Author: yourfirstclass

How To : Give Bad News to Customers

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What do you do when you know that you have not met your service aims?
How can you limit the damage done to the relationship with your customer?
Here are some of the ways to lessen the pain.
Before you break the bad news ( before the conversation)
  •  Look for a workaround or other temporary solution
  • Think about how you escalate this to management a service/other escalation next step and plan this ( with management?)
  • Acknowledge your negative emotions, but decide not to display them. 
  •  Expect some conflict or unpleasant reaction
  • Consider if this interaction may just be damage limitation 
  • DECIDE TO RISE ABOVE IT. 
  • Try to handle the conflict in a private setting 

As you break the bad news ( during the conversation)

  • Let the customer vent – do not interrupt 
  • Empathize
  • Be ready to explain fully if that is requested
  • Apologize ( in many cultures)
  • Offer escalation before it is requested
  • Consider offering compensation before it is requested 
  • Be ready to reaffirm the importance of the relationship
  • Make sure to follow up when things are calmer

Customer Care Skillset for Pros

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How good are you at handling customers?

However good we are, we can always get better.

Take a snapshot look of where you are at the moment and where you could grow.

1 = not currently part of my skill set
5 = a strong part of my skill set at present
1.I realise the importance of service to the success of the organisation.
1   2   3   4   5
2. I include customer service in all aspects of my job.
1   2   3   4   5
3.I adapt my service approach to my different customers.
1   2   3   4   5
4.I feel I am continuing to gain knowledge and skills in customer care.
1   2   3   4   5
5.I adapt my speaking to better communicate service.
1   2   3   4   5
6. I know & use my organisation’s service models and processes well.
1   2   3   4   5
7. I am confident that I handle conflict well.
1   2   3   4   5
8. I feel I use listening skills well.
1   2   3   4   5
9. I feel that I am flexible in my communication style.
1   2   3   4   5
10. I am very solution oriented in my approach.
1   2   3   4   5
11. I am always courteous in giving service.
1   2   3   4   5
12. I am open to the subject of customer care skills improvement.
1   2   3   4   5

Global Working Checklist

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Working in a global organisation means working across cultures.

 This checklist will make sure you are aware of the main differences in cultures in common working situations. 

It is useful to get you up to speed quickly when you work with a new culture for the first time or anytime!

Your Culture

New Culture
1. Do people use first names or last names when they first meet?
2. How important is punctuality? Does everything start exactly on time?
3. How important is the tone of the emails people write?
4. Do people work well together  before developing personal relationships?
5. How important is socialising and hospitality?
6.Would you expect jokes and humour in working situations?
7. Do people use laptops, check or answer their phones etc. in meetings?
8. Do the most important conversations take place in or out of meetings?
9. Is the style of speaking direct or indirect?
10. Does everyone-contribute equally or does the boss dominate?
11. Do people know much about your colleagues’ families?

How To: Use Questions Well

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ASKING QUESTIONS . . .

In your job managing and interacting with people, it is important that you get good information. Using questioning techniques well will get you what you want and keep relationships intact.

  •  Focus on the relevant facts
  • For more information, ask open-ended questions
  • Ask closed-ended questions to get additional details
  • Show interest to promote additional conversation
  • End the conversation

 Questions can be productive or draining. They can make people feel comfortable opening up and build trust, or cause them to become defensive.

Think about the following questions:

Why are you behind schedule?

What’s the problem with this project?

Why are you slower than the others?

What’s your problem?

Why did you do that?

Who made that decision?

 Guidelines:

Avoid using “Why? “ too much. It can sound critical or challenging.

Ask “what” or “how”, rather than “why.”

 Place the focus on the person answering.

What is your opinion?

How do you feel about doing it this way?

 Start with broad questions and move to wider applications.

What are you most pleased about, personally, in learning that?

 Choose your timing, if possible.

 Go positive and effective

Examples of effective questions include:

What is already working?

What makes it work?

What is the objective?

What are the benefits of achieving this objective?

What can we do to move closer to our objectives?

How To: Be A Good Listener – Active Listening

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Active Listening requires that you focus on the other person.

You help them feel heard using PAC:

PAC

P = Probe and Paraphrase

A = Acknowledge and Analyze

C = Clarify actions/solutions

Probe and Paraphrase

Show the person that you are interested in what they have to say.

Encourage the speaker with short verbal responses.

Avoid interrupting, making judgments, or changing the subject.

Ask open-ended questions.

Use questions to keep the conversation on track.

Restate what you think you heard.

 

Acknowledge and Analyze

Acknowledge and analyze problems and issues.

Ensure that you and the speaker are in agreement.

Acknowledge the speaker’s emotions.

  

Clarify and Confirm Actions and Solutions

Good listeners always seek clarification and confirmation of whatever

agreements have been reached. This process ensures that each person is “on

the same page.”

Listening Responses:

 Non-verbal:

To communicate understanding, interest, and acceptance

Look into the speaker’s eyes.

  • Nod approvingly.
  • Lean toward the speaker slightly.

 Paraphrase:

  • “As I understand it …”
  • “What you’re saying is …”
  • “If I could summarize …”

 

Reflect the implication:

  • “Would that mean that …”
  • Are you saying that …”
  • “Would that help with …”

 Invite contributions:

  • “What happened then?”
  • “Can you give me an example?”
  • “Tell me more about…”

 Reflect feelings:

  • “If that happened to me, I’d be upset …”
  • “How did that make you feel?”
  • “I suppose that must make you annoyed.”
  • “That must have been satisfying.”

How Culture Influences Us At Work 4: People Interacting

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The roles of men and how they should behave.

The roles of women and how they should behave.

The importance of harmony.

The importance of competition.

Social class system.

Hierarchy in business relationships.

The use of a third party.

Interaction between strangers.

How to interact with people in authority.

Crowd or audience behaviour.

The amount of socialising.

The role of the individual.

How decisions are taken.

How Culture Influences Us At Work 3: Communication

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The language we speak.                    

What should be said, what should be left unsaid. 

What is appropriate “small talk”.

Whom we should speak to, whom we should not speak to.

Whether communication should be direct or indirect.

How much emotion should be expressed.

Whether conversation should be formal or informal – and where.

The meaning of facial expressions.

The meaning of hand gestures.

The meaning of nonverbal communication.

How often we smile, whom we smile at, and the meaning of a smile.

Negotiation styles.

 


 

How Culture Influences Us at Work 1: Etiquette & Behaviour

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How we greet each other.

What’s considered common courtesy.                  

What’s considered impolite.                                        

How we show respect and disrespect.                       

What is embarrassing.                                                

What we find humorous.                                 

What is rude humour.                                            

Seating placement in a room.  

How closely we stand next to each other.

How we touch each other.

What we eat and how we eat.

The holidays we celebrate.

What we wear.

The division between home and work.