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ESSENTIAL SKILLS: CUSTOMER SERVICE VOCABULARY BUILDING WORKBOOK
By Jennifer Wilkins
Universe, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Jennifer Wilkins, Pathways Educational Services, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-3817-6
Chapter One
MODULE ONE
GET TO KNOW
YOUR CUSTOMER
VOCABULARY—Module 1
compare v. To look for the difference(s) between two or more things; judge, evaluate, or contrast: When you are shopping for a new computer, you should compare the differences in price between the stores.
v. To say that something is similar to or equal to something else: You cannot compare instant coffee to freshly ground coffee.
also n. comparison; adj. comparable; adv. comparatively
compliment n. A remark that states approval, admiration, or respect; praise; admiring comment; words that are kind and honest: The compliment he received from his boss about his cooking skills made Aldo feel very proud.
v. To praise or express admiration for someone: I would like to compliment you on how well you handled that customer.
also adj. complimentary
contract n. A legal paper that explains a formal agreement between two people or groups: I signed a three-year contract when I bought my new cell phone.
v. To make a legal agreement with someone to do work or have work done: George contracted a company to put a new addition on his home.
v. To make or become shorter or smaller; shrink, reduce, narrow, or tighten: The metal contracted as it cooled.
also n. contractor, n. contraction; adj. contractual
courteous adj. Polite, well-mannered, or respectful: The front desk clerk at this hotel is always courteous and helpful.
also adv. courteously, n. courteousness
create v. To make something new, especially to invent something; make, craft, produce, build, or construct: Gloria loves to create new hairstyles.
also adj. creative; adv. creatively, n. creativity, n. creation
customer n. A person who buys things or services; a patron, client, shopper, buyer, or purchaser: Mrs. Crawford is one of our best customers.
display n. An attractive arrangement, usually to show off products; things arranged for people to look at; a performance for people to watch: Many people stopped to look at all the beautiful flowers on display in front of the store.
v. To arrange a group of things in a nice way so they can be seen: Joan displayed the new dresses in the store window.
greet v. To welcome someone with kind words or actions; speak to, react to, or acknowledge: My job is to greet customers when they come into the store.
also n. greeter, n. greeting
image n. A picture or idea in your mind of how a person or thing looks or is: Hiring young workers gives the store a more youthful image.
n. A picture that can be seen, e.g., in a photo, television, or mirror: Beverley spent a long time looking at her image in the mirror.
also n. imagery, adj. imaginable; adj. imaginary, n. imagination
impress v. To do something that makes someone admire or respect you: Gord is always trying to do something to impress the girls.
also adj. impressive; n. impression
information n. Knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction: Once I had all the information I needed, I purchased my new car with confidence.
also v. inform; n. informant
knowledge n. Understanding of or information about a subject: The salesperson's knowledge of flowers was very impressive.
also adj. knowledgeable
listen v. To pay attention to or hear something or someone: It is important for a doctor to listen to what a patient is saying.
loyal adj. Faithful to a person, a cause, a product, a company, etc.; devoted, reliable, dependable, dedicated, or trustworthy: The best way to create a loyal customer is to listen carefully, respond to the customer's needs, and give good information.
also n. loyalty
personal adj. Something that is about or belongs to one person; individual, private, delicate, or special: The sales clerk let the customer use her personal phone to call his wife.
also v. personalize; adv. Personally
personality n. The kind of person you are; how you think, feel, and act; character traits, behaviour, qualities, or individuality: Loretta has the right kind of personality for a career in customer service.
policy n. A set of ideas, rules, or a plan that tells a group or a business how to do things; strategy, guideline, or procedure: The goal of the cell phone policy is to stop employees from using their cell phones when they should be working.
n. A document that shows an agreement you have with an insurance company: We made changes to our life insurance policy last year.
positive adj. Hopeful, confident, encouraging, or cheerful : The sales team at the new car dealership has a very positive attitude.
adj. Certain and without doubt: Are you positive you saw Gary shoplifting?
also adv. positively
product n. Something that is made to be marketed and sold; goods, an item, stock, or merchandise: This product is made in Mexico and sold all over the world.
also n. production; n. productivity
professional adj. Showing a courteous, reliable, and businesslike attitude in the workplace; giving an appearance of expertise: The hotel offers a very professional environment for its business clients.
adj. Connected to work that needs special training or education: As a service manager, what is your professional opinion about hiring staff?
n. An expert; someone who has a high level of education and training and knows his/her business or job very well: You should use the services of a professional real estate agent when you are selling your home.
also n. profession
relationship n. A connection or bond between two people or things: I have a good relationship with my doctor.
also v. relate, n. relation
sale n. The dealing or exchange of goods or services for money: In Ontario, the sale of alcohol is illegal after 2:00 a.m.
n. The selling of something for less than the usual price: The travel agency had a sale on flights to Greece.
satisfy v. To please or make people happy by giving them something they want or need: It is important that we try to satisfy the needs of every customer.
also n. satisfaction; adj. satisfactory
Finding the Meaning Exercise 1a
Look at the word groups. Then look at the words to the right in columns A, B, C, and D. Circle the word that has the same meaning as the word group.
