Communication - Part I

Today’s discussion focuses on Communication. We will start by trying to understand what communication is before moving ahead to break it down to its component parts. The first question before the learning takes off would be: “What is Communication?”

 

According to popular definitions from customer service trainings, “Communication can be described as the art of passing an ENCODED MESSAGE through a MEDIUM to the RECEIVER who will utilize the message for the achievement of the INITIAL INTENT or DEMAND”.

 

If this is true about the term, we are saying that communication normally takes place between the minimum of two persons. This involves two entities who must always take cognizance of the significance of feedback as they communicate.  For communication to be complete, the encoder must have gotten a feedback through the medium utilized.

 

As such, the following are very vital to the art of communication:

1.    The Encoder

2.    The Message

3.    The Medium

4.    The Receiver

5.    The feedback

 

It should never be forgotten that “Communication can never be complete without a feedback from the receiver of the encoded message”. This is a known fact that takes us to another significant element of communication “Listening”.

 

Listening is the act of attentively – Word Web. It is the process of constructively extracting information from an encoder’s message. (Adewusi, 2011). It should also be noted that the encoder in customer service is the CUSTOMER. Hence everything must be done to actively listen to the customer’s encoded message. Professionals would be more successful if they learn to listen better. The art of listening stands to improve not only our lives, it also enhances how much our spouses, children, parents, friends and colleagues appreciate the attention we give them. Listening is perhaps the most difficult thing we do, and an increased ability to listen will make each of us better associates, and better people (Louthan, 2009).

Communication can be described with words such as conversation, discussion, negotiation, agreement required, democratic, two or more parties. It is different from authoritative dishing out of instructions that is also known as a monologue. A monologue is a speech made to oneself. It could also be a long speech that does not allow any participation from others. This vivifies the difference of communication from monologues. Communication is more of a dialogue that happens between two or more persons. It is more creative and effective than monologues which are naturally characterized by Solo speech, Utterance, Soliloquy, Coercion, No agreement, Autocracy, One party etc.

 

Essentials of Communication include the following: Sounds, Images and Gestures. They all contribute to the quality of success achieved in communication. Sounds represent the way the encoded message is heard, while images are the pictures the encoder is trying to create. Gestures are ways in which both the encoder and the decoder react to the information deciphered from the encoded message. It has so much to do with the feedback or body language from the stakeholders or the parties to the communication.

 

Conclusively, this part of the lecture successfully introduces communication as an art that happens between two or more persons. Emphasis is placed on feedback from the parties involved and as such listening also becomes very important if there must be successful communication of ideas.

Communication - Part I

Today's discussion focuses on Communication. We will start by trying to understand what communication is before moving ahead to break it down to its component parts. The first question before the learning takes off would be: "What is Communication?"

 

According to popular definitions from customer service trainings, "Communication can be described as the art of passing an ENCODED MESSAGE through a MEDIUM to the RECEIVER who will utilize the message for the achievement of the INITIAL INTENT or DEMAND".

 

If this is true about the term, we are saying that communication normally takes place between the minimum of two persons. This involves two entities who must always take cognizance of the significance of feedback as they communicate.  For communication to be complete, the encoder must have gotten a feedback through the medium utilized.

 

As such, the following are very vital to the art of communication:

1.    The Encoder

2.    The Message

3.    The Medium

4.    The Receiver

5.    The feedback

 

It should never be forgotten that "Communication can never be complete without a feedback from the receiver of the encoded message". This is a known fact that takes us to another significant element of communication "Listening".

 

Listening is the act of attentively – Word Web. It is the process of constructively extracting information from an encoder's message. (Adewusi, 2011). It should also be noted that the encoder in customer service is the CUSTOMER. Hence everything must be done to actively listen to the customer's encoded message. Professionals would be more successful if they learn to listen better. The art of listening stands to improve not only our lives, it also enhances how much our spouses, children, parents, friends and colleagues appreciate the attention we give them. Listening is perhaps the most difficult thing we do, and an increased ability to listen will make each of us better associates, and better people (Louthan, 2009).

Communication can be described with words such as conversation, discussion, negotiation, agreement required, democratic, two or more parties. It is different from authoritative dishing out of instructions that is also known as a monologue. A monologue is a speech made to oneself. It could also be a long speech that does not allow any participation from others. This vivifies the difference of communication from monologues. Communication is more of a dialogue that happens between two or more persons. It is more creative and effective than monologues which are naturally characterized by Solo speech, Utterance, Soliloquy, Coercion, No agreement, Autocracy, One party etc.

 

Essentials of Communication include the following: Sounds, Images and Gestures. They all contribute to the quality of success achieved in communication. Sounds represent the way the encoded message is heard, while images are the pictures the encoder is trying to create. Gestures are ways in which both the encoder and the decoder react to the information deciphered from the encoded message. It has so much to do with the feedback or body language from the stakeholders or the parties to the communication.

