Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 836 Computer Service and Repair Bad examples: “I hope we can help you.” “I have never fi xed that type of problem before.” “I do not know, but I’ll try.” “I will be busy later, so we should get this fi nished now.” Body Language Body language and mannerisms can say more than the spoken word and reveal your true feelings. For example, as an employee, you may say, “How may I help you?” However, if you continue to work on a customer’s computer and avoid eye contact with the customer, you are sending the nonverbal message, “I am very busy right now and do not have time for your problem.” If you greet a person with a smile or handshake, you warmly say nonverbally, “I am open to your problem.” On the other hand, if you greet the customer with arms folded across your chest and a scowl on your face, you are sending the nonverbal message, “Keep out.” Th e following are some body language key points to keep in mind: ■ Smile ■ Maintain eye contact with the customer while listening, as demonstrated in Figure 24-8 ■ Face the customer squarely ■ Never look away from the customer or stare off at a distant point while conversing ■ Do not fold your arms across your chest or take a defensive posture Always face people directly and squarely. Do not turn away while addressing a person or engage in other activities when you should be giving your complete attention to the customer. Customers appreciate when they are given fair attention. If you are alone in a shop and must answer a phone, always apologize and ask if you can return the call at a better time. Th en, when you have the next opportunity, return the call. Attitude Attitude is easily perceived by a customer but is very hard to defi ne in objective terms. Every person knows a good attitude or a bad attitude when he or she experiences it. It is critical to your success to maintain a positive attitude at all times 1002: 4.7 wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com Figure 24-8 By maintaining eye contact with the customer while listening, you tell that customer you are truly interested in helping him or her with the problem.