FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tom Ellis
September 8, 2006 Ellis Communications, Inc.
Phone: (417) 881-5635
Email: tom@elliscomm.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Having customer
service representatives who are good listeners is the cornerstone of any
utility’s efforts to provide outstanding service, but Phoenix-based Measure-X
warns that effective listening is an acquired skill.
“In their hustle and bustle, CSRs sometimes pretend they are listening when, in
fact, they miss a lot of what is being said by customers,” says David Saxby,
president of Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping utilities improve
their customer service and sales. “Clearly, they could build much stronger
customer relationships by becoming better listeners.”
Utility CSRs must practice active listening, Saxby says. “Active listening is
hard work,” Saxby notes. “It demands a CSR’s complete commitment and involves
using his or her eyes, ears, body positioning, brain and heart to understand
what the other person is saying.”
The first step in active listening is to understand common barriers to effective
listening, according to Saxby. He lists a few as follows:
- Not paying attention.
- Losing interest in the
conversation.
- Being preoccupied with
other thoughts.
- Anticipating what the
customer will say.
- Having preconceived
attitudes about the situation, person or conversation.
- Interrupting.
- Jumping to conclusions.
Saxby says CSRs also should be aware of
common distractions that impede good listening. Those include the following:
- Noisy workplace.
- Feeling tired.
- Stress.
- Mental restlessness.
- Visual distractions.
- Customers using
emotionally charged words.
- Customers speaking too
fast, too slow or too much.
- Customers with an accent.
- Customers using unfamiliar
words or terms.
Once these barriers are understood, Saxby
says CSRs should follow four steps that will lead to effective listening.
Step One: Actively listen to the customer’s request. “This means that you
cannot be distracted by e-mail, glancing at your watch, typing, etc,” Saxby
explains. “Stay focused on your customer 100 percent.”
Step Two: Use a confirming statement. “This lets your customer know that
you are both on the same page,” Saxby says. He suggests using such statements as
“Let me make sure I understand your request,” “Let me confirm what you said” and
“My understanding is.”
Step Three: Summarize key facts. “Summarizing key facts demonstrates your
understanding of the situation,” Saxby notes. He suggests using the following
questioning statements: “Is that correct?” or “Did I understand you correctly?”
or “Did I get that right?”
Step Four: Clarify misunderstandings. This step should be used only when
necessary, Saxby says.
There are several other things a CSR can do to practice active listening, Saxby
says. Those include the following:
- Maintain eye contact.
- Observe your body
language.
- Observe the other person’s
body language.
- Make comments that signal
your acknowledgement.
- Listen to how things are
said as well as to what is said.
- Pay attention to the words
being used, voice inflection and speaking rate.
- Listen between the lines.
What is the other person’s intent as to what is actually being
expressed?
- Listen to what isn’t said
that you would normally expect to be said.
“Active listening and confirming assures
fewer errors and shows customers you’re concerned about getting it right,” Saxby
says.
"It saves time and gives your customers a chance to make sure you understand
their request correctly. When you are unsure about something, ask for
clarification.”
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Measure-X is a measurement, training and recognition company that specializes
in customer service and sales skills. For more information on Measure-X, call
888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
