1. Chapter 9 Customer-Focused Listening Skills
4/24/2017
Chapter 9 Customer-Focused Listening Skills
Objectives
Distinguish among the three levels of listening.
Explain the importance of active listening.
Develop techniques for becoming an effective listener.
Describe barriers of effectively communicating and listening.
Identify techniques for communicating with ESL speakers.
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers
WOCS-2 (Odgers)

2. Three Levels of Listening
Level 1 Listening
Characterizes a good listener who suspends judgment, is empathetic, and who listens with a high degree of understanding and respect
Level 2 Listening
Describes a listener who mainly listens to words, but does not fully understand what the words mean
Level 3 Listening
Describes a listener who may be daydreaming, forming a premature reply or faking attention
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

3. The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers
Active Listening
Means listening with your whole mind and body—not just your ears
Five strategies that help improve active listening skills
Be ready to listen
Be ready to take notes
Demonstrate that you are listening
Ask questions
Restate the customer’s points
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

4. Strategies for Effective Listening
Realize that listening is hard work
Make good use of the thought-speech ratio
Seek to listen in more than one way
Give the speaker space
Don’t begin speaking the moment the person stops talking
Develop an open posture that encourages the other person to talk
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

5. The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers
Listening Techniques
Pay attention
Be courteous
Nod your head
Repeat the statement
Don’t be judgmental
Ask follow-up questions
Listen with your entire body
Respect the other person
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

6. Three Types of Feedback
Reflective feedback mirrors content and intent
“If I understand you correctly, what you are saying is…”
Responsive feedback characterizes the listener’s feelings
“When you [action], I feel [reaction].”
Reactive feedback reaffirms the speaker’s message
“I had a similar experience. It was…”
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

7. Passive Listening and Selective Listening
Passive listening is characterized by hearing without sending any feedback
It offers no indication of acceptance or rejection of the message.
Selective Listening is hearing only what you want to hear, filtering out what is not important or of no interest to you.
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

8. The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers
Empathetic Listening
Empathy is seeking to understand the other person’s position without getting emotionally involved yourself.
Putting yourself in the customer’s place can help you analyze the message from his her perspective.
Guiding principles
Be attentive
Be interested in the speaker’s needs
Listen with a caring attitude
Act as a mirror
Don’t get personally involved
Use verbal cues
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

9. Roadblocks to Communicating and Listening
Judging or criticizing
Naming or labeling
Commanding or ordering
Moralizing
Diverting
Advising
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers

10. Effective Communication with Non-Native Speakers
ESL (English as a second language) customers have studied English and generally comprehend it, but may have difficulty speaking it for several reasons.
To help these speakers
Avoid making judgments about incorrectly accented speech
Be a patient listener
Don’t finish the speaker’s sentences
Don’t correct grammar and pronunciation errors
Don’t pretend to understand
Chapter 9
The World of Customer Service, 2e Odgers