100 Quotes About Customer Service

Your tone of voice is less about what you say and more about how you say it. It enhances or diminishes the language you use, how you construct your sentences, and the way your words sound. It represents the emotional expressions of your thoughts, feelings, and attitude. Susan C. Young

It is generally believed that nearly 40 percent of your first impression will be set from the tone of your voice. Your vocal thermometer can be more impactful than the actual words you use. Susan C. Young

Your tone of voice can be conveyed in both the words you speak and in the words you write. Susan C. Young

Your tone can represent the character of your business, the strength of your resolve, and express the depths of your convictions. Susan C. Young

Does your tone match your intention? Is your tone of voice confusing or clarifying? Are you coming across to others as you had hoped? Once you begin to notice your tone, you can adjust as needed to make it work in your favor. Susan C. Young

Heed Your Speed. Are you a fast or a slow talker? Be mindful towards the person with whom you are speaking to ensure that your message is being comprehended, understood, and absorbed. If they are listening at a slower rate than you are speaking, disconnect can occur. Susan C. Young

As a professional speaker, I speak rather quickly with enthusiastic energy and emotion. This doesn’t always sit well with people who like to speak at a slower pace and need more time to process. What I have learned through years in this profession is that to be more effective I must adapt my pace to the comfort level of my audience. When I am speaking to academics, engineers, and doctors, I speak with a slower pace than the one which I use with sales people, customer services teams, or teenagers. . Susan C. Young

Align your voice value with the tone, pace, and pitch of your listeners will help you connect on all levels. Susan C. Young

Have you ever paid notice to the full sound range of your voice? If you have ever been in a chorus or a singing group, you already know that they will separate the group based on each singer’s pitch and assign their roles accordingly. While my speaking voice has a soprano pitch, my singing voice is a lower alto. Susan C. Young

A high-pitched voice may sound less authoritative, more youthful, and less experienced, whereas, a lower pitched voice may be perceived as being more authoritative, confident, and credible. It is unfortunate that listeners will make assumptions based on these differences before even knowing the depth and value of your message. Play with your ranges and find a comfortably low pitch. Practice it to see if it makes a difference in conveying more authority and brilliance. . Susan C. Young

When your speaking style is clear, confident, and concise, your listeners will perceive you as such. Susan C. Young

Developing your eloquence and enunciation will reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation and misunderstanding, making your delivery more powerful. Susan C. Young

By speaking in a competent and confident way, your message will sound more relevant and appropriate, reflecting you in a favorable light. Susan C. Young

Variety is the Spice of Life. Voices come in all shapes, tones, and sizes. Some are compelling and effective, while others are grating and agitating. Susan C. Young

Your Signature Sound. In music, voice value is categorized for singers, composers, and listeners. Whether a performer’s voice type is soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, or bass, they all have unique characteristics that make them unique and impressive. You, too, have a signature sound that is uniquely yours and makes you stand apart from the crowd. Susan C. Young

Neen James (NeenJames.com) is an eloquent and successful international speaker who stands at four-feet-eleven with a rich Australian dialect and a high-pitched voice. For years, fellow speakers with good intentions told her she needed to take voice lessons to lower her pitch to give her more depth for a compelling stage presence. With complete confidence and loyalty to her uniqueness, she ignored the naysayers and her amazing signature voice has become a powerful brand. Susan C. Young

Most people are familiar with the rich, resonant tones of James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman. Their signature voices bring strength, authority, and lyrical enjoyment. Are there aspects of your voice that you can capitalize on to make a great impression and be simply unforgettable? Susan C. Young

Think of the times that others remembered your name and used it kindly. How did it make you feel? When you use someone’s name it makes him or her feel recognized, appreciated, and special. Susan C. Young

A Sign of Respect. As our world grows more casual, we observe a tendency for everyone to use first names rather than surnames. “It is a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Young, ” has a completely different connotation than “Nice to meet you, Susan. Susan C. Young

