ANSWERS - McGraw-Hill



ANSWERS

KEY TERMS

behavioral styles problem solving

decisive style process improvement

expressive style rational style

inquisitive style seamless service

perceptions stereotype

primary behavior pattern win-win situation

The answers to the statements (Key Terms) are placed below the statements:

1. How someone views an item, situation or others.

Answer: perceptions

2. Generalizations made about an individual or group and not based on reality. Similar people are often lumped together for ease in categorizing them.

Answer: stereotype

3. Service which is done in a manner that seems effortless and natural to the customer. Processes and systems are fully functional, effective and efficient, service representatives are well-trained and proficient in delivering service, and there is no inconvenience to the customer.

Answer: seamless service

4. Refers to the process of continually evaluating products and services to ensure that maximum effectiveness, efficiency and potential are being obtained from them.

Answer: process improvement

5. An outcome to a disagreement in which both parties walk away feeling that they got much of what they wanted or needed.

Answer: win-win situation

6. The system of identifying issues, determining alternatives for dealing with them, then selecting and monitoring a strategy for resolution.

Answer: problem solving

7. One of four behavior style groupings characterized by a direct, no-nonsense approach to people and situations.

Answer: decisive style

8. One of four behavior groups characterized as people-oriented, fun-loving, upbeat and extroverted.

Answer: expressive style

9. One of four behavioral groups characterized by being introverted, task-focused and detail-oriented.

Answer: inquisitive style

10. One of four behavioral groups characterized by being quiet, reflective, task-focused and systematic.

Answer: rational style

11. Refers to a person’s preferred style of dealing with others.

Answer: primary behavior pattern

12. Descriptive term that identifies categories of human behavior identified by behavioral researchers.

Answer: behavioral styles

ASSESSMENT CHECK

Learning Objective 1

Explain what behavioral styles are and why you should be concerned with them.

1. What are behavioral styles?

Answer: Behavioral styles are observable tendencies (actions that you can see or experience) that you and other people exhibit when dealing with tasks or people.

2. As a customer service professional, why do you need to understand human behavioral style characteristics?

Answer: The more proficient you are at identifying your own behavioral characteristics and that of others, the better you will be at establishing and maintaining positive relationships with customers.

3. If someone else is doing something or acting differently from the way you do, does that mean he or she is wrong?

Answer: No, it does not mean that person is wrong; it means that the person approaches situations differently.

Learning Objective 2

Identify four key behavioral styles and the roles they play in customer service.

1. What role has Carl Jung played in research?

Answer: Jung explored human personality and behavior. He divided behavior into “attitudes (extrovert and introvert) and four “functions” (thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuitive). From his complex research (and that of others) have come many variations, additional studies, and a variety of behavioral style self-assessment questionnaires and models for explaining personal behavior.

2. How do you characterize the person who prefers the inquisitive style?

Answer: This group characterizes people as introverted, task-focused and detail oriented.

3. Compare an inquisitive style person’s interaction preferences with people to those of an expressive style.

Answer: The inquisitive style person prefers to interact in writing rather than in person or on the phone. The expressive person looks for opportunities to socialize or talk with others.

Learning Objective 3

Develop strategies for communicating effectively with each behavioral style.

1. How would you use the knowledge of your customers’ behavioral style preferences?

Answer: Once you recognize people’s style tendencies, you can improve your relationships and chances for success by tailoring your communication strategies.

2. Explain why you can’t just say that a person is positively only style R, for example.

Answer: Everyone is a mixture of all four styles and can change to a different style to address a variety of situations. Be careful not to label a person as being one style.

3. A rational style person may provide nonverbal cues such as a gentle handshake, flowing non-dramatic gestures, with fleeting eye contact. What strategies might you use in return?

Answer: You may return a firm, brief handshake, avoid aggressive gestures, and make intermittent (3 to 5 seconds) eye contact.

Learning Objective 4

Respond to customer problems effectively while building relationships.

