Communication Strategies Used by Customer Service Officers of Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) Bengkalis

Communication strategies play an important role in facilitating interactions between Customer Service Officers and customers in the banking sector. Appropriate communication strategies enable Customer Service Officers to deliver product and service information clearly while handling customer complaints according to customers' needs. This study aimed to analyze the communication strategies used by Customer Service Officers at Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) Bengkalis Main Branch in providing product and service information and handling customer complaints. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach using Anwar Arifin's communication strategy theory, which consists of four stages: Knowing the Audience, Arranging the Message, Determining Methods, and Selection and Use of Media. Data were collected through non-participant observation to answer the first research question and semi-structured interviews to answer the second research question. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings revealed that the Customer Service Officer implemented the four communication strategies proposed by Anwar Arifin in both providing product and service information and handling customer complaints. In addition, Non-verbal Communication was identified as a supporting indicator that complemented the implementation of these communication strategies throughout customer interactions. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the integration of Knowing the Audience, Arranging the Message, Determining Methods, Selection and Use of Media, and Non-verbal Communication enabled the Customer Service Officer to communicate banking information and handle customer complaints in a structured, systematic, and customer-oriented manner.