Nonverbal Communication

[Texas Southern University]

Nonverbal Communication and the Interpersonal Deception Theory in Customer Service

Introduction

This paper will discuss the nonverbal communication and the interpersonal deception theory in customer service. It will investigate the research questions, purpose of the research, the related methodology and the relevant review of literatures that is to be undertaken to support the current research study.

Research Problem

The element of customer service is the vital part of the functions and activities of the business organizations in the current era. Be they manufacturing organizations or service providers, customers are acknowledged as the key component in every company and firm. The concept of customer service is pertains to providing the essential services to the customers prior to, during the course of, and after making the purchase. Shahnam et al. (2002) mentions that the customer service provision refers to a sequence of activities and functions developed to boost the level of customer satisfaction; in other words, it is the realization of the fact that certain service or product has come up to the expectations and fulfilled the needs of the customer (Shahnam, 2001).

In the current era, the context of customer service is directly linked with the concept of the interpersonal deception theory during the delivery of non-verbal communication. It is the interpersonal deception theory (IDT) which strives to elaborate upon the ways in which the perceived or actual deception is dealt with by the individuals on the subconscious and conscious levels while they are involved in the face-to-face communication. This communication is influenced not only by one's own goals, but also by the context of the interaction as it unfolds. The messages and conduct of sender is impacted by receiver's conduct and messages, and vice versa. In many of the business organizations, the concept of interpersonal deception is most common and general these days. It signifies the engaging of one party or the other in concealment (omitting material facts), falsification (lying), or equivocation (skirting issues by changing the subject or offering indirect responses) (Sirdeshmukh, 2001). The study at hand aims to investigate and analyze the prevalence of the interpersonal deception theory within the non-verbal communication segment of the customer service. It will present the fundamentals and background of the two elements as they are used in the present day organizations for the purpose of serving the customers.

Purpose of Study

The current study will serve the purpose of identifying the issue of the occurrence of interpersonal deception theory while serving customers in the organizations. By presenting the background and the fundamentals of the current issue, the study provides an idea to the reader regarding how streamlined these issues are in the contemporary organizations. The major purpose of this study is not only to investigate and analyze the issue at hand, but also to form grounds for the future research to extend the current concepts and their investigation on a larger level. Moreover, this study will also serve the purpose of knowing the aims and objectives of non verbal communication, characterization of their differences ...