ASK YOURSELF: How can you utilize active listening to provide sensational customer service? How will this help resolve complaints from unhappy customers? * Give them your full attention and listen without interruption or defensiveness. * Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention. * Take their concerns seriously and share their sense of urgency to resolve the problem quickly. * Ask questions and focus on what they are really saying. * Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. * Beware of making assumptions or rushing to conclusions before you hear their concern fully. * Explain, guide, educate, assist, and do what's necessary to help them reach the resolution. * Treat them with respect and empathy. When you do an amazing job of resolving an unhappy customer's problem, you may end up impressing them more than if the problem had never occurred. You may have just earned their loyalty . . . forever!