AOCS- Suggested Verbiage and

Body Language Guide Version:1.9–Feb’2022

This document contains all AOCS customer service-related verbiage.

The intent of this document is to support you improve your customer
interaction skill by providing you suggestive statements that you may
use to communicate professionally with a customer
AOCS-Suggested Verbiage and Body Language Guide

Body Language
It is a type of non-verbal communication to express or convey information. Positive body language conveys your message even
before you speak. It’s advisable to have a positive body language when interacting with customers.

Eye contact
Eye contact generates a connection of trust between a customer and AOCS team members . Consistent eye contact depicts the
presence of AOCS Team members in the conversation
DOs:

 Eye contact is equated to honesty & confidence

 ‘I appreciate you’
 ‘I accept & acknowledge what you are saying’
 Maintaining a pleasant gaze
 Looking into the customer’s eyes while interacting would help build trust and connection keeping in mind
the eye contact doesn’t shift to a stare.
 Pausing for 3 seconds, maintaining eye contact & getting back to the customer as soon as possible to
address their request would be practiced with the participants.
DON’Ts:
 A frown visible on the forehead means:
 ‘I find you puzzling’
 I’m not sure of what you want’
 Avoid staring
 Looking down depicts submission
 Looking up shows’ dominance
 Looking away depicts lack of interest
 A fixed gaze creates discomfort
Gestures
Gestures can communicate a variety of messages. It is up to us how we use them to our advantage to make our communication
stronger. With the use of the correct gestures, the conversation can be given a completely different meaning.
DOs:
 AOCS team members to make sure to use open palm gestures, hands out of pockets etc. to express openness and
receptiveness.
 Relaxed arms by the side: A good way to show you are approachable Open palms: An open heart, being open to
suggestions and positive
DON’Ts
 Crossed arms
 Hands in the pockets
 Stiff or shrugging of shoulders

Posture
How we sit or stand conveys a strong message of how you feel during an interaction. An erect standing posture makes you look
confident and warm. The following points need to be kept in mind for good professional posture

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AOCS-Suggested Verbiage and Body Language Guide

DOs:
 Chin parallel to the ground
 Shoulders down and relaxed
 Back straight
 Abdomen in
 Feet together
 Hands in front with open palms
 Leaning slightly forward to show interest in the conversation (while maintaining safe distancing) will portray empathy.
DON’Ts:
 Dragging feet while walking
 Hunching / slouching
 Excessive use of arms & hands
 Feet wide apart

Approachability
it’s very important to portray approachability in our body language which will in turn help the customer feel at ease and
welcomed.
DOs:
 Maintain an approachable posture in a neutral position while both sitting & standing
 Hold eye contact during the entire conversation
 Be present during the conversation
 Use open hand gestures
 Keep your arms on sides
 Do not check that mobile phone
 Smile & be yourself
DON’Ts:
 Leaning backward or forward too much
 Breaking eye contact too soon
 Looking up/down or staring too much
 Nodding too much
 Pointing fingers
 Crossed arms, fidgeting or holding them back
 Checking your phone repeatedly
 Not smiling enough

Being empathetic
Being empathetic will help AOCS team members to see things from the customer’s point of view, and imagine ourselves in their
place. Which will in turn enhance the overall customer experience.
DO’s:
 Slow down
 Focus your attention
 Listen with your heart, not just your head
 Be open and curious Practice acceptance and non-judgment

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 Mindfulness can enhance your ability to stay present in conversations

 Empathize
 Compliment
 Paraphrase
 Offer to help
DON’Ts:
 Looking rushed & hassled
 Looking preoccupied with thoughts
 False praise
 Looking around during a conversation

Facial Expressions
Expressions are the mirror to a person’s feelings. Maintaining positive facial expressions facilitates rapport building. A cheerful and
pleasant disposition adds energy and enthusiasm to your voice
DOs:
 Smiling & maintaining eye contact
 A Smile will be visible with the mask on through the eyes
 Nodding during interactions shows affirmation during conversation
DON’Ts:
 Frowning
 Raising of eyebrows
 Rolling of eyes
 Pursing of lips

Mirror & Match

For one on one conversations demonstrate matching/mirroring body language, voice, tone, speed and energy to build a bond of
trust & depict our understanding & sincere concern.

