Mazda Training manual — part 157

Dealing with Complaints

Curriculum Training

35

Building a Good Relationship

To be able to provide excellent service, we have to establish the right environment, have
the right attitude AND build a good relationship with our customer.

This is the state in which people feel comfortable in each other’s company.

There are four key ways of building this good relationship:
• Matching
• The right voice
• The right body language
• Respecting their world.

Let’s try this out.

AC8 – BUILDING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP

Matching

• Matching a person’s behaviour gets you into a good relationship with them, while

mismatching leads to conflict.

• Matching makes the most of the similarities you have with them and plays down the

differences.

• Matching language is important – for example, technical words for technical people and

non-technical terms for the non-technical.

• If you don’t have a good relationship with someone, you won’t reach a mutually

satisfactory outcome.

The right voice

• Changing the speed and volume of your voice, to match their speed and volume, builds

a better relationship with them.

• Harmonising voice tone and tempo brings good results.
• But don’t try to mimic them – that leads to conflict.

Dealing with Complaints

36

Curriculum Training

The right body language

• Notice the way people sit, stand, walk, lean and shift their weight from one foot to the

other.

• Notice their facial expressions.
• See if you can respond by making similar changes to your body language.
• Again, don’t come across as a mimic – be subtle.

Respecting their world

• We all have a built-in set of values and beliefs that we hold dear.
• You don’t have to hold the same values and beliefs as others, but you must respect the

fact that they are important to them.

• Judging, criticising and disagreeing with others can only lead to conflict.

Your Notes

Dealing with Complaints

Curriculum Training

37

Saying No

Sometimes we have to say no to a customer, even if their demand is for us to resolve their
complaint. If we think back to the duty of care we owe to them, we cannot afford to over-
promise and under-deliver.

But how do we say no without destroying our good relationship with them?

A practical process for doing this involves a Repeating Loop:

• Listen carefully to the request
• Think carefully before you respond
• Say No and Why:

– Say no politely – “I’m afraid we cannot do that Mr. ”

– Explain clearly why you cannot do it – stress the inconvenience to them if you

were to over-promise and under-deliver

• Offer a compromise – tell them what you can do for them.
Then listen to the customer’s response and keep going round the loop until agreement is reached.

Your Notes

Listen

Say No and Why

Think

Compromise

Dealing with Complaints

38

Curriculum Training

AC9 – SAYING NO