2. Relationship Building
⢠Mastering relationship building involves six
steps:
1. Establishing rapport
2. Interacting positively with customers
3. Identifying customersâ needs
4. Making the customer feel valued
5. Maintaining ongoing relationships
6. Handling different types of customers
3. Relationship Building
⢠By the end of this lesson you should know:
⢠How to effectively establish rapport with your
customers
⢠How to create and maintain positive
interactions with customers
⢠How to identify what customerâs needs are
⢠What you can do to make a customer feel
valuable
⢠How to maintain ongoing relationships with
customers
⢠How to handle different types of customers
4. Step 1: Establishing
Rapport
⢠Establishing rapport begins the moment you
start communication with your customers
⢠How you establish rapport depends on your
customer interactions
⢠It also depends on who your customers are,
what they expect from Mamaâs Subs, and how
Mamaâs Subs can enhance customersâ lives
5. Establishing Rapport
⢠Be friendly
⢠Treat customers with a warm, welcoming attitude
⢠No matter who your customers are, everyone appreciates someone
who is friendly
⢠When you smile and offer a friendly greeting, you put your
customers at ease
⢠You show them from the start that you are approachable and
willing to help
⢠Be interested
⢠Being interested means listening when customers respond to you
⢠It also means responding accordingly to what the customers have
to say
⢠When listening to customers, think of ways to brighten up their
day; it is an effective way to show you are interested
6. Establishing Rapport
⢠Be considerate
⢠Being considerate means showing kindly awareness or
regard for customersâ feelings
⢠For example, if a customer is having a bad day, you
should respond to them by saying, âIâm sorry to hear
youâre having a bad day. What can I do to make it
better?â
⢠Even if you cannot personally understand or relate to
what the customer is saying, you can be considerate in
your response
⢠Be trustful
⢠The best way to demonstrate that you can be trusted is
by being honest and ethical in everything that you do
⢠Being trustful also includes treating people with dignity
and respect
7. Establishing Rapport
⢠Find common ground
⢠When you listen to your customersâ statements and
responses, try to find something you have in common
⢠To a customer who is having a bad day, you might
respond by saying: âIâm sorry to hear that you are having
a bad day. I had one of those days yesterday.â
⢠The customer will appreciate that you can relate to their
experience
⢠Even if you did not have a similar experience, you can
find other ways to relate
⢠Empathize with the customer, ask questions, show interest
⢠Complimenting a customer on something they are
wearing is also a good way to find common ground
⢠E.g., âI like your watch, sir.â
8. Step 2: Interacting Positively
with Customers
⢠Once you establish rapport,
continue building your
relationships by interacting
with your customers in a
positive manner
⢠When you are positive and
upbeat, customers will
respond similarly
⢠At work, be the person that
brings others up
9. Interacting Positively
with Customers
⢠Be helpful
⢠Show your customers that you care
⢠Do something to make your customers feel good about
themselves
⢠Set a personal goal to help someone every day
⢠Even when a customer does not directly ask for help, if
they seem like they need assistance, offer it to them
⢠Be committed
⢠When you commit yourself to your customers and to
Mamaâs Subs, you will look for ways to make things
better
⢠No matter what you do on your shift, strive to do your
best
⢠Give your customers your all
⢠Customers will respond positively to a hard worker
10. Interacting Positively
with Customers
⢠Be a problem solver
⢠Be part of the solution rather than the problem
⢠Look for answers when customers have problems
⢠Donât merely focus on what is wrong, do something about it
⢠People who focus on problems complain; people who focus
on solutions find ways to make things better
⢠Be credible
⢠This means being knowledgeable about the products at
Mamaâs Subs
⢠Customers appreciate employees who are knowledgeable
⢠Learn everything you can about the food and services we
offer here at Mamaâs Subs
⢠If you need additional knowledge, ask your manager for help
11. Interacting Positively
with Customers
⢠Believe in your products
⢠You need to believe in the food and services we sell
at Mamaâs Subs
⢠Otherwise, you will not come off as sincere
⢠Believing that our products will help improve the
lives of our customers e.g., by helping a busy
mother save time by purchasing quality food for
their children) is crucial for doing the right thing for
them
⢠It does not matter whether you make the subs, take
the orders, or check customers out; truly believing
in our products will help you promote yourself, the
products, and Mamaâs Subs in a positive and sincere
manner
12. Step 3: Identifying
Customersâ Needs
⢠Customers come into
businesses for various
reasons
⢠Sometimes they are not
very clear about their
needs
⢠When you deal with
customers, your job is to
uncover their needs
13. Identifying Customersâ
Needs
⢠Ask questions
⢠In lesson 2, you learned about open and closed
questions
⢠For a review, click here to return to lesson 2:
http://www.slideshare.net/nikiwild3/lesson-2-
effective-communication-33164675
⢠Use open questions to get the customer talking
⢠Questions that begin with âwhatâ, âwhyâ, and âhowâ
encourage customers to talk
