From the course: Building Emotional Intelligence for Service Workers

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Recognize what your customer is really feeling

Recognize what your customer is really feeling

From the course: Building Emotional Intelligence for Service Workers

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Recognize what your customer is really feeling

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Sometimes the customer says it's fine, but you know it's not. Their voice is tight. They won't make eye contact. Their body’s stiff. Over 90% of our communication is nonverbal. Yep. 90%. For service workers, learning to read what's underneath their words and body language is essential, so you can respond with empathy. That's emotional intelligence at work. If you're misreading them, it can lead into a disaster. So start by watching more than you listen. Tone. Pacing. Posture. All of it tells a story. Are their arms crossed? Are they talking faster or slower than usual? Does their face match their words? These are clues, so pay attention to their nonverbals. You can learn a lot about a customer before they even speak. Then stay curious, not defensive. Ask open-ended questions that invite conversation. Try, “What happened exactly?” or “How can I make this right?” Asking open-ended questions is super important so you can get to the root of the issue. Closed-ended questions would be…

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