Oral Communication
Effective Communication
Effective communication is an essential aspect of customer care.
You can communicate with your customers in 3 ways:
Communication with customers is a two-way process - from you to your customer and from your customer to you.
So as well as the way you speak, the way you listen is also important.
Oral communication may also take place in different ways:
You can communicate with your customers in 3 ways:
- Oral or verbal communication. Speaking and listening to customers in face-to-face and telephone situations.
- Written communication. Using documents and written messages to pass on information to customers.
- Body language. Giving messages to customers by the way you behave and receiving messages from customers through their behaviour.
Communication with customers is a two-way process - from you to your customer and from your customer to you.
So as well as the way you speak, the way you listen is also important.
Oral communication may also take place in different ways:
- Personally (when the customer is in front of you).
- On the telephone.
Effective Oral Communication
We use the term effective communication to describe communication that works well for both parties. There is little point in communicating at all if you are not understood and if you do not understand the other person.
Before we examine the ins and outs of communicating with customers lets just think about the way in which we start and end our time with them.
When you arrive at your customers' premises to collect or deliver goods you should start with some form of greeting, explain whom you are and what you are doing there.
This does not have to be formal but should be polite and friendly.
Example:
Hi.
I'm Jenny from Associated Transport Services.
I've come to collect 20 pallets for XX.
(When you leave you should thank your customers and bid them farewell.)
Example:
Thanks for your help.
See you next time.
Bye.
The way you do this is not "set in stone" and will vary depending on how well you know the customers involved but it is important that you are courteous and that you feel comfortable with what you are saying.
What about your communication in between hello and goodbye?
Whilst you are with your customers there will be things that you have to say to them and things that they will want to say to you.
You should always speak clearly and use language that is appropriate to the situation. Swearing, in conversation with or in front of customers, is neither appropriate nor professional and should always be avoided.
Your tone of voice is almost as important as the words you say.
Examples:
When you tell a customer that you will do all you can to solve a problem, using a tone of voice that sounds totally disinterested, the customer will not believe the words you say.
If you apologise in a tone of voice that sounds insincere your customer will not accept that you are sorry.
Before we examine the ins and outs of communicating with customers lets just think about the way in which we start and end our time with them.
When you arrive at your customers' premises to collect or deliver goods you should start with some form of greeting, explain whom you are and what you are doing there.
This does not have to be formal but should be polite and friendly.
Example:
Hi.
I'm Jenny from Associated Transport Services.
I've come to collect 20 pallets for XX.
(When you leave you should thank your customers and bid them farewell.)
Example:
Thanks for your help.
See you next time.
Bye.
The way you do this is not "set in stone" and will vary depending on how well you know the customers involved but it is important that you are courteous and that you feel comfortable with what you are saying.
What about your communication in between hello and goodbye?
Whilst you are with your customers there will be things that you have to say to them and things that they will want to say to you.
You should always speak clearly and use language that is appropriate to the situation. Swearing, in conversation with or in front of customers, is neither appropriate nor professional and should always be avoided.
Your tone of voice is almost as important as the words you say.
Examples:
When you tell a customer that you will do all you can to solve a problem, using a tone of voice that sounds totally disinterested, the customer will not believe the words you say.
If you apologise in a tone of voice that sounds insincere your customer will not accept that you are sorry.
Barriers to Effective Oral Comm
There may be factors that get in the way of normal oral communication and make it difficult for you to enter into a conversation with your customers.
These factors could include:
These factors could include:
- Language Difficulties
- Regional Accents
- Physical Conditions Affecting Speech or Hearing
- Environmental Conditions
- The Use of Jargon
Active Listening
When customers speak to you it is important that you:
Active listening is a useful skill and requires you to:
Other customers tell you some of the things that you need to know but will leave out important pieces of information and may need your help to explain exactly what they want.
To gather this missing information you may need to ask your customers some questions.
- Know what they say.
- Understand what they mean.
- Remember what they have told you.
Active listening is a useful skill and requires you to:
- Take notice of all that the customer says.
- Listen to the tone of voice used.
- Observe the body language.
- Respond with appropriate words and body language of your own.
- Summarise what you have understood.
Other customers tell you some of the things that you need to know but will leave out important pieces of information and may need your help to explain exactly what they want.
To gather this missing information you may need to ask your customers some questions.
Questioning Techniques
When you need to obtain information from your customers or you want to find out more about something that a customer has started to explain to you it is time to ask some questions.
?
There are 2 main types of questions that will come in useful in these situations:
Examples:
Q -Can I deliver at 06.30? : A - No.
Q - Have you got any goods for collection? : A - Yes.
These questions are fine but the information gathered is limited.
In the case of the first example we know that the customer will not accept a
06.30 delivery but we do not know what time will be acceptable.
In the second instance we know that there are goods to be collected but we do not know whether there is 1 parcel or 101 parcels.
Open questions start with words such as how, who, why, where, when, what and usually result in a detailed answer.
Examples:
Q - What time can I deliver the goods? : A - Between 08.00 and 11.00.
Q - How many parcels will you need collecting today? : A - There are 53 today.
There is a place for both these types of questions and closed questions can be used to check your understanding of situations eg "Do these parcels need to be collected today?"
?
There are 2 main types of questions that will come in useful in these situations:
- Closed questions.
- Open questions.
Examples:
Q -Can I deliver at 06.30? : A - No.
Q - Have you got any goods for collection? : A - Yes.
These questions are fine but the information gathered is limited.
In the case of the first example we know that the customer will not accept a
06.30 delivery but we do not know what time will be acceptable.
In the second instance we know that there are goods to be collected but we do not know whether there is 1 parcel or 101 parcels.
Open questions start with words such as how, who, why, where, when, what and usually result in a detailed answer.
Examples:
Q - What time can I deliver the goods? : A - Between 08.00 and 11.00.
Q - How many parcels will you need collecting today? : A - There are 53 today.
There is a place for both these types of questions and closed questions can be used to check your understanding of situations eg "Do these parcels need to be collected today?"