You probably know that listening is an important component of delivering excellent customer service. After all, how can you help a customer when you don’t know what they’re saying? Sometimes, though, it’s not enough to simply “listen,” and instead you must engage in what is called “active listening.” This is when you are “actively” listening to the customer, rather than passively. It requires you to pay absolute attention to them. You won’t believe how quick a customer will catch on to the fact that you are not paying attention, so here are some pointers to develop active listening skills.
First, you need to convey interest, and show you care about what is being said. You can do this by nodding, and saying phrases like “yes sir/ma’am” or “I agree.” Doing so shows the customer you are listening, and they will be more at ease with you. Smiling and making eye contact are important components of active listening as well. Good posture is essential too, and it is also a good idea to avoid distractions—don’t watch the clock, play with pens or pencils or fidget. Once the customer is done talking, be sure to repeat back to them what they said, as this will help clear up questions and show that you did indeed pay attention to what they said.
Yonyx enables organizations to create multi-media flowcharts that provide customers an interactive self-service experience similar to interacting with a live Agent.
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