WELCOME TO UNIT 6 Customer 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?

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 6 Nonverbal 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 voic 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-Friendly Body 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 Telephone The 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 When Placing 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.

Voic –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 voic 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 Qualities While 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.