5 Ways to Listen and Learn How Your Customers Really Feel

Practice these listening tips at your organization to clearly understand how your customers feel and what they expect.

Do you feel like your organization or brand really listens to your customers? Upon closer inspection, you may be surprised to find that many of your customers might not agree.

Today’s consumers want “more genuine, human listening,” according to “2023 Global Consumer Trends,” a global consumer report from Qualtrics XM Institute. Qualtrics surveyed more than 33,000 consumers across 29 countries on what businesses must do to win their loyalty.

“People want companies to listen more — and that doesn’t mean just sending more surveys,” says the Qualtrics report. “They want companies to really listen. That means tapping into omnichannel listening and new tools like video feedback to get a better understanding of how people feel, so you can respond in the right ways.”

“It’s important to actively listen to customers and analyze their feedback so you can correct big issues that are causing customer churn,” advises customer experience, sales and marketing software company HubSpot.

Listening to your customers doesn’t mean that your ears perk up only when they’re telling you about their issues or concerns, either.

“Listening to customers is about connecting with them,” says HubSpot. “It involves paying close attention to their needs and understanding how you can help them achieve their goals.”

How your organization benefits by truly listening

Listening to your organization’s customers has the following benefits, according to HubSpot:

• Reduce customer churn caused by poor customer service
• Boost customer loyalty
• Increase customer retention
• Identify Upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Create interactions that delight customers

Here are five ways that your company or organization can listen more effectively to learn how your customers truly feel.

1. Don’t talk over the customer

Customer service agents can’t listen to and learn from your customers if they insist on dominating the conversation themselves.

“In order to truly listen, your reps need to remain silent until the customer has finished explaining their problem,” says HubSpot.

“Even if they already know the solution, interrupting them makes your team look impatient. It’s better to wait until the customer is done speaking as you never know what information they may have that could alter the case.”

2. Be patient

Customers who are frustrated with a piece of equipment, product or technology can try a customer service rep’s patience. The caller might even speak rudely out of irritation.

“In these instances, it’s important for reps to keep their cool and remain humble,” says HubSpot. “Remember, there was a time where they were just as new to the product and they probably felt just as lost when they had questions. Every question is significant, so your team needs to value each one equally, no matter how well the case is going.”

3. Communicate via customers’ preferred channels

To better listen to customers, your team should have in-depth knowledge about and an understanding of your customer base, says HubSpot:

“For example, if you’re targeting a millennial audience, you may find that social media is their preferred communication channel. So, you can assign reps to your social media accounts to field questions that customers may pose. That way, you’ll reduce friction in the customer’s experience by meeting them on a channel they’re already using.”

4. Practice active listening

Rather than customer service reps constructing their next statement as a customer tells them about an issue, the agent should focus only on what the customer is saying, advises HubSpot. Then repeat the problem back to the customer to show them that the rep understands the problem or situation and is invested in resolving the issue.

5. Be emotionally intelligent

“For reps to be timely with their solutions, they need to pay attention to the person as well as the problem,” says HubSpot. “They need to be emotionally intelligent and determine how the customer will react to different responses at various times. This will help them give advice that the customer will feel they can trust.”