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� Make notes
� Agree a course of action
� Follow-through.
Let’s have a look at them:
Listen
It is important to show you are listening. Face-to-face; listen and make
notes. Say; ‘I want to make sure I don’t forget anything so I’m going to jot a
few notes down whilst you are telling me about this’.
On the phone, tell the other person you are making notes.
Active listening creates an atmosphere that says; ‘I’m interested in what
you are saying to me’.
Sympathise
Saying ‘I’m sorry to hear about this’, is not an admission of liability. It’s OK
to say; ‘From what you’ve told me, I’d be upset, too’.
Don’t Justify
No one is interested if there were three members of staff off-sick, if the
supplier didn’t deliver, if a member of staff didn’t respond to their bleep.
That’s your problem.
Make notes
Let people see you are writing down what they tell you. Say; I want to be
sure I remember everything you tell me. If you are on the phone say; I’m
just making a note of what you tell me, I want to remember the facts
clearly. This has two effects; the first is people will seldom exaggerate if
you think you are making a note and second, it shows you really mean
business and want to get the matter sorted.
© Roy Lilley 14