BUS151 People Skills Chapter 5 Listening to the Customer

BUS151 People BUS151 People SkillsSkills

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Listening to the Listening to the CustomerCustomer

Why is Listening so Why is Listening so Important?Important?

Listening effectively is the primary means Listening effectively is the primary means customer service professionals use to customer service professionals use to determine the needs of their customers.determine the needs of their customers.

Many times, needs are not communicated Many times, needs are not communicated to you directly but through inferences, to you directly but through inferences, indirect comments, or nonverbal signals.indirect comments, or nonverbal signals.

A skilled listener will pick up on these A skilled listener will pick up on these cues and conduct follow-up questioning or cues and conduct follow-up questioning or probe deeper to determine the real need.probe deeper to determine the real need.

ListeningListening

In the United States, In the United States, typically the typically the average white-color average white-color worker has only worker has only about a 25 percent about a 25 percent efficiency rate when efficiency rate when listening. *listening. *

This means that 75 This means that 75 percent of the percent of the message is lost.message is lost.

Think about what such a Think about what such a loss in message loss in message reception could mean in reception could mean in an organization if the an organization if the poor listening skills of poor listening skills of customer service customer service professionals led to a professionals led to a loss of 75 percent of loss of 75 percent of customer opportunities. customer opportunities. *Dr. Ralph G. Nicols, who is

also called the father of listening.

What is Listening?What is Listening? Listening is your primary means of gathering Listening is your primary means of gathering information from a customer or any other information from a customer or any other person. True listening is an active learned person. True listening is an active learned process.process.

When you listen actively, you go through a process When you listen actively, you go through a process consisting of various phases:consisting of various phases:– Hearing and receivingHearing and receiving: Passive physiological process of receiving : Passive physiological process of receiving

sound waves and transmitting them to the brain where they are sound waves and transmitting them to the brain where they are analyzed.analyzed.

– AttendingAttending: Once your ears pick up sound waves, your brain goes to : Once your ears pick up sound waves, your brain goes to work focusing on, or attending to, what was heard. It sorts out work focusing on, or attending to, what was heard. It sorts out everything being heard.everything being heard.

– Comprehending or assigningComprehending or assigning: : Once you have decided which Once you have decided which message or customer you will listen to, your brain begins a process message or customer you will listen to, your brain begins a process of comprehending or assigning meaning to, what you heard. It then of comprehending or assigning meaning to, what you heard. It then compares what was heard to what is stored in your brain (sounds, compares what was heard to what is stored in your brain (sounds, sights, shapes, images, experiences, knowledge). sights, shapes, images, experiences, knowledge).

– RespondingResponding: Selecting an appropriate response is crucial to the : Selecting an appropriate response is crucial to the success of your customer interactions. success of your customer interactions.

Questions for the ListenerQuestions for the Listener

Am I practicing active listening skills?Am I practicing active listening skills? What message is the customer trying to What message is the customer trying to

get across?get across? What does the customer want or need What does the customer want or need

me to do in response to their message?me to do in response to their message? Should I take notes or remember key Should I take notes or remember key

points being made?points being made? Am I forming premature conclusions, or Am I forming premature conclusions, or

do I need to listen further?do I need to listen further?

Questions for the Listener Questions for the Listener ((cont’dcont’d))

Are there biases or distractions I need to Are there biases or distractions I need to avoid?avoid?

Is the customer failing to provide Is the customer failing to provide information needed to make a sound information needed to make a sound decision?decision?

What other feedback clues are being What other feedback clues are being provided in addition to words? Are they provided in addition to words? Are they important to message meaning?important to message meaning?

What questions do I need to ask as a What questions do I need to ask as a follow-up to the customer’s message?follow-up to the customer’s message?

Characteristics of a Good Characteristics of a Good ListenerListener

#1 Empathy#1 Empathy

By putting yourself in the customer’s By putting yourself in the customer’s place and trying to relate to the place and trying to relate to the customer’s needs, wants, and customer’s needs, wants, and concerns, you can often reduce the concerns, you can often reduce the risk of poor service.risk of poor service.