Maintain Safe Distancing

DOs:
 About 2 arm’s length away for safety of self & others
 Lean slightly forward during conversation to show interest
DON’Ts:
 Being beyond the personal space of the customer

Voice projection & Tone:

Ensuring that volume is not too loud or too low for announcements or interaction to be audible. What you say is important but
how you say it makes all the difference. Tone of voice also reveals a lot about a person‘s feelings and frame of mind, often more
than the words themselves. Keeping in mind the presence of the mask, use your tone effectively (as our feelings are reflected in
our tone)
DO’s:
 Smiling & maintaining eye contact
 Ensure that you keep your head up while speaking.

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 Clarity in speech requires clear and correct pronunciation of words. The speech should be neutral i.e. devoid of any first /
regional language influence.
 Speak slowly and clearly. Avoid rushing through the announcement or conversation.
 To convey the right meaning, pause at the right places. Pause after every sentence.
 A well-modulated voice, which has rhythm and a varied intonation pattern that is pleasing to the ears. For this, stressing
on the important words is essential.
 Ensure uniformity, hence it is necessary to use the verbiage as published. However, at no point in time should the
announcements/conversations sound bookish/scripted, bored/monotonous or robotic.
 Please ensure that you articulate well. The announcements or interactions should be fluent and without considerable or
abrupt breaks in between.

The Golden Rule:

DO’s:
 Treat others the way you would like to be treated
 By effectively managing our posture, body language & expressions we portray being in control of any
situation which is a reaffirmation to our customer that we are there for them. This will help build brand
loyalty.

Displaying Competencies:

Accountability Taking ownership for one's own actions, those of the

colleagues and the organization.
 Taking responsibility of the situation irrespective of the
source
 Managing emotions (Apply ICE)
 Identify your trigger
 Center your thoughts
 Engage
 LEAP & LOOP back
 L – Listen to your customer
 E – Empathize
 A – Acknowledge and apologize
 P – Provide and loop back
Building Trust To gain Confidence through reliability, integrity and effective
communication, ensuring loyalty
 Use Bury the No-Say No with a power of “YES”
 Show efforts to help
 Explain with a reason
 Offer alternatives
 Use Convincing 4R’s
 Request
 Reason
 Rephrase
 Recommend
 Use LEAP for Service Recovery and always ensure to
loop back

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AOCS-Suggested Verbiage and Body Language Guide

Taking Initiative To exhibit resourcefulness, based on independent action and

professional judgment, that are position appropriate.
 Always ensure that the customers are leaving with a smile
 Use Convincing 4R’s
 Use LEAP and be solution centric
Adaptability To adapt to changing conditions, being open to new ideas and
methods. Follow OAR
 Observe: what the customer is saying
 Anticipate: customers’ requirements
 Respond: with the best solution

Composure Demonstrating self-control in difficult situations

 Demonstrate 2nd Level of patience
 Managing Emotions- ICE
 LEAP & loop back

Ramp/Airside/Security
Situations
1. Customers forgetting something at the SHA/ in the
aircraft at the arrival airport
Verbiage
Good Morning/afternoon/Evening ……. Sir /Ma’am. ” Welcome to IndiGo,
how may I assist you?
(Take the phone description –colour / brand, probing required which
areas they may have visited e.g. food court/charging points or SHA).
Inform AOCS team member to look for the same. Inform customer that
the airport team is looking for the phone.
Meanwhile, ask customer to board the aircraft.
Mr/ Ms Singh ……The flight is ready for departure and the Airport team is
looking for the phone. We will coordinate accordingly if we find the
phone, and send it on the next available flight. We would request you to
get in touch with our Airport Team member at the arrival hall/terminal
for further assistance.
If a customer informs that they left their phone at the SHA – then give
them the Airport Authority Lost & Found number, along with the arrival
airport duty cell number. Give your airport MHB duty cell number as well.