 

Conclusively, this part of the lecture successfully introduces communication as an art that happens between two or more persons. Emphasis is placed on feedback from the parties involved and as such listening also becomes very important if there must be successful communication of ideas.

Communication - Part I

Today's discussion focuses on Communication. We will start by trying to understand what communication is before moving ahead to break it down to its component parts. The first question before the learning takes off would be: "What is Communication?"

 

According to popular definitions from customer service trainings, "Communication can be described as the art of passing an ENCODED MESSAGE through a MEDIUM to the RECEIVER who will utilize the message for the achievement of the INITIAL INTENT or DEMAND".

 

If this is true about the term, we are saying that communication normally takes place between the minimum of two persons. This involves two entities who must always take cognizance of the significance of feedback as they communicate.  For communication to be complete, the encoder must have gotten a feedback through the medium utilized.

 

As such, the following are very vital to the art of communication:

1.    The Encoder

2.    The Message

3.    The Medium

4.    The Receiver

5.    The feedback

 

It should never be forgotten that "Communication can never be complete without a feedback from the receiver of the encoded message". This is a known fact that takes us to another significant element of communication "Listening".

 

Listening is the act of attentively – Word Web. It is the process of constructively extracting information from an encoder's message. (Adewusi, 2011). It should also be noted that the encoder in customer service is the CUSTOMER. Hence everything must be done to actively listen to the customer's encoded message. Professionals would be more successful if they learn to listen better. The art of listening stands to improve not only our lives, it also enhances how much our spouses, children, parents, friends and colleagues appreciate the attention we give them. Listening is perhaps the most difficult thing we do, and an increased ability to listen will make each of us better associates, and better people (Louthan, 2009).

Communication can be described with words such as conversation, discussion, negotiation, agreement required, democratic, two or more parties. It is different from authoritative dishing out of instructions that is also known as a monologue. A monologue is a speech made to oneself. It could also be a long speech that does not allow any participation from others. This vivifies the difference of communication from monologues. Communication is more of a dialogue that happens between two or more persons. It is more creative and effective than monologues which are naturally characterized by Solo speech, Utterance, Soliloquy, Coercion, No agreement, Autocracy, One party etc.

 

Essentials of Communication include the following: Sounds, Images and Gestures. They all contribute to the quality of success achieved in communication. Sounds represent the way the encoded message is heard, while images are the pictures the encoder is trying to create. Gestures are ways in which both the encoder and the decoder react to the information deciphered from the encoded message. It has so much to do with the feedback or body language from the stakeholders or the parties to the communication.

 

Conclusively, this part of the lecture successfully introduces communication as an art that happens between two or more persons. Emphasis is placed on feedback from the parties involved and as such listening also becomes very important if there must be successful communication of ideas.

 

The CAREFUL concept

Service is what every customer expects when they patronize any organization. The clients want to get to their favorite shop and be served without needing to beg for it. They sometimes take it for granted that every business understands the principles of customer service, thereby expecting to be well served even when they are patronizing a business for the first time. Contrary to this expectation, employees and employers had consistently disappointed their customers by delivering service lower in quality than expected. It is very worrisome that anomalous service is now the order of the day in many organizations. Does it mean that employees just want to deliver mediocre service? No! Many employees do not get to know that they are not serving their customers as they should. This is because a large percentage of customers won't complain about bad service, but they are ready to move to the next shop where they can be well served. This type of service desired varies from customer to customer and is determined by various factors.

The possibility of losing customers to rival companies is vivid where competing businesses are collocated. There is no customer that would have an alternative store where service is topmost on the agenda that would insist on patronizing a shabby service provider. It's the more reason why traditional market traders seem to be more customer oriented than corporate businesses. In the market, several shops are side by side, selling similar products for the same price with every trader striving hard to retain its customers. The traders know that the customers can go to any shop because prices are similar, and in this scenario, only shops whose owners can be more friendly to customers and their requests will get the bigger chunk of the market share. The question is "Can this be achieved?" Oh yes, it can be achieved. An average human being wants to be appreciated and pampered, but the level of this expectation differs in individuals. Hence, some customers might appreciate an approach to service while others detest it. 1This is the more reason why the KYC concept is very important to improving the way service is delivered in customer centric businesses.

The organization's brand may be superb but without qualitative service for the customers, it will soon become a piece of name without any hype. The name a business center, shop, kiosk, stall or mall bears does not matter as much as the service it renders. For all the customer cares, the name might be very hard to pronounce, yet they keep coming back for more service because they were satisfied with previous transactions. It cannot be overemphasized that service delivery cannot be trivialized as it forms the foundation for repeat business and profitability. How the customers' requests are met is very significant factor to the determination of how they perceive products and services of providers. Customers can be satisfied if they are carefully handled. 2The "CAREFUL" concept presents seven peculiarities and characters that customers cherish when they are patronizing businesses. These higher a customer perceives Comfort, Attitude, Respect, Empathy, Friendliness, Understanding, and Listening in an organization, the bigger the assurance that he will continue to be in the business relationship. It is high time that companies looked into the active shaping of customers experience by first working on their peculiarities to suit what the customers expects from them. This can be achieved through properly fashioned strategies that increase both the self awareness of staff and that of the organization. Al hands must be on deck to cause an effective change to how the customers perceive what they are offered.

