Sometimes it’s better to use them intermittently. So while it’s good to use all three question types, you don’t need to stick to the principles of the Funnel Effect.

Sometimes it’s better to use them intermittently.Īlso, the advisor may need to open with a closed question to immediately confirm that they are speaking with the right person. You don’t need to stick to the principles of the Funnel Effect. However, Lindsey, one of our readers, warns: “Try not to use it rigidly, as the advisor may need to confirm the information they receive from an open question with an immediate closed question.” These provide a nice guideline for contact centre advisors to use. When you string together your questions in this fashion, they are known as funnel questions. Step 3: Asking Closing Questions – Asking closed questions allows you to confirm both your own and the customer’s understanding of what has been discussed in that specific line of questioning. Is there anything you can tell me about how it looks or sounds?.Could you give me an example of what you mean by…?.Step 2: Asking Probing Questions – These are the questions which will allow you to delve deeper into the customer’s answers to your open questions, finding out the reasons and emotions behind those answers.Įxamples of these funnel questions to probe for information include: Step 1: Asking Open Questions – Try to start with open questions about the subject at hand, as this will give you all the information you require to take the conversation further. The Funnel Effect works in three phases, as highlighted in the graphic below. Funnel Questionsįunnel questions derive from something called “The Funnel Effect”. This means asking two or more open questions at once.įor example, if you ask a customer: “Why are you unhappy with our current service? And how much money do you think you could save moving elsewhere?” The customer will generally only answer the last question, even though it might be of lesser importance. One word of caution, though, before using open questions, is to be wary of stacking questions. Would you consider using our service again? What would make you consider using our service again? Which features of our service do you like most?

How did you feel about our service today?ĭid you experience good customer service today?

So these are questions to which the customer can only answer “yes” or “no”.īelow are some examples of open and closed questions which will help to reaffirm your understanding of the distinction between them. You want to show interest in what the customer has to sayįor these reasons, advisors are often recommended to ask open questions as often as possible and then to follow up with a closed question when they want to confirm their understanding of something.Īs you may have guessed, a closed question is the exact opposite of an open question.You want to better understand the customer.You want to help change the mindset of the customer.

Open and Closed QuestionsĪn open question is a question that starts with “how”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “who” or “why” and cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. It is therefore an invaluable skill for customer service teams.įortunately, there are lots of questioning techniques that advisors can use to develop this skill. Questioning TechniquesĪsking the right questions gives us the information we need when we need it. We examine ten key techniques for questioning customers, listing lots of helpful probing questions and skills along the way.

Callcenter questions