Customer Communication Training Aid by kirsty DAY

CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION TRAINING GUIDE

Megan Evans, Marie Andrews, Kara Shand, Kirsty Day

Why efficient internal and external communication is important Internal communication

It is important to have efficient internal communication within the business for many reasons, for example:  Efficient internal communication is likely to lead to increased productivity within the business.  Efficient internal communication is likely to create a better understanding of the businesses values and goals within in employees and therefore increase the chances of meeting these.  Efficient internal communication is likely to reduce conflict between members and therefore increase staff morale and motivation.  Efficient internal communication is likely to increase the businesses employee retention rates. (Peetom, 2012)

External communication

It is important to have efficient external communication within the business for many reasons, for example:  Efficient external communication is likely to increase customer retention levels within the business (Quirke, 1996, p.75).  Efficient external communication allows for interactivity with external customers and is therefore likely to lead to efficient problem resolution (Buttle, 2008, p.217).

How we can improve customer communication? Transactional Analysis

Transactional Analysis (TA) is the idea developed by Eric Berne which demonstrates the different ‘psychological positions and personality structures of individuals involved in interpersonal interactions’ (Park & Harrison, 1993, p.21). The three different positions of TA are:  Child ego-state (when an individual replays behaviours from their childhood)  Parent ego-state (when an individual uses behaviours copied from parent-figures)  Adult ego-state (when an individual uses behaviours reflecting grown-up resources) (Stewart, 1989, p. 21) According to Berne individuals ego states influence the flow of communication (http://www.communicationandculture.co.uk).

How to use TA to provide excellent customer communication:  Ensure that transaction is complementary, for example when those communicating are both in parent ego-states, as demonstrated in the diagram. By ensuring that transaction is complementary, it is ensured that communication is of a high standard and therefore can continue for as long as those involved require. (http://www.hull.ac.uk).  Help communication by encouraging the customer to shift ego state when and if needed. For example, if behaviours being displayed by the customer because of their current ego state prove to be a barrier to communication, they should be encouraged into another ego state. This can be done by acknowledging the

customers current ego state, for example through a response, and then encouraging them into another ego state through the words and body language that you use. For example, you could invite a person to move into the adult ego state by asking them a question or asking their view on a matter (http://www.hull.ac.uk). Benefits of TA:  Can help to enable strong and effective communication.  Can help to both encourage and better customer communication and therefore relations.

SERVQUAL

SERVQUAL is the idea based on research by Zeithaml et al that there are five dimensions that customers use in order to evaluate the quality of service that they receive (Allen, 2008). These five dimensions are:  Tangibles (physical facilities including; equipment, employees and communication facilities)  Reliability (ability to perform promised service accurately)  Responsiveness (helping customers and promptly providing service to customers)  Assurance (ability of employees to transmit knowledge, trust and confidence to customers)  Empathy (caring nature shown towards customers) (Kumar et al. 2010 p.354) Dimensions deemed most important to customers (http://serviceperformance.com)

How to use SERVQUAL to provide excellent customer communication:  Tangibles such as employee appearance and uniform should ‘look good’ in order to portray a good impression to customers (Allen, 2008).  In order to show reliability it is important to ‘do what you say you’re going to do when you said you were going to do it’ (Allen, 2008). For example, this could be through ensuring that all work is completed on time.  In order to show responsiveness it is important to respond to customers quickly, this may for example be through responding to e-mails within a certain time frame (Allen, 2008).  In order to show assurance it is important to show customers that employees are experts at the service they are providing. This can for example be through ‘raising customer awareness of your competencies’ (Allen, 2008).  In order to show empathy it is important for employees to show that they care about the customer, this could for example be through actions such as making eye contact and smiling (Kumar et al. 2010 p.354). Benefits of SERVQUAL:  Enables the business to assess service quality from the customer’s point of view. Also allows the business to establish customer expectations and then track them over a period of time (Naiko & Toorawa, 2012, p.27).  Enables competitor comparisons to be made (Naiko & Toorawa, 2012, p.27).