1. To deliver total customer satisfaction, what will you need to do since recognizing and relating to the customer’s behavioral style is just the first step in providing good service?

Answer: You will need to make the customer feel special, which often requires skills such as relationship building and problem solving.

2. List eight suggestions for building stronger customer relationships.

Answer: The author suggests that you do the following:

Discover customer needs

Say yes

Seek opportunities for service

Focus on process improvement

Make customers feel special

Be culturally aware

Know your products and services

Prepare yourself

3. What does providing seamless service mean?

Answer: Seamless service is done in a manner that seems effortless and natural to the customer. Processes and systems are fully functional, effective, and efficient. Service representatives are well-trained and proficient in delivery systems, and there is no inconvenience to the customer.

Learning Objective 5

Use knowledge of behavioral styles to help manage perceptions of others.

1. What does it mean when we say everyone has perceptions about the people and events encountered?

Answer: A person’s behavioral style as well as background, based on education, experiences, events, and interpersonal contacts, can influence how he or she views the world. In effect, there are sometimes as many different perceptions of an event as there are people involved.

2. How may your perceptions of older people affect your views and service?

Answer: You may perceive older people as slow, hard of hearing, cranky, and politically conservative. This view may cause you to treat most older people in the same way, rather than treating each person as unique.

3. What does stereotyping mean?

Answer: To stereotype is to generalize about an individual or group and not base it on reality.

4. On what do we tend to base our perceptions of others and categorize people?

Answer: We tend to base our perceptions and categorize people based on physical qualities, social behaviors, social roles, psychological qualities, and group affiliations.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

Learning Objectives 1 and 2

1. Explain why behavioral styles are important and how they may impact customer service.

Answer: Behavioral styles are important because everyone has them. The more proficient you are at identifying your own characteristics and those of others, the better you will be at establishing and maintaining positive relationships with customers. Being aware of the four styles and some of the characteristics of each can help you relate to and solve customer service problems more effectively.

Learning Objective 3

2. What should you think about as you communicate with customers who exhibit various behavioral styles?

Answer: You should remember that the features of each style are just indicators and that people can exhibit features of more than one style. You should never categorize your customers as just one style, such as an R, since most use all four styles.

Learning Objectives 4 and 5

3. How do your perceptions impact relationships that you are building with your customers?

Answer: In building relationships you need to discover customer needs, seek opportunities for service, and respond appropriately to customers’ behavioral styles. If you allow perceptions to get in the way of reality, you may tend to group people under stereotypes which can impact your level of service negatively. Although a behavioral style may contribute to a person’s actions, many factors come into play (communication ability, timing, location and situation).

PRACTICE TEST ANSWERS

|Multiple- Choice |Learning |Page |

| |Objectives | |

| 1. A |LO1 |143 |

| 2. B |LO2 |144 |

| 3. B |LO2 |145-146 |

| 4. D |LO3 |150-151 |

| 5. B |LO4 |152 |

| 6. A |LO4 |153-154 |

| 7. C |LO4 |155 |

| 8. D |LO4 |156 |

| 9. C |LO4 |157 |

|10. A |LO5 |158 |

|11. A |LO5 |158 |

|12. B |LO5 |158 |

|13. D |LO5 |158-159 |

|14. B |LO5 |158 |

|15. B |LO5 |158 |

|True-False |Learning |Page |

| |Objectives | |

| 1. F |LO1 | 143 |

| 2. T |LO1 | 143 |

| 3. F |LO2 | 144 |

| 4. T |LO2 | 144 |

| 5. F |LO2 | 144 |

| 6. T |LO2 | 145- |

| | |146 |

| 7. F |LO3 | 148 |

| 8. F |LO4 | 151 |

| 9. T |LO4 | 152 |

|10. F |LO4 | 155 |

|11. T |LO4 | 156 |

|12. F |LO4 | 156 |

|13. T |LO4 | 157 |

|14. F |LO5 | 158 |

|15. T |LO5 | 158 |

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