3.1 Active Listening

Basics

You listen to people all the time, but do you really LISTEN all the time? All of us turn our listening attention up or down depending on the situation. As a technician, you will need to engage in what is referred to as active listening. 

“Active listening in customer service means being totally focused on the words that the customer is saying, understanding what those words mean, and responding in a manner that validates what they’re saying.” ~Verint, Active Listening is Key to Great Customer Service

Active listening is very purposeful. When you are engaged in active listening, the speaker is the main focus of your attention--not you. During active listening, you have to “turn off your inner dialog.” That means you need to stay  focused on both what people are saying AND what they might not be saying. Sometimes what people are not saying is just as important as what they verbally share.

You should know the following terms:

  • Active Listening
  • Echo
  • Paraphrase
  • Verbal Prompts

A big benefit of active listening includes being able to more accurately diagnose a request and then more efficiently identify potential solutions. Active listening can also help defuse stressful situations, whether that’s working with a team member or working with someone calling in for help.

General Principles of Active Listening

Following are some aspects of active listening to be aware of. 

  • Be prepared to listen. When you’re upset or distracted it can be hard to use the focus required to listen actively. Waiting until you are emotionally and physically ready to have a conversation gives it a greater chance of success.
  • Don’t interrupt. Let people say what they need to say. Be sure you fully understand the situation before you jump to a possible solution. 
  • Pause before replying. Sometimes people are not finished talking when they have stopped. Whenever possible, try to count slowly for 3 to 5 seconds before you reply. Many times, if you take a pause before responding, the person you’re talking with may have more details to add.
  • Minimize distractions. Distractions can be physical, visual, other people, or noises. If you are talking to someone in person, it is best to try to create a small space where each of you can look the other in the eye and observe body language.
  • Document and reference notes.  Take notes either during or immediately after meetings or work related interactions. These will help you refer back to what someone said more accurately. It is also good practice to ask them if you have correctly captured your conversation.
  • Use verbal prompts and body language. At appropriate times, engage with your body language, such as directly looking at the person talking, and verbal prompts, such as a "go on" or even "uh-huh", to verify you are listening 
  • Paraphrase for verification. Paraphrasing is restating what you have heard in your own words. It  gives the person a clear opportunity to agree or disagree with your understanding and your proposed actions. You and your teammates may want to make a short list of good paraphrasing prompts.
  • Repeat for clarification. Repeat at least one time what you or your tech team can do about the situation and an expected timeline. This helps ensure they have actively heard you, which will manage expectations. Clearly documenting the proposed solution/timeline, and sharing it is another way of repeating.
  • Listen for unspoken thoughts. Sometimes people are unwilling or unable to share some aspects of an issue; they may realize they don’t understand or know how to do a task or share information clearly or properly. Silence, dropping off in volume, or distracting body language may indicate they are feeling uncomfortable. In these cases be patient and acknowledge that not everyone knows everything about a device or situation, and try to ask leading questions that can gather details without making them feel inadequate.
  • Summarizing, Offering a concise summarization of your conversation that pares it down to the crucial information is one way to ensure both people walk away with the same clarity and understanding.

No one becomes an active listener overnight. Practicing these skills with another person is the best way to improve at them. In some cases, you may want to write out some sample questions or sentence stems you can use to encourage you to keep listening actively.

Barriers to Active Listening

As there are ways to improve active listening, there are also common barriers many people habitually create - which often lead to misunderstandings or hurt feelings.  Some of these are below:

  • Speaking too rapidly
  • Jumping to a conclusion without understanding the issue completely
  • Differences between you in background, education, and training
  • Heavy accents
  • Language difficulties
  • Asking the wrong questions
  • Using unfamiliar slang or acronyms
  • Background noise
  • Mixing in talk about irrelevant issues

Here are additional resources you may find useful:

Complete the following task or self-assessment:

Intentionally practice your listening skills with a co-worker. 

  • Ask to be observed while you are listening to another person discuss their technical issue. Ask them to observe:

    • Your body language
    • Listening indicators
    • Interrupting
    • Wait Time
    • Paraphrasing
    • Anything else you feel you need to work on. 

  • Repeat until you master the skills you feel you most need to work on.