Study 5: Communication and Service Skills - Application Question

Question 1

Veena has a valued client, Shanta, for whom she has arranged both business and personal insurance
policies for almost a decade. Each year, Shanta comes to Veena’s office to discuss what coverage she
needs for the following year and to discuss any changes in her policies. After the office meeting, Veena
follows up by phone and summarizes the renewal and coverage decisions in an email. How should Veena
communicate with Shanta in the following circumstances?

a. When discussing things with Shanta in person and on the phone, Veena should use active
listening to maintain her rapport with Shanta. What facets of active listening are most important?
(5 marks)

b. What should Veena do to have an effective phone discussion with Shanta? (5 marks)
c. What are five (5) tips for sending useful and appropriate emails? (5 marks)

Answer 1

Answers:
a. Active listening
• Listening to what is being said
• Interpreting how it is being said
• Processing non-verbal cues
• Questioning those parts that were difficult to understand
• Confirming that what was absorbed was understood correctly

b. Effective phone discussions
• Cultivate phone manners
• Use appropriate telephone etiquette
• Document discussions
• Honour commitments
• Leave professional phone messages

c. Email tips (any five of the following)
• Proofread before sending email in order to avoid embarrassing typographical or grammatical
errors and to ensure that the content matches the intended message
• Double check the recipient’s email address for accuracy. Sending private information for one
client to a different one can be embarrassing and has serious privacy implications
• Add the recipient address only after making sure that the email is stating the required points;
this will help to eliminate the emotional email
• If the discussion is a lengthy one, put it in a Word document and add it as an attachment to the
email
• Use common sense when using the “reply to all” option. Does everyone need the answer, or
only specific recipients?
• If sending out a mass email, confirm that the email addresses are correct to avoid failed
deliveries
• If sending emails to more than one recipient, address the email in the BCC (blind carbon copy)
so that the email addresses are kept private for all parties
• Confirm the requirements of the brokerage or agency for the signature on signing emails. Many
companies have very specific font sizes and colours for the agent’s or broker’s signature and
especially for company logos
• Do not overuse the exclamation point or add multiple emojis, as this is professional email and not
personal