creating a positive impression among the customers · give a good first impression. coming across...
TRANSCRIPT
CREATING A POSITIVE IMPRESSION AMONG THE
CUSTOMERS Unit 3
Customer Service Level 3
1
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 2
First impressions ........................................................................................................ 3
Visual ...................................................................................................................... 4
Vocal ....................................................................................................................... 6
Verbal ...................................................................................................................... 7
The working environment ........................................................................................ 8
Meeting and greeting............................................................................................... 8
Building a strong rapport ............................................................................................ 9
Building rapport face-to-face ................................................................................... 9
Building rapport over the phone ............................................................................ 10
Using courtesy to build customer rapport .............................................................. 10
Realistic courtesy .................................................................................................. 11
Responding appropriately ......................................................................................... 11
What organisations expect from you ..................................................................... 14
Establishing trust ...................................................................................................... 15
Ask the right questions .......................................................................................... 15
Formally agree ...................................................................................................... 15
Getting the timing right .......................................................................................... 16
Deliver on your promises ....................................................................................... 16
Unit summary ........................................................................................................... 17
Customer Service Level 3
2
Introduction
This unit will focus on the need for a rapport between a customer and a service
representative so that mutual understandings are in place. We will look at the way in which
you can nurture relationships with your clients from the very first meeting with the help of a
strong first impression and move on to establishing relationships over the long term.
Customer Service Level 3
3
First impressions
Having a strong image is vital for anyone working in customer service. You need to inspire
confidence both in yourself and in the organisation that you represent so it is very important to
give a good first impression. Coming across as smart and professional, as well as being a
people person and happy to help, is the best possible way of representing your company and
building relationships with clients.
Wearing the right clothes and dressing formally is usually the best thing and this can be
important even if you are not meeting customers face- to-face. Wearing shorts to the office may
not bother some people, but others will mind and think that it is unprofessional. With this in
mind it is always best to wear formal work clothes as not everyone will be comfortable with you
dressing casually, so it is best to stay on the safe side. These standards for your appearance
may include:
f) Wearing a specific uniform or suit
f) Adhering to certain colours
f) Following guidelines for make-up, jewellery and piercings
f) Following a no smoking policy
f) Following health and safety standards (i.e. hairnets if working with food or hi-vis jackets if
working in construction)
Making a positive first impression relies on a lot of different things and getting the right first
impression can be the difference between a positive relationship and a negative one. By
following the three V’s you will be able to create a good impression to clients, colleagues and
managers:
f) Visual
f) Vocal
f) Verbal
Customer Service Level 3
4
Visual
Looking the part is one of the main things about a first impression. Wearing the correct clothes
and dressing formally is important but you do not want to go too far. Wearing a 3 piece suit or
clothes which are overly formal can look good in certain environments but in others they will
seem unnecessary. Getting the right balance and dressing in accordance with the rest of the
workforce is the best way to show you are professional and can get the job done.
Looking tired or dishevelled is a sure-fire way to lose a customer’s trust and interest in what
you are discussing.
Visual impressions are not just about clothes. They also include your body language, eye
contact, posture and demeanour. We examined the need for good body language, standing
up straight and giving a firm handshake to people with strong eye contact in a previous
chapter and these traits are of even more importance on an initial meeting.
Having positive body language will show a customer you are happy and there to help in any
way which is required.
Customer Service Level 3
5
Try to avoid some of the following situations which will create a poor impression of you and
cause clients to lose confidence in your abilities:
f) Looking away when a customer approaches. This will make it seem like you are not
interested and do not want to offer any assistance.
f) Yawning or looking bored. If your client thinks you don’t want to be there or would rather
be at home in bed then they will likely start to think that you do not care about what they
are saying and become much more difficult to work with.
f) Having no eye contact. This can be a sign of mistrust amongst many cultures and will
stop there being a connection between you and your client. Having strong eye contact
that is natural will create a positive impression and your customer will respond to this by
having much more faith in your abilities.
f) Fidgeting or slouching. Again, this type of attitude will quickly lose your client’s
confidence and will show a lack of care for your job.
f) Looking tense or being too sloppy. You will need to find the right balance between calm
and serious when working with customers. Being too casual will show your customers
that you do not care or have no confidence, whereas being overly tense and stiff will show
fear. You need to be confident and assertive so that a client
knows you are capable of helping without being too keen in a way that will put your
customer on edge.