What determines whether the usage is acceptable or inappropriate? If you want to make a great first impression with positive impact, it is essential that you know there is a difference. Susan C. Young

Using titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, Dr., etc. demonstrates respect. In previous generations, it was a social necessity and simply good manners. One would consider you rude and uncultured if you were so presumptuous as to go straight to a “first name basis.” First names can imply an intimacy that does not exist and it may offend a new person until they know you better. Be wary of making assumptions. Susan C. Young

I was raised in an era when part of respecting your elders was to call them by Mr. or Mrs. When my children were growing up, an occasional child would call me Susan. It was jarring, felt disrespectful, and I did not like it. We reached a mutual agreement and their friends began calling me Ms. Susan. Perhaps this is more prevalent in the South, however, your awareness and consideration can help prevent social missteps. . Susan C. Young

It is wise to use titles for people in positions of power, higher education, seniority, or maturity, unless otherwise instructed. This may sound old-fashioned, but practicing respectful traditions will earn you points and inevitably make you seem more cultured and sophisticated. This is especially true with older generations. Susan C. Young

To call certain people, such as your boss, teachers, professors, doctors, your parent’s friends, etc. by their first names might be considered disrespectful. It is best to err on the side of caution until you know what is appropriate. Susan C. Young

Asking permission to call someone by their first name is a gesture of gentility and consideration. And once permission is granted, the gate is open for mutual respect and mutual purpose. Simply demonstrating this courtesy before making an assumption is impressive. Once permission is granted, you have earned points on both sides. Susan C. Young

Make It Fun. Have you ever been publicly acknowledged or called upon in a room filled with people? Depending on your personality type, it can be either exhilarating or mortifying. It certainly does grab your attention, as well as everyone else’s! Susan C. Young

When I am working with groups of thirty or fewer people, there is a powerful name exercise that I do to break the ice, start with humor, and begin my program with positive energy. One by one, each person will introduce themselves using an adjective that describes their personality that starts with the first letter of their name. “Spontaneous Susan, ” “Dependable Dave, ” and “Happy Helen” are a few quick examples. The benefit for the participants is twofold: it makes each person feel good and it makes people laugh. Additionally, it enables me to learn their names so that I can integrate them into the entire presentation for full engagement and participation. Susan C. Young

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name. Susan C. Young

UN-Impressives of the Poor Listener- Thinking about what you should have done, could have done, or need to do. - Allowing your emotional reactions to take over.- Interrupting the person talking.- Replying before you hear all the facts.- Jumping to conclusions and making assumptions.- Being preoccupied with what you're going to say next. - Getting defensive or being over-eager. - One-upmanship–feeling the urge to compete and add something bigger, better, or more significant than what the speaker has to share.- Imposing an unsolicited opinion.- Ignoring and changing the subject altogether. . Susan C. Young

Being PresentYears ago, I attended a conference where the keynote speaker encouraged everyone to BE HERE NOW! It grabbed people's attention and reminded us that living, loving, listening, and laughing all occur in the present moment. Susan C. Young

Active listening requires being fully present and engaged in the moment. Susan C. Young

When you are mindfully focused, the person with whom you are communicating feels that you are making them a priority–that you value their time and their perspective. It is in these moments that we can go to deeper levels of discovery, exploration, and connection. It is one of the most valuable gifts and finest compliments you can give to another. Susan C. Young

To Become an Attentive Listener . - Observe a person’s physical presence to see how their body language aligns with their message. - Recognize what is being said on the surface.- Engage your intuition to hear the meaning, purpose, and motivation behind their message. - Be aware of your own internal responses and how you are feeling.- Put yourself in their shoes to better understand their perspective. Susan C. Young

Become keenly aware of these three layers to discover whether you're listening with interest and intent for excellent communication and understanding–or are you unintentionally sabotaging potentially phenomenal conversations. Knowledge of the listening planes will raise your awareness. And as you apply these, enjoy the surprising difference. Susan C. Young