EMOTIONAL AND INTELLECTUAL QUOTIENT

Two aspects of EQ 

Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, behaviour and all.

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Understanding others and their feelings

Five 'domains' of EQ 

Knowing your emotions

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Managing your own emotions

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Knowing yourself

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Recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions

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Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE REFERS TO THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE, CONTROL AND EVALUATE EMOTIONS.

Q: Are you emotionally intelligent? A: do you consider yourself to be emotionally intelligent, find out by logging on to http://www.ihhp.com/?page=freeEQquiz and taking the free quiz. Q: Do you understand EQ? A: every individual possesses a different level of emotional intelligence, it provides us with various skill such as the ability to manage relationships, navigation skill and leadership qualities with the ability to empower and inspire others. Developing EQ promotes:  Self-awareness, enabling you to

e recognize emotions as they happen s s

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 Emotional management, allows t feelings you to remain aware of your h e o r g a n

 Effective communication, gives you the ability to effectively communicate your thoughts and express yourself.  Social awareness, gives you the ability to tune in to the emotions of others, and remain aware of what’s’ going on around you.  Conflict resolution, being emotionally intelligent equips you to [Click here to add a caption] handle conflict and provide resolution. Contact Us

“Success requires the effective awareness, control [Company Name] and management of one's own emotions, and [Street Address] those of other people” – Goleman [City, ST ZIP Code] [Telephone] Developing [Email address] our Emotional Intelligence in the five EQ domains, allows us [Web address] our productivity and become more successful at what we do. to enhance

It also enables us to help others to be more productive and successful too. The process and outcomes of Emotional Intelligence development also contain many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony. The ability to remain aware of your own emotions and others as well as effectively expressing your thoughts, enables better customer relations and communications. INTELLECTUAL INTELLIGENCE IQ stands for ‘Intelligence Quotient’ and is a numerical score based on standardised tests which attempt to measure intelligence. Q: What’s your IQ? A: Find out for free by logging on to: http://www.lumosity.com/landing_pages/109?gclid=CMTnJ2647YCFTMdtAodak4AZA Dr. Arthur Jensen stated that people with scores from:

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Most IQ tests involve a number of problems which must be solved in a set time frame, under supervision.

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The areas tested consist of verbal knowledge, perceptual speed, short-term memory and spatial visualization 

e s s t h e

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o 89-100 would be employable as r store clerks

g 111-120 have the ability to become policemen and teachers a n 121-125 should have the ability to i as professors and z excel a managers t i 125 and higher demonstrate skills o n necessary for '  eminent professors, executives, s editors n e “Actually, the intelligence Quotient is defined as e 100 times the mental age (MA) divided by the d chronological ages(CA). IQ=100 MA/CA” – Geocities.com  a s s e s

EQ and IQ are both important. Having a high IQ alone does not necessarily guarantee success! IQ highlights your ability based on statistics, whereas EQ acknowledges behavioural and character elements. We often see people who are brilliant academically, yet socially inept. To be successful and consistently deliver good customer communications, you must be effectively aware, in control and have the ability to manage your own emotions as well as the emotions of others.

Depending on your job role and what you are trying to achieve, EQ and IQ are both important in a more social job role such as a care worker or social worker, a higher level of EQ is important, in order to work to your full potential. In a less sociable job role such as a scientist a high level intellectual intelligence is key. Enhancing both EQ and IQ = Success

References

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http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/what-iq.html (last visited 24/04/13)

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http://bettsrecruiting.com/is-emotional-intelligence-more-important-thanintellectual-intelligence/(last visited 24/04/13)

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http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell.htm(last visited 24/04/13)

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http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/what-iq.html(last visited 24/04/13)

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http://www.ihhp.com/?page=freeEQquiz (last visited 24/04/13)

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Jensen, Arthur. Straight Talk About Mental Tests. New York: The Free Press, A Division of the Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1981.

