Many people think of customer service as procedural and impersonal, but one of the first things I learnt when entering the field all those years ago, was that it’s really about empathizing with the customer. This initial lesson has been one of my guiding principles ever since, shaping my entire approach to how I work and engage with customers. But what exactly is empathy in customer service and why is it so important? Here’s everything you need to know:
In customer service, empathy is the ability to understand and share the thoughts and feelings of a customer as they relate to the specific needs being addressed. This creates a strong connection which allows a representative to meet a customer’s needs more effectively.
In the rest of this article, we’ll explore what empathy in customer service is in more detail and look at how it’s important for understanding the needs and concerns of a customer, creating a positive customer experience, problem solving, conflict resolution, customer loyalty and brand reputation.
What is Empathy in General? A Definition
Before looking at what empathy is in the realm of customer service, it’s useful to first understand what it is in general, as it can in fact be used in every area of life. Here’s its definition:
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the thoughts and feelings of others.
In other words, empathy is when you take on another person’s perspective or experience. This is far more than sympathy where you have your own emotional response to the situation of another person (for example pitying someone for having a bad experience), it’s where you understand the other person so well, that you step into their shoes and see the world through their eyes, think through their thoughts, and feel through their emotions.
When you empathize when someone and see their world from their point of view, not only will you feel strongly connected to them because you’re sharing their experience, they will reciprocate and feel strongly connected to you. After all, how can one not feel strongly connected to someone who understands their thoughts, feelings, and situation so profoundly? This is the power of empathy.
Which is why we should use empathy in all areas of our life where we want to build a stronger relationship with someone. Whether it’s within our family, friendships, or professional circles, empathy is a powerful tool that helps us connect with others on a much deeper level.
What is Empathy in Customer Service?
The role of empathy in customer service is no different – it’s just focused on the specific goal of meeting the needs of the customer. When you empathize with a customer and see their problems and concerns from their perspective with all the details and nuances that go with it and the emotions underlying and driving everything, you’ll connect with them and therefore be in a much better position to provide a solution.
Not only will you fully understand and connect with the customer, they well then feel connected to you, which will create a level of trust that will encourage the customer to communicate more openly with you. The more confident they feel about talking to you, the more you’ll be able to empathize and connect with them, creating a continuous positive cycle that ends with customer satisfaction.
Some people think that empathy is a soft skill only used in customer service as a tool for solving any problems that arise, resolving complex issues or dealing with especially difficult customers, but as you can see, nothing could be further from the truth.
Empathy is the heartbeat of exceptional customer service, transforming it from a procedural and impersonal process with scripted responses and routine assistance, to a personalized, human interaction that recognizes the unique experiences of the customer, acknowledges their emotions, and responds with a genuine understanding that goes far beyond the surface.
The Importance of Empathy in Customer Service
Once we know that empathy in customer service is about truly understanding and connecting with a customer so we can properly meet their needs, it’s importance becomes clear. However, I want to elaborate on that and also highlight other areas within customer service where the application of empathy is of particular importance.
Listening to a Customer
While the primary objective of listening to a customer is to identify their needs – a prerequisite for effective assistance, an equally important secondary objective is to create an atmosphere where customers feel genuinely heard and valued. Listening to customers with empathy shows that you’re not just hearing their words but are actively participating in a meaningful interaction, which will give customers a profound sense of being acknowledged and appreciated.
Of course, while empathy is a powerful tool when it comes to listening to a customer, it’s only one out of many that will help you do it properly. For more information on how to listen to a customer effectively, see this more in-depth article I wrote about it, here.
Understanding the Needs and Concerns of the Customer
As explained above, empathy in customer service is indispensable for being able to truly understand the needs and concerns of the customer and provide effective assistance and support. Now you might think that this is an exaggeration and making a mountain out of a molehill – the customer wants a specific product or service, and your company can fulfill that need and that’s all there is to it. However, the reality is much more nuanced.
