Do You Hear Your Customer?

It should be obvious that service people need to hear more than people in non-service occupations; we expect a waiter or waitress, for example, to hear much more of what their customers are saying than the construction worker. But it isn’t nearly as obvious as it may seem, and in fact experience often proves this is not true.

Twenty-two Million Americans suffer from hearing loss according the National Academy On An Aging Society. The Society points out the obvious, a large number of those with hearing loss are 65 years of age or older. I qualify for that age group and confirm that I don’t hear today as well as I once did. It is obvious though that all hearing loss is not due to age.

I suppose people working in certain occupations are more prone to hearing loss. For example, people working in manufacturing, construction, and rock bands. People in other professions like medical, administrative, service and sales should be less prone to hearing loss.

I have experienced that some people in two of these “less likely to lose hearing” professions—service and sales— suffer from extreme hearing loss not attributable to age.

Recently my wife and I dined at a nice restaurant in our home town. Our server, a young man in his early twenties asked for our drink order. We ordered two waters, no lemons. Our server returned with two glasses of water with a lemon on the rim of each glass.

He took my wife’s order for trout almandine and a salad with ranch dressing. When he asked for my order, I said, “I will have the same order as my wife, but I want honey mustard on the salad.”

Upon returning, our waiter placed a salad in front of my wife; nothing in front of me. He promptly left. When he returned 10 minutes later to inform us that our order would be out shortly, I questioned him regarding my salad. He answered, “Did you want a salad, too?”

Four days later we ate breakfast at the local IHOP. We both ordered the Seniors Omelet. My wife selected spinach and ham as her two ingredients. I chose ham and pork sausage.

The omelets were delivered to the table. I never found a single nugget of sausage in my omelet. When I questioned the waitress about the lack of sausage she said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you say you wanted sausage.

We ate at two different restaurants and had two different waitpersons. I assume both have the same goal, to provide service so they receive a generous tip. Although both were pleasant, both suffer from hearing loss—not a physical incapacity but a psychological handicap caused by inattentiveness, indifference, and lack of focus.

The most important ingredient in hearing is deliberate listening. Deliberate listening enables the professional to hear more than the nonprofessional. Deliberate listening is a key to increasing your income and happiness.

As a sales professional, do you suffer from hearing loss? The question is not, do you listen to your customer? The question is, “Do you hear your customer?” Great salespeople have a “good” ear or the ability to not only listen and hear but the talent for making fine distinctions in what they hear. The great in any profession or occupation can also hear what is not being said.

We do well to hear the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” that celebrated the patriot’s famous ride of April 18-19, 1775.

“LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.”

Professionals do well to hear and heed the Head Hog’s paraphrase of the opening line of Longfellow’s 1860 poem.

LISTEN my fellow professionals and you shall hear
Of the sound of success in your ear.

The difference is that the Hog’s paraphrase is not just a midnight message; it is an around-the- clock truth. Deliberate listening leads to hearing and is a defense against failure and a key to success.

HOG THOUGHT:
A Hog knows that his or her priority is to serve their customer. Before you can serve, you need to know the need. To discover the need, you must hear the need articulated.

HOG QUOTE: “It is the providence of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes