To effectively use active listening skills and resolve the customer's issue, Emily can follow these steps:
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Acknowledge the Customer's Emotions: Start by validating the customer’s feelings. Emily could say, “I understand that you’re feeling frustrated and upset about the delayed delivery. That’s completely understandable.”
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Give Full Attention: Ensure she is focused solely on the customer during the interaction. This means avoiding distractions, making eye contact (if in person or on video), and being responsive to the customer’s tone and emotions.
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Paraphrase and Summarize: After the customer explains their situation, Emily can paraphrase what they’ve said to show understanding. For example, “So, if I understand correctly, your package was supposed to arrive last week, but it hasn’t shown up yet, and this has caused you a lot of inconvenience.”
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Ask Clarifying Questions: Emily should ask questions to gather more information and show she is engaged. For example, “Can you tell me when you placed the order and what the expected delivery date was?”
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Reflect Emotion: Reflecting the customer’s emotions can help them feel heard. Emily might say, “It sounds like this delay has really disrupted your plans, and I’m sorry you’re going through this.”
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Provide Empathetic Responses: Use empathetic statements to connect on a human level. For example, “I would be just as upset in your situation, and I want to help resolve this for you.”
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Offer Solutions: After fully understanding the issue, Emily should outline potential solutions. “Let me check the status of your order and see what I can do to expedite the delivery for you.”
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Confirm Understanding and Next Steps: Before ending the conversation, Emily should make sure the customer understands the plan moving forward. “Just to confirm, I’ll look into this right away and follow up with you within the next hour. Is there anything else on your mind?”
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Follow Up: After the situation is resolved, Emily should follow up with the customer to ensure they received their order and to check if they are satisfied with the resolution.
By applying these active listening skills, Emily can help ease the customer's frustration, demonstrate that their concerns are taken seriously, and work toward a resolution that satisfies the customer.