Effective communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship. This principle also applies to the relationship between the customer and a business. One of the key components of effective communication is listening to the other person so that they feel heard, understood, and supported.

Active listening is therefore one of the best skills a customer service representative should have. We explain what active listening is exactly and how you can apply it in communication with your customers. 

What is active listening?

Many people think that good communication consists only of clearly articulating or sending a message, but receiving and understanding the message is just as important. This requires good listening skills, which take time and patience to develop. It means that the listener does not get distracted and fully concentrates on what is being said. Distractions such as one's own thoughts or environment, and the tendency to fill silences by giving an opinion or telling a similar story, can prevent the other person from finishing their story. It can be challenging to be all ears for the other person. We often listen to others but do not always truly hear what they are saying. To genuinely understand the other person and make them feel understood, active listening is essential. It is a process that involves making a conscious decision to listen to the other person and understand what is being said. 

Listening skills for active listening

Active listening requires concentration and patience. It involves encouraging the other person to continue talking by giving verbal and non-verbal signals. An important technique is the LSD technique, which stands for Listening – Summarising – Questioning. The aim is to make the speaker feel comfortable and encouraged to continue talking and to share more. The following techniques can help you with this. 

Eye Contact

Much contact with the customer will occur over the phone, making eye contact impossible. If your organisation does speak to customers face-to-face, eye contact is very important. It shows that your focus is on the customer and not on something else. 

Nodding

By nodding your head and responding with ‘yes’ or ‘mm-hmm’, you encourage the other person to continue speaking. This makes them feel heard. It is also recommended to do this when you have telephone contact with the customer. 

Repeating

An effective way to encourage the other person to continue talking is to repeat the last words they say. By repeating the last two words of their story, the speaker feels that you want to know more. This makes the speaker think more deeply, and you can ultimately get to important issues. 

Pauses

It can feel uncertain and uncomfortable to let pauses occur, leading us to quickly fill them with our questions and own stories. However, it is important to respect breathing spaces and short pauses. Give the speaker the space to explore their thoughts and feelings and articulate them well. 

Paraphrasing

Summarise what the other person says in your own words and then ask them if what you said is correct. This is called paraphrasing. If it is accurate, the other person feels understood. If not, it is only a sign that more explanation and questions are needed to truly understand them. 

Asking Open Questions

An open question is one that cannot be answered with just ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The question starts, for instance, with ‘how’ or ‘which’. It ensures that the person answering the question has to say more than just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. 

Staying Neutral

Many people tend to respond with their own stories, experiences, and opinions. To really listen well, it is important to stay neutral so that the other person is not influenced by your opinion. Keep your attention on the other person and their story. 

Active listening in your customer service

What do you think? Can your organisation apply active listening more in customer contact? We can all recall a situation where we were speaking with someone in customer service who was clearly tied to a call script. You notice that this person shows no understanding and makes no effort to understand your problem or situation. That should be different. Active listening is the key to effective communication in customer service. Developing and using this skill can lead to enthusiastic and loyal customers with whom you build a good relationship.