Chapter 5 Listening to the Customer BUS151 People Skills Chapter 5 Listening to the Customer

Why is Listening so Important? Listening effectively is the primary means customer service professionals use to determine the needs of their customers. Many times, needs are not communicated to you directly but through inferences, indirect comments, or nonverbal signals. A skilled listener will pick up on these cues and conduct follow-up questioning or probe deeper to determine the real need.

Listening In the United States, typically the average white-color worker has only about a 25 percent efficiency rate when listening. * This means that 75 percent of the message is lost. Think about what such a loss in message reception could mean in an organization if the poor listening skills of customer service professionals led to a loss of 75 percent of customer opportunities. *Dr. Ralph G. Nicols, who is also called the father of listening.

What is Listening? Listening is your primary means of gathering information from a customer or any other person. True listening is an active learned process. When you listen actively, you go through a process consisting of various phases: Hearing and receiving: Passive physiological process of receiving sound waves and transmitting them to the brain where they are analyzed. Attending: Once your ears pick up sound waves, your brain goes to work focusing on, or attending to, what was heard. It sorts out everything being heard. Comprehending or assigning: Once you have decided which message or customer you will listen to, your brain begins a process of comprehending or assigning meaning to, what you heard. It then compares what was heard to what is stored in your brain (sounds, sights, shapes, images, experiences, knowledge). Responding: Selecting an appropriate response is crucial to the success of your customer interactions.

Questions for the Listener Am I practicing active listening skills? What message is the customer trying to get across? What does the customer want or need me to do in response to their message? Should I take notes or remember key points being made? Am I forming premature conclusions, or do I need to listen further?

Questions for the Listener (cont’d) Are there biases or distractions I need to avoid? Is the customer failing to provide information needed to make a sound decision? What other feedback clues are being provided in addition to words? Are they important to message meaning? What questions do I need to ask as a follow-up to the customer’s message?

Characteristics of a Good Listener #1 Empathy By putting yourself in the customer’s place and trying to relate to the customer’s needs, wants, and concerns, you can often reduce the risk of poor service. Some customer service professionals neglect the customer’s need for compassion, especially when the customer is dissatisfied.

Characteristics of a Good Listener #2 Understanding Understanding is the ability to listen as customers verbalize their needs, and to ensure that you understand them. Too often, you hear people say, “I understand what you mean,” when it is obvious that they have no clue as to the level of emotion being felt. When this happens while a customer is upset or angry, the results could be flared tempers, loss of business, bad publicity, etc.

Characteristics of a Good Listener #3 Patience Many people spend time thinking about what they will say next rather than listening to what is being said. Taking time to slow down and actively listen to customers makes them feel important and allows you to better meet their needs. Patience is especially important when a language barrier or speech disability is part of the situation.

Characteristics of a Good Listener #4 Attentiveness By focusing your attention on the customer, you can better interpret his or her message and satisfy his or her needs. Attentiveness is often displayed through nonverbal cues such as nodding or cocking of the head to one side. When you are reading, talking on phone or doing some other task while listening to your customer, your rate of absorption will fall into the 25 percent category of listening.

Characteristics of a Good Listener #5 Objectivity Avoid subjective opinions or judgments. If you have a preconceived idea about customers, you could mishandle the situation. Allow customers to describe their needs, wants, or concerns, and then analyze them fairly before taking appropriate action.

Causes of Listening Breakdown Personal Obstacles Biases (personal opinions, beliefs) Psychological distracters (mood, negativity) Physical condition (state of wellness and fitness) Circadian Rhythm (24-hour biological pattern; peak) Preoccupation (personal/other matters in mind) Hearing loss (can’t hear well) Listening skill level (influenced by prior experiences) Thought speed (lag time or listening gap) Faulty assumptions (each situation is different)

Causes of Listening Breakdown External Obstacles Information overload Other people talking Ringing phones Speakerphones Physical barriers Office and maintenance equipment

Indicators of Poor Listening Customers specifically ask to speak to or be served by someone else. You find yourself missing key details of conversations. You regularly have to ask people to repeat information. You end conversations not knowing for sure what action is required by you. You find yourself distracted or daydreaming. You miss nonverbal cues sent by the customer. You answer a question incorrectly because you didn’t hear actually hear it.

Strategies for Improved Listening Stop talking! Prepare yourself. Listen actively. Show a willingness to listen. Show empathy. Listen for concepts

Information-Gathering Techniques Open-ended Questions This type of questioning follows the time-tested approach of the 5 W’s and 1 H used by journalists who ask questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Information-Gathering Techniques Open-ended Questions Identify customer needs This is a crucial task because some customers are either unsure or what they need or want or do no adequately express their needs or wants. Examples “Ms. Deloach, what type of car are you looking for? “Mr. Petell, why is an extended warranty important to you?

Information-Gathering Techniques Open-ended Questions Gather a Lot of Information When you are just beginning a customer relationship and aren’t sure what the customer has in mind or what’s important. Examples “Mr. and Mrs. Milton, to help me better serve you, could you please describe what your ideal house would look like if you could build it?”

Information-Gathering Techniques Open-ended Questions Uncover Background Data When you are just beginning a customer relationship and aren’t sure what the customer has in mind or what’s important. Examples “Mrs. Chan, will you please tell me the history behind this problem, including all of your previous contacts with this office?”

Information-Gathering Techniques Open-ended Questions Uncover Objections During a Sale Many times, people are not rejecting what you are offering outright; they simply do not see an immediate need for the product or cannot think of appropriate questions to ask. Examples “Ms. Williams, from what you told me, all the features of the new RD10 model that we talked about will definitely ease some of your workload, so let me get the paperwork started so you can take it home with you. What do you think?”

Information-Gathering Techniques Open-ended Questions Give the Customer an Opportunity to Speak By allowing a customer to “vent” as you listen actively, you can sometimes reduce the level of tension and help solve the problem. Examples “Why is this feature so important to you?” “How do you normally use the product?” How has the printer been malfunctioning, Jim?

Information-Gathering Techniques Close-Ended Questions Draw short, one-syllable responses and gain little new information. Many closed-ended questions can be answered with yes or no, or with a specific answer such as a date or number. Closed-ended questions can be used for: Verifying Information Closing an Order Gaining Agreement Clarifying Information

Additional Question Guidelines Avoid criticism. Ask only positively phrased questions. Ask direct questions. Ask customers how you can better serve.