Customer Service Level 3
6
Vocal
How you sound is the next big thing that you must get right to give a quality first impression.
Using inappropriate language or speaking too quickly will give a bad impression and you
must use strong verbal communication to help your customers and answer any queries they
may have. You can improve the way that you sound by:
f) Taking your time and breathing properly. Some people get over- animated when they
talk (especially if this is a high pressure situation) and become flustered.
Remembering to breathe may sound obvious but lots of people will panic when
speaking with certain customers and you may need to stop for a second to gather
your thoughts and take a breath.
f) Ensure that your facial expressions match what you are saying. Having facial impressions
that are in sync with what you are saying will allow your message to be delivered
effectively and stop any miscommunication.
f) Vary your voice slightly. Nobody wants to talk to a service rep who speaks in a boring
tone constantly- so vary your voice and emphasise important parts so that the client does
not get lost in a sea of words which all sound the same.
f) If you have an accent that can be quite thick, try to avoid over-use of certain phrases that
can be difficult for others to understand. This does not mean that you should put on a
different voice, but avoiding regional slang or phrases will make sure that the client
understands what you are saying no matter where they are from.
f) Try to match your customer’s style in a suitable way. If the client is very friendly, loud or
tells lots of jokes then reciprocate so that you are on the same wavelength. Likewise, a
customer who is quiet and more reserved will most likely want to have a quieter and
calmer approach.
Customer Service Level 3
7
Verbal
Looking and sounding a particular way is important but even if this is perfect it cannot hide
what you are actually saying. Using the right type of language and verbal aspects is
required so that you can represent your organisation is a professional manner.
f) Try to bring some colour into what you say even if you have to stick to a certain script.
Using boring and non-descript language will not be received well but if you speak in a
way that inspires confidence and have a strong vocabulary your client will be much
more likely to receive a good impression.
f) Avoid using lots of jargon. If you are in a sales role and start to speak about technical
issues, try to do this in a simple manner and do not use complex words that most people
have never come across. This will make clients feel alienated and will give them no
useful information at all.
f) Always look at the bright side of things. Speak about what you and the
products/services you are offering can do well, not what they cannot do. Focus on the
most positive aspects and the best-selling points so that each customer knows the
benefits of working with your organisation.
f) Ask a colleague or friend to give feedback on how you are doing in your role. It may
be that you are using words such as ‘actually’, ‘like’ or ‘you know’ over and over again
without realising. This can sound a little odd to clients and may even start to become
annoying- so attempt to tone these words down and vary your language.
Customer Service Level 3
8
The working environment
Working with customers face-to-face is very different from doing so over the phone. Face-
to-face interaction requires many more visual elements to customer service that
conversations over the phone so you must be able to look at some other factors that can
give a good impression.
Your premises and space must be tidy and clean. A customer who comes to your company
and is faced with a dirty area where no pride is taken will associate this with how you go about
your work. Work stations need to be tidy and organised but you do not need to hide everything
away for when people come to visit. Take a quick glance of the area and remove and rubbish
or unused items which may be present, make sure you have equipment and stationary to
hand in case these are needed.
Information that is around in waiting rooms or areas where customers have regular access
should be maintained and updated regularly. Having out-dated newspapers or safety
information will make it look like you do not move with the times. Make sure everything is
up to date once a week so that everything which a client sees shows off how you work
and the quality you can provide.
If there are tools which are to be used by you or the customer make sure these are ready
when needed. This can include things like making sure computers and printers are switched
on so they are ready when required, as well as keeping a good stock of paper and pens
which might be needed by clients.
Meeting and greeting
As we have been exploring, the first impression can be a make or break time for customer
relations. It is impossible to stress just how important this time is and you must be able to
greet your clients in a professional manner and ensure that you get off on the right
impression. Little things like allowing a customer to enter a room first, having a strong
handshake and offering refreshments as necessary will create a relaxed atmosphere and
show customers you care. These touches are important whenever talking with a customer,
whether they are new or established, but on the first attempt it is even more important to get
things right.
Customer Service Level 3
9
Building a strong rapport
After creating positive first impression to clients it is important to build on this by
establishing a good rapport between you and your customers. This comes with
prolonged use of great customer care and will be built up over a period of time.
