So, I did something I don't usually do. I allowed myself to be talked into a "frequent purchaser" type of program at a store. I had 30 days to try it out; if I didn't want to continue with it, all I needed to do was call the toll free number before this date and cancel, otherwise my credit card would be charged the low, low price of $xx each month ... My only excuse was I was very tired, the salesman talked really fast, and oh, that glass of wine with dinner didn't help. (My husband couldn't believe it either, and he was there.)
When I called to cancel the agreement two weeks later, having not once taken advantage of any of the special offers at any of the area stores (which told me how much I would have actually used the darn thing) I was very pleasantly greeted by a young woman who said she would be happy to help me. After calmly obtaining my name and the necessary information, I found it interesting that she suddenly switched over to warp speed and began verbally reiterating all of the benefits I would receive as a subscriber to this program. Smiling to myself, I patiently let her finish, at which point I thought I heard her say something along the lines of if I was not interested in continuing I would need to call back before this date to cancel.
Excuse me? That was the point of my call! So I asked this very pleasant young woman if my credit card was going to be charged the $xx monthly fee for this program. "Not for another two weeks" was her very chipper reply, "so enjoy the services. If you decide to cancel after that, then you will need to call back."
Obviously, I saw no need to call back in the future and took care of the matter then and there. But I did get a good laugh out of the whole thing!
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Remember...
Active listening means intentionally focusing on the other person in order to understand what is being said. As the listener, you should be able to repeat back, in your own words, what was said. This does not mean that you agree with what is being said; it is meant to show your understanding of the other person's perspective.
Are you listening to your customers or simply pushing your services?
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