Be genuine, honest and be yourself. In the Customer Service, empathy is the possibility to fuel connection with the customer, it also provides an emotional bridge, enables the sharing of experiences, needs, and desires. Get the latest exciting call centre reports, specialist whitepapers, interesting case-studies and industry events straight to your inbox. There are a few simple communication techniques that can have a large impact on the quality of customer service and the engagement process. It’s a bit cliche, but putting yourself in the customer’s shoes is still one of the best approaches you can take. In this training, supervisors role played various scenarios using real-life examples from calls that had come in to the center, illustrating the powerful concept of using empathy versus sympathy in customer encounters. Many years ago, I participated in a training for a call center Customer Service Representative (CSR) position. Sympathy – Definition, Origin, and Examples. The following examples of empathy statements will connect you to and reassure your customer: 6. I’m hearing that…”. Sympathy is like having concern and pity for another person's problems and misfortunes. Finally, let us take a look at some common examples of empathy vs. sympathy just to summarize and ensure that we have a complete grasp on what makes the difference between sympathy and empathy. This is essential for building empathy in customer service. Empathy is a great tool to help show customers that you are on their side. Empathy is the ability to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” — while sympathy is feeling the same feelings as the customer and agreeing with them. Here are 18 empathy statements that can help build customer to agent rapport. When you use personal pronouns (and especially “I” rather than a more corporate “we”) the listener understands that you are personally involved and interested in them as an individual. , The Importance of Empathy Versus Sympathy in Customer Service, Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS), Integration, Customization and Implementation, How To Reduce Credit Card Processing Fees, New West Technologies - Point of Sale Software, Hardware and Implementation Providers. Thanks to Neil Wilkins, Telesales and Customer Service Coach/Trainer. Authenticity means using a natural tone, and less formal ways of speaking. Assuring the customer of your desire to resolve their complaint should allow them to recognise your care and understanding for the individual’s problems. Situation #1 : A friend of yours has had to put her companion, a 15-year-old border collie down due to … Your taking control of the situation allows the customer to feel as if the problem has been “lifted from them”, and by phrasing the empathy statement in this way, you are personalising the matter and making the customer feel special. With thanks to David Filwood, Principal Consultant at TeleSoft Systems. The next two empathy statements are crucial in signing off with a customer and staying empathetic. Customer service directors know this well. Establishing that you want to extract as much information as possible from the customer indicates your attentiveness and curiosity in the matter at hand. Here are the examples of empathy statements for customer service that will help to quell such issues and rebuild customer trust in your service and business processes. Agents with strong empathic abilities are overall better at creating long-term customer relationships. 14. May I suggest “I appreciate you contacting me regarding this and can certainly understand why this is frustrating…..I would like to confirm a few details so that our team can better resolve the issue without delay Please sent us a private message with your account information so we can get started right away .”. Acknowledging a customer’s personal holidays and future plans allows your advisor to add a personal touch to the interaction, and basing your actions around a customer’s schedule demonstrates an empathetic approach. Most customers shop from brands with which they develop an emotional bond. If I were in your position, I would feel the same way. 9. By letting them tell you all the details before responding, you … 4. Conveying the advisor’s experience in handling calls of this nature provides the customer with a strong indication of the ability of the call centre professional to find a swift solution to the query. Empathy is the ability to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”. When a customer calls about an issue, they may be frustrated and want you to listen to them. Pure silence on the agent’s part can cause the customer to feel helpless, so agents should use such noises to assure the client of their focus and understanding. If we apply the entire article in social media it’s important to have a personal connection in a public venue. “Empathy is different from sympathy. In some cases, people experiencing empathy actually go beyond understanding another's experience and can actually feel it. Seven empathy statements for customer service Empathy statements: definite or clear expressions of your ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, in speech or in writing. This is why you should stop any line of sympathy and instead focus on empathy, as the Apple Genius Manual suggests. “We will work to resolve the problem. It is more important to be natural, calm and positive than to get the exact phrasing correct. Customers understand that products and services won’t always work as intended. “Thank you very much for alerting us about this…”. “I can see where the problem is, Sir/Madam…”. Don’t confuse empathy for sympathy: empathy is where you feel and share someone’s feelings, attitudes, and experiences. May you please support the platform. I would prefer ‘I appreciate your situation/frustration’. Empathy allows you to rationally think through an issue and empowers you to imagine solutions. 