Active Listening

Active listening happens when you are listening attentively to what the speaker is saying, without interrupting him/her. At this point in time, you listen to comprehend the words, tone, the mood and the meaning behind the words. When you are listening to the issue of the customer, you are listening actively.

Concept 1:

In an in-bound call, you need to understand the need of the customer. So an agent needs to listen carefully to find out why the customer has called. It would be that the customer
* Wants information
* Needs instruction OR
* Has a problem that needs to be solved
Eg:

I would like to change my password – the customer needs instructions

I want to download software – needs instructions

How many computers can I connect to the router – wants information

I see an error message when I try to go on line – requires resolution

How do I find an IP address? – wants information

My Internet is not working – requires resolution

Concept 2:

The agent needs to ask relevant questions to understand more about the issue, and understand the situation around the problem.

Eg 1:

‘My system is unable to go On-line ’.

The agent needs to probe further and get a clearer picture of the issue.

‘Unable to go on-line again. The issue was resolved yesterday but it stopped functioning again today’.
When the agent understands the situation, he knows he has to refer to check the previous case to find out as to how the problem was resolved the previous day. Moreover he/she needs to tread cautiously because the customer might be upset that the problem has re-occurred in such a short span of time.

Eg 2:

‘I have been on the phone for 3 hours and transferred several times. I think my modem is not working, for my system is not able to go On-line ’.
Concept 1 – problem solving

Concept 2 – customer is frustrated and you need to tread carefully

Concept 3 – the emotion of the customer

Concept 3:

Concept 3 of active listening is to understand knowledge level, emotion, accent etc.,

Every customer expects to be treated in a special manner. Therefore, understanding the customer and understanding his/her emotions is an important aspect to solving the issue.
Understanding the age of a customer is important because the agent needs to be patient and respectful towards an elderly person.
You need to know the gender to address a person properly. Sometimes names and voices can be confusing. The agent needs to know clearly who he/she is speaking to.
Understanding the knowledge level of the customer is also very important. If the customer has an in-depth knowledge of the customer, the agent can guide the customer through the resolution quickly. If the knowledge level is low the agent needs to be patient and give detailed instructions.
Emotion – if the customer is irate the agent should apologize and proceed with the call being sensitive to the feelings of the irate customer. The agent should respond immediately and not be taken aback and be silent if the customer starts shouting, at the beginning of the call. But should remain calm, apologise in a sincere tone for the inconvenience faced by the customer and sound confident while suggesting steps for the resolution.
Accent – if the accent is thick, the agent should listen very keenly and pick up the keywords to understand what is being said. Also should paraphrase to ensure understanding of the issue.