Photo by Polina Zimmerman
Part of providing excellent customer service involves listening to customers and understanding their needs and wants. One of the best ways to facilitate good customer service is to implement active listening in your customer service experience. It’s common in many businesses and organizations to use a script in addressing customer service issues.
While the script may address many common issues, sometimes a little “thinking outside the box” is necessary. Active listening is very crucial here. Your customer service team can use a tool, like interactive decision trees, to provide excellent services to your customers.
Clarification in active listening
The first component of active listening is clarification. Sometimes you may not understand what a customer is talking about, so you may have to ask questions to get to the heart of the matter. Next, paraphrase what the customer wants. By paraphrasing, you are showing you not only understand what the customer is saying but also, it gives you confirmation.
Showing empathy
The next step is to show empathy for the customer or reflect on their feelings. If a customer comes to you with a complaint, you have to start by listening. You can say something like, “I understand your anger.” Finally, summarize what the customer just said. Again, it shows your listening skills and understanding of their needs. It lets see if you and the customer are on the same page.
