Module 1: Customer

Relationship Management

Nirupama Vaishnav Jina

Training & Development
IMA
 Session 4 – Skill Management

After analyzing the following-

what is customer service?

The skills required for providing good service

5 dimensions of excellent service

Lets now identify communication styles, types of

customer personalities and how to handle them
 Understanding Communication
Styles of the customers
Communication Nonverbal Behavior Verbal Behavior
Style Description Pattern Pattern
Pushing hard without Good eye contact; Direct and
attacking; permits Comfortable but firm unambiguous
Assertive others to influence posture; Strong, steady language; No
outcome; expressive and audible voice; attributions or
and self-enhancing Facial expressions evaluations of
without intruding on matched to message; others’ behavior;
others. Appropriately serious Use of “I”
tone; Selective statements and
interruptions to ensure cooperative “we”
understanding. statements.
 Understanding Communication
Styles of the customers
Communication Nonverbal Behavior Verbal Behavior
Style Description Pattern Pattern

Little eye contact; Qualifiers

Encouraging others to
Nonassertive Downward glances; (“maybe,” “kind
take advantage of us;
Slumped postures; of” ); Fillers (“uh,”
Inhibited; Self-denying.
Constantly shifting “you know,”
weight; Wringing “well”); Negaters
hands; Weak or whiny (“it’s really not that
voice. important,” “I’m
not sure”).
 Understanding Communication
Styles of the customers
Communication Nonverbal Behavior Verbal Behavior
Style Description Pattern Pattern

Taking advantage of Glaring eye contact; Swear words and

Aggressive others; Expressive and Moving or leaning too abusive language;
self-enhancing at close; Threatening Attributions and
others’ expense. gestures (pointing evaluations of
finger; clenched fist); others’ behavior;
Loud Voice; Frequent Sexist or racists
interruptions. terms; Explicit
threats or put-
downs.
Skills and Best Practices: Advice to
Improve Nonverbal Communication
Skills
Positive Nonverbal Actions Include:

• Maintain eye contact.

• Nod your head to convey that you are listening or that
you agree.
• Smile and show interest.
• Lean forward to show the speaker you are interested.
• Use a tone of voice that matches your message
Advice to Improve Nonverbal
Communication Skills (cont)
Negative Nonverbal Actions Include:

• Avoiding eye contact and looking away from the

speaker.
• Closing your eyes or tensing your facial muscles.
• Excessive yawning.
• Using body language that conveys indecisiveness or lack
of confidence (e.g., slumped shoulders, head down, flat
tones, inaudible voice)
• Speaking too fast or too slow.
Understanding Listening Styles of the customers

Results-style: Interested in the

bottom line or result of a message.

Reasons-style: Interested in
hearing the rationale behind a
message.

Process-style: Likes to discuss issues

in detail.
 The Keys to Effective Listening
Keys to Effective Listening The Bad Listener The Good Listener

1. Capitalize on thought Tends to daydream Stays with the speaker, mentally

speed summarizes the speaker, weighs
evidence, and listens between the
lines

2. Listen for ideas Listens for facts Listens for central or overall ideas

3. Find an area of interest Tunes out dry speakers or subjects Listens for any useful information

4. Judge content, not Tunes out dry monotone speakers Assesses content by listening to entire
delivery message before making judgments

5. Hold your fire Gets too emotional or worked up by Withholds judgment until
something said by the speaker and comprehension is complete
enters into an argument
 The Keys to Effective Listening (cont)
Keys to Effective Listening The Bad Listener The Good Listener

6. Work at listening Does not expend energy on listening Gives the speaker full attention

7. Resist Distractions Is easily distracted Fights distractions and concentrates

on the speaker

8. Hear what is said Shuts our or denies unfavorable Listens to both favorable and
information unfavorable information

9. Challenge yourself Resists listening to presentations of Treats complex presentations as

difficult subject manner exercises for the mind

10. Use handouts, overheads, Does not take notes or pay attention to Takes notes as required and uses
or other visual aids visual aids visual aids to enhance understanding
of the presentation
Barriers to Effective
Communication

• Process Barriers: involve all components of the

perceptual model of communication
• Personal Barriers: involve components of an
individual’s communication competence and
interpersonal dynamics between people
communicating
• Physical Barriers: pertain to the physical
distance between people communicating
• Semantic Barriers: relate to the different
understanding and interpretations of the
words we use to communicate
 For class discussion: Which of the barriers to
effective communication is the most difficult
to deal with? Explain.
Customer Types: Interrupter
Meet Mr. Interrupter

Characteristics Recommendations

Intense, impatient Don’t waste time, move

personality. Often quickly and firmly from one
interrupt and have a point to another. Avoid
perpetually “strained” overkill since they know
expression. Often driven what they want.
and successful people who
want results fast.
 Customer Types: Defensive
Meet Mr. Defensive

Characteristics Recommendations

Doesn’t trust any one. Avoid mistaking their silence

Resists communication as for openness to your ideas.
they a have a dislike of Stick to basic facts. Tactfully
others. Generally inject product’s advantages
uncooperative and will and disadvantages.
explode at slightest
provocation.
 Customer Types: Decisive
Meet Mr. Decisive

Characteristics Recommendations

Confident in their ability to No canned presentations. The

make decisions and stay
with them. Open to new
ideas but wants brevity.
Highly motivated by self-
pride.
key is to assist. Don’t argue
or point out errors in their
judgement.
 Customer Types: Indecisive
Meet Mr. Indecisive

Recommendations
Characteristics
Avoid becoming frustrated
They worry about yourself. Determine as
making the wrong early as possible the need
decision. They tend to and concentrate on that.
postpone all decisions. Avoid presenting customer
Want you to make with too many
decision for them. alternatives. Start with
making decisions on minor
points.
 Customer Types: Sociable
Meet Mr. Sociable
Characteristics
Friendly, talkative types who
are enjoyable to visit with.
Many have excess time on
their hands. They usually
resist the close.
Recommendations
You have to wait out these
customers. Listen for points
in conversation where you
can interject product’s
merits. Pressure close is out.
Subtle friendly close needed.
Customer Types: Impulsive
Meet Mr. Impulsive

Characteristics Recommendations

Quick to make Close as rapidly as

decisions. Impatient, possible. Avoid any
just as likely to walk useless interaction. Avoid
out as they were to walk any oversell. Highlight
in. product’s merits.