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“What Does "IQ" Stand For, and What Does It Mean? Geocities. 27 June 2008 htt

References:

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. ( ) Eric Berne - Transactional analysis. Available: http://www.communicationandculture.co.uk/CommStudies/Eric%20Berne%20 %96%20Transactional%20Analysis.ppt [Last accessed 15th Apr 2013]

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. ( ) Transactional Analysis and Communication. Available: http://www2.hull.ac.uk/ifl/docs/UFA-TransactionalAnalysis.doc [Last accessed 16th Apr 2013]

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Allen, C. (2008). The 5 Service Dimensions All Customers Care About. Available: http://serviceperformance.com/the-5-service-dimensions-allcustomers-care-about/ [Last accessed 16th Apr 2013]

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Buttle, F (2008). Customer relationship management. Oxford: Taylor & Francis.

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Kumar, M. Kee, F. & Charles, V. (2010). Comparative evaluation of critical factors in delivering service quality of banks. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management. Vol. 27, pp. 351 – 376

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Naiko, D. & Toorawa, Z. (2012). Servqual model presentation. Available: http://www.slideshare.net/sandeeprajnaiko/servqual-model-presentation [Last accessed 15th Apr 2013]

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Park, H. & Harrison, J. (1993). Enhancing managerial cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity: Transactional Analysis revisited. Journal of Management Development. Vol. 12, pp. 20 – 29

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Peetoom, R. (2012). Internal communication – Benefits and problems. Available: http://zurmo.org/features/internal-communication-benefits-andproblems [Last accessed 20th Apr 2013]

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Stewart, I. (1989). Transactional analysis: image and reality. Employee Counselling Today. Vol. 1, pp. 21 – 24 Quirke, B. (1996) Putting communication on managements agenda. Journal of communication management. Vol. 1, pp. 67 – 79

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 

p://www.geocities.com/rnseitz/Definition_of_IQ.html (last visited 24/04/13)

References 

http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/what-iq.html (last visited 24/04/13)



http://bettsrecruiting.com/is-emotional-intelligence-more-important-than-intellectualintelligence/(last visited 24/04/13)



http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell.htm(last visited 24/04/13)



http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/what-iq.html(last visited 24/04/13)



http://www.ihhp.com/?page=freeEQquiz (last visited 24/04/13)



Jensen, Arthur. Straight Talk About Mental Tests. New York: The Free Press, A Division of the Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1981.



“What Does "IQ" Stand For, and What Does It Mean? Geocities. 27 June 2008 http://www.geocities.com/rnseitz/Definition_of_IQ.html

(last visited 24/04/13)

. ( ) Eric Berne - Transactional analysis. Available: http://www.communicationandculture.co.uk/CommStudies/Eric%20Berne%20%96%20Tran sactional%20Analysis.ppt [Last accessed 15th Apr 2013]

. ( ) Transactional Analysis and Communication. Available: http://www2.hull.ac.uk/ifl/docs/UFA-TransactionalAnalysis.doc [Last accessed 16th Apr 2013]

Allen, C. (2008). The 5 Service Dimensions All Customers Care About. Available: http://serviceperformance.com/the-5-service-dimensions-all-customers-care-about/ [Last accessed 16th Apr 2013]

Buttle, F (2008). Customer relationship management. Oxford: Taylor & Francis.

Naiko, D. & Toorawa, Z. (2012). Servqual model presentation. Available: http://www.slideshare.net/sandeeprajnaiko/servqual-model-presentation [Last accessed 15th Apr 2013]

Park, H. & Harrison, J. (1993). Enhancing managerial cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity: Transactional Analysis revisited. Journal of Management Development. Vol. 12, pp. 20 – 29

Peetoom, R. (2012). Internal communication – Benefits and problems. Available: http://zurmo.org/features/internal-communication-benefits-and-problems [Last accessed 20th Apr 2013]