Hapi CEO Adi Y. Segal on the Power of Active Listening
When a senior citizen dials 911, the assumption is that they must be having a medical emergency. But more often than you might think the reason for the call is not that at all -- they're just lonely and want someone to talk to. And it’s not just older adults who seek a sense of belonging.
This basic human need for connection is at the heart of our Hapi app. Designed to give people the opportunity to talk or vent about anything from career woes to school and relationships, after having the Hapi experience, participants really feel better.
At Hapi, our mission is to give people a sense of belonging. And now we’re excited to launch a service for business that can grow your revenue, retain employees, turn your team into listening leaders – through the power of active listening. Studies show that team members and managers who listen well gain a better understanding of what’s important to clients and partners, experience less sales churn, and have greater opportunities to cross sell and up sell. But first I’d like to share some true stories about the power of listening.
Hapi’s listeners are trained in “active listening” techniques that put an emphasis on fully concentrating on what a person is saying and following up on key points of the conversation. At no time does a Hapi caller feel like they’re talking to the wall. It’s not therapy, but it results in a feeling I like to call “mental hygiene.” And it works. We’ve found through surveys of our first-time users that 95% of them feel so good about the experience they call again. That’s led to thousands of phone calls racking up 1.5 million minutes of active listening so far.
The Loneliness Epidemic
But why do we even need an app like Hapi? That’s simple. Unfortunately, we’re in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. According to a recent survey, up to 75% of Americans struggle with loneliness. US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says lonely people risk higher rates of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular illness, dementia, and sleep disturbances.