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COMMUNICATIONIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
Communication is one of the most persuasive,
important, and complex aspects of human life.
(Littlejohn, 2002, p.3)
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SENDER --> CHANNEL--> RECEIVER
SENDER --> CHANNEL --> RECEIVER
RECEIVER
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4. MEDIUM or CHANNEL :this is the
instrument we use to establish
communication. i.e. radio, tv, internet,
etc. (vehicle)
5. NOISE, OBSTACLES, BARRIERS: something or
someone that makes communication unsuccessful or
impossible. I.e interferences when talking on the phone,
someone interrupting a conversation between twopeople, or when one of the two people involved in the
communication is thinking of something other than what
the second person is saying.
. CODE: the group ofsymbols used to transmit amessage. It is important to choose the correct code in
order to have a good communication according to the
receiver. The language is a code, if our client speaks
English we must choose the English language as a code
in order to achieve a good communication. 5
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7. ENCODING AND DECODING: (Stuart Hall) This is
the process by which a message is understood.
8.FEEDBACK: This is the response ofthe receiver
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Here the elements of communication are
a) Source: As brain
b) Sender: the transmitting device that A
uses to communicate with B (e.g. mouth,
hands, eyes, gestures etc.)
c) Message: the idea or thought conveyed by
conversation, expression etc.
d) Channel: the medium through which the
message travels (e.g. air, sound waves, light
waves etc.)
e) Receiver: The receiving device used by B
to receive the message (e.g. Bs eye, ear etc.)
f) Destination: Bs braing) Feedback: the response from B
h) Noise source: the words or actions of
person C that interrupts the
communication between person A and
person B
Model of communication
The basic elements of any general communication system includes the following:
a) Source b) Sender c) Message d) Channel e) Receiver f) Destination and g) Noise source
An Illustration:
Let us consider that person A and person B are
communicating with each other. Person C
interrupts the communication between A and B
(illustrated in figure 1)
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COMMUNICATIONFORCUSTOMER SERVICE.
INTERACTIVECOMMUNICATION: in customer service there
are 2 main functions of communication:
1. DIRECTINFORMATION SERVICE.
In this situation informants (senders) need the client to be
communicative and capable of expressing his/her needs
clearly.
You can use different mediums, from words to writtendocuments or Internet.
2. COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES SERVICE
In these situations it is important to establish a verbal
communication and that the data and documents of the case
are registered in written language.
Someone who wants to work at front desk has to take into account that establishing a clear,
fluent and appropriate communication is fundamental to obtain good results.
Establishing the right channels in the customer service department is one of the most
important tasks of the service.
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1. Auditory communication.
Messages are perceived through the sense of hearing. Words, music, sounds and noises
take part in this type of communication.
Direct conversation or face to face communication
Phone conversation
Radio broadcasting, etc.
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3. Tactile communication
Messages are perceived through the sense of touch.
Affection is conveyed through tactile sensations.Shaking hands or tapping someones shoulder
can have positive or negative effects, so it is
necessary to be very respectful in this matter and
know cultural conventions.
There are different mediums:
Touching someone, etc.
Greetings at meetings and negotiations
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4. Multichannel communication
Messages are perceived through different senses at a time (or all at the same time).
There are different media through which this is possible:
Tv
Video
Computer
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CHANNELS OR MEDIUMS OF COMMUNICATION
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3. TYPES OFCOMMUNICATION according to the people involved
Human communication is the field dedicated to understanding how people communicate. It may be broadly classified
as,
a) Intrapersonal Communication : people communicating
among/within themselves (e.g. daydreaming, reading aloud)
b) Interpersonal Communication:
people communicating with others.
c) Group Dynamics:
communication within groups
d) Organizational
Communication
: Communicationwithin an organization
e) Cross cultural communication: Communication across cultures
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An analysis:
From the illustration and the listed components of communication, it can be interpreted that
communication is not just what we say. Communication may occur by means of conversations,
expressions, gestures or visual sense.
But effective communicationoccurs only when the three important aspects of
communication are in the right proportion :
1) visual (used in seeing: the visual sense)
2) audio (pertaining to, or employed inthe transmission, reception, or reproduction ofsound) and
3) kinesics (the study ofbody movements, gestures, facial expressions, etc., as ameans of communication)
Therefore, in general, human communication may be defined as,
the process in which all of the three important aspects of communication are
involved in the right proportion, in order to exchange information between humans in
an effective manner.15
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The 7 preconditions for success: (Dr. Steele, 2006)
1.Pay Attention: Always pay attention when someone communicates.
2. Mutual Needs: All Communication is based on mutual needs.
3. Circular communication All communication is circular in nature.( e.g.
Giving feedback based on actions or deeds)
4. Communication is language based: For example, in the field of technology
we may have a problem where the managers do not understand technical
jargon.
5. Purpose: It is necessary to know the purpose of communication in aconversation. Knowing the purpose provides a better focus.
