This document discusses key principles for effective communication between support agents and customers. It emphasizes that listening is an active skill that takes effort. Both parties must be actively involved in the interaction to ensure understanding and progress towards resolution. Trust in the relationship allows for open communication, while mutual alignment of goals establishes shared expectations for resolving issues.

1. LISTENING SKILLS
This principle is sometimes referred to as active listening skills, and it truly
takes energy and effort to do well. Support agents communicate through
multiple channels with their customers; for example, using phone, chat,
and email. This training examines practices and methods that support
agents can use to optimize their listening skills, regardless of the
communication method they use in other lessons within this course. The
following are some helpful hints for support agents to improve their active
listening skills:
• Focus on the person speaking
• Respond appropriately with comments, questions, or paraphrasing
• Use questioning to clarify specific points of discussion
• Use common language understood by both the agent and the
customer
• Summarize a discussion to confirm main points and provide a
complete, accurate understanding

2. TWO-WAY MUTUAL INVOLVEMENT
Both the support agent and the customer must be actively involved in the
interaction to ensure effective communication. The customer has a
problem and is seeking assistance from the agent to get to resolution. The
agent must actively solicit the necessary information from the customer or
provide instructions and guidance to the customer to procure the desired
input needed to move the case to a successful resolution. Effective
communication is dependent on commitment and active involvement
from both the agent as well as the customer.

3. TRUST IN THE RELATIONSHIP
Clearly, trust is what allows two parties to openly communicate their ideas
and feedback, good or bad, and eventually leads down a path of
collaboration, mutual understanding, and ultimately the successful
resolution to the case. If there is an absence of trust and the relationship is
perceived to be one-sided or deceptive, it will most certainly fail.

4. MUTUAL ALIGNMENT OF GOALS
In an IT Support scenario, mutual alignment of goals between the
customer and support agent are established during the scoping step in
the case management lifecycle. The outcome of the scoping stage is a
scope agreement. Within the scope agreement is a statement of the
problem and the agreement between the customer and support agent of
what conditions constitute a successful resolution of the problem and
closure of the service request. Not only is the scoping step and mutual
alignment of goals a key element to successful case management, it’s a
lynch pin to ensuring effective two-way communications.