Some customer service Some customer service professionals neglect theprofessionals neglect thecustomer’s need for compassion,customer’s need for compassion,especially when the customer isespecially when the customer isdissatisfied.dissatisfied.


#2 Understanding#2 Understanding Understanding is the ability to listen as Understanding is the ability to listen as

customers verbalize their needs, and to customers verbalize their needs, and to ensure that you understand them.ensure that you understand them.

Too often, you hear people say, “I Too often, you hear people say, “I understand what you mean,” when it is understand what you mean,” when it is obvious that they have no clue as to the level obvious that they have no clue as to the level of emotion being felt.of emotion being felt.

When this happens while a customer is upset When this happens while a customer is upset or angry, the results could be flared tempers, or angry, the results could be flared tempers, loss of business, bad publicity, etc.loss of business, bad publicity, etc.


#3 Patience#3 Patience Many people spend time thinking about Many people spend time thinking about

what they will say next rather than listening what they will say next rather than listening to what is being said.to what is being said.

Taking time to slow down and actively listen Taking time to slow down and actively listen to customers makes them feel important to customers makes them feel important and allows you to better meet their needs.and allows you to better meet their needs.

Patience is especially importantPatience is especially importantwhen a language barrier orwhen a language barrier orspeech disability is part of thespeech disability is part of thesituation.situation.


#4 Attentiveness#4 Attentiveness By focusing your attention onBy focusing your attention on

the customer, you can betterthe customer, you can betterinterpret his or her message interpret his or her message and satisfy his or her needs.and satisfy his or her needs.

Attentiveness is often displayed through Attentiveness is often displayed through nonverbal cues such as nodding or cocking of the nonverbal cues such as nodding or cocking of the head to one side.head to one side.

When you are reading, talking on phone or doing When you are reading, talking on phone or doing some other task while listening to your customer, some other task while listening to your customer, your rate of absorption will fall into the 25 percent your rate of absorption will fall into the 25 percent category of listening.category of listening.


#5 Objectivity#5 Objectivity Avoid subjective opinions or Avoid subjective opinions or

judgments.judgments.

If you have a preconceived If you have a preconceived idea about customers, you idea about customers, you could mishandle the situation.could mishandle the situation.

Allow customers to describe Allow customers to describe their needs, wants, or their needs, wants, or concerns, and then analyze concerns, and then analyze them fairly before taking them fairly before taking appropriate action.appropriate action.

Causes of Listening Causes of Listening BreakdownBreakdown

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

Causes of Listening Causes of Listening BreakdownBreakdown

External ObstaclesExternal Obstacles

Information overloadInformation overload

Other people talkingOther people talking

Ringing phonesRinging phones

SpeakerphonesSpeakerphones

Physical barriersPhysical barriers

Office and maintenance equipmentOffice and maintenance equipment

Indicators of Poor ListeningIndicators of Poor Listening

Customers specifically ask to speak to or be served by Customers specifically ask to speak to or be served by someone else.someone else.

You find yourself missing key details of conversations.You find yourself missing key details of conversations.

You regularly have to ask people to repeat information.You regularly have to ask people to repeat information.

You end conversations not knowing for sure what You end conversations not knowing for sure what action is required by you.action is required by you.

You find yourself distracted or daydreaming.You find yourself distracted or daydreaming.

You miss nonverbal cues sent by the customer.You miss nonverbal cues sent by the customer.

You answer a question incorrectly because you didn’t You answer a question incorrectly because you didn’t hear actually hear it.hear actually hear it.

Strategies for Improved Strategies for Improved ListeningListening

Stop talking!Stop talking! Prepare yourself.Prepare yourself. Listen actively.Listen actively. Show a Show a

willingness to willingness to listen. listen.