Sometimes there will be people who you meet in life that you instantly like and become friends
with- this can be in your personal circles or at work. Other times, you may meet someone who
you don’t really have much in common with and you would not necessarily want to speak to
in your personal life. Much of this judgement is made very early on in a relationship and not
working to change any immediate assumptions will stop the relationship from ever becoming
a positive one.
We have already explored how to get a client relationship off to a good start and will now
begin to look at ways to grow this relationship to develop the best rapport possible. Allowing
the relationship to grow and offering support at all times will create trust and respect, as well
as loyalty in a customer who will continue to buy products or use services from your company.
Building rapport face-to-face
Building a rapport face-to-face allows you to use many different skills and techniques that
will help a relationship to flourish.
f) Continue to use the skills we have previously discussed such as common courtesy, eye
contact and a good posture to show the customer you are always professional and did
not just do this to lure them in.
f) Smile and give a warm handshake to returning customers and greet them with their name
if you know it.
f) Mirror the clients tone and body language without being obvious so that you can show
you are on the same wavelength.
Customer Service Level 3
10
f) Communicate in a more friendly and personal manner than you would with a brand new
customer, but only if you feel this is allowed. If the client is much older than you are or is
quite stern then do not use their first name and try to be formal throughout. A client who
is very friendly and comes across more like a friend will usually prefer to build a less
formal relationship and get to know you a little more personally.
Building rapport over the phone
Using a strong rapport can be very useful with all customers but it is usually much harder to
develop this over the phone. Without a person to observe, facial expressions to read and
body language to match, it can be a little trickier to build relations. Try to:
f) Greet all callers warmly and use common courtesy.
f) Use some standard forms of greeting or scripts which may be required for you to use
by the company.
f) Answer phones as promptly as possible.
f) Remember that, even though you may have said the same phrases, lots of times, this is
usually the first time a client has heard it. Speak clearly and ask if you need to repeat
anything when giving detailed explanations.
f) Smile. Even though a client cannot see this, a smile will pass into your voice and make
you sound happier and friendlier- so try to smile when on the phone as much as possible.
f) Mirror the language that your customer uses and speak in a way which is clear and concise.
f) Talk at a healthy level and do not speak too quickly or too slowly.
Using courtesy to build customer rapport
Customer Service Level 3
11
Being courteous is a combination of your attitude, how you approach situations and what you
do. It is a way of showing a customer that you care about them, your job, the service which
you are providing and that you are prepared to go a little further to help at all times.
Being courteous is not something extra which you can decide to do- it is part of the job and
you must work to be courteous at all times within a customer service role. This can be the
difference between your company and a competitor and showing clients that you care about
your work will breed confidence and more sales.
For example, a customer may call a company and have to wait for the call to be connected
at a busy time. Having someone who is then very rude and not helpful will cause a terrible
impression, but having a customer service rep who politely says ‘Sorry about your wait, how
can I help?’ and then gets straight to helping with any issues will make the waiting seem more
bearable. Small touches like this throughout your work will be the difference between your
interaction and care being quality or forgettable.
Realistic courtesy
Being courteous does have its limits. Trying too hard may annoy certain clients and being
overly false can be a little frustrating also. It is very easy for people to spot a fake ‘Thank you’
compared to a real one so make sure that you mean what you say to clients. Give strong eye
contact when working face-to-face and match what you say with your expressions and
demeanour so that a customer knows you are being genuine.
Responding appropriately
Customer Service Level 3
12
Being able to respond to a customer and deal with any request is imperative when trying to
give the right impression. This can be with positive comments, suggestions for improvement
or complaints and, even with a disgruntled customer, you can work to make the situation
positive.
Responding appropriately to all issues will show you are able to work in a way which inspires
trust and confidence to give a good impression. While the method of this contact will differ and
the needs of each company will change, the attitude that you will need to show will be universal
for most industries.
