We’ve all felt it. Someone says, “I understand how you feel. Now how can I help you?” as the rep cuts you off mid-sentence. No, the rep doesn’t know how I feel because I haven’t finished telling him how I feel. It’s not only frustrating, but it creates the perception the company representative doesn’t care. And that, my friends, is a great way to lose a customer – almost immediately.
Real world story: My client relayed the following story:
“I own a construction company, so I needed to call the waste management company to verify the arrival of the dump truck I was 
renting. The woman who answered the phone could not give me an exact time of her company’s truck arrival. When I asked her why not, she said, “You’re obviously getting angry. I’ll transfer you to my manager.” What? All I did was ask a simple question. Moments later, her manager gets on the line and immediately asks for my address. By now, I WAS angry. I told her that before we get going, I wanted her to know that I was simply asking her agent why she couldn’t give me an exact time of the rented truck’s arrival. The manager interrupted me to reply, “Okay, well, how can I help you?” She hadn’t even let me finish talking. I got the impression she cared even less than her agent and wanted me off the phone.
I understand that companies are busy and that employees deal with lots of different people every day. However, when it’s my turn to get your attention, I want just that – your attention. I want to express my needs, and I want you to hear my problem, then – nicely – help me to solve it. And what’s interesting is that when employees actually take the time to listen and truly hear what the customer is saying, they will actually SAVE time and frustration in their conversations because customers will not have to repeat themselves again and again.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Teach your employees to be good listeners. Listening is an active skill and must be taught and learned.
- Reinforce for your staff the importance of staying in the present moment and not worrying about what just happened or what’s going to happen next. If you’re formulating a response in your mind before a customer has competed making a request, you’re very likely to misinterpret what the customer needs.
- When customers are explaining something or venting, let them finish. It will save you time in the long run when they know they were allowed to get it out.
- After the customer is done, express some kind of empathy. This will show you care. When customers know you care, they are more likely to listen to YOU. It could be something simple like, “Wow, that must be frustrating. We’re going to take great care of you – right now.” Simply using the word “care” creates the perception of caring.
Remember: As John Maxwell said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Take a moment to listen to your customer, to show a little empathy, and to be amazed at the loyal customers you will create.
How do YOU demonstrate that you’re a good listener? Please share in the comments section below.