Active Listening Quotes

Have you ever had a legitimate complaint as a customer which made you angry, upset, or frustrated? How was it “handled?" If you were dealing with an inept, uncaring, or untrained employee, they may have made matters even worse by being rude, defensive, or apathetic. Simple acknowledgment and validation of your complaint is sometimes all that is needed. Without it, you're left frustrated or upset.

Active listening is the ultimate "Golden Rule" for sensational customer service. Just as the important people in your life will feel more valued and appreciated when you actively listen, so will your customers.

ASK YOURSELF: How can you utilize active listening to provide sensational customer service? How will this help resolve complaints from unhappy customers?•tGive them your full attention and listen without interruption or defensiveness.•tThank them for bringing the issue to your attention.•tTake their concerns seriously and share their sense of urgency to resolve the problem quickly.•tAsk questions and focus on what they are really saying. •tListen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. •tBeware of making assumptions or rushing to conclusions before you hear their concern fully.•tExplain, guide, educate, assist, and do what’s necessary to help them reach the resolution.•tTreat them with respect and empathy.When you do an amazing job of resolving an unhappy customer’s problem, you may end up impressing them more than if the problem had never occurred. You may have just earned their loyalty . . . forever!

14 Ways to Become an Incredible Listener1.tBe present and provide your undivided attention.2.tSeek first to understand, then to be understood.3.tListen attentively and respond appropriately.4.tMinimize or eliminate distractions.5.tFocus your attention and energy with singleness of purpose on what the other person is saying.6.tQuiet your mind and suspend your thoughts to make room in your head to hear what is said—in the moment!7.tAsk questions and demonstrate empathy.8.tUse your body language and nonverbal cues constructively and pay attention to theirs.9.tFollow the rhythm of their speech; hear their tone.10.tRepeat and summarize what you have heard them say to confirm understanding.11.tBe open-minded and non-defensive.12.tRespond rather than react. 13.tBe respectful, calm, and positive.14.tTry to resolve conflicts, not win them.

When my son Nick was five years old, he was sitting at the kitchen bar while I prepared dinner. In typical busy mother fashion, I was multitasking—cooking, cleaning, running the laundry, answering the phone, and attempting to listen to what he had to say.

You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.

Think about the people in your life with whom you have the most engaging dialogue—the ones who will listen to you and consider your opinions regardless of the topic. They'll stop whatever they are doing to give you their full attention. They become completely present and hear you.

UN-Impressives of the Poor Listener•tThinking about what you should have done, could have done, or need to do. •tAllowing your emotional reactions to take over.•tInterrupting the person talking.•tReplying before you hear all the facts.•tJumping to conclusions and making assumptions.•tBeing preoccupied with what you're going to say next. •tGetting defensive or being over-eager. •tOne-upmanship—feeling the urge to compete and add something bigger, better, or more significant than what the speaker has to share.•tImposing an unsolicited opinion.•tIgnoring and changing the subject altogether.

Your heightened awareness of their perceptions, experiences, emotions, and personality styles can reveal why they feel the way they do so that you can choose your responses wisely and compassionately.

If you have ever experienced this type of unprofessional treatment, I doubt you would even consider giving them business in the future. Interrupting, ignoring, patronizing, or antagonizing a customer is like pouring gas on a fire and creates a more explosive situation than the original complaint. Still, it continues to happen every day, costing companies millions in lost revenue.