Active Listening: The Six Ws
Listen closely to Wanda’s voicemail, making notes of the six Ws in the boxes below.
| Who first experienced the problem? | The customer at ABC Inc |
| What happened? | Delay in receiving their shipment |
| What is the problem? | The customer did not receive their shipment. |
| When did the problem occur, and when was it discovered? | The problem occurred over one week, and the customer discovered the problem one week after the shipment was not received. |
| Where did the problem occur? | The problem occurred at the customer’s location. |
| Why did Wanda tell you this message? | She told me so I could fix the problem by contacting the manager to explain what happened and quickly send out another shipment that would arrive on Thursday. |
| How should the problem be addressed? What are the steps involved? | The problem would be solved by sending out another shipment as soon as possible.Refunding their shipping charge to compensate them for delayed receiving of their shipmentMake sure the shipment arrives on Thursday. |
In addition, consider the following:
| What nonverbal cues do you notice? Consider pauses and changes in tone of voice. | I noticed loudness and changes in tone of voice. Also, repetition of words like “what can we do, what can we do, and okay, okay.” She is concerned about the customer and wants to rectify the problem as soon as possible. |
| How do you think your manager is feeling based on these nonverbal cues? | She is so upset and concerned about the shipment of their primary customer. |
| Why do you think your manager is feeling that way? | She feels that way because the customer is their primary customer, and she wouldn’t want to disappoint or hurt them. |
| How important is the issue (minor, urgent, catastrophe)? Why do you feel that way? | It’s an urgent issue that needs to be addressed immediately so as not to lose their primary customer and to maintain the company’s reputation. |
