Welcome Communication Customer Care Objectives At the end

Welcome

Communication & Customer Care

Objectives At the end of this module you will: • Appreciate how best the telephone can be used to promote good customer relations • Identify what makes an effective telephone voice. • State the importance of listening effectively. • Sound more confident when under pressure. • Deal with angry and abusive callers. • Live the values of 2 Touch & BOI using professional communication

Customer Care Exercise #1 With your partner, please talk about the times when you felt most dissatisfied with a service. • Discuss the various situations and look for common themes. • How could the suppliers have prevented these disasters from happening?

Customer Care Exercise #2 With your partner please talk about the times when you felt most delighted with a service. • Discuss the various situations and look for common themes. • Try to identify exactly why you were particularly pleased and what behaviours the company/individual used.

Moments of Truth People form 90% of their lasting impression… … in the first 90 seconds.

High Cost of Losing? • Increasing customer retention from 10% to 15% can double profits. The Harvard Business Review • It is 5 times more expensive to acquire new customers, than to keep existing customers. TARP. • 82% of customers whose problems are solved buy again. Travellers Insurance • Only 4% of dissatisfied customers complain. Technical Assistance Research Institute • The average wronged customer will tell 8 to 16 people – over 10 percent will tell more than 20 people. TARP • 91% of unhappy customers will never purchase goods or services from us again. TARP

High Cost of Losing? “Give the customer something worth paying for and he’ll pay you!” A Passion for Excellence. Tom Peters

Communication Words Tone Behaviour

Communication Words 7% Tone 38% Body Language 55%

Communication Words 15% Tone 85% Body Language 0%

Communication Exercise #3 In pairs, sit back to back. One person to be ‘transmitter’, and the other to be the ‘receiver’. ‘Transmitter’ to describe the picture. ‘Receiver’ to re-draw it. ‘Receiver’ is not permitted to ask questions.

Communication Problem!

Building Rapport Exercise #4 In groups, brainstorm actions we can take to help build rapport with others in those 90 seconds. Brainstorming: Never criticise – ideas or people Get lots of ideas - Record them all Avoid discussing ideas Incubate & reflect – what ideas we use?

Building Rapport

Building Rapport • Tone of Voice • Positive Attitude • Active Listening “VAL factor”

Voice

Voice Remember your voice creates a PICTURE of you and 2 Touch in the other persons mind: Pitch Inflection

INFLECTION I didn’t say you stole my money.

Voice Remember your voice creates a PICTURE of you and 2 Touch in the other persons mind: Pitch Inflection Courtesy Tone Understanding Rate Enunciation

Voice Remember your voice creates a PICTURE of you and 2 Touch in the other persons mind: Exercise #5 • Read the text aloud in your normal speaking voice. • If you reach the end, simply start again from the beginning. • You will have one minute. • Note where you finish.

Voice Remember your voice creates a PICTURE of you and 2 Touch in the other persons mind: Pitch Inflection Courtesy Tone Understanding Rate Enunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet A – Alpha J – Juliet S – Sierra B – Bravo K – Kilo T – Tango C – Charlie L – Lima U – Uniform D – Delta M – Mike V – Victor E – Echo N – November W – Whiskey F – Foxtrot O – Oscar X – X-ray G – Golf P – Papa Y – Yankee H – Hotel Q – Quebec Z – Zebra I – Indigo R - Romeo

Alternative Phonetic Alphabet A – Apple J – Jack S – Sugar B – Bertie K – King T – Tommy C – Charlie L – Lucy U – Uncle D – Dog M – Mother V – Vera E – Edward N – Nelly W – William F – Freddie O – Orange X – X-ray G – George P – Peter Y – Yellow H – Harry Q – Queen Z – Zebra I – India R - Rodger

Voice Remember your voice creates a PICTURE of you and 2 Touch in the other persons mind: Pitch Inflection Courtesy Tone Understanding Put a Rate Enunciation in your voice.

