{"id":388,"date":"2022-03-30T10:08:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T10:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chatsupport.co\/blog\/?p=388"},"modified":"2022-04-29T10:49:04","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T10:49:04","slug":"empathy-in-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chatsupport.co\/blog\/business-tips\/empathy-in-customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Practice Empathy in Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tips<\/figure>\n\n\n

What is empathy in customer service?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Oxford English Dictionary<\/a> defines empathy as \u201cthe ability to understand and share the feelings of one another.\u201d As human beings, it’s only natural to want to be understood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone, at some point or another, reaches out to customer service to express feelings of frustration with a product or service. Poor customer service experiences are often a result of the customer service representative lacking empathy. Therefore, it becomes important that customer service reps are able to empathize with customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In customer service, empathy is about identifying with how the customer feels and responding accordingly so they feel heard, validated, and understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll explore how empathy can separate your business from the competition, and seven ways you and your team can practice empathy in customer service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer service empathy can make your business stand out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Customer loyalty<\/a> isn\u2019t just about offering the lowest price. A 2018 Accenture Strategy study<\/a> found that over half of U.S. consumers have changed providers within the past year, with 18% confirming their brand expectations have changed. Two-thirds of customers spend more with brands they love\u2014and providing a quality customer service experience is one way to foster loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ve been waiting all day for an important package to arrive, but it isn\u2019t delivered. You decide to check the tracking information and find out the order hasn’t even shipped yet. There was some sort of mix-up with the merchants and the package won’t arrive when you needed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You decide to reach out to customer service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agent A essentially tells you that there is nothing you can do but wait. They don’t offer any kind of help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frustrated with this outcome, you try again. This time, you reach a customer service agent who apologizes for the issue and explains that they understand your frustration. They offer a variety of solutions to resolve the issue and remain in contact with you until you find a resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s clear you would prefer Agent B, the clear difference being empathy. The presence of empathy can mean the difference between a satisfied and dissatisfied customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training your agents to use this approach increases customer satisfaction, which in turn builds more customer loyalty. Furthermore, it works wonders to enhance the overall customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"customer<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

7 tips to practice customer service empathy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, you understand that you need to show empathy in customer service, but you aren’t sure how to make it a core part of your company culture. It starts with your team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empathizing may come naturally to some people but may be difficult for others. Take a page from tech-giant Apple and include a guide to empathy in your training manual<\/a>. Providing this training helps to guide your support team when learning how to practice empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Apple’s guide is designed to help their teams on the sales floor, virtual interactions are slightly different. That’s why you should also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n