Becoming an empathetic listener helps you to better understand how another person feels and why they communicate as they do. Susan C. Young

Your heightened awareness of their perceptions, experiences, emotions, and personality styles can reveal why they feel the way they do so that you can choose your responses wisely and compassionately. Susan C. Young

My friend John is an urgent care physician who has several patients who come to see him for various ailments on a regular basis. In addition to being brilliant and taking wonderful care of his patients, he has a unique ability to empathetically listen to his patient’s needs. One of his patients is a repeat visitor, even when she's not exhibiting symptoms. He takes the time to listen to how she's feeling and responds with kindness, empathy, and caring. He has come to realize that her visits are filling her deep need to feel validated, cared for, and understood in ways which she does not receive at home. His empathetic listening delivers incredible customer service for patient care and makes him a better health care provider. Wouldn’t it be incredible if this was the manner for not only doctors, but all professionals?. Susan C. Young

When my son Nick was five years old, he was sitting at the kitchen bar while I prepared dinner. In typical busy mother fashion, I was multitasking–cooking, cleaning, running the laundry, answering the phone, and attempting to listen to what he had to say. Susan C. Young

Listening is one of the finest ways to demonstrate our love for another human being. How many marriages could be saved, friendships healed, careers made, and opportunities enjoyed if people would simply stop what they are doing and listen deeply to what another person has to say. If practiced by everyone, this principle could be a world-changer! Susan C. Young

The process of attentive listening makes the other person feel important, valued, and heard. For Nick, listening was, and still is, love. I've never forgotten that precious moment–and the lesson! Susan C. Young

Think about the people in your life with whom you have the most engaging dialogue–the ones who will listen to you and consider your opinions regardless of the topic. They'll stop whatever they are doing to give you their full attention. They become completely present and hear you. Susan C. Young

Now let’s look at the flip side. When a diligent and caring person receives your complaint, they have the power to turn a challenge into a triumph. Through active listening, they demonstrate that your satisfaction is their top priority. They not only seek to solve your problem, but they are dedicated to re-earning your trust, your respect, and keeping your business. Susan C. Young

If you have ever experienced this type of unprofessional treatment, I doubt you would even consider giving them business in the future. Interrupting, ignoring, patronizing, or antagonizing a customer is like pouring gas on a fire and creates a more explosive situation than the original complaint. Still, it continues to happen every day, costing companies millions in lost revenue. Susan C. Young

Have you ever had a legitimate complaint as a customer which made you angry, upset, or frustrated? How was it “handled?" If you were dealing with an inept, uncaring, or untrained employee, they may have made matters even worse by being rude, defensive, or apathetic. Simple acknowledgment and validation of your complaint is sometimes all that is needed. Without it, you're left frustrated or upset. Susan C. Young

Active listening is not only a matter of making yourself available to hear someone talk, but it is showing the sender, physically, that you are receiving and understanding their message on all levels. Susan C. Young

Active listening is the ultimate "Golden Rule" for sensational customer service. Just as the important people in your life will feel more valued and appreciated when you actively listen, so will your customers. Susan C. Young

Active listening is one of the best services a company can provide. Susan C. Young

ASK YOURSELF: How can you utilize active listening to provide sensational customer service? How will this help resolve complaints from unhappy customers?- Give them your full attention and listen without interruption or defensiveness.- Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention.- Take their concerns seriously and share their sense of urgency to resolve the problem quickly.- Ask questions and focus on what they are really saying. - Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. - Beware of making assumptions or rushing to conclusions before you hear their concern fully.- Explain, guide, educate, assist, and do what’s necessary to help them reach the resolution.- Treat them with respect and empathy. When you do an amazing job of resolving an unhappy customer’s problem, you may end up impressing them more than if the problem had never occurred. You may have just earned their loyalty. forever!. Susan C. Young

