Asking questions is a vital part of your communication with customers

Questions that begin with ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘why’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ are known as open-ended questions. These encourage customers to share their information and engage in conversation with you while also having time to pause, think and reflect.

Examples include: “What are the symptoms?” “When did you last smoke?” “How often do you get these symptoms?”

The result is that the interaction becomes an exchange between you and the customer, and less like an interview or interrogation. Sometimes, you may need to ask questions to ascertain facts or confirm information.

In these cases, it would be best to use closed questions, which result in ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Examples include: “Are you in pain?” “Do you smoke?” “Would you like more information?”

In many situations, it’s best to use a combination of open and closed questions. For instance, open questions can be used to initiate conversations and closed questions can confirm any information before you make a recommendation.

For example: “What are the symptoms of your rash?” Then: “Is it itchy?”

In summary: use open questions to engage in conversation and elicit full answers; use closed questions to confirm information.