Customer Service Focus

Listen up! It's your professional duty

“Hearing” is not necessarily “listening”

By Ruth E. Phillips, CIC, CISR, AAI, ACSR, AIS, API, CPSR, CPIW

Every day, CSRs hear customers talk about their policies and other issues. But how many of them actually listen to what their customers are saying? Listening is one of the most important skills that a CSR can possess.

We listen at a rate of 1,000 to 1,200 words per minute. We speak at 300 words per minute. Thus, minds can wander. A CSR who has developed good listening skills will stay focused on what the customer is saying and will be able to help that customer with his or her needs.

A CSR who listens poorly will have problems relating to customers and dealing with difficult situations. In addition, when a CSR has poor listening skills, many things can go wrong. Policy endorsements can be made incorrectly, explaining a bill can get confusing, or the wrong digit in a phone number may be written down.

Every time a CSR deals with a customer, his or her ability to listen can mean the difference between keeping the account and losing the account. In today’s economy, customers demand a high level of service. If the CSR does not listen to what the customer needs and wants, chances are that the customer will walk out the door and find a CSR who will.

Concentrate on the customer. Our CSR, Suzy, was having a bad day, and all she wanted to do was go to lunch. I could see her at the counter and sensed that she was having a difficult time with a customer. Poor Suzy—the customer was upset and Suzy was frustrated. What had gone wrong?

Suzy had failed to listen to the customer. She had heard him clear as a bell, but she never actually listened to him. She did not focus on what was being said. The customer wanted to make a payment and had a question. He had incurred a late fee and wanted to know if his premium due date could be changed. Because she was preoccupied with thoughts of going to lunch in five minutes and only heard the complaint about the late fee, Suzy failed to pay attention to the customer. She should have forgotten that she wanted to hurry to lunch and concentrated on what the customer was saying.

Be aware of what your body language is projecting. Suzy stood at the counter with her arms crossed. Never once did she make eye contact with the customer, and she kept glancing at the clock on the wall. The customer thought she was not listening, was not paying attention to him, was being difficult, and—worst of all—appeared not to think that his time was important. Suzy should have made eye contact and kept her focus on the customer, and she certainly shouldn’t have watched the clock. Most of all, she should have shown a true interest in what the customer was saying.

Remember that listening takes time. Because Suzy just wanted to get to lunch, she thought she could hurry up and take the payment and then be on her way. The customer had concerns that needed to be heard and addressed. The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “God gave man two ears but only one mouth that he might hear twice as much as he speaks.” Suzy kept repeating that the late fee was due because the payment was late. The customer understood this. Suzy didn’t take the time to listen to the customer’s real concern.

Do not interrupt the customer. Yes, a late fee was due. Although the customer wasn’t disputing that fact, Suzy thought he was. She kept interrupting him to explain the late fee policy. When she wasn’t interrupting him, she was finishing his sentences. Suzy should never have interrupted him, and she should have let him finish all of his sentences before making a comment.

Take good notes. An insurance professional should document every phone call, conversation, and visit with a customer. Suzy took no notes and had no idea how the conversa­tion had started or how it had gotten so out of hand. Taking notes would have allowed her to focus on the customer. Her notes would have allowed her later to document the customer’s file and make sure that all the information from the conversation was correct.

Ask open-ended questions. Suzy asked only “yes” and “no” questions. If she had taken the time to ask some open-ended questions, she would have heard the customer’s concerns. He had to pay a late fee every month. He wanted the due date changed. Suzy missed this critical fact because she failed to ask the correct questions. If she had asked, “What would you like to do?” the customer would have been able to explain his concern.

Listen with an open mind. Suzy didn’t take the time to understand the customer’s problem or try to find a solution for it. If she had taken the time to listen with an open mind, she would have heard the problem and then been able to think of some solutions.

Repeat what you heard. When the customer tried to express his concerns, Suzy didn’t acknowledge them. She was focused only on what she wanted. Her mind was closed. The customer knew he was late; he wanted a solution to his problem so he wouldn’t be late in the future. Suzy could have replied, “So you know you are late because there is a problem with the due date?” This would have let the customer know that Suzy had listened to him, and it would have provided an opportunity for Suzy to solve the problem.

Control your emotions. As the customer became more irritated and frustrated, so did Suzy. To be a good listener, Suzy should have kept her emotions in check. She failed to remember that one should never get angry with a customer. Suzy should have remained calm, and when she found that she couldn’t handle the situation, she should have asked for outside help. When Suzy lost control of her emotions, she lost control of the conversation. The customer became that much more upset and his emotions, too, got out of control.

A happy ending

Eventually Suzy did figure out that the problem wasn’t the late fee. She was able to keep her emotions in check and ask the customer what due date would be best for him. The customer realized that Suzy was going to try to help. Together, they figured out a solution to his problem.

Listening well is a skill that takes time to develop and can always be improved. Role playing is an excellent way to develop listening skills. If your agency records its telephone conversa­tions, listen to some and see how the CSRs handled them.

Great CSRs listen well in order to better relate to their customers, understand their needs, and help them with their problems. Great CSRs remember that the customer is never a distraction and should always be treated with care and respect.

The author
Ruth Phillips is a licensed property/casualty agent and customer service representative for Morrell Agency, Inc., in Magnolia, Mississippi. She has received several industry awards, including the 2004 National CSR of the Year Award from The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research and the 2006 PIA National Customer Service Representative of the Year. For more information on the CISR program, call (800) 633-2165 or go to www.TheNationalAlliance.com.