ANSWERS
KEY TERMS
The answers to the statements (Key Terms) are placed below the statements:
assertiveness
noise
channel
nonverbal feedback
conflict
paraphrase
decoding
pet peeves
encoding
rapport
feedback
receiver
filters
sender
global terms
small talk
“I” or “we” messages
two-way communication
message
verbal feedback
1. Involves incompatible or opposing views and can result when a customer’s needs,
desires or demands do not match service provider or organizational policies,
procedures and abilities.
Answer: conflict
2. Messages sent to someone through some way other than spoken means.
Answer: nonverbal feedback
3. Involves projecting a presence that is assured, confident and capable without
seeming to be aggressive or arrogant.
Answer: assertiveness
4. The response given to a sender’s message that allows both the sender and receiver
to know that a message was received correctly.
Answer: verbal feedback
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5. Refers to factors, people or situations that irritate or frustrate a service provider
and that, left unchecked, can create a breakdown in effective service.
Answer: pet peeves
6. The silent bond built between two people when they share common interests and
issues and a demonstration of a win-win, “I care” attitude.
Answer: rapport
7. Dialogue used to enhance relationships, show civility and build rapport.
Answer: small talk
8. The practice of a message receiver giving back in his or her own words what he or
she believes a sender said.
Answer: paraphrase
9. Messages that are potentially less offensive than the word “you,” which can be
perceived as nonverbal finger pointing when emotions are high.
Answer: “I” or “we” messages
10. The stage in the interpersonal communication process in which messages received
are analyzed by a receiver in an effort to determine the sender’s intent.
Answer: decoding
11. The stage of the interpersonal communication process in which a receiver
responds to a sender’s message.
Answer: feedback
12. Psychological barriers in the form of personal experiences, lessons learned,
societal beliefs, and values through which people process and compare
information received to determine its significance.
Answer: filters
13. Refers to physiological or psychological factors (physical characteristics, level or
attention, message clarity, loudness of message, or environmental factors) that
interfere with the accurate reception of information.
Answer: noise
14. Potentially inflammatory words or phrases used in conversation. They tend to
inappropriately generalize behavior or group people or incidents together (e.g.,
always, never, everyone, everything, all the time).
Answer: global terms
15. One of the two primary elements of a two-way conversation. Originates messages
to a receiver.
Answer: sender
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16. One of two primary elements of a two-way conversation. Gathers the sender’s
message and decides how to react to it.
Answer: receiver
17. A communication delivered through speech or signals, or in writing.
Answer: message
18. Term used to describe the method through which people communicate messages.
Answer: channel
19. The stage in the interpersonal communication process in which the sender decides
what message will be sent and how it will be transmitted, along with
considerations about the receiver.
Answer: encoding
20. An active process in which two individuals apply all the elements of interpersonal
communication in order to effectively exchange information and ideas.
Answer: two-way communication
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ASSESSMENT CHECK
Learning Objective 1
Explain the importance of effective communication in customer service.
1. What is the easiest way to find out how you communicate?
Answer: The easiest way is to ask those who know you best. Unfortunately, many
people are leery about requesting feedback, while most have difficulty giving
feedback because they never learned how to do it or are uncomfortable doing it.
You should ask a variety of people, because each person will likely have a
different perspective.
2. What is there about you that communicates volumes about the organization and
its focus on satisfaction?
Answer: Your appearance, actions and ability to communicate say volumes about
the organization and its focus on customer satisfaction.
3. What is the importance of effective communication?
Answer: You represent your organization, and customers will respond according
to you and your actions.
Learning Objective 2
Recognize the elements of effective communication in customer service.
1. Explain two-way communication.
Answer: It is a process in which the individuals apply all the elements of
interpersonal communication (listening, feedback, positive language) in order to
effectively exchange information and ideas. Part of the process is deciding which
channel best ensures clear message delivery.
2. What are the elements in the interpersonal communication model?
Answer: The model consists of the environment, sender, receiver, message,
channel, encoding, decoding, feedback, filters and noise.
3. Describe the element of noise in the interpersonal communication model.
Answer: Noise consists of physiological or psychological factors (your physical
characteristics, level of attention, message clarity, loudness of message, or
environmental factors) that interfere with the accurate reception of information.
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Learning Objective 3
Avoid language that could send a negative message and harm the customer
relationship.
1. How would you avoid negative communications?
Answer: Use positive words or phrases, rather than emphasize the negative.
2. Why are global terms such as always, never, everyone, all to be avoided?
Answer: If you use one or more of these all-encompassing phrases and if your
customer can give you just one example of an instance where your statement is
not true, your credibility comes into question and you might go on the defensive.
3. What is involved in verbal finger pointing?
Answer: This tactic involves the use of the word you, as in “you didn’t follow the
directions I gave you.” This is like pointing your finger at someone or using a
patronizing tone to belittle them. People are likely to react powerfully and
negatively to this type of treatment.
Learning Objective 4
Project a professional customer service image.
1. Name a few words that the text lists as builders of customer relationships. Why
are those good words? Do you think they should be used in writing all the time?
Why or why not?
Answer:
Please
You’re right
Thank you
May I?
I can . . . .
What do you think?
Often, some
I appreciate . . . .
Probably one should use these all the time because just as you can turn off a
customer with your word choice, you can also win them over.
