This week you learn the five characteristics of positive communication with customers and colleagues. You begin by creating a personable greeting and closing to use with customers. You learn how to distinguish between positive and negative responses to customers' questions, as well as how to express empathy during customer interactions.

This week you learn about active listening with customers. You begin by defining active listening when interacting with customers and colleagues. You determine how to identify non-verbal cues that indicate if someone is actively listening. You learn how to verify understanding with customers and create clarifying questions in given situations with customers.

This week you learn the steps in problem solving using root cause analysis to solve customer concerns. You begin by identifying the root cause of a customer’s concern and apply problem-solving steps to the root cause of a customer’s concern. You learn the importance of following policies and procedures when solving problems with customers and use effective solutions to customers' concerns.

This week you learn about effective time management and strategies to be successful in providing quality customer service. You articulate metrics for time management in retail and call center environments and distinguish between high-priority and low-priority tasks when working with customers. You learn strategies to manage deadlines and tasks effectively in a customer service environment.