On the phone or in person, listening is the single most important service skill. And while people assume they know how to listen, the truth is that listening is a technique, which most people will practice and refine throughout their careers.
In the training guide, Effective Listening, the authors provide eight techniques for “Service Listening.” One essential technique is to let customers know that you are listening to them.
To do this, the authors recommend paraphrasing what the customer has said. This shows that you have received the message and allows you to clarify or probe for additional information.
A simple example of paraphrasing might begin, “If I understand correctly…” or, “So the issue seems to be….”
Another important tool to let customers know that you are listening is to avoid silence. After all, when you are working with customers on the phone, there are no visual cues. Silence can give the customer the impression that you are disinterested, bored, and not listening.
Instead make a point of punctuating the customer’s conversation with brief filler words and phrases such as “yes,” and “I see,” and even non-words such as “um hmmm.”
Most customer service professionals use these techniques to some degree without even realizing it, say the authors. But to enhance service listening, it’s important to consciously incorporate them into every conversation.