How to Listen to Your Customers
When dealing with customers, we all know that one of the most important skills is listening. But, do we know how to listen?
We all think that we listen to our customers but in reality, we usually pretend to listen. Here are a few examples of pretend listening.
- Thinking about your response
- Wondering how this will impact your work/business
- Feeling hurt by the criticism
- Interpreting what’s being said through your assumptions
- Using only our ears to listen.
All our lives, we’ve been trained (albeit indirectly) to make listening about us. But to really listen, we need to put ego aside and open ourselves up to the other person. It’s a vulnerable position but one that is very important if we really want to listen and learn.
Anthropologist’s View on Listening
Recently, Chris Bailey published a post called Listening to What Isn’t Said. Chris is an anthropologist who works in customer experience design and his post is definitely worth reading.
In his post, he gives us five simple ways to listen to what is not said.
- Shut Up
- Be Naive
- Get Curious
- Show Me
- Record It
Click on the link up there to get the details; it really is worth the read.
Hearing What Isn’t Said
What isn’t said is often much more important that what is. It defines the context and the subtext to what is really meant.
To really listen to our customers, we need to drop our ego. This isn’t easy; especially when we’re fully invested in what we do. But it’s a prerequisite.
Listening is not about you. It’s all about the other person, your customer.
Everyone in your organization needs to learn how to honestly and completely listen to customers (and remember the internal customers).
If you really don’t have a lot of money to invest and can only do one thing to improve your customer service, this is one important skill that needs to be learned. Learning to really listen can and will have a positive effect on the customer experience.
So go ahead, read Chris’ post, make a little card with the five ways to really listen, get every one to read the post and stick the card to their monitor. And, then follow-up! Remind your people to really listen every chance you get; if you only do it once, they’ll think it’s your latest fad (they’ll be right) and will forget it.
So what do you think? Do you have any listening tips?
Cheers
Eric
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
Eric, thank you for such a wonderful compliment here. And I love what you’ve added to my original post…in particular, this:
“Everyone in your organization needs to learn how to honestly and completely listen to customers (and remember the internal customers).”
Internal customers are just as important as the ones outside of the organization. But often it takes a different perspective to fully understand that a customer sits over in the next department. It means continuing the effort break down silos whenever they show up. It means management focus on integrating functions and opening opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas. It means always asking, “Who are my internal customers?”
Thanks for the reminder – and again for the post.
Chris Bailey´s last blog ..Three Questions For Every PR Professional
Hearing what isn’t said is so important and not always obvious as you have pointed out.
Fully focusing attention to the customer and listening to clues in the way a customer is communicating really helps in determining the root cause of the issue at hand.
In situations when dealing with a irate and frustrated customers I find using empathy very effective. Empathy helps calm the customer, builds trust and a connection. As a result it often allows the customer to open up and give a better perspective of what their needs are.
Best Regards,
James
James Sorensen´s last blog ..Memorable customer service experience at hospital
“Listening is not about you.” That’s a great saying and applies to so much outside of the customer experience as well.
I had a situation at work in which one of my colleagues I manage came to me with a suggestion concerning the work flow. Her suggestion would improve the whole process and in the end make everyone happier. What she did not know was that I had already started changing the work flow and had gotten management on board regarding this decision. I could have told her this to prove to her that I knew what I was doing etc. but I decided at this point to shut up and listen.
Regardless of the fact that what she said was redundant, the situation taught me a few things:
1. I should have communicated progression in my work better to everyone, including colleagues reporting to me.
2. By letter her speak my colleague left the conversation believing (and rightly so) that she made a significant contribution to the direction of the company.
3. I’m grateful that my colleague was able to speak to me so candidly and in the end I know that the workflow changes will have her on board.
You’re right, listening is not about you.
Erik Posthuma´s last blog ..Be a farmer and spread your brand seeds
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
“Listening is not about you…”
How I really liked reading that sentence. And it is so true too. It just rang home as when I am mentoring others in preparing presentations, I make a similar comment, it is not about you.
There is a receiver involved here, be it a customer or a listener and they are the point of focus. If we could only get that across to the masses we would be much better off. Honestly, that is what keeps us in business.
Great post!
Andrew´s last blog ..The “Applification” of Customer Service