Customer Experience: Communication

Language is important.  What we say to others, both customers and co-workers, affects our relationships with them.  How we say it, our tone of voice and our body language, conveys a message as well.

The single biggest mistake we make in customer service is assuming we've communicated effectively with someone when in fact, we haven't.
The second biggest mistake we make is assuming our communication creates a positive customer experience, when in fact, it doesn't.

In personal, face-to-face communication, the goal is to create feelings of trust.  You want customers to know that this is a good, safe, fun place to be, that you are professional, caring and know your stuff.  How you communicate reinforces that image or destroys it quickly.  How you communicate creates a positive experience or it doesn't.  There isn't much in-between.

Communication that builds a positive customer experience is authentic, coming not just from a script or a template, but from the heart.  It's filled with a faith in the goodness of people, faith in the quality of your organization, and faith that conveys to the customer: this is a good place to be.  It reflects the positive energy of the person trying to connect.  That's why I love the photo of the bird.  We reflect what's inside of us when we communicate.  Let's make that communication a positive experience for customers and co-workers.

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