It is not just about what you do to respond to a customer, but also about how you do it. Having
the right attitude and approach to a situation will allow you to work together with the client to
provide a good solution to their problems and not leave them waiting for help when they need
it. Try to consider the client’s feelings at all times and think how they are being treated. If a
customer has been waiting for a long time or been sent the wrong product they will be upset
and want a solution to be found as quickly as possible- so work swiftly to help them and
come to an arrangement. Try to:
Customer Service Level 3
13
f) Listen effectively to what they are saying
f) Be polite and courteous at all times
f) Give information and be willing to help as best you can
f) Acknowledge what you have heard and come to a suitable agreement
f) Ask the right questions to get to the bottom of any disputes
f) Come to an agreement as to how any problems may be solved
Customers each have their own expectations of how a company should perform and what
they should be capable of. Things which influence these expectations will be the price for
products (if something is very cheap then people will expect it to come with poor service),
word of mouth and company reputation. What reviews and recommendations people have
heard about a company will allow them to form a judgement on the service which they
expect.
Customer Service Level 3
14
What organisations expect from you
Companies and organisations will differ in what they expect from their customer service
representatives and this will usually vary between industries also. These expectations will
usually be outlined in your job description and could include answering calls within a certain
number of rings, dressing in a certain manner or gaining a certain number of quality
customers. One of the most common trends when it comes to customer service is the time
that people will wait for assistance, which is decreasing all the time. People will no longer wait
on hold for 15 minutes just to talk to someone and the immediacy which the internet and other
technology brings has made customers expect things to be done very quickly. Sometimes
this is not always the case and it may not be possible to get things done immediately or to
answer questions right away. However, most companies will have strict timeframes in which
issues are to be dealt with and you need to work within these to ensure you are providing
quality customer care. Some common features, which a lot of companies require, are:
Customer Service Level 3
15
Time taken for tasks This can include a maximum number of times the phone can
ring before being answered or a length of time in which
emails must be responded to.
Acknowledgements Companies may impose timeframes for you to acknowledge
receipt of letters, emails or invoices so that clients know you
have this important information.
Legislation Companies will outline specific things that you are allowed to
do and things that you are not allowed to do. These will often
relate to laws in place.
Use of names How a customer should be referred to. This can range from
informal with the use of a first name to calling people sir or
madam
Methods of
communicating
How you should communicate different information to clients.
This can be via email, over the phone, text, internet etc.
Establishing trust
Part of giving a good impression relies on your ability to communicate effectively with clients
at all times which will ensure everyone knows what is happening and what each person is
expected to do. Sometimes you may find that issues arise because of poor communication
and the customer expecting something which was never agreed upon. Talking and sharing
your views is the best way to combat this and stop this from happening.
Ask the right questions
Make sure that you ask the right questions of your customers so that you can gauge their
knowledge of the situation and inform them of any changes. Discuss things so that you know
exactly what they require and then repeat this back to them so that you are both in agreement.
Formally agree
You should formally agree upon any quotes for goods and services that are made and put
everything in writing. This may not be necessary for standard products as all of the information
will be available on a website or in a brochure, but for tailor-made products or specialist
services you should send an email outlining exactly what has been agreed and how much it
will cost.
Customer Service Level 3
16
Doing this will stop a client from misunderstanding what they are purchasing and will act as
a verbal agreement between the two of you. Having an outline of what is offered and the price
agreed will be very convenient for everyone further down the line.
Getting the timing right
Customers need to know that you can work to a schedule and will get back to them as quickly
as possible. By answering the phone or emails in a timely manner it will show that you are
keen to please and able to help whenever people need you to.
This may not always be possible and there may be times when you are unable to give a
definite answer to a question over the phone. If this does happen then you should politely say
you are unable to answer at the minute but will get back to them as soon as you have a
definitive answer.
Deliver on your promises
One of the best impression you can give to someone is by sticking to your promises and
delivering what is agreed. Being reliable and able to outline a job which you will do and then
complete this within a timeframe is the best way to build trust into any relationship.
Clients will quickly notice how well you work and have faith in your abilities. This will lead to
more orders and the customer also having a better relationship with you now that they know
you can work within their expectations. Valued customers can spend a lot of money and rely
on a business for a lot of
different products. These people should be treated carefully and usually the more orders
someone places, the better service they should receive. Never expect a regular client to accept
poor service simply because you know them- the exact opposite is true and the oldest and
most valued customers have shown loyalty- which should be reciprocated.
Customer Service Level 3
17
Unit summary
In this unit we have explored ways of creating first impressions and establishing positive
relationships so that clients will have more trust in you and the company you work for. We
have looked at ways of inspiring trust and a strong relationship through a representative’s use
of various means.
You should now have a much better understanding of what is required to generate this positive
impression at the initial meeting with a client, through to building relationships over several
years.