DECA Business Admin Core : Customer Relations Terms

active listening

an ongoing process of analyzing and evaluating what another person is saying in an effort to completely understand the speaker's feelings or the true meaning of the message

brand promise

a statement of enduring, relevant, and distinctive benefits valued by customers

complaint

an expression that a situation is unacceptable or unsatisfactory

customer concentric

the act of keeping the customer central to the organization's goals and actions; always putting the customer first

customer lifetime value

a prediction of the potential profits a customer will give to a company during the duration of the relationship

customer loyalty

occurs when a customer does business almost exclusively with one organization within an industry

customer relations

the relationship that a business has with its customer and the way in which the business treats them

customer relationship management

strategies for managing and nurturing a company's interactions with customers, clients, and prospects

customer service

the provision of service to customers before, during, and after a purchase

database

a computerized collection of information stored in one place

feedback

information about a customer's thoughts or reactions to a product, service, and/or situation; should be used as a basis for improvement

follow-up

further action to re-connect with a customer after a previous communication or service

image

the general idea or reputation that the public has of a product, brand, or company

inquiry

a request for information; a question

match

one of the 3 M's; includes paying attention to your counterpart's breathing, voice volume, pitch, speed, and changing your own to be similar to theirs

mirror

one of the 3 M's; observe your counterpart's body language and their movements, notice their nonverbal cues and work to move similarly to them

motivate

one of the 3 M's; ask open ended questions in order to find a client's true thoughts and/or feelings; find what matters to your client

rapport

a harmonious relationship in which there is a foundation of trust and understanding between both parties

retention

keeping as many customers as possible; for example, through brand loyalty initiatives

social differences

the differences among individuals on the basis of social characteristics and qualities; such differences would include class, race, culture, age, ability, sex, etc.