Apply Appropriate Presentation and Interpersonal Skills in Customer Service Situations
It is pointless providing a wide range of customer facilities if staff are scruffy, ill-mannered or cannot answer basic questions. The attitude of staff is often remembered by customers long after they have forgotten what they bought at the time.
Presentation Skills
What do other people see when you approach them? Someone who looks smart and professional, or someone who looks like they fell out of bed 10 minutes ago? Presentation skills have nothing to do with good looks, but everything to do with a welcoming smile, appropriate clothes and a smart appearance.
Personal presentation - uniforms, guides on hairstyles, jewellery, discrimination
Body language - posture, facial expressions, gestures
Working environment - tidy work area, cooperation and politeness towards staff
Personal presentation - uniforms, guides on hairstyles, jewellery, discrimination
Body language - posture, facial expressions, gestures
Working environment - tidy work area, cooperation and politeness towards staff
Interpersonal Skills
These relate to your attitude and behaviour towards other people.
Attitude - Be positive, leave problems behind
Behaviour - Courteous, respectful, honesty, thoughtful
First impressions and greetings - Nice reception areas, formal and polite greetings
Interpersonal skills - Listening carefully, note taking, asking questions, positive responses, courtesy, concern, confidence, interest, thoughtfulness, respect, tact, efficiency
Responding to customer behaviour - Watch customer body language, listen for their mood, choose words and timing carefully, see the whole picture
Attitude - Be positive, leave problems behind
Behaviour - Courteous, respectful, honesty, thoughtful
First impressions and greetings - Nice reception areas, formal and polite greetings
Interpersonal skills - Listening carefully, note taking, asking questions, positive responses, courtesy, concern, confidence, interest, thoughtfulness, respect, tact, efficiency
Responding to customer behaviour - Watch customer body language, listen for their mood, choose words and timing carefully, see the whole picture
Communication Skills
You need to speak to your customers and how you do this is important. You must take into consideration:
Tone of voice - The way in which you say something, expressing yourself when you speak
Pitch - The sound that you make when you speak, high/low, loud/quiet
Language - Use appropriate language, avoid slang and jargon
Pace - The speed at which you speak, speak slowly and clearly
Listening skills - Active listening (concentrating on the speaker, notice their feelings), Reflective listening (restating what you hear at points during the conversation to check your understanding)
Tone of voice - The way in which you say something, expressing yourself when you speak
Pitch - The sound that you make when you speak, high/low, loud/quiet
Language - Use appropriate language, avoid slang and jargon
Pace - The speed at which you speak, speak slowly and clearly
Listening skills - Active listening (concentrating on the speaker, notice their feelings), Reflective listening (restating what you hear at points during the conversation to check your understanding)