COMMUNICATION IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

1 “Communication is one of the most persuasive, important,

and complex aspects of human life.” (Littlejohn, 2002, p.3)
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INFORMATION: is the content of a message, being communicated.
It is composed of 3 parts:
SENDER --> CHANNEL--> RECEIVER

COMMUNICATION: is the action of transmitting information. Its components are.

SENDER --> CHANNEL --> RECEIVER

RECEIVER <-- CHANNEL <-- SENDER

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 1. 8 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

1.SENDER: the person who transmits a message, the subject of the communication

2. RECEIVER: the person who receives the message.

3.MESSAGE: the content of the transmission. Some times it can be distorted for multiple reasons;
that is why we have to try to transmit messages in a positive way even though their content is
negative.

Ex1. Positive way: “we will find a solution to your problem.”

Negative way: “Your problem has no solution.”
Ex2. Positive way: “you won’t loose anything trying to do it.”
Negative way: “anything you do will be useless.” 4
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 two
people, or when one of the two people involved in the
communication is thinking of something other than what
the second person is saying.

6. CODE: the group of symbols used to transmit a

message. 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
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in order to achieve a good communication.
7. ENCODING AND DECODING: (Stuart Hall) This
is the process by which a message is understood.

8.FEEDBACK: This is the response of

the receiver

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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)
Here the elements of communication are
a) Source: A’s 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. B’s eye, ear
etc.)
f) Destination: B’s brain
g) 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’ 7
 COMMUNICATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

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.

INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION: in customer service there

are 2 main functions of communication:
1. DIRECT INFORMATION 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 written
documents 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. 8
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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2. Visual communication.

Messages are perceived through sight. Sign, gestures and images are very
important when communicating.
There are different media:

Letters
Complaint forms

Contracts.
Invoices

Labels

Leaflets 10
Slides, etc.
3. Tactile communication

Messages are perceived through the sense of touch.

Affection is conveyed through tactile sensations.

Shaking hands or tapping someone’s 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:

Greetings at meetings and negotiations

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Touching someone, etc.

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 OF COMMUNICATION 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: Communication within 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 communication occurs 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 in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of

sound) and

3) kinesics (the study of body movements, gestures, facial expressions, etc., as a means
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
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an effective manner.”
 success
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 a

conversation. 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.

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 4. Business Communication techniques for effective communication

WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH A CUSTOMER, THE SENDER HAS TO:

 Think before speaking, establish a logical path.

 Express yourself in a clear and correct manner taking into account the reciever’s
characteristics: language, cultural position, etc. In order to choose the correct code.

Always use positive forms of expression, do not be pessimistic, be ASSERTIVE.
 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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A. CORRESPONDENCE:

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. 18
 Etc.
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 don’t talk to the person we wanted to, note down name and position of the
person 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 yourself and your company, i.e “Hotel
Royale, Maria Gonzalez speaking, how can I help you?”

• Your tone of voice must be positive. The person calling us should feel
that we are glad to receive his/her call.

• If the person the caller wants to speak to is not available, you must note
down the message and let the caller know 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. THE INTERVIEW
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 or her and identify yourself.
• Listen carefully to understand the reason for the query.
• Ask for any explanations necessary to understand it fully.
• If possible, offer an answer inmediately, otherwise give a
time limit to offer an answer.
• Note down the result of the interview on a card including the
data of the visitor and the reason for the visit.
• Say goodbye politely.

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 D. PRESENTATIONS

TIPS

•If you have a free choice of topic - choose a subject you know well. At the end of your presentation, you will
be asked to answer additional questions, so it helps if you are knowledgeable about, and comfortable with, your
subject area.

•Think about your audience - how you can keep their attention? Pitch the content of your presentation at the
appropriate level for your audience.

•Structure your presentation well and stick to it - make sure there is a clear introduction, a body and a
conclusion. Assessors will be looking for a well-structured talk, with a logical flow and a clear beginning, middle
and end.

•Do not cram too much onto your slides - just use bullet points and key words. You want your audience to
listen to what you are telling them, not just to read ahead. Liven up your slides with pictures, photos, graphs and
where appropriate.

•Do not go into too much detail - be clear and concise and keep to time.

•At the beginning - remember to introduce yourself and your presentation confidently at the beginning,

•Do not read from a prepared script - glance briefly at notes or prompt cards instead.

•Practice beforehand - if you can, and familiarize yourself with the AV equipment.

•At the end - be sure to end your presentation confidently, rather than coming to a dead stop when you run out
of things to say. Even if you are nervous and glad to have got it out of the way, make a brief and clear
conclusion, summarizing what you have presented and then say something like: ‘That concludes my
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presentation. Thank you for listening. Are there any questions?’
 Useful expressions for presentations

Parts Expressions
Introduction •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 •Let’s start with ….

•Now I’d like to move on to …
•Another point is that…
•Also …
•Finally …

Visuals •As you can see in the picture…

•This graph shows you…
•This chart illustrates…
•Take a look at …

Summarizing •That brings me to the end of my presentation. I've talked about…

•To 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. 23
 COMMUNICATION
0. INFORMATION

1. ELEMENTS OF 3. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION according to the people involved

2. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
4. TECHNIQUES FOR EFFECTIVE
according to the sense used COMMUNICATION

1. Messenger (Source) •Auditory

2. Receiver (Destination)
3. Message •Visual
4. Medium or Channel •Tactile a. CORRESPONDENCE
5. Noise source b. TELEPHONING
6. Code •Multichannel c. INTERVIEWS
7. Encoding/Decoding d. PRESENTATIONS
8. Feedback

a) Intrapersonal
b) Interpersonal
c) Group Dynamics 24
d) Organizational
e)Cross cultural