1. 2
Skills for Success 5
Listening to the Customer
Learning Objectives, Chapter 5
Describe why listening is important to customer service.
Define the four steps in the listening process.
List the characteristics of a good listener.
LO 1 (p. 114); LO 2 (pgs ); LO 3 (pgs ); Teaching Note: Use PPTs 1 and 2 to introduce the Learning Objectives. Ask students to reflect on each objective as presented and to comment on what they think each means to customer service and service providers.

2. Learning Objectives, continued
Recognize the causes of listening breakdown.
Develop strategies to improve your listening ability.
Use information-gathering techniques learned to better serve customers.
LO 4 (pgs ); LO 5 (pgs ); LO 6 (pgs ). Teaching Note: have students reflect on the final three Learning Objectives for Ch. 5. How would they verbalize using these in a customer service situation?
Go forward quickly to the Quote, the In the Real World, and the Quick Preview. The answers to the Preview are on page 136.

3. What is listening?
Listening is an active, learned process consisting of four phases:
Receiving/hearing the message
Attending
Comprehending/ assigning meaning
Responding
Listening: the primary means of gathering information.
LO 2 (pgs ) Teaching Note: as you introduce the four phases, ask for input: what do these phases consist of that will help a service provider?

4. The Listening Process Understanding listening
LO 2 (pgs ). Teaching Note: review the phases (steps) in the listening process. Since listening is the primary means to gather information, students need to understand listening and how the process takes place. Present the part that the ear takes as well as the part that the brain takes (see text pages 116). Discuss distractions and their impact on listening when you present the section on hearing. See IM pgs
When you discuss responding, refer to Figure 5.3 in PPT 11 at the end of the slides. It is placed there for your use when you discuss responding so that students can refer to questions to check their listening.

5. Characteristics of a Good Listener
Good listeners practice
Empathy
Understanding
Patience
Attentiveness
Objectivity
LO 3 (pgs ). Teaching Note: Refer students to Figure 5.5 which summarizes the characteristics of effective and ineffective listeners. Ask students to reflect on these characteristics; ask if they share any relationships with the list of ineffective listening practices. What skills do they use? Figure 5.5 on page 118 is provided for you in PPT12 at the end of the slides if you choose to use it in the discussion.

6. Listening Breakdowns Happen: Why?
Personal obstacles
External obstacles
Additional obstacles
Poor customer service may result from a breakdown in listening.
LO 4 (pgs ). Teaching Note: Review each major cause of breakdown, stressing the causes that may be involved in each breakdown. Ask students how would they avoid each breakdown. Ask them to raise hands if a course or lesson in listening (other than this one) was part of their schooling. Follow-up with anyone who says they had such a course. When discussing personal obstacles, Fig. 5.6 on p. 122 is provided at the end of the slide presentation in PPT13.

7. Ways to Improve Listening:
Stop talking.
Prepare yourself.
Listen Actively.
Show a Willingness to Listen.
LO 5 (pgs ). Teaching Note: Use PPTs 7, 8, 9 to introduce the 12 strategies for improved listening. Ask students to focus on these and reflect on their listening experiences. Encourage them to participate in the discussion of each way listed in the slides. Perhaps they can contribute additional ways to improve listening from their experiences personally or with coworkers or others.

8. Ways to Improve Your Listening
Show empathy.
Listen for concepts.
Be patient.
Listen openly.
LO 5 (pgs ). Teaching Note: continue introducing the 12 strategies with PPT 9. Discuss each strategy and have students follow in the text as well.

9. Ways to Improve Listening, continued
Send positive nonverbal cues.
Don’t argue.
Take notes, if necessary.
Ask questions.
LO 5 (pgs ); Teaching Note: Once all strategies have been discussed, ask students which ones they think are most important for a service professional and why.

10. Using questions to sort out facts
Open-end questions
Closed-end questions
Avoid criticism
Ask positively phrased questions
Ask direct questions
Ask customers how you can better serve them.
LO 6 (pgs ). Teaching Note: LO 6 also extends to additional question guidelines on pgs Be sure to include this section in your discussion. As you present the material, have students review pages Stress that knowing how to question effectively is a needed skill for the customer service provider. Ask for an input examples of each type of question scenario listed in these sections of the text.

11. Questions for the Listener, Fig. 5.3
LO 2 (p. 117). Teaching Note: you may want to have students ask themselves the questions shown in Figure 5.3, p It is included in PPT11 for your convenience in helping students with the answers to the questions.

12. Characteristics of Effective and Ineffective Listeners, Fig. 5.5
LO 3 (p. 118). Teaching Note: Figure 5.5 from page 118 is provided so that you can show these in your discussion of listening characteristics in PPT5.

13. Indicators of Poor Listening, Fig. 5.6
LO 4 (p. 122). Teaching Note: Figure 5.6 is provided for your selection when you discuss listening breakdowns. You may want to have students review the events noted to see if they have experienced them and how they handled them if so. Refer back to PPT6.