Soft Skills

Why are customers important

• There is only one boss, and whether a person shines shoes for a living or
heads up the biggest corporation, in the world, the boss remains, the
same. It is the customer!
• Customer is the person who pays everyone's salary and who decides
whether a business is going to succeed or fail. He can do it simply by
spending his money somewhere else.
• Literally everything we do, every concept perceived, every technology
developed & associate employed, is directed with this one objective clearly
in mind - pleasing the customer.
• Good customer service means:
– Providing a quality product or service
– Satisfying the needs/wants of a customer
– Resulting in a repeat customer

• Good customer service results in:

 Continued success
 Increased profits
 Higher Job satisfaction
 Improved company or organizational morale
 Better team work.
 Market expansion of services & products
What you will learn today…

 Using the right volume, tone and pace on call

 Use of care phrases
 Empathy on call
 Pro-active service on call
 Listening skills
 Polite and friendly alternatives
 Handling irate customers
 What is Communication…
art of getting your message across effectively through:
Soft skills refer to the
cluster of communication
characteristics, facility with
language, friendliness, and
optimism that demonstrate
our concern and care for
our customer’s particular
situation.
For this we need to take care of :

 Tone and Pace of interaction

 Care phrases

 Empathy

 Pro-active service

 Listening skills

 Confirm satisfaction
Tone and Pace – What is it?
Tone: manner of expression in speaking or writing
Pace: the speed of communication while speaking

How to set the Tone and Pace :

• Volume – speak so the customer can hear you clearly. If the customer states they cannot
hear you, or if you are asked to repeat information, your volume may need to be adjusted.

• Rate – speak at a comfortable pace for the customer. If the customer is a fast speaker,
adjust your pace to align with their needs. If the customer is having difficulty understanding
and/or speaks slowly, adjust your pace to fit their needs.

• Voice Inflection – speak with a smile and energy in your voice. Change the volume and
emphasis of words to help the customer understand more clearly the critical pieces of the
information being shared.
Emphasis on word highlighted …
Care Phrase – What is it?
A care phrase is a positive statement made to affirm your willingness to work with
the customer to solve their problem.

When to use: When customer shares their first query & for any subsequent new
query. We can also use it when customer appreciates our service.

When not to use: When customer shares a concern or negative feedback.

Example of care phrase:

“Absolutely”
“I’ll surely help you”
“Certainly”
“I will be happy to assist you”
“Definitely”
“My pleasure/Pleasure is ours”
“Your are most welcome”
Empathy – What is it?
Showing empathy means understanding, and being sensitive to, the feelings,
thoughts, and experiences of the customer. It doesn’t mean you have to
agree with customer who is expressing negative thoughts. It just means that
you recognize that point of view.

When to use:
Whenever customer shares a problem or expresses a concern.

Examples:
‘I understand this can be very frustrating
‘I’m sorry for the delay in getting back with you (as appropriate).’
‘I understand the process requires several steps’
Pro-Active Service – What is it?

• Pro-active service is demonstrated when you anticipate the customer’s

needs or expectations and respond to them in advance of being asked.

Examples of Pro-Active service :

• Explain what the customer can expect if their problem was not resolved
on the first call. What steps you will be taking and what steps the
customer can take.
• Educate the customer in a way that may avoid future similar problems.
 We say "Wow, he speaks so well”
whenever we see someone with great communication
skills.

Ever wondered why we almost never say,

“Wow, he listens so well”??
 Have you ever seen an English
Listening Institute or a Center for
Advanced Listening Skills or French
Listening Academy?

We treat “listening” like a poor cousin of

“speaking”, though it is equally important.

Five simple Mantras

The best time to improve your listening
skills is now:
1. Don’t speak when someone else is speaking
If both you and I speak at the same time, none of us listens and nothing
gets communicated.

If customer is speaking, wait for him to finish and if you accidentally start
speaking when customer has taken a pause long enough stop if customer
starts again. “I am sorry, please carry on”

2. Don’t think of the reply when the other guy is speaking

If your mind is busy thinking of the rejoinder, you miss out on what
someone is saying. This ironically, reduces the quality of our reply because
we have missed parts of the original question.

Let customer finish and then think. If you need time to think of a reply, just
tell him, “Please allow me a minute to go through the details”
3. Paraphrase

Hitler, the pig is dead! OR, Hitler the pig is dead!

Do you get the difference between these two sentences? (If yes, say what
each of them means in the comments below!)

The other guy would convey such differences through variations in tone
and it’s very easy for the speaker to convey it wrongly or for you to mis-
hear it.

That’s the reason why smart people paraphrase.

Repeat whatever he has said to the speaker (preferably, in different words,

only the vital parts) and ask him if you have understood it correctly.
4. Ask again if in doubt

“Mr. Zee is a pig”

Did he say “Mr. Zee, the pig..” or did he just call Mr. Zee a pig?

Never grapple with such questions yourself.

Ask the speaker, “Did you mean…..or……?”

This alone will set you apart from the majority because most of us prefer
to remain confused about what the other guy said or make our own
assumptions instead of confirming it with the speaker.
5. Take down vital notes during conversation

It is very important to take notes during the customers conversation. You

don't necessarily have to take down everything just the gist of the
situation. You need to know the what, when and where of the problem. It
makes it easier to communicate with the customer when they feel
confident that you understand their particular situation. You also need
that information when you are going through coverage information as to
provide them with a remedy.
6. Get rid of distractions

Ringing mobile phone, a TV, a side talk with someone else, typing on your
computer to finish the last line of that email – all these are distractions
which take away your attention from the speaker.

If you are in the middle of something, tell him to hold on while you quickly
finish what you are doing. Turn the phone on silent and switch off the TV.

100% attention is the first ingredient of good listening. You can’t listen to
someone and do something on the sidelines.
 Polite and Friendly Alternatives
• Let’s Avoid:
– I don’t know
– No
– That’s not my job
– You’re right this is bad
– That’s not my fault
– Calm down
• Let’s use:
– I’ll find out.
– What I can do is…
– Let me find the right
person who can help you
with
– I understand how you
feel
– Let’s see what we can do
about this
– I apologize
Confirm Satisfaction
Prior to ending any customer interaction, ask the customer…
“Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
What does the Customer Desire?

• Friendliness

• Empathy

• Fairness

• Participation

• Alternatives

• Information
How to handle irate customers
1. Remain calm.

2. Don’t take it personally

3. Use your best listening skills

4. Actively sympathize

5. Apologize gracefully

6. Find a solution

7. Take a few minutes on your own

End of Training

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