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It’s an easy dismissal — a client stumbles over words and technical meanings, fails to name the source of his (growing) frustration; you listen, distracted. His tone doesn’t impress. His complaints don’t concern. He is just one of the thousands you’re forced to deal with each year: who didn’t read the instructions and didn’t follow the rules. Your job is a tribute to public laziness and you offer it the apathy it deserves.
That apathy proves damning, however, when the client turns suddenly angry — tired of being ignored, of being humored. You were supposed to help him. Instead you merely aggravated.
And that’s a failure that can’t be denied.
Customer service is an essential element of business. Too often, however, is it deemed useless — with staff members unwilling to offer the necessary care, to listen to each individual problem. They assume that the consumers are to blame, give the briefest of answers. And the result is the loss of clients (all of whom would prefer to seek support elsewhere).
It’s essential therefore that all involved with customer service remember the importance of listening. The public isn’t craving attention; they’re craving explanations. And these can’t be given until problems are revealed. Staffers must pay attention to what’s being said, identifying the concern and offering solutions. This can’t be accomplished, though, if minds wander and tongues give bland replies.
Customer service is more than a collection of platitudes and redirected calls. It’s instead the chance for companies to understand any problems their clients experience. This can’t be done, however, without first hearing the words. Listening is vital.
