Web Extras – Customer Communicator

Communication tops the agenda — Expand and sharpen your communication skills this month by keeping the following different types of listening in mind when communicating with customers.

May is civility month — How civil are you when it comes to your dealings with other people? The following self-test will help you gauge your civility score and understand how your words and actions are impacting others.

How do you respond to stress? — April is Stress Awareness Month. Are you ready to handle the job-related stress that comes your way? Here are three helpful exercises.

Are you an effective listener? — To be able to listen effectively is a critical skill for customer service people. To assess your skills, try this listening skills self-quiz and keep in mind the recommendations of Joe Takash, author of Results Through Relationships.

• Effective Listening Self-Quiz
• Recommendations for Effective Listening

February is National Time Management Month — An article in The Customer Communicator reminds frontline service professionals to make the most of their time. Here are two helpful tools:

• Interruptions Log
• Time Management Self-Quiz

Put it in writing — Sending personal notes to customers is one way to show your appreciation for their business and to help build more long-lasting relationships. Here’s an example of how The Reader’s Digest Association thanked customers during Customer Service Week.

Use December to take a look back. People who use goal-setting effectively have lower levels of stress and anxiety and higher levels of performance. Use these practical tips to set your personal and professional goals.

Giving thanks — The Customer Communicator newsletter suggests that we use the Thanksgiving season as a time to show our appreciation to coworkers. Here are some do’s and don’ts for showing your appreciation.

Do what you can to create a culture of motivation in the workplace — In this month’s issues of The Customer Communicator and SkillSharpener, Dr. Bob Nelson of RecognitionPRO offers suggestions to reps on how they can motivate themselves and to managers on how they can create a culture of motivation. In the following excerpt from Nelson’s 1501 Ways to Reward Employees, he offers additional advice to managers on how they can leverage low-cost recognition tools for the greatest impact.

What goals do you have for yourself? — The ability to motivate yourself begins with clearly defined goals. In recognition of Self-Improvement Month, Professor Burton shares his goal-setting checklist.

Make ’em laugh — With National Tell-a-Joke Day happening this month, the August issue of The Customer Communicator covered how to inject a little humor into the work day. Here are three humorous true tales of service misunderstandings.