of
people, they will need to understand the impact of culture by learning about
many behaviors, habits, values, and beliefs from around the world.
• To become more skilled at dealing with people from other cultures, service
providers should develop an action plan of things to learn and explore.
V. Negative Nonverbal Behaviors
A. Unprofessional Handshake
• Failure to shake hands appropriately (palm–to-palm), with a couple of firm
pumps up and down, can lead to an impression that one is weak or lack
confidence or that one does not respect the other person.
• The grip should not be overly loose or overly firm.
• Two firm pumps
B. Fidgeting
• Using some mannerisms (playing with or putting hair in the mouth, tugging at
clothing, etc.) can indicate to a customer that one is anxious, annoyed, or
distracted, and should therefore be avoided, if possible.
o Such signals can also indicate that one is nervous or lack confidence.
C. Pointing a Finger or Other Object
• For many people, pointing a finger or other object is viewed as a very
accusatory mannerism and can lead to anger or violence on the part of the
customer.
• If service providers must gesture toward a customer or toward an area or
item, they should do so with an open flat hand (palm up) in a casual manner.
D. Raising an Eyebrow
• Raising an eyebrow often signals skepticism or doubt about what one has
heard.
o It can be viewed as questioning the customer’s honesty.
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E. Peering Over Top of Eyeglasses
• Peering over top of eyeglasses might be associated with someone who is in
a position of authority.
o For that reason, customers may not react positively if service providers
peer over their eyeglasses at them.
F. Crossing Arms or Putting Arms on Hips
• Typically viewed as a closed or defiant posture, crossing one’s arms or
putting one’s hands on one’s hips may send a negative message to one’s
customer and cause a confrontation.
o People often view this gesture as demonstrating a closed mind,
resistance, or opposition.
G. Holding Hands near Mouth
• By holding one’s hands near one’s mouth, one will muffle one’s voice or
distort one’s message.
o It can also send message of doubt or uncertainty, or can suggest that
one is hiding something.
VI. Strategies for Improving Nonverbal Communication
A. Seek out Nonverbal Cues
• Service providers should watch the behavior of people they see and interact
with.
o They should look at clusters of nonverbal behavior and the language
accompanying them instead of interpreting individual signals.
B. Confirm Your Perceptions
• Service providers should ask for clarification by perception checking if
necessary.
o This involves stating the behavior observed, giving one or two possible
interpretations, and then asking for clarification of message meaning.