COMPONENTS OF GOOD BODY LANGUAGE AND LASTING IMPRESSIONS:
Smiling – there is nothing like a smile and pleasant face to greet a customer, especially if he/she has a complaint. A smile and polite conversation can immediately disarm a disgruntled customer. Facial expression sets a positive tone before you even begin speaking. A relaxed or pleasant facial expression is the ideal most of the time.
Eye Contact –always look into your customer’s eyes. Directly address customers.
Personal Grooming – how you look has a big impact on your customers. Dirty hands, messy hair and poor dress can mean the loss of an otherwise happy customer. When interacting with customer, dress and in a professional manner so as to command respect and to let customers know you take seriously your position.
Shaking Hands – when shaking hands with a customer, a firm and professional handshake is expected. This part of the greeting is now common among both men and women in a professional environment.
Be Attentive – when listening to a consumer, slightly lean towards your customer and nod your head ever so slightly to indicate you are listening.
Tone of Voice – always convey friendliness and amicability. Do not raise your voice in frustration or anger no matter for difficult or tiresome a customer may behave.
Hand Gestures – use hand movements to emphasize what you say (even on the phone) and emphasize your feelings.
Personal Space – this is the distance that feels comfortable between you and another person. If another person approaches you and invades your personal space, you automatically move back without thought. You are uncomfortable. Leave adequate distance between you and your customer. Adequate space is important to making customers feel secure and unthreatened.
Posture – slumping in a chair or leaning against a wall while interacting with a customer are sure signs you are not interested in the customer. Your pose or posture should express attention, friendliness and openness. Lean forward, face the customer and nod to let them know you are interested.
Observation – notice how your customer behaves and what he/she reacts positively to while you are providing service.
Remember, the little, interpersonal actions noted above mean a great deal in the area of customer relations. They can change customer perceptions and ultimately affect the success of your customer relations efforts. First impressions – You Only Get One.
Stand Tall – the way you stand affects how your clients perceive you as their real estate professional. poor posture can make you appear timid and lacking in confidence, while good posture demonstrates authority and strength. Keep your shoulders back and your back straight, even while sitting.
Align your body – your eyes aren’t the only part of your body that should be facing your clients. Make sure that your entire body is aligned with clients when speaking with them to send the signal that they have your full attention.
Smile sincerely – insincerity is easy to spot, especially in a smile. Emotions are often contagious and a natural smile will effortlessly add warmth to a conversation.
WAYS NOT TO RESPOND TO A CUSTOMER Everyday customer service representatives face situations when what they say makes or breaks a customer relationship. When wrong words or phrases used it to damage a customer positive mindset about your company. Here are “phrases and words” that should never be used because they frustrate and anger customers.
“No”
“I don’t know”
“That’s not my job / that’s not my department”
“Calm down”
“I’m busy right now”
“Call me back”
“That’s not my fault”
“You need to talk to my supervisor”
HIGHLIGHTS:
No:
Everyone hates the word “no”. It is de-motivating, discouraging and disinteresting. You will hear this word throughout your life as a customer and as a service provider. “No” is tantamount to “bad service”. “No” is easy, cheap, unproductive and negative – it means failure. Unfortunately, “no” is the word we most often hear when a new idea, request or concept is introduced. Admittedly, there are times when you will have to say “no”, but focus on what you can do for the customer (accentuate the positive) and not the negatives of the situation. Better to say “What can I do is….” and demonstrate that you care and want to provide quality service despite your current limitations.
I don’t know:
Good service means never saying, “I don’t know”. When a customer hears “I don’t know”, they hear, “I don’t feel like finding the information that you need”. Better to say, “I’ll find out” or “Let me look into this and get back to you soonest”.
That’s not my job/That’s not my department:
When a customer asks you to do something that you do not know how to do or do not have the authority to do, become a catalyst by leading the customer to the person or department who can help him/her solve the problem. Better to say, “Let me transfer to the person who can immediately help you will this problem”.
You’re right – that is bad:
Many experienced customer service representatives think by sympathizing with the customer’s plight, he/she will win over the customer rather than actually doing something to solve the customer’s problem. If a customer expresses annoyance or frustration, do not make it worse by commiserating with him/her. Empathize with the customer but seek to solve the problem. Likewise, it does not do your company or organization any good to criticize co-workers or other departments within the company or to the customers. All interested parties end up looking unprofessional and inept. Rather try your best to serve the customer well. Better to say “I understand how you feel, let’s see how we can solve this problem”.
Calm down:
When customers are upset or angry let them vent (within reason) and they will eventually calm down. Telling them to “calm down” is belittling and often serves only to infuriate them further. Better to say, “I’m sorry”. This is one of the ideal phrases for customer service – it helps to placate the angriest of customers and allows you to begin the process of solving a customer complaint or request and “meet him/her half way”. Apologizing does not mean you agree with the customer but it is a means to empathize and move beyond the emotion of the moment and negative impact.
I’m busy right now:
It is not easy to juggle customers. You are often helping one customer when another calls or visits your service area. Asking a customer to be patient or politely asking them to wait is very different than putting them off and saying you are too busy to help. Leaving them standing there or on hold are two terrible sins of customer service. “Being too busy” is tantamount to saying that you do not care and they are not important. Let the customer know they are important and you are aware of their presence. Better to say “I’ll be with you in a moment” or “Please hold and I’ll be right with you”.
Call me back:
This expression conveys little interest on the part of the customer relation’s employee for the needs and want of the customer. You should always call the customer back because you want their business and are responsive to their requests. Being proactive is part of good customer service.
That’s not my fault:
If an angry customer accuses you of creating a problem, rightly or wrongly, the natural reaction is to defend oneself. However, this is not the best course of action. The customer has a problem that needs to be solved. By resisting the need to defend yourself and focusing on the needs of the customer, you can resolve the problem faster and with less stress and confrontation. Better to say “Let’s see what we can do about this problem”.
You Need to Talk to My Supervisor:
The cliché of bad customer service has angered and frustrated customers for decades. Customers often ask for things outside the scope of your work or authority – maybe even outside the services/products provided by your company. While passing off these requests to your manager is a tempting option. It is better if you become a service hero for the customer and the supervisor. Better to say “Let me find that out for you”.