Lets' Talk Member Experience!
The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen.It is one of the important element of effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender can easily become frustrated or irritated both in verbal and non-verbal communication.Developing good listening skills can help to ensure you understand the information correctly, interpret messages accurately and optimise your conversations and communications.
What is an underrated listening component that drastically improves member chat experience?This post is part of Academy Fall Events! 🔔Click here to view all events
🎓Explore 7 Cups Internship here!
📢 Learn more about 7 Cups Academy programs for listeners here and here for members!
@TheAlchemist1111
ooh this is a great post!
I find being gentle and patient in a member chat quite helpful, assuring members that they can open up and share at their pace helps them feel more comfortable, i feel! ❤️
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
Thankyou for replying. True , making members comfortable is very important.
@TheAlchemist1111 being kind and patient
@ambitioushope1234
Thankyou❤️
@TheAlchemist1111 I feel giving the members a chance to vent and not interrupt them in between and just hearting their message. This way they might feel we are also paying attention to them and they can put across what they are feeling without being interrupted. After they are done, validating, being compassionate and showing empathy is what I feel is something very underrated
@yourbuddy30
Thankyou. Well said, giving members all the space to share without any interruption is essential.
For me, having a listener be there with a reply at just the right moment makes me feel heard and like the listener is paying attention - I love that! When the replies are delayed or I have to "wait" for a response, at a natural pause in the conversation, I realize they didn't notice I gave them space for a reply, and I wonder if they are even still in front of the computer. Too long pauses make me feel like I'm not a priority, really short pauses or non-existent pauses make me feel important and happy.
Do listeners have a timer that show them the time without a response? Time since last entry? Are listeners trained to not let the timer go longer than a few seconds max?
@onwardforevenmore - very good point. Listeners do not have a timer, but they do have best practice guidelines, such as reply within a minute whenever possible.
oh good, that's nice! A few days ago I had one listener fall asleep and never reply until days later apologizing for falling asleep on me!
@onwardforevenmore oh no! At least they apologized? That would have probably made me feel like they forgot about me or I wasn't important to them.
yes, "sincerely apologized" and we rescheduled for next week. We'll see what happens next time :)
@onwardforevenmore
That's a good thing that the listener apologized. I hope everything goes well next week .
@onwardforevenmore
@purplelady568 thanks for explaining.
Also some listeners give you space to share everything that's going on your mind without any interruption. So depends on individual how they proceed listening. Everyone has their own style of listening.
Setting boundaries and taking breaks.
I remember the time when I was new on 7 Cups. I used to feel as if I must keep on chatting and helping as many people as possible. This was not only taking a toll on my mental health but I was also skipping meals and having sleepless nights. It was my mother who made me realize that if I am willing to help others, I must take care of myself first. To be honest, being appreciated and gaining 5 stars every time I successfully ended a chat was my driving force back then. The more you get positive reviews, the more you are willing to take chats. Therefore, I strongly believe that realising how much important self-care, taking breaks and setting time limits is, would drastically change the whole thing!
@TheAlchemist1111
@lyricalAngel70 Very well said 👏👏👏
@magicallySoul1274 Thank you so much ❤
@lyricalAngel70
Well said. Its important to take care of yourself and limiting times. The more we are relaxed and happy , the better we provide support to the members. It may seem a small thing but it really matters alot.
Thank you so much ❤
I totally agree with you 💜
@TheAlchemist1111
@TheAlchemist1111 I'd say being attentive and NOT starting a chat if we know we're drowsy, in a distracting environment, stressed or mentally scattered and busy is a good start <3
@magicallySoul1274
Yes, we should not start a chat if we're not able to give full attention. Also in between chats if we feel overwhelmed, tired or unable to proceed we should tell the members and reschedule it or recommend/refer them to other listeners.
@TheAlchemist1111
In my opinion, what really makes a listener excel is how patient they remain with their member and how much attention they pay to the details when a member is talking about a traumatic experience.
@CatwomenSoulstealer
That's so true. There are so many sensitive topics where we can only support by being patient and some demand utmost patience. I would say its really needed for listeners to be patient while listening.
@TheAlchemist1111
I appreciate when my listeners have a good response time and have relevant resources to share. It truly elevates my experience with them in the session. It shows that they are present and that they truly care. They go above and beyond, and I can't be more grateful to have them. 💙
@SilverSeastar
Yes, we have wonderful listeners here who put all their efforts for supporting members.
Demonstrating understanding. Just saying 'I understand' doesn't feel very meaningful, responding in a more specific way does.
@AffyAvo
Ooh I agree! It really goes a long way 😮
@SilverSeastar
Thanks for replying. ❤️
@AffyAvo
I agree. It doesn't work for everyone and every situation.