 Customer objects and does want to leave
without the phone
The whole idea is to convince the customer to board the aircraft by
assuring them they will get the phone if found. However, if the customer
does not understand and still insists on not leaving without the phone
then as a last resort, inform the customer that If they decide not to travel
then certain charges will be applicable such as self- offload charge and re-
accommodation charges along with fare differences, there’s a possibility
that there might not be any seat available in next flight as well
Tip: Assure them if the same is with SHA, they would get the phone from
the lost & found department of the respective airport.

2. Re-directing to aft\forward as per seat numbers
Dear Sir/Ma’am requesting you to kindly proceed from the rear of the
aircraft as your seat no is 25F.
Customer Objects:
Response –It will be more convenient to board from the rear stairs/ramp
as the row is quite close to the rear exit, using the front entrance will be

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AOCS-Suggested Verbiage and Body Language Guide
 If customer still insists –
3. Hand baggage control & encourage customer to keep
their hand baggage under the seat– L1 ladder point
 If a customer says: “I have been travelling with
the same bag
 If a customer says- I have valuables in them
4. Customers taking a photograph at Ramp
5. Managing customer movement around the Tarmac to
avoid accidents
6. Managing special request- Customer with baby
stroller
 Departure
 Arrival
 Customer post landing asks for the baby stroller
 Stroller has been sent to arrivals:
 I was informed that I will get my stroller here and
I want you to get my stroller, I don’t care
inconvenient as they would be going against the flow of boarding, it
would also take a lot of time for them to reach their respective rows.Best
wishes for your travel
AOCS team member to allow them to proceed and not to argue at any
point
Dear Sir\Ma’am, - May I request you to please hand over the bag to us as
the bag is oversized as we have space and size limitation in our overhead
compartment
“Thank you so much for the feedback there is a possibility that it might
have been overlooked. “
Requesting you to carry the same separately and we would also like to
inform you that since we will load it towards the end, you would get it as
one of the priority bags on the baggage belt upon arrival
Note – AOCS team member to inform the Skipper accordingly and the
arrival airport should also be given prior information to off-load the
respective bag and sending it on the conveyor belt as one of the priority
bags
Note – Please talk about the sanitization of the aircraft, coaches,
wheelchair, trolleys, baby strollers etc. wherever required
“Sir/Ma’am I would request you to kindly not take photographs as it’s not
permitted according to government regulations” However you may click
your own pictures inside the aircraft” Wish you happy journey
“Sir/Ma’am” I would request you to kindly move towards the coach or
towards the step ladder as it’s not safe to stand here. There is a lot of
vehicular movement and we’re concerned about your safety.
“Sir/Ma’am I would request you to kindly handover the WCHR/Stroller to
us so that we could place the same in the cargo compartment. Please
attach the DAA Tag (Delivery at aircraft and handover the claim tag to the
customer) The same would be provided to you on arrival at aircraft point
post landing.Hope you have a comfortable flight
Dear Sir/Ma’am, Welcome to IndiGo, please allow me some time to get
the stroller
Mr/Ms Singh ………. may I please inform you that due to our team
member error the stroller has been sent to arrivals and I am very sorry
for the inconvenience
Mr/Ms Singh if we try to get the stroller here it will take atleast 20-25
mins and you will have to wait here, however I would request to kindly
proceed towards arrivals and we will provide the stroller there when you
reach.
We have a coach waiting and a service partner will accompany you to
help you with your bags till Arrival. I will also inform my team to keep
your stroller ready.
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AOCS-Suggested Verbiage and Body Language Guide
 Customer wheel chair not available upon arrival
7. Aft step ladder not Aligned-Customer seated on 30th
row had to deplane from the aerobridge
 When only FWD ladder is aligned
8. Seat Duplication
9. Coach not available on arrival & customers waiting
for coaches on the Tarmac
10. Customer waiting inside the coach for Boarding to
start
11. Requesting a customer for secondary check of
baggage
 If customer objects
 If a customer says: “What if I do not show my
bag“
Tip: Convince the customer to go to Arrivals and once customer is on
the way please inform the Arrival team to keep the stroller ready for
the customer
Sir/Ma’am, I apologise for the inconvenience please allow us sometime
to arrange for the wheel chair
Tip: AOCS team member to arrange wheel chair on priority
Sir/Ma’am we apologize for the inconvenience caused, since the
aerobridge is available, the airport operator doesn’t permit us to connect
the rear step ladder”
Note-this is pertaining to the airport where the AAI does not allow the
airline to align an aft ladder if an aerobridge is aligned
Sir/Ma’am, we apologise for the inconvenience as due to aircraft
movement the ladder is stuck on the other side / Due to change in last
minute parking bay the ladder is on the way
Sir/Ma’am we apologize for the inconvenience caused, please allow me
some time till I allocate a seat for you. May I please request you to
accompany me to the galley as there would be customer movement and
it would be inconvenient for you and it will be easier for you to maintain
a safe distance from other customers.
1. Sir/Ma’am, we apologise for the inconvenience as the coaches
are getting sanitized and dis-infected after every use and hence
it is taking time as for IndiGo, customer’s safety is of utmost
priority
2. Sir/Ma’am, we apologise for the inconvenience as the coaches
are stuck on the other side due to aircraft movement
“Sir/Ma’am we apologize for the inconvenience caused, please allow us
sometime as cleaning is in progress. The delay is due to the additional
cleaning and sanitisation which is going on. Thank you for your
understanding”
AOCS team member should also take the initiative and effort of cross
checking the same and informing customers how much time the boarding
will commence in.Wish you happy journey
Tip – Airport team should be pro-active and should take initiative of
going and informing customers that it would take some time for
boarding to commence and share the logical reason
Sir/Ma’am may I have your boarding pass please and requesting you to
kindly open the bag. We have to physically check all the hand bags due to
security reasons. (maintain safe distance). Thank you for choosing IndiGo
and wish you good health
These are additional and random checks that we are conducting and the
same has been advised by the Govt. authorities, we are taking all these
measures for your safety and security.
If a customer chooses not to show their bag there is a possibility that they
might not be allowed to board the aircraft
Sir/ Ma’am – we are requesting for your co-operation so that we can send
the flight on time
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Note: No physical contact has to be made while viewing the boarding

