Say what you mean and do what you say. 

Failure to uphold this customer service tenet is often the crux of miscommunication.  We tend to think that whatever we say is always clear, obvious and should be easily understood. But the fact is, others don't always see things as we do, and therefore we need to make allowances for this. We each tend to have our own view of the world which acts as a filter through which we perceive everything that happens in our lives.  

When looking to improve our communication skills two thing you can do to avoid miscommunication, is:   

Learn to Listen

We know that communication is plagued by difficulties in the way we express ourselves and how we perceive others.  It is also easy to see how important it is to learn to listen properly. This is different to the type of listening we are probably used to.

I know that there are all sorts of things going on in my mind when others speak to us. Real listening (and I mean totally paying attention, not just periodically listening and occasionally nodding our head) means that we become open to what others are saying, without interrupting them, without justifying our own position in our minds, and without mentally formulating a response while the other person is talking.

Either the vendor or client believes they communicated something that the other party did not hear or understand.  It is important to take time to ensure that you have communicated the message you intended to.  This can be especially difficult when using various technology devices.  

Do What You Said You’d Do

In addition if you’ve communicated that you will take some action, be certain that you follow though.  I try to make a point of responding to client’s emails advising them that I am working on their issue so they know their request hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.  I also regularly touch base with them on the progress I’ve made throughout the resolution of the issue.  A common mistake is assuming the other party knows you’re working on the issue.  In reality, I know when I am the customer if I haven’t heard from them; I think I’ve been forgotten.