Chapter 5 Listening to the Customer

1. Chapter 5 Listening to the Customer

2. Learning Objectives • Describe why listening is important to customer service • Define the four steps in the listening process • List the characteristics of a good listener • Recognize the causes of listening breakdown

3. Learning Objectives • Develop strategies to improve your listening ability • Use information-gathering techniques learned to better serve customers • Apply concepts discussed to generate meaningful responses to your questions from customers

4. Importance of Listening

5. Figure 5.2 - The Listening Process

6. Figure 5.3 - Questions for the Listener

7. Figure 5.5 - Characteristics of Effectiveand Ineffective Listeners

8. Personal Obstacles • Biases • Psychological distracters • Physical condition • Circadian rhythm • Preoccupation • Hearing loss

9. Figure 5.6 - Indicators of Poor Listening

10. Listening Skill Level

11. External Obstacles

12. Other Obstacles

13. Strategies for Improved Listening • Stop talking • Be prepared • Listen actively • Show a willingness to listen • Show empathy • Service recovery: Correcting something that has not gone as promised, by going the extra step of providing compensation for the customer’s inconvenience

14. Strategies for Improved Listening • Listen for concepts • Listen openly and avoid biases • Send positive nonverbal cues • Congruence: ensuring that verbal messages sent are in agreement with the nonverbal cues used • Refrain from arguing • Take notes, if necessary

15. Information-Gathering Techniques

16. Additional Question Guidelines