According to Robert W.Lucas in his book- Customer Service- Building Successful Skills for the 21st Century, there are several steps a concept than can be applied to produce positive results in communication.

1. Plan your messages
2. Greet customers warmly and sincerely
3. Use customer focused language
4. Use eye contact effectively
5. Listen carefully and respond appropriately
6. Be specific
7. Use positive "I" or "We" messages
8.Use "Small Talk"
9. Use simple language
10. Paraphrase
11. Ask positively phrased questions
12. Communicate to your customer's learning style
13. Ask permission
14. Agree with customers
15. Elicit customer feedback and participation
16. Close the transaction professionally
17. Address pet peeves

Maybe the tips/steps given above can help you in the future...further information, refer to the book.