15. Exhibiting that you are proactive when receiving criticism and that your advisors are in constant communication with their superiors helps to assure aggrieved customers that the right procedures are in place to handle their complaints. Having empathy can improve your customer service skills because you can anticipate their wants and needs. Reading standard empathy phrases without being authentic creates resentment and can increase anger. You will learn new topics like: How word choice and tone can affect customer service “I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, so that we can deal with this immediately”. Empathy, sympathy and compassion also share elements with other forms … “This should be fixed by the end of the weekend, Mr Smith”. This is particularly important for angry customers. Empathy, sympathy and compassion are defined and conceptualised in many different ways in the literature and the terms are used interchangeably in research reports and in everyday speech. While sympathy and empathy are not mutually exclusive, sympathy merely concedes a problem exists. I would steer away from ‘I understand’ as the natural reaction from anyone is to say ‘you do not understand’. As well as reassuring the customer and providing them with a sense of immediacy, making a commitment to them helps to comfort customers with the knowledge that their issue is being treated. 3. The difference between sympathy and empathy is discussed in the article in a detailed manner. In looking at the difference between sympathy and empathy, you must first understand what they are. But the work doesn’t end at signing candidates with the right traits. I will be sure to pass on what you have told me to our managerial team”. “Is there anything else that I can help you with today, Mr Smith?”. Is There Still Space for the Office Space? 12. “I will contact you as soon as we have had an update”. Use “thanks” instead of “thank you”; “hi” instead of “hello”; “enjoy the rest of your day” instead of “good bye”. Empathy is having the ability to understand what another person experiences from their point of view. Having empathy in your customer service conversations would lead to happier and loyal customers. This gives a more reasonable response and I would only use ‘I understand’ when clarifying facts. The best way is to mirror the behaviour and language that the customer uses. With that knowledge, a customer empathy map is a tool that helps you connect to your ideal customers. Here, empathy statements are vital so that the customer does not get frustrated at having to repeat themselves. Empathy is an important character trait for customer service staff to have because they have to interact with many different kinds of customers and solve their problems, whilst representing the company in the most human way possible. These two remarks will allow the agent to avoid this. In order to successfully validate a customer’s wants and needs, empathy is a must. Clarabridge Celebrates Customer Achievements in 2020. 18. Sympathy is rarely an ideal response to a customer's problem. The two basic ways of expressing empathy is through effective verbal and non-verbal communication. Once your advisor has all such information at their fingertips, the situation must next be clarified to ensure that your frontline worker and their customer are both “on the same page”. Tip – As well using respectful, compassionate and attentive language to empathise with the customer, reassuring noises can also serve for same purpose. Here are 18 empathy statements that can help build customer to agent rapport. You just enjoy your (birthday/holidays/Christmas break, etc. Customer service representatives should utilize their empathetic skills to understand exactly what upsets customers when they call their customer service center and use that knowledge to their advantage. Customer service can’t always deliver solutions, but it can always deliver empathy. Customer Service. “Can you tell me a little more about it, please?”. Making a commitment such as this and then following it up should help you to establish a basis of trust between the company and the customer, which helps in forming a long-standing relationship. Empathy is the Key to Excellent Service. ), and I will be in touch shortly”. In a customer support interaction, it’s not always easy to convey empathy or understanding of a customer’s situation. Beginning a Customer Service Conversation: “Thanks for reaching out about this!” “I’m sorry to hear that you are having trouble.” “I understand how that could be frustrating.” “I’m happy to help!” A personal, conversational greeting, ie. So maybe “Thanks for letting us know about the problem. Whist reassuring the customer of their enquiry’s importance to the business, it is also important for advisors to provide them with a sense of immediacy. “You’re absolutely correct, Sir/Madam”. The first version is anonymous, lacking personality and has no underlying responsibility, whilst the second makes you believe that there is a real person actively working to fix an issue, and who might physically chase the team until it is done. Empathy is a mature and professional response to a customer’s issue; sympathy, on the other hand, is reactionary. The Top 12 Acknowledgement Statements for Customer Service, Positive Language for Customer Service Conversations, Erlang C Calculator Excel Including Shrinkage, Monthly Forecasting Excel Spreadsheet Template, Multi-Channel Contact Centre Calculator Tool – Phone Email Chat, The Top 25 Words to Describe Yourself on Your CV, 18 Empathy Statements That Help Improve Customer-Agent Rapport, The Top 100 Excellent Customer Service Quotes, The Best Customer Service Greeting Phrases – with Examples, 50 Quick Ideas to Improve Contact Centre Performance, 15 Great Ideas to Make Remote Working Fun, 10 Employee-Focused Customer Service Goals. A … You can also build empathy on digital channels, but it is very easy to be misunderstood. Successfully building a rapport with customers over the phone is very important to providing a good service or increasing sales. 