WORD GROUPS A B C D
1. an expert professional welcome customer create
2. something you buy compliment courteous product display
3. a good price satisfy information welcome sale
4. a close bond professional relationship create image
5. a welcoming greeting customer positive listen
6. say something nice product compliment image create
7. appear a certain way image personal satisfy product
8. show items in a nice listen personality sale display way
9. be faithful display professional policy loyal
10. hear what is said sale knowledge listen image
11. to invent something personality satisfy create personal
12. make someone happy satisfy professional image listen
The Right Word Exercise 1b
Improve each sentence by replacing the highlighted word(s) with a word from the vocabulary list.
1. In the first few seconds after they arrive, you should welcome the people who are shopping.
2. As a customer service expert, you should match what you say and your tone of voice with the behaviour of the buyer.
3. Your goal is to build a bond with customers so they want to shop at your store again. Building faithful customers is rewarding for you, the store, and the customer.
4. You must be polite, ask questions, and pay attention in order to find out the shopper's needs. The best way to discover data about the buyer is to ask questions that begin with who, what, where, when, how, or why. These are called open-ended questions.
5. Eye contact, a smile, small talk, and real interest in the customer are all things that help build connections and devotion.
6. The most important thing to remember when giving a kind word is that it should be honest and encouraging. Remember, honesty is the best procedure.
7. You will make a helpful, confident appearance if you have good facts about the things that are on show in your store.
8. If you have lots of energy and a very social type of character, you will make an excellent deals person.
9. These client service tips will help you to please the individual needs of your patrons.
Apply the Meaning Exercise 1c
Select the correct answer.
1. Which of the following is a greeting?
a) warning b) well done c) hello d) wait
2. What is the opposite of rude?
a) courage b) compliment c) courteous d) couple
3. If you are happy and friendly, you have a ___________ attitude.
a) greet b) positive c) information d) sale
4. Which of the following could be used to describe a connection between two people?
a) sale b) professional c) relationship d) image
5. Which of the following is a product?
a) a maid b) a lawyer c) a customer d) a car
6. Which of the following is a compliment?
a) You have nice eyes. b) That is a bad dog. c) It's another rainy day. d) My cat is sick.
7. If customers are satisfied, they will:
a) be crying when they leave the store b) return to your store to shop c) tell friends to shop elsewhere d) speak loudly to the other customers
8. What is the opposite of negative?
a) position b) posture c) positive d) pattern
9. Where would you probably not find a display?
a) a market b) a restaurant c) a sandbox d) a store
10. What might be seen as an unprofessional image?
a) good manners b) being helpful to customers c) arguing with co-workers d) clean clothes
Synonyms Exercise 1d
Synonyms are words that mean the same or almost the same thing. Look at each group of three words below and cross off the one word that is not a synonym.
1. compare evaluate common 2. praise complete compliment 3. agreement conduct contract 4. courteous polite political 5. create make break 6. partner customer patron 7. show display discipline 8. image guest picture 9. amaze impress present 10. informal information data 11. knowledge listen facts 12. listen careful hear 13. loyal faithful leader 14. public private personal 15. personality chosen character 16. guideline policy position 17. policy cheerful positive 18. product graceful goods 19. professional expert protect 20. current connection relationship 21. deal sail sale 22. personal satisfy please 23. greet welcome great
Study the Words Exercise 1e
Words that make the "shun" sound
We can make new words by adding a suffix. A suffix is an ending that is added to a base or root word to form a new word. For example: educate + tion = education
There are many different ways to make the sound "shun" in the English language. The most common "shun" suffixes are -tion and -sion.
Here are some words from the vocabulary list. Notice that sometimes the base word changes when you add a suffix, e.g., create + ion = creation
1. create + ion = creation 2. contract + ion = contraction 3. impress + ion = impression 4. inform + at ion = information 5. product + ion = production 6. relate + ion = relation 7. satisfy + action = satisfaction 8. posit + ion = position
Fill in the blanks below using the words creation, contraction, impression, information, production, relation, satisfaction, and position.
1. They have stopped _________________ on the new cars because there is a problem with one of the parts.
2. The store is starting a job _________________ program for students.
3. The customer was asking for _________________ about the bookstore that's opening next door.
4. The sales associate made a very good _________________ on the customer.
5. Do you think the new policy has any _________________ to the robbery last week?
6. Emily says that the cramps in her stomach are caused by muscle _________________(s).
7. I think I'm going to enjoy my new _________________ as sales manager.
8. I get a lot of _________________ from helping customers find what they need.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from ESSENTIAL SKILLS: CUSTOMER SERVICE VOCABULARY BUILDING WORKBOOK by Jennifer Wilkins Copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Wilkins, Pathways Educational Services, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Universe, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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