Chapter 7 - Communications Flashcards
name, service, trademark, color, or other attribute that distinguishes a product or service from competitors.
Brand
person or group that has an interest in, or is affected by, and activity or decision. Those that are outside a business or project are external. Those that work within an organization or project or internal.
Stakeholder
using various media to deliver specific information to individual customers or groups of customers.
Targeted messaging
a designation earned by an individual following demonstration, through testing or other performance measures, of sufficient expertise in a specific field of study.
Qualification
all sources of news and information, including: TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, web pages, and blogs.
News media
ISA certification or other industry qualification, certifying that an individual has attained a generally accepted level of knowledge in a specific subject area or profession, such as tree work.
Credential
efforts that help an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.
Public relations
discussions and negotiations with individual customers.
Customer relations
attention to customers’ interest before, during, and after vegetation management work.
Customer service
the activity or process of bringing information or services to people.
Outreach
web-based sites that enable individuals, organizations, or corporations to share information, ideas, photos, and videos with networks or the public.
Social media
article issued to the media describing upcoming projects and their importance in improving the quality of service.
Press release
a structured face-to-face communication technique that improves performance and increases understanding between people. The sender uses the name of the person with whom she or he is trying to communicate and states the message. The receiver paraphrases the message to indicate they understand the message and if the message was properly understood, the sender acknowledges it was.
Active listening
process by which personnel become indifferent or disconnected from customers and their concerns.
Desensitization
choice of words that deliberately emphasizes a helpful or non-confrontational approach. For instance, instead of saying “you have to…,“ using “it would be better if we…”
Friendly language
the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of others.
Empathy
Most utilities list __________ as a reason for maintaining vegetation, but customers often underestimate the risk.
public safety
People with an interest or concern in an organization and its decisions are known as __________.
stakeholders
Because of high turnover among contractors who perform vegetation management, safety and basic job skill training tends to have a higher priority than __________ training.
communications
Issuing press releases that describe upcoming projects and their importance to quality service are __________ efforts that can offset negative media coverage.
proactive
__________ is a way to ensure that customers know they are being heard and understood.
Active listening
Repeatedly answering questions that are similar, such as those that may be asked of a contractor in the field, can lead to __________.
desensitization
Customer-friendly language should keep __________ to a minimum because it can intimidate customers and confuse the message.
jargon
Some customers may not voice their displeasure about vegetation management directly with the utility company, but instead voice their opinion on social media, leading the utility to __________ customer dissatisfaction.
underestimate
__________ are often released to media outlets to provide specific information that the utility wants to make public.
Press releases
Active listening involves all of the following except
A) setting aside physical and mental distractions to focus attention on the customer
B) making a genuine effort to hear what the customer is saying
C) being completely quiet while the customer is talking to indicate that you are listening
D) responding by restating the customers concerns in your own words
C) being completely quiet while the customer is talking to indicate that you are listening
A utility CEO asks the line maintenance supervisor why so much money is being spent on line clearance when so few outages are caused by trees. Which of the following does this demonstrate?
A) a well-run vegetation management program can be costly to the utility
B) the value added by a vegetation management program may not be understood by all stakeholders within a utility
C) the line maintenance staff was probably too large
D) there were fewer than average tree-related outages in the area
B) the value added by a vegetation management program may not be understood by all stakeholders within a utility
You are a vegetation management contractor fielding complaints from a customer on a work site. Which of the following would be the best reply to a customer who questions why a tree is being pruned?
A) “My work order says I have to do it.”
B) “This would be easier if you just let us get our work done.”
C) “This will help ensure uninterrupted service to the homeowners in the area.”
D) “I’m only a contractor; I didn’t make this decision.”
C) “This will help ensure uninterrupted service to the homeowners in the area.”
All of the following are ways for employees to make a good first impression with customers, except
A) displaying proper identification
B) wearing a clean company uniform
C) parking vehicles haphazardly
D) using appropriate language
C) parking vehicles haphazardly
What communication method is most effective for engaging with customers in real time about utility emergencies?
A) printed materials
B) phone calls
C) social media
D) community meetings
C) social media
