Page 97 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Notes 5. Provide service even without an immediate payoff: It is easy to pay attention to a customer
when you are trying to close a sale with them. However, the way you treat customers
when no transaction is taking place creates a lasting impression. Look past the immediate
payoff and take time to listen, answer questions, and solve problems, or help customers
find someone who can.
6. Respond personally: When customers have a problem, they want to deal with a real
person. However, your first reaction to a frustrated customer is probably avoidance. As a
professional, you should overcome this reaction and deal directly with customers whenever
possible. Call a disgruntled client instead of sending an e-mail message. Accept a phone
call from a customer instead of transferring the call to voice mail. Step out from behind a
desk, counter, or cash register when you speak with people. The personal contact shows
you care and promotes problem solving.

4.3 Communicating Empathetically

Empathy is your capacity to understand another person’s feelings or state of mind. When working
with customers, this means that you recognize, understand, and respond appropriately to their
needs, wants, and emotional state. Customers value working with people who can understand
their point of view and help them work through a problem or achieve a goal.
1. Determine the context: People contact businesses for many reasons, such as to renew
services, purchase additional products, answer questions, or complain about goods and
services. When talking to customers, evaluate the content and delivery of their messages.
Listen to what customers say to determine the purpose and context of their message. Also
listen to how they deliver the message so you can be sensitive to their emotional state.
Watch for signs suggesting they are angry, frustrated, confused, or distrustful. You need to
understand the context of a speaker’s words before you can empathize with them.
2. Address your customer’s emotions: If a customer’s emotion is apparent, you can comment
on it empathetically, especially if the customer is angry or dissatisfied. Statements such as,
“You must have been disappointed when you received the wrong shipment,” or “I can
imagine that you were frustrated when the product didn’t work properly,” demonstrate
that you understand their reaction and are concerned about solving the problem.

3. Put customers at ease: When talking to a customer who seems uncomfortable expressing
anger or articulating a problem, put them at ease by legitimizing their feelings. Do this
with observations such as, “I know how upset I get when a company ships me the wrong
product,” or “It sounds like the delay created a lot of inconvenience for you.”
Some cultures strongly discourage people from expressing emotions.
4. Acknowledge customer efforts: Customers often take steps to resolve a problem before
contacting a company. Their actions might have been unsuccessful and contributed to
their frustration. Even so, don’t suggest that their steps were inappropriate, which listeners
might interpret as demeaning. Instead, respectfully acknowledge the steps they performed
and suggest an alternative solution. When resolving complaints, offer a sincere apology
that focuses on what you will do to resolve a problem
5. Use listener-centered language: An important element in empathetic communication is
anticipating how your listener will decode what you say. Focusing on the listener with
“you” language emphasizes how your message benefits them and clarifies the purpose of
the message. Figure shows examples of listener-centered language.

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