card.

12. Customer reaches on board without ‘fit to fly’
certificate – Pregnant lady
Ma’am, may I please request you to kindly come with us as it’s for your
own safety and discuss the concern in the galley.
AOCS team member should ask the customer for the ‘fit to fly’ certificate
from her treating doctor (a soft or a hard copy) if the customer has one,
and if not should politely give a logical reason as to why the customer
cannot fly.

Tip: Airport team members should be very calm and composed

13. Offload Customer - If an onward journey is cancelled -Sir /Ma’am, may I please request you to come with us as the onward
(For eg- DEL-CCU-IXB) & IXB is XXLD flight that you are travelling on has been cancelled due to bad weather.

 If a customer insists to travel
14. Flight cancelled after all on board due Technical
reasons
Inform the customer that there is no take-off/ landing happening and the
weather is beyond their control and the next available flight will be given
to them
AOCS team members to be very calm and composed and inform all
customers that they would have to proceed towards the airport terminal
as the flight is cancelled, however in their capacity they would connect all
customers accordingly in the best possible way either on IndiGo flights or
on another airline

AOCS team member to also ensure that there would be no extra charges
applicable to customers

15. Customer making a video in a situation where Mr./Ms. Singh, we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused, we
something has not gone as per the expectation or is care for our customers and we are doing everything possible to help you
upset with our services.
Competencies:
Adaptability / Composure
Note: While getting recorded AOCS Team members to Choice of words
pro-actively take initiative of calling other team members  May I please request you
in front of the customers to find a solution / arrange  Kindly
alternatives promptly
 Requesting you
Off Camera: Inform customers that photography or  I would really appreciate your understanding
making video is prohibited at Ramp
Behaviour
 Be Pleasant
 Calm and Composed
 Be confident while getting recorded

