Justin Weber

Chapter 3
Action Tip 6 Bite Your Tongue before Interrupting
Not interrupting a speaker and waiting for them to complete their thought is key step in the
listening process. By taking a pause and not interrupting, primarily, it will force you to listen actively to
the speaker. While you are actively listening, you may discover that what you were going to interrupt
with is no longer relevant as the speaker may have answered your question or formed a new opinion for
either party.
From a customers point of view, interrupting is disrespectful and will reflect poorly on you and
your companys image. It may generate or reinforce a preconceived notion of your companys poor
customer service. Instead, pause and listen to show the customer that you care about the information
they are giving you.