6. One needs to be cooperative but not competitive
7. Human communication is an art and not a science.
successsuccess
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4. Business Communication techniques for effective communication
WHENCOMMUNICATINGWITHACUSTOMER, THESENDER HAS TO:
Think before speaking, establish a logical path.
Express yourself in a clear and correct manner taking into account the
recievers characteristics: language, cultural position, etc. In order to
choose the correct code.
Always use positive forms of expression, do not be pessimistic, beASSERTIVE.
Emit one message at a time, do not mix contents. Do not give more
information until you know the receiver has understood your last message.
Use, in each case, the right channel to establish communication.
Avoid bad vibrations, avoid noise sources that can make
communication difficult to establish.
In interpersonal communication always choose a close way of
communciation. It is better to smile and give confidence to the client
(keeping distance)
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Corresponding with
your customers is useful in:
Giving information about events we may
organize.
Sending information about campaigns.
Writing an apology.
Sending leaflets or catalogues.
Informing him/her about the results of any
procedures he/she may have asked for.
Sending forms.
Etc.
A. CORRESPONDENCE:
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B. TELEPHONING
When speaking on the telephone you should take into account:
When you call:
Make sure we have the right number noted down. You should often update
directories.
Have documents, information and arguments ready.
Pick up the phone, wait for the tone, dial the number , identify yourself and your
company and ask for the person or department you want to talk to.
Allways identify yourself and your company first.
Identify the person you are talking to.
If we dont talk to the person we wanted to, note down name and position of theperson we are speaking with.
It is useful to have a notebook for registering your calls. Some companies use forms
for this purpose.
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When you answer the phone:
Pick up the phone and identify yourselfand yourcompany, i.e Hotel
Royale, Maria Gonzalez speaking, how canI help you?
Yourtone ofvoice must be positive. The person calling us should feel
that we are glad to receive his/her call.
Ifthe person the callerwants to speak to is not available,you must note
down the message and let the callerknow that you will pass on his/her
message.
If we have to note down names and surnames,check spelling to avoid
mistakes.
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C. THEINTERVIEW
In a customer service job we will often use this technique.
If you are in a customer service position.
Say hello to the person we are assisting.
Identify him orher and identify yourself.
Listen carefully to understand the reason forthe query.
Ask for any explanations necessary to understand it fully.
Ifpossible,offer an answerinmediately, otherwise give atimelimit to offer an answer.
Note down the result ofthe interviewon a card including the
data ofthe visitor and the reason for the visit.
Say goodbye politely.
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D. PRESENTATIONS
TIPS
If you havea free choiceof topic - choose a subject you knowwell.At the end ofyour presentation,you willbe asked to answer additional questions, so it helps ifyou are knowledgeable about, and comfortable with,yoursubject area.
Think about youraudience - howyou can keep their attention? Pitch the content ofyour presentation at theappropriate level foryour audience.
Structure yourpresentationwellandstick to it - make sure there is a clear introduction, a body and aconclusion.Assessors will be lookingfor a well-structured talk,with a logical flow and a clearbeginning,middleand end.
Donot cram toomuch onto yourslides - just use bullet points and keywords. You want your audience tolisten towhat you are telling them,not just to read ahead. Liven up your slides with pictures, photos,graphs andwhere appropriate.
Donot go into toomuch detail - be clear and concise and keep to time.
At the beginning - remember to introduce yourselfand your presentation confidently at the beginning,
Donot read fromapreparedscript - glance briefly at notes or prompt cards instead.
Practice beforehand - ifyou can, and familiarize yourselfwith theAV equipment.
At theend - be sure to end your presentation confidently, rather than coming to a dead stop whenyou runoutofthings to say. Even ifyou are nervous and glad to have got it out ofthe way,make a briefand clearconclusion, summarizingwhat you have presented and then say something like: That concludes mypresentation. Thank you for listening.Are there any questions?
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Useful expressions for presentations
Parts ExpressionsIntroduction Good morning, my name is and I am going to talk about
My talk is in three parts: 1. ..., 2. , 3
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
Main body Lets start with .Now Id like to move on to
Another point is that
Also Finally
Visuals As you can see in the pictureThis graph shows you
This chart illustrates
Take a look at
Summarizing That brings me to the end of my presentation. I've talked
aboutTo summarize, I
In conclusion:
Closing Thanks a lot for your attention, are there any questions?Thank you for listening , and now if there are any questions, I
would be pleased to answer them.
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1. ELEMENTS OF
COMMUNICATION
1. Messenger(Source)2. Receiver(Destination)3. Message4. MediumorChannel5. Noise source
6. Code7. Encoding/Decoding8. Feedback
2. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
according to the sense used
Auditory
Visual
Tactile
Multichannel
3. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
according to the people involved
a) Intrapersonal
b) Interpersonal
c) Group Dynamics
d) Organizational
e)Cross cultural
COMMUNICATION
0.
INFORMATION
4. TECHNIQUES FOR
EFFECTIVECOMMUNICATION
a. CORRESPONDENCE
b. TELEPHONING
c. INTERVIEWS
d. PRESENTATIONS
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