Page 98 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Unit 4: Working with Customers

Notes

Notes Listener-centered language

Speaker focused: Listener focused:
Our policy is to issue refunds up to two You can receive a refund if you cancel a
weeks before a trip. reservation up to two weeks before the trip.
“I/we” point of view: “You” point of view:
We must receive online verification before Please verify your reservation online so you
we can ship the tickets via overnight can receive tickets the next day.
delivery.
Unclear purpose: Clear purpose:
The Legal Department has a passport policy If you are traveling outside the U.S., check
that complies with federal policy, which you the federal passport policy for your
must follow before traveling outside U.S. destination—you might need to travel with
borders. your passport.

4.4 Asking Questions to Understand Problems

Asking questions helps you listen carefully, clarify messages, encourage customer
communication, and resolve problems. Effective questioning means knowing which questions
to ask, when to ask them, and how to phrase them. Recall that part of customer service involves
meeting customer expectations, identifying their wants and needs, and solving their problems.
The most direct way to learn about a customer’s expectations, desires, and problems is to ask
questions and listen carefully to the answers. Two-way conversations build relationships because
they help develop mutual awareness and trust.
1. Ask the appropriate type of question: You can ask at least four types of questions, as
shown in Figure. Open-ended questions do not have a particular answer. Ask open-ended
questions to encourage the other person to articulate motivations, ideas, and solutions.
Closed questions are specific and concrete, and generally seek a “yes” or “no” answer. Ask
a closed question when you need a direct answer. Ask follow-up questions in response to
an answer that your customer provides. Design these questions to discover more
information or elicit an opinion. Asking follow-up questions also shows that you are
listening carefully and thinking about what the other person says. Ask feedback questions
about the conversation or problem-solving process itself to determine what is important
to the customer. Feedback questions help you gauge your customer’s satisfaction with the
steps that you are taking and the solution that you’ve proposed.

Notes Suppose you are working in Retail Store. Then ask question from customer to
understand their problem but monitor the number of questions you ask and you tone –
you don’t want to interrogate your customers.

2. Establish rapport: When a customer contacts you regarding a problem, demonstrate that
you want to resolve the problem by asking open-ended and closed questions about the
details of their complaint—the who, what, where, when, and how facts. Summarize their
responses and ask, “Is that correct?” Taking time to understand the details establishes
rapport and trust, and helps you identify possible solutions.

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