2. You should make your customers feel special and valued no matter what type of
work you do. Why will doing this lead to fewer instances of dealing with unhappy
customers?
Answer: You will get dividends of increased customer satisfaction, higher levels
of customer trust in the organization, and reduced stress for you.
3. Why should you modify your wording when you ask customers to come back
again or you say something such as “Thank you, please come back soon”?
Answer: The key is to sound more personal so you may want to change it so it
sounds more personal and the next person in line does not hear the same words.
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4. What does taking or accepting responsibility mean when someone has failed to
satisfy the customer?
Answer: Take responsibility for what you do or say. Don’t blame others or hide
behind the “they said” or “policy says” excuses. When something goes wrong,
take responsibility to work to resolve the problem.
5. What are positive “I” or “we” messages?
Answer: These in addition to avoiding “you” statements, the use of “I” and “we”
focus on what you can do for the customer. Using “I” or “we” messages goes a
long way in subtly letting the customer know that you have the knowledge,
confidence and authority to help out.
Learning Objective 5
Provide feedback effectively.
1. How may feedback be transmitted?
Answer: Feedback may be transmitted verbally (with words) or nonverbally
(through actions or inaction).
2. Explain verbal feedback.
Answer: This is the response given to a sender’s message that allows both the
sender and receiver to know that a message was received correctly.
3. What message can one learn from watching body language?
Answer: The way in which someone sits, stands, gestures, positions his or her face
and the use of facial expressions can send positive or negative messages.
Learning Objective 6
Use assertive communication techniques to enhance service.
1. What is assertiveness tied to?
Answer: Your level of assertiveness is tied directly to your style of behavior.
Some people are direct and to the point while others are calm and laid back.
Neither style is better or worse than the other.
2. Explain the meaning of assertiveness.
Answer: Assertiveness involves projecting a presence that is assured, confident
and capable without appearing aggressive or arrogant.
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Learning Objective 7
Understand key differences between assertive and aggressive behavior.
1. Explain how you may be labeled assertive or aggressive.
Answer: The manner in which you nonverbally or verbally approach, address,
and interact with customers may label you as either assertive or aggressive.
2. How would you project an assertive image through your posture rather than an
aggressive one?
Answer: You should stand or sit erect but not rigidly. Occasionally lean forward
to emphasize key points.
3. What are some causes of conflict?
Answer: Common ones are conflicting values and beliefs, personal style
differences, differing perceptions, inadequate or poor communication, contrary
expectations, inadequate communication , goals that are out of sync with reality,
opposition over shared resources, outcomes dependent on others, and misuse of
power.
4. Provide several strategies you may use to deal effectively with conflict.
Answer: Ways to deal with conflict include:
 Remain calm.
 Be proactive in avoiding conflict.
 Keep an open mind.
 Identify and confront underlying issues immediately.
 Clarify communication.
 Stress cooperation.
 Focus resolution efforts on the issues.
 Follow established procedures for handling conflict.
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CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
Learning Objectives 1, 2
1. Why would knowing how you communicate be important to establishing effective
two-way communication
Answer: A key element in making your interactions with customers successful is
to recognize how you tend to communicate. Since two-way communication
involves a sender and a receiver, each contributes to the communication process.
Deciding which channel is the best to use is part of the process of clear message
delivery.
2. Where in the interpersonal communication model do you find decoding; what
does decoding do to the process?
Answer: Decoding occurs as you or your customer converts message received
into familiar ideas by interpreting or assigning meaning. Depending on how well
the message was encoded or whether filters interfere, the received message may
not be the one originally sent.
Learning Objectives 3 and 4
3. How are avoiding negative communication and communicating positively
related?
Answer: Use positive words or phrases rather than emphasize the negative. Your
choice of words or phrasing can lead to satisfaction or to confrontation or it can
destroy a customer-provider relationship. Avoid words or phrases that damage a
customer relationship, such as global terms. Avoid “finger pointing” terms, also,
which usually involve the use of the word you.
Learning Objectives 6 and 7
4. Explain the difference between using assertive versus aggressive language with
customers.
Answer: Assertiveness is tied to your style of behavior and is good for problem
solving. Using aggressive language may escalate the problem. The tone and the
way in which questions and comments are made to a customer may signal
aggressive behavior. Good examples of the attitude/tone are shown on pages 76
and 77 in Chapter 3. The Customer Service Success tip on pages 76-77 also
emphasize how the two may differ.
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5. Explain conflict and give examples of ways it can be exhibited.
Answer: Conflict should not be viewed as either positive or negative. It is an
opportunity to identify differences that need to be addressed with internal or
external customers. Conflicts can occur between individuals, groups and an
individual, an individual and an organization, organizational groups, and even
between organizations.
PRACTICE TEST ANSWERS
TrueFalse
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. F
7. T
8. F
9. T
10. T
11. F
12. F
13. T
14. T
15. F
Learning
Objectives
LO1
LO1
LO2
LO2
LO3
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO5
LO5
LO6
LO7
LO7
Page
62
62
62
63
64
64
65
66
67
71
73
74
74
76
77
MultipleChoice
1. D
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. A
10. D
11. B
12. A
13. B
14. B
15. D
Learning
Objectives
LO1
LO2
LO3
LO3
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO4
LO5
LO5
LO6
LO7
LO7
Page
62
63-64
64
64
64-68
65-66
66
67
68
68-69
73
73
74
76
79
.
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