Guest Post: The Art of Making Your Customer Happy Through Listening Carefully

This week, we feature an article by Nandini Sharma, marketing manager at ProofHub. She writes about how to listen to your customers with the goal of connecting.

I am not here to talk about childish stuff like, “Listen to your customers.” Because everyone is doing it. I am here to talk about things that make a difference like “Listen to your customers to connect.”  

And believe me, that makes a difference.     

96% of customers would leave your business if you deliver a bad customer experience.  

How difficult is it to understand that the customers who are calling your company’s customer service are in need of help?  me

All they expect in return is empathy and a quick solution. 

Even if it is not your fault, empathizing with your customers is not going to harm you. And that’s the difference between ‘barely listening’ and ‘listening to connect.’  

The purpose of one is just to rub off the query quickly and not take responsibility. Whereas the purpose of the other is to empathize with the customer and take responsibility for solving the problem.    

Providing quality customer service experience is not that tough if you have the right understanding. But, at the same time, we can’t deny the fact that poor customer service is the second biggest reason companies lose their customers.  

In this post, I have shed light on the art of making customers happy through careful listening. 

What are the immediate impacts of listening to your customers carefully?

In today’s customer age, the customer has much more power at their disposal than earlier. One bad experience and your customer starts looking for the options.     

Listening to your customer with a goal to connect tells your customers:  

• you clearly understand the issue  
• you empathize with the customer             
• you assured the customer that you are working on a solution    

This is a perfect recipe for success.  

It all starts with carefully listening.   

We listen to understand. When this listening is paired with empathy, it converts into communication. Right there, you have built a relationship with the customer. Followed by the assurance of the solution and the solution itself, you deliver a perfect customer experience for your customer. 

In a survey of satisfied customers, 28% of respondents said they were most impressed because the service rep listened to and understood their needs.  

69% of respondents were happy because the customer service team was quick to respond.  

Benefits of actively listening to your customers

Actively listening improves customer service directly. Here are some key benefits:      

• Increase customer retention: 88% of business executives believe listening drives customer retention. It is because more than 90% of customers will remain with a provider after a good customer service call.  
• Increase customer satisfaction: 86% of your customers will be happy to switch to another provider for better customer experience. Active listening helps you improve customer satisfaction.    
• Build customer loyalty: when you empathize with your customer, you build a trustworthy connection with your customers. It helps you boost brand loyalty, as 96% of customers with good customer service experience are loyal to the brand.   
• Opportunity to sell: Customer problems can be an opportunity to sell. If you listen carefully, you may be able to offer an upgraded solution that can benefit your customer.  
• Build a brand image: Soon, your organization can be known in the industry for your amazing customer experience if you keep delivering high-quality customer service. It will help you gain more business through referrals.           

How to listen to your customers to connect?

Most customer service representatives know it is important to listen but do not know how to do it effectively. 

Here is what it demands:  

• Let your customers speak: We listen to gather information and obtain understanding. Understanding helps us act wisely. Know what your customer wants and ask the right questions to obtain information.         
• Be patient: Patience is the key. Don’t just listen patiently just to come back with your predefined reply. Listen to understand. Process the information and offer the best possible solution.           
• Be humble: Many times, customers are not much aware of the product. Be humble while answering customer queries. It will help you calm the customer. Having good communication skills helps you effectively deal with frustrating situations.         

• Do not give excuses: It’s not our fault. Many times the customer knows this, and you can’t do much about it. But rather than just shedding the responsibility from your shoulder, empathize with your customers and try to offer an alternative solution.  

Wrapping up!

There is little difference between listening for the sake of doing it and listening with the purpose of connecting. Mastering the art of listening to connect helps you empathize with your customers, serve them better, and build better relationships.  

Nandini Sharma is the marketing manager at ProofHub, counted amongst the best Asana alternatives. She is always delighted to talk about SAAS, project management, marketing expertise, and teamwork.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors, go to customerserviceblog.com.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Is Google A Top 10 Customer Service Experience Company?