Module 10 mindfulness in customer service, businesses can only be successful to the degree that they keep their customers happy. A single bad customer service experience can affect a business as drastically as numerous positive customer service experiences. So it's vital to approach these types of interactions with a clear and mindful focus and a positive outlook, even when it appears to be a difficult experience, especially then, individually focused. When you work in a field where you interact with customers, it is important to prioritize and your customer should be your highest priority. Regardless of your position in the company hierarchy. Whether you're at the entry level or you're an executive, your customers are ultimately your boss, since without them there's no company.

Consequently, giving your customer your utmost attention in every interaction pays dividends. If customers sense that they are not being heard, they may go elsewhere. Whether you interact with them customers in person or on the phone it is important to eliminate distractions. Try to design the area where you interact with customers with this in mind. Active listening, the value of listening cannot be overestimated. However, listening involves more than simply hearing the words the customer says.

Developing the skills of active listening. Make sure that you not only hear the words your customer say, but that you understand your customers concerns on a deeper level. Here are the different aspects of active listening. Use minimal encouragers encouragers are short words or phrases that indicate to a speaker that you are paying attention to what they're saying. words, phrases and sounds such as Yes, Uh huh. Go on.

Hmm. So what happened next, etc. Encourage speakers to continue speaking. It is possible to overdo this and when you overdo it, you can give the impression that you are actually not listening. Or at the very least you run the risk of disrupting communication Through interruption. Repeat key phrases.

This is another way to encourage speakers to continue and to make them feel heard. Here's an example. The speaker says yesterday I went to the store to buy a loaf of bread. The listener can combine a repetition of a key phrase with an encourager a loaf of bread. Okay, go on, paraphrase and summarize the speaker's key points. So what I'm hearing you say is offer empathy, but make sure it is genuine.

That must have been really tough or I can see why you would be angry. Stay in the moment and listen fully. It might be tempting to interrupt because you've anticipated what else the customer is going to say. Keep in mind, however, that while you may have heard the same issue over and over from different customers, your interaction with this customer is a unique experience with a unique individual. Even if they say and do the same things exactly like what everyone else has throughout the day. They may need to fully articulate their experience in order to feel heard.

Listening fully also involves taking taking note of volume and tone of voice and pace of speech. These indicate the emotional state of your customer. By your volume, tone and pace indicate any arousal emotion, enthusiasm, perhaps, but also anger, frustration or anxiety on text matters. Keeping a pen and pad of paper handy to write down any questions or thought you might have encountered the temptation to formulate a response as the speaker is talking. However, this can take you out of the immediate moment and out of actually listening to the customer. Use this strategy sparingly when an issue is particularly complex.

Think of it as taking notes on what the speaker is telling you, bro with open ended questions. open ended questions are the opposite of closed ended questions which can be answered in a word. For example, were you able to login closed ended question with a yes or no answer. versus when you entered your username and password and hit enter what did the screen show? open ended question with a more involved answer. be genuine active listening is not about Using vocal and communication tricks to give the illusion that you care.

Active listening means you are fully present in the interaction and that you truly care about what the customer is going through. Building a rapport. Active listening is only the first step toward building a rapport with your customer. A rapport is a state of harmony between you and another person or group. Here are some strategies toward building a rapport. address the other person by name early and reinforced that were appropriate, while addressing a person by name can come across awkwardly if overdone, too much in this case is better than not enough.

Have a smile in your voice. When you smile as you speak, you insert a note of positivity into the interaction. However, a fake smile can communicate sarcasm instead. Which brings us to our next point. Use we language to indicate the collaborative nature of the interaction. Remember that as a customer service representative, you are acting as a partner with your customers.

To find a solution to a problem. employ selectively non threatening icebreakers in small talk topics, politics and religion or subjects to avoid. Remember that making small talk isn't always the best approach, especially if your customer sounds excessively angry or impatient. Be honest and genuine. If you truly do not know the answer to a question, be upfront about that, but also demonstrate a willingness to find that answer using specifics helps. Speaking with an even pace and in a lower tone of voice helps to build a rapport.

Be attentive to silence for a long silence can be uncomfortable for some people, but short silence allows you the opportunity to digest what the customer is telling you. And it indicates the customers that you are thinking about what they have said. Show agreement with a customer when you do genuinely agree, but after acknowledging agreement Express specifically why you agree. If you must disagree with a customer, give your reasons first before expressing disagreement. Be polite in your interactions. You can also compliments when genuine but don't overdo it.

Avoid offering criticism, instead offer alternatives in the form of a question. What if we tried this timing, one of the most important aspects of a mindful approach to customer services being aware of your customers moods and expectations. This involves choosing the proper timing in your interactions. If a customer seems to be operating with high levels of arousal, taking the time to ask them about their day can horribly backfire. Conversely, if a customer seems perfectly content to interact with you socially, and you rush to finish up your transition with them, this can leave them feeling as if you don't value their patronage. The ancient Greeks had two words for time, Brando's, which stood for chronological time or time as it plays out on the clock, and Kairos which stood for timing and the appropriateness for certain types of speech and action is this sense of time that is referred to here?

Good timing means paying close attention to your customer. verbal and nonverbal communication to understand what type of approach is most appropriate