This method enabled me to expand my territory and create a strong network of loyal customers for referrals and repeat business. Make active listening a deliberate part of your business plan and success strategy. You will not only grow your business, but also make wonderful friends along the way. Susan C. Young

My success with customers on the telephone wasn’t by using pushy sales methods, but by engaging people in meaningful conversations which could lead to friendships on the phone before I ever met them. I would ask questions, listen to their stories, respond to their needs, develop rapport, and earn their business. When we would finally meet in person, it felt less like an introduction and more like a reunion. It was not only good business, we had fun in the process!. Susan C. Young

For sixteen years, I had a spectacular real estate career in Tallahassee, Florida. I loved receiving telephone inquiries and making cold calls. I knew that if I could meet people on the phone, I could usually turn them into buyers. Susan C. Young

14 Ways to Become an Incredible Listener1. Be present and provide your undivided attention.2. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.3. Listen attentively and respond appropriately.4. Minimize or eliminate distractions.5. Focus your attention and energy with singleness of purpose on what the other person is saying.6. Quiet your mind and suspend your thoughts to make room in your head to hear what is said–in the moment! 7. Ask questions and demonstrate empathy.8. Use your body language and nonverbal cues constructively and pay attention to theirs.9. Follow the rhythm of their speech; hear their tone.10. Repeat and summarize what you have heard them say to confirm understanding.11. Be open-minded and non-defensive.12. Respond rather than react. 13. Be respectful, calm, and positive.14. Try to resolve conflicts, not win them. Susan C. Young

Every time you speak, you are using your voice to connect with others, whether it is in-person, on the phone, or in a recorded message. Susan C. Young

Is your voice value delivering the image you wish to convey? Is your voice coming across as smart, friendly, and positive or ignorant, rude, and negative? Susan C. Young

The way you deliver the words you say becomes your “vocal image. This "vocal image" can make or break your first impressions, impact your communication, and determine how people respond to you. Susan C. Young

What can you do to ensure that your voice value translates into impression value? Susan C. Young

Every professional voice coach worth their salt will bring you back to the importance of tone, pace, and pitch. While these concepts were introduced earlier in The Art of Body Language section, we can now elaborate and take a deeper dive into how you can use your voice to improve your communications. Susan C. Young

Being grounded in your lifelong culture and your personal perspective, you are comfortable with the way you see things and may believe it is the best and only way. Susan C. Young

Sociologically speaking, as Americans we often lack social, cultural, and mindful awareness. We hear the stories of how our arrogance has been known to offend, confuse, and alienate people from other cultures. Arrogance is the thief of mindfulness and it happens from both directions. Susan C. Young

To gain greater understanding, clarity, and awareness, you must become aware of your values and beliefs. Think of a triangle or an iceberg. Below the waterline, your beliefs and your values build the foundation for your behavior. Susan C. Young

We will judge others based on their behaviors with little to no understanding or regard for their beliefs or values–standards we may not know, nor typically see. When we do this, things can be taken completely out of context because we are assessing their behavior against our expectations, which are produced from our own personal value system. Susan C. Young

Navigating relationships within our own culture can be challenging enough. When diverse cultures are involved, however, a huge potential for misunderstanding, disrespect, miscommunication, and intolerance is present. Susan C. Young

It is crucial to understand that there are myriad interpretations of behavior. When you subscribe only to yours, you may begin to think that everyone else is wrong and thus limit your flexibility and possibility. Developing cultural awareness will make your diverse relationships easier and more productive. Susan C. Young

Prepare yourself well by learning how to be more mindful in each interaction. The effort you put forth to gain insight will empower you to make a better impression on others, while enriching your opportunities to build enlightened, trusted relationships. Susan C. Young

Conversation starters. Icebreakers. Openers. However you choose to label them, that moment when the first words come out of your mouth can make or break the outcome of your entire conversation. Been there, done that, right? Susan C. Young

