Once you have an accurate picture of the situation, you are in a position to propose a course of action to your caller. You should:
· outline the proposal and check that it is acceptable to the caller
· confirm that they understand what is to be done.
Here is an example of a call where active listening skills are used and a course of action is agreed:
A: Good morning, John Sharp speaking.
B: John, hello. Tony Mills from Mega deals here. I've got a problem with that last order…
A: A problem, did you say?
B: Yes, well the order was incomplete. We ordered 600 but when we checked the consignment, it was obvious that we hadn't got them all.
A: So how many were you short?
B: Well, they came in boxes of 50 and we only had 8 boxes so we're missing 200. The thing is, it wouldn't normally be a hassle but you see…
A: When do you need the remainder?
B: By Monday; we must have them by Monday.
A: Immediately after the weekend, you say?
B: Well, we could just stretch to Tuesday but no later because…
A: Okay, leave it with me. I'll get on to dispatch and make sure you get another 200 by Tuesday at the latest.
B: Thank you, I’ll call you back if there’s a further problem.
Taking notes
If you handle a lot of calls each day, then it is essential to log each one under date and time. For all calls you should make a note of who rang, for what reason, and the action you agreed with times and details of address, telephone number etc.