Attitude

Attitude Why a company loses its’ Customers • Some go to the competitors because of competitive reasons. • Some die. è 9% è 1% • Some stop using the product or service because it no longer meets the customers needs or expectations. è 5% • Product service / dissatisfaction è 14% • Some take their custom elsewhere due to the indifference of the staff è 68% • Some move away è 3%

Listening Skills Listening Talking Reading Writing Learnt 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th Used 45% 30% 15% 10% Taught Least ----------- Most

Listening Skills Exercise #6 • Eleanor Rigby • Have you heard this song before? .

Question Time

Question Time Closed questions usually begin with: Do…? Is…. ? Can…? Will…. ? Shall…? May…? Did…? Does…? Have…? Would…? Should…? Could…? - and are used to gain confirmation.

Question Time Open questions begin with: Who What Which Why When Where How - and are used to gain information.

Question Time Is Can Do Will Shall May Should Could Would Did Are Have etc… Exercise #7 Twenty Questions? • In pairs, sit facing each other. • Guess the ‘celebrity’ your partner has by asking Closed Questions only. • Keep a tick list of exactly how many questions you ask before you find the answer.

Question Time Who What Where When How Why Which Exercise #7 a • Same game • Guess the ‘celebrity’ your partner has by asking Open Questions only. • Keep a tick list of exactly how many questions you ask before you find the answer.

Conversation Cycle Input Acknowledge Question Listen

Conversation Cycle Exercise #8 • In pairs, decide who is ‘ 1’ and ‘ 2’ • Think of a subject you’re passionate about Exercise #8 a • Have a conversation! • Think of another subject • No questions allowed you’re passionate about • ‘ 2’ may only acknowledge ‘ 1’ • Have another conversation! • 3 minutes • ‘ 2’ to ask questions to ‘ 1’ • 3 minutes

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Positive language Breaking bad news Being Assertive

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Exercise #9 • Working in pairs. • Change the sentences on the handout so that they sound more positive. • Use the positive words from the previous handout.

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Forbidden Phrases • It’s against our policy. • That’s not my job • That’s not the way we do things • There’s nothing else I can do • You set it up wrong • We don’t support that. You need to call… • What’s your point?

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Giving Bad News Gently • We may be able to identify and offer an alternative. • We may be able to offer to take some action ourselves. • We may be able to give the caller some additional information to soften the blow

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Being Assertive: (adj. ) confident and direct in dealing with others.

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Being Assertive Exercise #10 • Split into 3 groups. • Follow the handout to define and describe one of the behaviours.

Sounding Confident Under Pressure Being Assertive • Be open and honest with yourself and others. • Say what you can and/or cannot do. • Speak clearly. • Remain calm - do not get angry yourself. • Try to appreciate how the situation may affect how the other person may be feeling.

Awkward Squad

Awkward Squad • Deal with the Callers Emotion. • Deal with the Callers Problem.

Awkward Squad Don’t! • Argue with the customer. • Take the complaint personally • Run your company down • Blame the customer • Interrupt • Make unrealistic or ‘false’ promises • Use jargon • Justify the Problem • Make excuses.

Awkward Squad Do • Apologise • Use the caller’s name • Listen • Ask Questions • Summarise/repeat Information • Be loyal company to • Be Empathetic • Sound sincere your

Awkward Squad • Strike 1 - Warning – you may terminate the call. • Strike 2 Warning – you will terminate the call. • Strike 3 Inform - Having warned the customer twice you inform them that reluctantly you are now actually terminating the call.

Our Values in Communication & Customer Service Exercise #11 • Split into groups of 3 or 4 • Construct a 3 minute Roleplay of a Customer Service scenario • Incorporate 2 Touch & BOI Values into conversation • Make it fun! Simple Passionate Human Positive Open Creative

Objectives At the end of this module you will: • Appreciate how best the telephone can be used to promote good customer relations • Identify what makes an effective telephone voice. • State the importance of listening effectively. • Sound more confident when under pressure. • Deal with angry and abusive callers. • ‘Live the values of 2 Touch’ using professional communication

Communication & Customer Service Any questions?