Deck 3: Verbal Communication Skills

Question 1

Service providers have little control over the emotional state of their customers.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

When providing verbal feedback, if the customer's body language or nonverbal cues or words indicate misunderstanding, you should pause and take corrective action.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The environment is one of the elements in an interpersonal communication model.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Eye contact with a customer should be made frequently and held for at least 30 seconds.

Question 5

Messages sent to someone through other than spoken means are called nonverbal feedback.

Question 6

Small talk with a customer is yet another way to impose a sale on a customer and should always be avoided.

Question 7

In reality, customers want to hear what you can do, not what you can't do.

Question 8

If a message is not encoded well, this can lead to a service breakdown and potential conflict.

Question 9

It is necessary to avoid using negative-sounding "you" messages as a primary means of addressing customers.

Question 10

By asking questions, you can make customers feel as if they are a part of the conversation and get them involved as you build rapport through ongoing dialogue.

Question 11

Defusing a situation with a customer by acknowledgment can be used in every unhappy situation with any customer.

Question 12

A channel is the method through which people communicate messages.

Question 13

Paraphrasing is one technique to help ensure that you have accurately received your customer's message.

Question 14

The specific practice of a message receiver giving back in his or her own words what he or she believes a sender said is called feedback.

Question 15

Feedback is transmitted either verbally or nonverbally.

Question 16

Before providing feedback, it is important to take into consideration the knowledge and skill level of the customer as part of encoding.

Question 17

All-encompassing or inclusive expressions such as always, never, and everyone are known as global terms.

Question 18

You take on the role of decoder when you initiate a message with your customer.

Question 19

The appearance of your work area can send a powerful nonverbal message to customers.

Question 20

Communication is a key element to successful customer interactions.

Question 21

As a service provider, one key element in making your customer interactions successful is ________.

A) to realize that you are the most important element in the situation
B) to communicate only with those who know you best
C) to recognize how you tend to communicate by asking those who know you best for feedback
D) to realize that everyone you know is uncomfortable with giving you feedback and may not have a different perspective

Question 22

Aggressive communication aims at expressing dissatisfaction in a manner that does not create breakdown in the relationship.

Question 23

Global terms are an effective way to build credibility with your customers.

Question 24

Good customer service requires learning to never say no, even to an unreasonable request.

Question 25

In customer service, pet peeves or hot buttons are behaviors such as ________.

A) putting someone's call on hold without permission
B) demonstrating knowledge or authority
C) answering the telephone promptly
D) exhibiting a professional appearance

Question 26

When something goes wrong, a service provider should ________.

A) look for someone else to blame
B) hide quickly so you do not have to solve the problem
C) use several policy excuses
D) take responsibility and take appropriate action

Question 27

Which of the following statements best describes noise?

A) It refers to the dialogues used in customer interactions to enhance relationships, show civility, and build rapport.
B) It is the idea or concept that you or your customer wishes to convey.
C) It is a term that describes the method through which people communicate messages.
D) It refers to the physiological or psychological factors that interfere with the accurate reception of information.

Question 28

The practice of a message receiver giving back in his or her own words what he or she believes a sender said is called ________.

A) channeling
B) decoding
C) encoding
D) paraphrasing

Question 29

The business of customer service is all about ________.

A) one-way communication
B) achieving profits
C) people
D) discouraging feedback

Question 30

To deliver quality service effectively, a service provider must ________.

A) deal with the needs of the business first
B) deal with the customer's business concerns first
C) rush in to solve the problem quickly
D) deal with the human being first

Question 31

_____ is the foundation of effective customer service.

A) Jargon
B) Two-way communication
C) Deferring responsibility
D) Paraphrasing

Question 32

________ occurs when a customer converts messages received into familiar ideas by interpreting or assigning meaning.

A) Encoding
B) Recoding
C) Channeling
D) Decoding

Question 33

A communication delivered through speech or signals is known as ________.

A) noise
B) a message
C) a channel
D) filters

Question 34

Which of the following is an element of the PLAN guide to effective communication?

A) Acquire new relationships.
B) Nurture a continuing relationship.
C) Limit interactions with customers.
D) Prevent small talk.

Question 35

Which of the following is an element of the interpersonal communication model?

A) Conflict
B) Aggressive service
C) Noise
D) Negative communication

Question 36

Dialogue that is used to enhance relationships, show civility, and build rapport is called ________.

A) paraphrasing
B) small talk
C) global term
D) pet peeves

Question 37

Which of the following statements is true of the problems associated with channels of communication?

A) Nonverbal cues like inflection and tone are unidentifiable in telephonic conversations.
B) Face-to-face conversation denies the opportunity to supplement words with nonverbal cues.
C) Written communication has the potential feeling of the message being too impersonal.
D) It is typically best to avoid face-to-face communication in an ideal world.

Question 38

Use "you" statements to foster understanding and cooperation with customers.

Question 39

You are a customer service provider. When the telephone rings, you should ________.

A) wait at least five minutes so the caller will know you are busy
B) answer it quickly even though you are still eating lunch
C) clear your head, focus on the telephone and answer professionally and cheerfully
D) look over at a colleague and nod to them to answer it

Question 40

Aggressive assertiveness is appropriate in all situations.

Question 41

Which of the following is an example of nonassertive behavior in a Western culture?

A) Briefly gathering your thoughts before responding.
B) Avoiding eye contact when talking to someone.
C) Folding the hands while talking.
D) Apologizing for mistakes and moving on with the conversation.

Question 42

Which type of behavior sustains customer relationships rather than destroying them?

A) Judgmental behavior
B) Hot button behavior
C) Aggressive behavior
D) Assertive behavior

Question 43

_____ is the response to a sender's message that allows both the sender and receiver to know that a message was received correctly.

A) Jargon
B) Small talk
C) Verbal feedback
D) Rapport

Question 44

Projecting a presence that is assured, confident, and capable without appearing arrogant is known as your level of ________.

A) rapport
B) indignation
C) aggressiveness
D) assertiveness

Question 45

Which of the following phrases is most likely to lead to a communication breakdown?

A) "Please…"
B) "I appreciate…"
C) "Listen to me…"
D) "You're right…"

Question 46

The silent bond built between two people as a result of sharing common interests is called ________.

A) rapport
B) conflict
C) noise
D) feedback

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true of feedback?

A) It is always transmitted verbally.
B) It elicits negative effects if given nonverbally.
C) It can be used only on relationships that are strong.
D) It has both positive and negative effects.

Question 48

One way to demonstrate assertiveness while interacting with a customer is to ________.

A) ask for feedback from the customer
B) avoid direct eye contact
C) use "you" statements
D) keep arms crossed and hands on your hips

Question 49

Why is it important to use positive words or phrases, rather than emphasizing the negative in a customer service environment?

Question 50

Describe nonverbal feedback. What are some examples of this type of feedback?

Question 51

What is the difference between assertive and aggressive behavior?

Question 52

Which of the following is an aggressive solution for handling customer problems or service breakdowns?

A) "You lose and I win"
B) "You win and I lose"
C) "You lose and I lose"
D) "You win and I win"

Question 53

What are filters?

Question 54

Why is nonverbal feedback sometimes more powerful than spoken or written feedback?

A) It is often subject to interpretation.
B) It is the most assertive form of feedback.
C) It prohibits negative feedback.
D) It considers distortion.

Question 55

Explain the PLAN acronym and its relevance to positive communication.