💼 RealPlay Module: Active Listening in Service Calls
- Description
- Curriculum
- Reviews
“You’re not hearing me!”
This is one of the most common frustrations Kenyan customers voice when engaging with support teams — and often, they’re right. While agents may be listening, they’re not always actively listening.
This RealPlay Module is designed to transform everyday service calls into moments of trust and clarity by building active listening skills in agents. Learners will be immersed in a real-life Kenyan scenario, where a frustrated customer contacts a fintech call center about an unreflected bank-to-wallet transfer. Through guided practice and decision points, learners will explore the difference between simply hearing and truly understanding the customer.
Who Should Take This Course?
This module is ideal for:
-
Call center agents in fintech, telecom, utilities, or logistics
-
Customer support officers (voice, hybrid, or omnichannel)
-
Technical support reps handling customer escalations
-
Customer success/account officers
-
New recruits in customer service induction programs
-
Supervisors coaching agents on quality assurance and communication
Sectors that directly relate to this RealPlay Exercise are:
-
Digital banking & mobile money platforms
-
Internet service providers (ISPs)
-
Online retail and delivery services
-
Public service/utility customer hotlines
-
SACCOs and microfinance institutions
Which Skill Gaps & Loopholes are addressed?
Many support agents in Kenya are technically trained but struggle with deeper listening. This course addresses key skill gaps:
🔸 1. Passive or Interrupted Listening
Agents often rush to respond before the customer is done speaking, leading to missed details or customer irritation.
🔸 2. Overuse of Scripts
While scripts help with consistency, they often hinder real engagement. This module helps agents personalize their responses.
🔸 3. Lack of Clarification Skills
Agents shy away from probing questions and clarifying details, fearing it sounds like they’re blaming the customer.
🔸 4. Misreading Emotional Cues Over the Phone
Voice-only support limits body language — agents must learn to detect frustration, urgency, and confusion just by listening.
🔸 5. Inadequate Customer Reassurance
Customers often feel ignored when their concerns aren’t acknowledged with reflective language.
-
1
RealPlay ScenarioCourse Type:
Industry: Fintech
Location Context: Kenya
Module Level: Intermediate
Duration: 20–30 minutesModule Overview
Active listening is one of the most underrated yet powerful skills in customer service. In the fast-paced world of service calls — especially within the Kenyan context where mobile money, digital services, and fintech platforms dominate — customers expect to be heard, understood, and helped quickly.
In this RealPlay Module, learners engage in a realistic simulation where they handle a frustrated Kenyan customer calling about a delayed mobile money transaction. Through this scenario, participants develop the ability to listen not just for words, but for emotion, urgency, and unspoken needs — and respond with empathy, clarity, and professionalism.
This module turns theory into action, helping agents practice active listening techniques live and refine their ability to build rapport, reduce conflict, and resolve issues more effectively.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, learners will be able to:
-
Define what active listening means in the context of service calls
-
Demonstrate techniques like summarizing, paraphrasing, and empathic acknowledgement
-
Respond to emotionally charged calls without interrupting or reacting defensively
-
Ask clarifying questions without sounding accusatory
-
Use verbal cues to demonstrate attentiveness (e.g., “I hear you…” “Let me confirm…” “I understand that must be frustrating”)
-
Improve call outcomes by reducing repeat calls, errors, and escalations
Expected Outcome & Impact
For Individual Agents:
-
Improved caller satisfaction
-
Greater confidence in handling emotional callers
-
Reduced miscommunication and errors
-
Better call control without sounding rude or impatient
For Teams:
-
Increased First Call Resolution (FCR)
-
Consistent call quality scores
-
Reduced escalations and complaints
-
Stronger brand reputation for care and professionalism
-
-
2
📝 RealPlay Assessment – Active Listening in Service Calls