Your first words will not only shape your first impression, they can create amazing connections, lead you to your dream job, or help you discover a new best friend–or accomplish exactly the opposite. Susan C. Young

Your first words will outlive your conversations and impact how you are remembered, liked, or regarded. Wouldn’t you enjoy opening conversations with ease and mutual recognition? The challenging part is that it can be. .. awkward! Susan C. Young

Meeting someone for the first time has significance, but for some people, the awkwardness can be so great that they avoid a conversation altogether. The person who may be shy, introverted, or afraid of sounding stupid may just choose to remain silent rather than take the risk of engaging in embarrassing dialogue. Susan C. Young

The space between meeting a stranger and making a new friend can be a short distance or a gaping chasm. By understanding how to open a conversation well, you will be better able to bridge the gaps and build rapport more successfully. Susan C. Young

You can certainly take the easy road and use the predictable and boring defaults like:- How are you doing?- How about this weather?- What do you do for a living?- Hi. My name is _________. What’s yours?- Blah, blah, blah, blah. Break out of the defaults you have been using for years. Shake it up. Make it fun. Make it memorable. Dive in with more engagement and interaction. Taking the initiative to be more creative will help you build a bridge to close the gap. Susan C. Young

How do you minimize the awkwardness in that moment? What are some of the conversations starters you've used to open, encourage, and support enjoyable and beneficial conversations? Susan C. Young

10 Conversation Bridge Builders1. Simply say hello with a smile.2. Ask them what they love about their work.3. Ask natural questions out of genuine curiosity. 4. Get a person talking about what’s important to them.5. Compliment something positive which you’ve noticed.6. Engage them with questions which are easy to answer. 7. Introduce them to someone whom you think they’ll enjoy meeting.8. Ask them if they have any trips or vacations planned.9. Look for something you may have in common so that the conversation begins with shared interests.10. Think of questions that begin with how, what, when, why and where. Susan C. Young

Add a fresh twist of creativity to make a stellar impression which people won’t soon forget. Granted, your venue will determine how far you can stretch and how creative you can be. Making small tweaks to your conversation starters can make a memorable impact! Susan C. Young

14 Awesome Conversation Starters1. What do you do for fun? Hobbies, recreation . 2. What are your super powers? Gifts, talents, strengths.3. Good morning! It’s great to see you! 4. What is your story? Tell me about yourself.5. What brought you to __________?6. Do you have anything special happening in your life (or your business)?7. What’s the best thing that’s happened this week?8. Are you living your life purpose or still searching for it?9. What gives you passion and makes you happy to be alive?10. Do you have any pets?11. How do you know the host?12. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 13. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?14. What's next on your bucket list? . Susan C. Young

Listening is one thing; however, ACTIVE listening is quite another. The first is a passive act which does not require great involvement, whereas, the latter is a consciously aware and deliberately focused effort to actively participate in the conversation. Susan C. Young

Think of the communication that takes place in your own life on a continuous basis–at home, at work, with friends, and beyond. When you actively listen to people, you enhance communication. Susan C. Young

Listening actively confirms for people that you are positively receiving and thoroughly understanding the message they are conveying. Susan C. Young

By your practice of active listening, everyone involved benefits because you .- are more engaged and engaging;- demonstrate that you are interested in others and what they have to say;- make others feel important, respected, understood, and appreciated; - improve your memory and retention;- affirm to others that you are an authentic, caring, and compassionate person;make a great first and last impression . Susan C. Young

If the skill of participatory listening came effortlessly and easy for everyone, there would not be so many misunderstandings, communication breakdowns, irritations, and frustrations. Susan C. Young

Active listening is key to all healthy and effective communication, however, it doesn't necessarily come easily. Susan C. Young

