Your Agents Write Well, Can They Listen?
by Citrix Online

Though most employment ads for support agents include listening and writing skills as job requirements, listening skills are often undervalued and overlooked by agents and recruiting managers alike. While writing skills are an obvious requirement for frontline e-support agents, who spend most days at the keyboard communicating with customers via chat and email, listening skills often go unnoticed. While it’s common for employers to offer training classes to improve their agents’ writing skills, how many organizations offer classes to improve listening skills?

Fortunately, it’s easy to identify agents lacking listening skills. Simply audit a few test calls and you’ll be able to separate the good from the bad. What’s more challenging, however, is helping agents understand why improved listening skills are important and then training them to implement those new skills and do a better job.

The first thing support managers need to do is understand why some agents are better listeners than others. There are different agent types, each with unique listening challenges that might require a particular type of training:

• Mind Reading -- The mind-reading agent only pays attention to the first part of a customer’s statement, assuming to know what the customer is going to say next and immediately thinking of a resolution to propose. By not listening to the customer’s full problem description, there’s great potential for misunderstanding and frustration. Tip: Present the agent with non-traditional examples of what a customer might say to demonstrate how listening to the very end helps avoid miscommunication.

• Daydreaming -- It’s not unusual for agents to start daydreaming during a call. After all, who doesn’t daydream from time to time? Tip: Encourage agents to verbally or non-verbally engage in a call every 10-15 seconds. A few exercises that work well include nodding the head, writing a note or giving an affirmative response such as “yes.” These simple tricks will keep daydreaming agents engaged and focused on the call.

• Over Engaging -- Some agents try too hard to connect with customers and identify with their experiences. They share their own personal experiences with similar problems or make little jokes, inadvertently taking attention away from the customer’s problem. While some customers enjoy support calls with a friendly, personal touch, this behavior can affect the listening process. Tip: Provide agents with words and phrases that enable them to effectively identify with customers without over engaging in the call. Show them the steps within the call flow where it’s appropriate to identify with the customer (e.g., when establishing rapport at the beginning of the call to gain trust, when overcoming objections to gain credibility, or when ending the call to leave a positive lasting impression).

• Placating -- Some agents tend to overuse affirmative remarks, repeatedly answering with “yes” to everything the customer says. While this is appropriate in some instances and may seem like a positive attitude on behalf of the agent, placating often disrupts the listening process. Tip: Show your agents techniques for paraphrasing, confirming or clarifying that improve the information exchange and enhance their listening skills.

With a support team made up of agents who excel at both writing and listening, your customer-satisfaction levels will soar. And if you listen carefully, you might even hear the applause.

About Citrix Online
Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS), offers the leading Web-based access, support and collaboration software and services. The division offers Citrix GoToMyPC®, the easiest-to-use solution for remote, secure and managed desktop PC access over the Web; and Citrix GoToAssist™, the most secure, reliable and powerful solution for Web-based technical support and customer collaboration. Citrix Online products are used by more than 4,000 companies worldwide, including Cisco Systems, Siemens, Intuit, Cablevision and Microsoft Business Solutions. The division is based in Santa Barbara, California, and is on the Web at www.gotomypc.com, www.gotoassist.com and www.citrix.com.