7 Tips to Becoming a Better Listener for Improved Customer Service
The business world has become very competitive, with brands looking for creative ways to increase profitability and stand out. One of the best places to start is your customer service department, which is the direct contact point between your business and customers. A first impression can make or break your business; top-notch customer service helps retain customers and extract more value from them. With a well-trained and professional customer service team and improved customer service, you can attract and retain more customers, reflect a positive brand image, and increase revenues.
Improved customer service starts with becoming a better listener. Listening is an essential skill not only in business but also in all areas of life, from family relationships to dealing with colleagues. However, most people aren’t as good at it as they think.
Listening is one of the most important skills of a customer service representative, but it goes beyond simply hearing what your clients are saying. Efficient listening is about making the customer feel heard and appreciated.
Read on to discover the top seven tips for becoming a better listener for improved customer service.
The Top 7 Tips to Becoming a Better Listener for Improved Customer Service
When you show you’re listening, it’s more rewarding for the client, and you’ll receive more. This is defined as active listening, which can help reduce potential conflict and avoid misunderstandings harming your brand image. Below are key tips for becoming a better listener for improved customer service.
Maintain Eye Contact with the Speaker
You must maintain eye contact with the speaker and avoid texting, scanning a computer screen, scrolling through your phone, or looking out a window. You should limit unnecessary distractions and offer your customer your undivided attention by maintaining eye contact. This automatically gives them a nonverbal cue that you’re interested and paying attention to what they’re saying, encouraging them to continue expressing themselves.
Some customers may not look at you because they’re uncertain, shy, or their culture may not allow eye contact. In such cases, you should continue facing them and attempt to establish a connection.
Visualize What the Speaker is Saying
Try to develop mental images of what the customer is talking about as you listen to help retain information. This could be a literal picture or other concepts relating to the topic, which will help you remember the phrases and keywords when you listen for extended periods. Visualizing also helps you to be aware of what to say next.
Avoid Judgment
Sometimes, the customer could be wrong, unhappy, or irrational. In such cases, you should listen without criticizing the client. At the same time, always keep in mind the customer is coming to you to solve a problem that is frustrating them. Always listen objectively with an open mind and put yourself in the client’s shoes to understand their full story.
Avoid Interruptions
It’s important to understand that everyone speaks and processes information differently. When clients deliver their concerns slowly, cultivate patience and allow them to complete their statement before rushing into yours. Avoid guessing what they want to say or reply before they’ve finished talking. Interruptions send a wrong message to the customer. They could feel that what you’re saying is more important, or it may seem like the conversation is a competition.
Wait for a Pause to Ask Questions
Normally, you may not understand everything your client says to you. In such a case, it’s best to wait until the client pauses to ask them to provide clarification or back up the phrase or topic you didn’t understand.
Ask Clarifying Questions
You must ask questions to help you keep the conversation on track. You only want to ask questions that relate to your understanding instead of asking about unrelated topics. Asking questions without interrupting shows you’re paying attention, caring, and willing to discuss or solve the issue.
Empathize with the Client and Pay Attention to Nonverbal Cues
Empathy is a crucial skill for effective listening. Empathy simply means being able to understand and share the feelings of another by putting yourself in their shoes. While listening, you should mirror your client’s emotions. For example, if their face shows joy or sadness, your words, and facial expressions should carry the same emotions. Empathizing with the client expends energy and takes concentration but establishes relationships and allows for open communication.
Another tip is to watch their tone, voice, and body language when communicating with you. You can easily detect irritation, enthusiasm, or boredom on someone’s face when they talk by looking at the customer’s mouth, eyes, and shoulder position.
The Importance of Listening Skills for Improved Customer Service
As stated above, listening skills are an important part of effective communication. As an attentive listener, you can increase relationships, make more effective decisions, and reach conclusions with clients quickly.
Here are other benefits of effective listening skills:
- Improves your power to serve, motivate, influence, or develop people efficiently
- Shows your ability to pay attention to behaviors, feelings, and thoughts of other people
- Allows a business to operate effectively with the information they’re given that may cause them to adapt to consumer needs or market trends
- Builds professional and personal relationships
- Improves basic human interactions
The Importance of Improved Customer Service
The benefits of improved customer service in your business can’t be understated. Your customer service is the first contact point between your business and customers; without customers, there’s no business.
You can make use of a virtual receptionist, who is a trained customer service professional, to represent your business on your behalf and reap the following benefits.
Helps With Customer Retention
When customers have a good experience with your business, they’re more likely to return and become more loyal, growing your business to its full potential. For example, if your customer service team is well trained, with seamless strategies that make online clients return, you’re more likely to retain them and build a loyal customer base that you can turn into brand ambassadors.
Improve Employee Retention
Improved customer service not only delights your customers but your employees as well. Most workers prefer being employed at a business that treats their clients fairly. When they see that your business focuses on providing top-notch customer service, they’re more likely to advocate your business. They’re also more likely to stick to your business and engage in their work fully.
Reinforces Your Business Values and Brand
Your customer service team communicates with clients daily, meaning they’re directly responsible for representing your business’s values and mission. Exemplary customer service results in word-of-mouth referrals, and positive reviews for your company, leading to new business. A positive public persona bolsters your public visibility and attracts customers to your products and services.
Generates Referrals
Positive word-of-mouth recommendations originate directly from existing and previous customers that have had an exceptional experience with your business. These customers tell their relatives, colleagues, and friends and may even post their positive experiences on social networks. These contacts feel confident doing business with you. Word of mouth is usually your best and most affordable marketing strategy.
Increased Customer Lifetime Value
Customer lifetime value (or CLV) represents the total revenue your business expects to gain from a single client over time. By improving the CLV, you can significantly raise your business’ revenue without overspending on advertising. Increased CLV shows that your clients buy more often or spend more every time they purchase from you.
Good customer service is great for increasing CLV. Customers who have a positive experience with your business are more likely to return. It’s also more affordable and easier to market new services and products to existing customers. Returning customers tend to trust the services and products your customer service team recommends because of their great experience prior.
Proactively Address Customer Issues
Proactive customer service implies reaching clients before they know an issue exists. A proactive service approach lets customers know that you care about them and are working to improve their user experience.
Gives You a Competitive Advantage
Excellent customer service goes beyond winning your existing customers and retaining loyal ones. It also helps you stand out from your competition as you attach value to your business’ brand, bolstering your reputation in the market. It also helps you show that you care about your customers.
Becoming a Better Listener = Improved Customer Service
Becoming a better listener is crucial for improved customer service. As simple as it may sound, active listening goes beyond hearing what the client is saying. It implies being focused on what the customer is saying, understanding them, and responding in a way that validates their concerns.
To become a better listener, you must show empathy, observe nonverbal cues, avoid interruptions, avoid judgments, maintain eye contact, and ask clarifying questions. This helps improve customer service, which will help retain customers, give you a competitive edge, help you proactively address customer issues, increase customer lifetime value, and help your business grow.
For the best results, visit My Receptionist to learn more about hiring a trained and skilled virtual receptionist for improved customer service, and feel free to contact us to get started.