Through the years, I have heard that the average person speaks at about 150-160 words per minute, but can listen at a rate of about 1, 000 words per minute. What is going on during all that extra mind time? - Our minds are racing ahead and preparing for the next thing we are going to say.- We are preoccupied with other thoughts, priorities, and distractions.- Our subconscious filters are thumbing through our database of memories, judgments, experiences, perspectives, and opinions to frame how we are going to interpret what we think someone is saying. Susan C. Young

While active listening is crucial for optimal communication, we are faced with a dilemma which can perplex even the sincerest and engaged of individuals. Susan C. Young

You can have the perfect message, but it may fall on deaf ears when the listener is not prepared or open to listening. These listening "planes" were first introduced by the American composer Aaron Copland (1900-1990) as they pertain to music . 1. The Sensual Plane: You’re aware of the music, but not engaged enough to have an opinion or judge it.2. The Expressive Plane: You become more engaged by paying attention, finding meaning beyond the music, and noticing how it makes you feel.3. The Musical Plane: You listen to the music with complete presence, noticing the musical elements of melody, harmony, pitch, tempo, rhythm, and form. . Susan C. Young

When you become an actively engaged listener, you will develop the mindful awareness that active listening involves multiple layers and distinct levels. Susan C. Young

To make matters even more complicated, research has shown that we remember only 25-50 percent of what we hear. This inclination not only compromises our connection with another person, but we can fail to retain vital information. All this evidence demonstrates that it is imperative that we intentionally pay closer attention and strive to become an in-depth listener. Susan C. Young

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be a natural communicator and know exactly what, when, why, and how to speak so that your message is conveyed and received as you intend? Susan C. Young

Communicating negatively (gossiping, bragging, bullying, and criticizing) can be disastrous to your reputation, cause you to lose the respect of others, and leave a terrible impression. Why leave this essential expertise up to chance when it can make or break the success of your relations? Susan C. Young

The Art of Communication shares insights to help you communicate with a higher awareness and focused intention and meet people on their level to increase clarity and understanding. Susan C. Young

When you begin conversations with confidence and listen attentively, you will become more flexible and adaptable in most any situation. Susan C. Young

Mindfulness means paying attention to what is happening at this very moment and being keenly aware of your surroundings and the people in it. Susan C. Young

Whether your awareness is focused on your own emotions and perceptions or directed toward the preferences, needs, and feelings of others, being mindful (aware and attentive) will enable you to respond more appropriately. Susan C. Young

This deliberate focus and sensitivity allow you to "put yourself in another person’s shoes and walk around a while" to better understand where they are coming from and what they are all about. Susan C. Young

Mindfulness is a quiet strength and deeply rooted value which many other cultures understand and often practice better than we do. It can be puzzling to people from other countries as to why Americans are so task-driven and action-oriented. Susan C. Young

Developing this ability instills a sixth sense for navigating human relationships with dignity, grace, and discretion, thus making an intentional and thoughtful first impression. Susan C. Young

As Americans, we typically move full steam ahead without much regard to mindfulness or thoughtful reflection, often to one’s own detriment. Yet it is that same propensity for bold action which makes fulfilling the "American Dream" possible–where an immigrant can come to our country with nothing and achieve extraordinary things. Susan C. Young

Although it may serve you well, any strength or skill which is overused can become a limitation when it forces you to constantly be moving and looking for the next best thing. Distractions, interruptions, and incessantly chasing after the next golden ring can become the norm. Susan C. Young

Your encounters will be more successful when you slow down, pay attention, and become more mindfully aware of the world around you. Heightening your awareness in your social, situational, contextual, orientational, and cultural scenarios will improve your agility as you adapt to new social settings. Susan C. Young

With your mind alert and your eyes wide open, you will be better able to assess your space and your place for optimizing exchanges and your communication impressions. Susan C. Young

Becoming more socially aware involves greater understanding of the dynamics of social interactions to assure you achieve harmonious outcomes. Susan C. Young

When you are socially aware, you will realize whether you are forcing yourself into a conversation or have actually been invited to participate. Susan C. Young