References
1.    CBN (2012) "Proposed Three Tiered KYC Requirement Approach" CBN - Abuja
2.    Adewusi (2012) "The CAREFUL concept" Success Drive Customer Care Series

Customers Voice decries GSM

The introduction of Global System for Mobile Communication in 2001 awoke the hopes of communication freedom of the Nigeria masses. The Telecommunications industry came alive with great promises for the Nigerian people. It all started with the privatization of NITEL that birthed various GSM operators in succession. After a decade of the advent of this new technology that helped Nigeria to forget its unpalatable telecoms past, the likes of MTN, AIRTEL, GLO, ETISALAT found themselves in fierce competition over the juicy market share of Africa’s most populous nation instead of focusing on excellent service.  Many Nigerians now have at least three SIM cards of the different providers. Sometimes, people wonder if holding more than one mobile phone is now fashionable. The number of subscribers to the various service providers suggests that the benefit of having a mobile phone cannot be overemphasized, yet complaints about service delivery abounds. The privatization move paid off, with Nigerians that never ever imagined they could communicate with telephones in the NITEL era carrying more than one mobile communication device. The Government that privatized and deregulated the industry actually had good intentions which everyone cannot deny but now have to do something to ensure that the rights of its citizens are protected.

 

Many unemployed youths found a way to become entrepreneurs by trading in mobile phones and accessories. The rate of doing business became faster and better with the development of internet services as well. So many Nigerians are now participating in various global activities online because these technologically savvy organizations are mining the market to greatly benefit of the available population. This indicates that Nigeria had taken a step in the right direction and must make further strides to get better. Having mentioned the benefits of the industry that had changed how business is done in Nigeria. So many things are yet lacking. Anyone would wonder the reason why the emancipation of Nigerian telephone subscribers from such ado is being delayed. It is agreed that the advent of GSM companies had improved how Nigerians do business, it had provided means of livelihood for many and so on, but there are several issues with the way these GSM providers render their services. They are yet to comply with global best practices in the industry.  It should always be remembered that every innovation does not stand alone nor work in isolation from others. Customers must get the best service at all times; they must also be given an opportunity to lodge their complaints so that they can be better served.

 

The case is different in Nigeria. GSM subscribers had being complaining for a long time without getting attention from the providers. It seems that they are now left at the mercy of the operators who coercively dictate the tune. Some of them would promise and fail, they continue to advertise with vague promises that they would give what they cannot. This relationship started with an average Nigerian thinking that the services of these Telecoms providers will be excellent by default. This notion had been proved wrong over the years. Though, it is very obvious that GSM companies are profit oriented, it is also natural for customers to expect getting best value for their money. Otherwise, their patronage may be willingly given to competition; but what can they do when all the providers are involved in this customer neglecting attitude. Several customers complained that, their grievances are not getting the right attention from the service providers. Does it mean that customers should die of bad service in silence? GSM operators should wake up from their slumber. Each of them had been scrambling to take the biggest market share instead of thinking of novel ways to satisfy their current subscribers. Good service will draw more customers but bad service will continue to deplete the customer base.

 

The experience of calling the contact centers of all these GSM operators confirms that something is missing. Most times, when a customer calls to complain, he does not get an opportunity to talk with a knowledgeable officer. Its either he was bounced before getting to the operator or some other excuse. Even when he gets to the operator, one excuse for giving bad service will surface. The GSM operators bombard their customers with all manner of advertisements at every opportunity without allowing the customers to complain about the service. This makes communication a one way affair and further constitutes information overload for subscribers. So many customers complained that when they call the customer care lines of GSM operators in Nigeria, they are subjected to hear various advertisements before being directed to an agent. Most times the customers get turned down with the excuse “all our agents are currently busy”. This is highly frustrating. How can the rights of customers be consistently usurped without any reparations made for it? It is getting worse by the day, and both the common GSM subscribers and the sophisticated ones are making the same negative comments. It means that something has to be done to salvage the situation.

 

The voice of customers on this issue is that GSM operators should be more responsible and show themselves in that way. There should be improvement in how customer complaints are received and resolved. Customers do not want to continue to pay for the services they do not enjoy. A customer asked a question recently, he wanted to know why GSM operators would go off for days without having remorse that a subscriber paid for internet services he did not use. Despite the fact that their internet service is always epileptic, GSM operators are efficient at cutting their subscriber off immediately their subscription period expires without confirming if they actually enjoyed the services they paid for. This attitude may be working in the favour of operators at the moment but the understanding that customers are evolving should gear them towards the urge for perfection. Otherwise, in a short while, some revolution would occur to bring about equilibrium in the system. This kind of revolution may not be favorable to the existent providers because they had usurped customer rights and betrayed subscriber trusts entrusted to them.