Tone & Pitch

 Polite

Body Language
 Confident
 Sense of urgency to be shown
 Quick thinking on the feet
 Open palm gestures
 Nodding of head while acknowledging
 Do not keep body stiff especially Shoulders
 No casual approach

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 No hands in pockets

Facial Expression
 Pleasant
 Do Not Frown
 No raising of eyebrows

Eye-Contact
 To be maintained
 Do not pretend to be busy in phone

Customer Service Tools

 LEAP to be followed along with Convincing 4R’s

Customer is talking to AOCS team member and asking Mr./Ms. Singh, we sincerely apologise and regret the inconvenience
questions while making video, AOCS team member is caused,we sincerely apologise for the delay.We care for our customers
very uncomfortable and we are doing everything possible to help you

Note: While getting recorded Airport Team members to Competencies:

pro-actively take initiative of calling other team members Adaptability / Composure
in front of the customers to find a solution / arrange
alternatives promptly Choice of words
 Regret the inconvenience caused
Off Camera: Inform customers that photography or  We apologise for the delay
making video is prohibited at Ramp  Please / Kindly / Requesting you
 I would really appreciate your understanding
 Thank you

Behaviour
 Be Pleasant
 Calm and Composed
 Be confident while getting recorded

Tone & Pitch

 Polite

Body Language
 Confident
 Sense of urgency to be shown
 Quick thinking on the feet
 Open palm gestures
 Nodding of head while acknowledging customers
 Do not keep body stiff especially Shoulders
 No casual approach
 No hands in pockets

Facial Expression
 Pleasant
 Do Not Frown

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 No raising of eyebrows

Eye-Contact
 To be maintained
 Do not pretend to be busy in phone

Customer Service tools:

 LEAP / Bury the No / ICE

Another Customer, who is not a part of the situation is We care for our customers and we are doing everything possible to help
recording a video them .We thank you for your understanding

Competencies:
Note: While getting recorded Airport Team members to Adaptability / Composure
pro-actively take initiative of calling other team members
in front of the customers to find a solution / arrange Choice of words
alternatives promptly  May I please request you
 I would really appreciate your understanding
Off Camera: Inform customers that photography or
making video is prohibited at Ramp  Thank you

Behaviour
 Be Pleasant
 Be Confident while getting recorded
 Calm and Composed

Tone & Pitch

 Polite

Body Language
 Confident
 Sense of urgency to be shown
 Quick thinking on the feet
 Open palm gestures
 Nodding of head while acknowledging
 Do not keep body stiff especially Shoulders
 No casual approach
 No hands in pockets

Facial Expression
 Pleasant
 Do Not Frown
 No raising of eyebrows
 Smiling behind the mask while requesting the fellow customer
 AOCS team members should not have quizzical expression
(pretending as if not aware of situation )

Eye-Contact
 To be maintained
 Do not pretend to be busy in phone

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Customer Service tools: Convincing 4Rs / ICE

Customer making a video of the equipment e.g. Sir/ Ma’am , we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience .Please allow
wheelchair (not in good condition) me sometime to arrange another wheelchair for you and we assure you
that we would take care of the same .We sincerely care for our
customers and thank you for your understanding

Note: While getting recorded Airport team members to Competencies:

pro-actively take initiative of calling other team members Adaptability / Composure
in front of the customers to find a solution / arrange
alternatives promptly Choice of words
 Regret the inconvenience caused
Off Camera: Inform customers that photography or  Please / Kindly / Requesting you
making video is prohibited at Ramp
 I would really appreciate your understanding
 Thank you

Behaviour
 Be Pleasant
 Calm and Composed
 Be confident while getting recorded

Tone & Pitch

 Polite

Body Language
 Confident
 Sense of urgency to be shown
 Quick thinking on the feet
 Open palm gestures
 Nodding of head while acknowledging customers
 Do not keep body stiff especially Shoulders
 No casual approach
 No hands in pockets

Facial Expression
 Pleasant
 Do Not Frown
 No raising of eyebrows

Eye-Contact
 To be maintained
 Do not pretend to be busy in phone

Customer Service tools

 Convincing 4Rs / ICE

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