This activity requires at least six people, and works best with a large group of 12. Have two groups of three (or thereabouts, depending on numbers) line up to face each other. Explain that they will have two minutes with the person opposite them to both ask and answer some questions, at which point they will move and ask another person the same questions.
- What’s your name?
- What’s a hobby of yours?
- What was your first pet’s name?
Tell the team to start, and make sure at the end of each two minute slot, you move one line along so they are speaking to someone different (regardless of whether all questions have been asked and answered!) After three rounds, stop, and ask them to write down all of the answers they have collected. Then, ask them to share their answers. The team will probably struggle with this!
Repeat the activity for another round, swapping the groups so that they are speaking to somebody new. The activity may be difficult, but with each round your team members will improve as they realize the importance of listening when providing quality customer service.
Once finished, pose the group a few questions:
- What made this activity difficult?
- Did it get easier as you went through the rounds? Why is this?
- Did you use any techniques to help you?
- What can we learn from this to apply to our customer interactions?