Show empathy. Show empathy. Listen for Listen for

conceptsconcepts

Information-Gathering Information-Gathering TechniquesTechniques

Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended Questions

This type of questioning follows the time-tested This type of questioning follows the time-tested approach of the 5 W’s and 1 H used by approach of the 5 W’s and 1 H used by journalists who ask questions: journalists who ask questions:

Who? What?Who? What?

When? Where?When? Where?

Why? How?Why? How?


Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended QuestionsIdentify customer needsIdentify customer needs

This is a crucial task because some This is a crucial task because some customers are either unsure or what customers are either unsure or what they need or want or do no adequately they need or want or do no adequately express their needs or wants.express their needs or wants.

ExamplesExamples

““Ms. Deloach, what type of car are you Ms. Deloach, what type of car are you looking for?looking for?

““Mr. Petell, why is an extended warranty Mr. Petell, why is an extended warranty important to you?important to you?


Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended QuestionsGather a Lot of InformationGather a Lot of Information

When you are just beginning a customer When you are just beginning a customer relationship and aren’t sure what the relationship and aren’t sure what the customer has in mind or what’s important.customer has in mind or what’s important.

ExamplesExamples

““Mr. and Mrs. Milton, to help me better Mr. and Mrs. Milton, to help me better serve you, could you please describe serve you, could you please describe what your ideal house would look like what your ideal house would look like if you could build it?”if you could build it?”


Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended QuestionsUncover Background DataUncover Background Data

When you are just beginning a customer When you are just beginning a customer relationship and aren’t sure what the relationship and aren’t sure what the customer has in mind or what’s important.customer has in mind or what’s important.

ExamplesExamples

““Mrs. Chan, will you please tell meMrs. Chan, will you please tell methe history behind this problem,the history behind this problem,including all of your previousincluding all of your previouscontacts with this office?”contacts with this office?”


Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended QuestionsUncover Objections During a SaleUncover Objections During a Sale

Many times, people are not rejecting what you Many times, people are not rejecting what you are offering outright; they simply do not see an are offering outright; they simply do not see an immediate need for the product or cannot immediate need for the product or cannot think of appropriate questions to ask.think of appropriate questions to ask.

ExamplesExamples

““Ms. Williams, from what you told me, all the features Ms. Williams, from what you told me, all the features of the new RD10 model that we talked about will of the new RD10 model that we talked about will definitely ease some of your workload, so let me get definitely ease some of your workload, so let me get the paperwork started so you can take it home with the paperwork started so you can take it home with you. What do you think?”you. What do you think?”


Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended QuestionsGive the Customer an Opportunity to Give the Customer an Opportunity to SpeakSpeak

By allowing a customer to “vent” as you By allowing a customer to “vent” as you listen actively, you can sometimes reduce listen actively, you can sometimes reduce the level of tension and help solve the the level of tension and help solve the problem.problem.

ExamplesExamples

““Why is this feature so important to you?”Why is this feature so important to you?”

““How do you normally use the product?”How do you normally use the product?”

How has the printer been malfunctioning, Jim?How has the printer been malfunctioning, Jim?


Close-Ended QuestionsClose-Ended Questions

Draw short, one-Draw short, one-syllable responses syllable responses and gain little new and gain little new information. information.

Many closed-ended Many closed-ended questions can be questions can be answered with yes or answered with yes or no, or with a specific no, or with a specific answer such as a date answer such as a date or number.or number.

Closed-ended questions Closed-ended questions can be used for:can be used for:

Verifying InformationVerifying Information

Closing an OrderClosing an Order

GainingGainingAgreementAgreement

ClarifyingClarifyingInformationInformation

Additional Question GuidelinesAdditional Question Guidelines

Avoid criticism.Avoid criticism.

Ask only positively phrased Ask only positively phrased questions.questions.

Ask direct questions.Ask direct questions.

Ask customers how you can Ask customers how you can better serve.better serve.

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BUS151 People Skills Chapter 5 Listening to the Customer