Each customer brings a distinctive set of needs, preferences, and concerns to the table and you ignore them at your own peril. Empathy serves as a guiding light that allows us to delve beyond the surface and uncover the diverse intricacies of the customer’s individual requirements. This deeper understanding empowers us to tailor solutions that precisely align with the unique needs of each customer, so we can provide a more meaningful and effective resolution to their issues.
A Positive Customer Experience and Satisfaction
A positive customer experience isn’t merely the successful fulfillment of their request, it’s when customers feel seen, understood, and cared for beyond the transactional exchange. Customer satisfaction is the emotional resonance that lingers long after the interaction has ended and is created by a service encounter that went beyond the surface, and acknowledged not just the immediate need but the individual behind it.
For this level of customer satisfaction, a true connection must be formed between the customer service representative and the customer, and empathy is the only tool that can create it. When the representative authentically empathizes with the customer, the mutual understanding and shared emotions create a trust and bond that will be powerfully felt in the form of a positive customer experience.
Problem Solving
Empathy in customer service is also a powerful tool for solving problems. That’s because with empathy, the problem solving process is transformed from the traditional reactive issue resolution system into an active collaboration between the representative and their expertise on the one hand, and the customer and their first hand perspective on the other. The result is a dynamic exchange of insights and solutions that allows for a more comprehensive and effective problem-solving experience.
Additionally, when a customer service representative truly understands and genuinely empathizes with the customer’s needs and potential challenges, they can anticipate issues before they arise and proactively prevent them from escalating by offering solutions preemptively. This is where an average customer service representative is transformed into an outstanding one.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution used to be my least favorite part of my role as a customer service agent until I learnt, that by using empathy, I could prevent it from becoming a dreaded adversarial encounter and turn it into an opportunity for resolution and relationship-building.
By demonstrating genuine care and a deep understanding of the customer’s emotions and concerns, a service representative can use empathy to not only de-escalate the tension in a conflict but foster a positive environment where both parties feel heard and understood, so laying the groundwork for the above-mentioned collaborative problem-solving.
Moreover, empathy helps a service representative uncover the underlying issues of a conflict so that they can properly deal with the root causes and not just superficially address the surface-level symptoms. This approach not only completely resolves the immediate conflict but it also prevents its recurrence in the future.
Long-Term Relationship Building and Loyalty
Empathy is the way to build a long-term relationship and foster customer loyalty. By consistently demonstrating empathy and making sure that the customer feels valued, understood and genuinely cared for, a service representative can make each interaction another brick in a connection that extends beyond the specific exchange of the present moment. With such a strong bond, a lasting relationship will be formed, making it more likely that customers will choose the brand in the future.
Additionally, customers who experience empathy during their interactions are more inclined to remain loyal to a brand, even in the face of occasional issues. Since their loyalty is built on the connection established by empathetic service, the bond can withstand the occasional hiccup. The customer is not likely to leave a brand that truly understands and values them just because of one or two minor setbacks along the way.
Brand Reputation and Growth
In customer service, empathy plays a pivotal role in shaping a brand’s overall reputation, thereby influencing its ability to grow. When customers are on the receiving end of genuine understanding and care, they’re more likely to share their positive experiences with others. This valuable word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful asset that builds the brand’s reputation and fosters its growth, as people are drawn to businesses that prioritize customer care.
Not only can empathy shape a brand’s reputation causing it grow, it can also make it resilient in the face of challenges. When issues do arise, a brand known for its empathy is more likely to receive understanding from its customer base. The goodwill generated through its empathetic interactions acts as a protective shield, helping to mitigate potential damage to the brand during difficult times.
How to Express Empathy in Customer Service
Now that we know what empathy in customer service is and why it’s important, the next step is to learn how to express it, which requires you to be genuinely interested in the customer, actively listen to what they’re saying, ask open-ended questions, tune into the customer’s emotions, respond reflectively and acknowledge and validate their perspective.
Since that’s a lot of information in its own right, I wrote a separate in-depth article about how to express empathy in customer service. You can find it here, where all the above-mentioned skills are explained in a step by step fashion that guides you through the exact process.