⢠Used closed questions to clarify answers to open
questions
⢠These include questions that begin with âwhoâ,
âwouldâ, âhowâ, and âwhereâ
⢠Notice that âhowâ can be used for either open or
closed questions
14. Identifying Customersâ
Needs
⢠Summarize customersâ needs
⢠After you have asked enough questions to determine a
customerâs needs, summarize your understanding of what
they have told you
⢠Start your summarization with, âFrom what I understandâŠâ
⢠If your understanding is incorrect, ask more open and closed
questions until you get it right
⢠Recommend appropriate solutions
⢠Make sure that your recommendations are based on what
the customer told you
⢠Refer to things that the customer said when making
recommendations
⢠EX: âOur lighter options at Mamaâs Subs are perfect if youâre
trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. They are low calorie, low
fat, and we use whole grain bread bread.â
15. Identifying Customersâ
Needs
⢠Handle objections
⢠This can be accomplished by using the
suggestions in lesson 2 about dealing with
customers who say no
⢠Link to lesson 2:
http://www.slideshare.net/nikiwild3/lesson-2-
effective-communication-33164675
⢠Listen to their objection, acknowledge it, follow
up with a question, consider the customerâs
answer, and respond appropriately
16. Step 4: Making the
Customer Feel Valued
⢠When you make customers feel valued, you
are on your way to building strong
relationships
⢠At Mamaâs Subs, we strive to make the
customer feel important and valued
17. Making the Customer
Feel Valued
⢠Go out of your way for customers
⢠Do what you can to help customers
⢠Try to give customers more than what they ask for
⢠When a customer asks a questions, give them more than a one-word
answer
⢠Help those customers who do not openly ask for help but need it
⢠When you go out of your way for customers, they notice
⢠Validate customersâ decisions
⢠No matter what type of sub, side item, drink, or deal the customer decides
on, validate their choice
⢠For example, when a customer picks a certain sub, respond with something
like, âGood choice. That sub is one of my favorites.â
⢠Instill positive feelings
⢠Never make a customer feel bad about their decision
⢠Always encourage the customer and make them feel good about their
decisions
18. Step 6: Maintaining Ongoing
Relationships
⢠Once you build strong
relationships with
customers, your work is not
done
⢠In any relationship, you
have to work to maintain it
⢠Customers come back a
second, third, and fourth
time because you
established a relationship
with them
19. Maintaining Ongoing
Relationships
⢠Remember your customers
⢠Nothing makes a customer feel more valued than being
remembered
⢠Acknowledge your repeat customers by saying
something to show you remember them
⢠EX: âWelcome back to Mamaâs Subs, maâam!â
⢠Customers who do repeat business at Mamaâs Subs
appreciate being recognized
⢠Learn customersâ names
⢠When customers come into Mamaâs Subs repeatedly,
make it a point to learn their names
⢠Addressing the customer by their name will let them
know they are important to you and the restaurant
20. Maintaining Ongoing
Relationships
⢠Remember something about your customers
⢠Everyone appreciates an employee with a good
memory
⢠It shows your customers that you value your
relationship with them
⢠EX: âHi, Mrs. Johnston! Hope everythingâs going
well with your new house.â
⢠Learn your customerâs preferences
⢠If you deal with customerâs repeatedly, get to know
what they like
⢠If you have too many customers to remember each
onesâ tastes, you could start a card or computer file
and note your customersâ preferences
21. Step 6: Handling Different Types
of Customers
⢠Most of the customers
at Mamaâs Subs will be
average people with
average needs
⢠Some customers,
however, will test your
skills and your patience
⢠In addition, you will have
to interact with
customers who are
disabled or from a
different ethnic
background than you
22. Handling Different Types
of Customers
⢠The pushy, obnoxious customer
⢠Maintain a professional demeanor
⢠Speak softly and control your voice inflection
⢠Remain calm
⢠Do not take their behavior personally
⢠The timid, indecisive customer
⢠Help draw these customers out and get them to talk more
⢠Ask open questions
⢠Listen closely to their responses and guide them to give you
an answer about their decision
⢠Be sensitive to these kinds of customers
⢠Help them feel more relaxed an comfortable
⢠Do not be pushy or use a forceful tone
23. Handling Different Types
of Customers
⢠The overly friendly, flirty customer
⢠Keep your end of the conversation on business
⢠These customers can be difficult to handle because they do
not see their behavior as inappropriate
⢠It is up to you to control the conversation
⢠The culturally different customer
⢠We live in a society that incorporates many cultures and
customs
⢠Yet people often do not know how to talk or act in the
presence of a person with a different background
⢠Displaying kindness, smiling, and being honest translate
across cultures
⢠Try to make yourself aware of different cultures by
researching them
24. Handling Different Types
of Customers
⢠People with disabilities
⢠Treat them like you would anyone else
⢠Make eye contact and speak in your normal
tone and pace of speech
⢠As you continue with the customer, if you
notice that you need to slow down, speak up,
or enunciate more, do so
⢠Treat them with the same dignity and respect
you would anyone else