Insightful Listening

To listen: giving one’s attention to a sound.

I used to think this definition of listening was adequate, that it only consisted of making an effort to hear what someone is saying.   Novus Call Centers has given me the opportunity to listen to all kinds of people tell me all kinds of things (both good and bad . . . and sometimes more than what I’d ever like to know about a complete stranger!!)   I have realized that listening is so much more than simply hearing what someone is telling you. Listening involves dialing up those eardrums and really tuning into not only the words being spoken, but the emotions, fears, and anxieties of the person on the other end. ‘m going to deem this what I’d like to call insightful listening. Receptionists must not only learn how to route calls correctly and take detailed messages, but they must learn how to read people and make customers feel content. This is done by being an insightful listener.
Insightful listeners know when a caller is distressed. They can tell by the tone of their voice, the urgency of their words, and their demanding nature. It is our job as receptionists to deescalate the situation and calm those fears by responding appropriately and reading their emotions. By being attentive and confident, I can calm the fears of the caller and allow them to feel safe and taken care of. Callers need to hear more than an automated reply or script of words spoken without meaning. They need to hear assurance and confidence in your voice. They need to feel that you care about them and their problem, which really isn’t hard to do since these are real people with real concerns. Caring comes naturally. It is demonstrating that caring appropriately that contributes to insightful listening.
Each caller that calls in is unique, and not only has a different personality than the last, but a different problem and concern. It is through learning how to accurately read callers and the situation that we are able to accommodate callers and perfect our insightful listening skills. When callers feel cared about, their positive associations with the company they are calling grow and their loyalty to the company increases. This is something we understand at Novus.

By:    Sasha

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