What is Active listening?

• A. Hearing to Understand, a sincere effort to find out what is bothering the customer by hearing what the customer has to say and learning about what the customer is feeling.
• B. A quick response to satisfy the customer
• C. Interrupting the customer to speed up the conversation
• D. Passive experience

Answer: (D)

Active listening is listening with purpose and engagement. It's more than just hearing words; it's making a sincere effort to understand what the customer is bothered by by listening to both what they say and the feelings behind it. It means giving full attention, avoiding interruptions, asking clarifying questions, and paraphrasing what you’ve heard to confirm accuracy. This approach helps reveal underlying concerns and shows empathy, so the customer feels heard and respected.

The description that highlights understanding both the spoken content and the customer’s feelings best captures this practice. Quick replies aim to close the loop fast, interrupting cuts off the customer, and a passive experience doesn’t involve active engagement—none of those reflect the engaged, empathetic process of active listening.