13. Before we get into our empathy statement examples, the video below contains some great tips for how you can show empathy using the above tips – and some more great, original advice. 16. The Value of Empathy. You relate to them on a human level. 10. To finish up, here’s a graphic showing are some of our favourite empathy statements, which can really work well in any customer service environment. I assure you to share it with the respective team.” 2. In such a situation, building an empathetic atmosphere is key to maintaining strong customer relations. These two empathy phrases will help advisors to do so: 1. Encouraging future contact helps to show your company’s commitment to strengthening your relationship with the customer and fosters the progression of the customer–agent rapport. The use of the word empathy versus the use of the word sympathy has been a cause of mistake for several speakers of the language. One of the best ways to learn empathy skills is through customer service representatives, call center agents, sales executives and counselors. When the advisor has a full understanding of the matter at hand, that individual should make the process of what happens next clear to the customer. Every customer service agent is also a customer, after all. Empathy Vs. Imagine for a moment … Sadly, empathy is not displayed as often as it might be in customer service… Displaying respect and empathy for the customer’s opinions demonstrates the advisor’s consideration for their client’s predicament. Recognising the urgency of the query and assuring the client that they were right to contact the advisor allows the customer to believe that all their efforts are valued by your company. Using the right customer service phrases in your live chat and phone communication with customers makes all the difference between a bad service and a delightful one. “What I’m currently doing to help you is…”. “Empathy is different from sympathy. This involves reassuring the customer that the company is striving to resolve their issue and further building customer–advisor rapport. Choose the content that you want to receive. “I want to make sure that I really have an understanding of what you’re telling me. In order to minimise customer frustration at spending too long on the phone, your agents should use the five empathy statements for irate customers to alleviate such feelings on behalf of the client and demonstrate a caring approach. The words “I” and “you” are essential in empathy statements for irate customers, as well as other types of challenging customers, as will be highlighted later. Expressing the desire to listen deeply to the customer, by giving them the opportunity to correct your understanding of their query, reinforces the customer–advisor connection. This doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot use sympathy or sympathize to describe “sharing or understanding the feelings of another.” The word sympathize is 300 years empathy’s senior with this meaning. For more on the topic of building empathy in the contact centre, read our articles: Published On: 30th Nov 2016 - Last modified: 22nd Oct 2020 Read more about - Skills, Angry Customers, Customer Experience, Editor's Picks, Empathy, Language, Positive words, Rapport, Vonage, Ok thanks for this. I can understand how frustrating that could be.” Maybe also say “if you have any more problems contact us directly via….” That could certainly help. That’s why they prioritize empathy in the hiring process. “Hi there Scott!” “That’s a … A person feels sympathy — but shares empathy.”. Empathy is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person”. Have we covered everything that you wanted to discuss today?”. 11. Let me see what I can do to help you out”. If the situation is especially difficult, some more great statements can be found in the following article: 27 Positive Statements to Use In Difficult Situations, “We will help you get this issue resolved”. I would certainly acknowledge that there is a problem. Learn more about this topic in the lesson titled Empathy in Customer Service. 26. “We value customers who provide their feedback. The following statements can be part of your empathy training for customer service, enhancing the relationship with customers and showing them you truly care about their needs: Are you confused about the usage of the words, empathy and sympathy? 8. So, replace passive verbs with active verbs, which add a sense of immediacy. Empathy statements are short phrases that help you establish a connection with the person you are talking to. They feel that you understand their situation and that you want to help them as a priority. Compare: “This will be resolved by our team” with: “I will ask our team to resolve this.”. Your newsletters have been extremely helpful. Most customer service teams respond to customers with sympathy. What is empathy? “Is there anything I can do for you today, big or small?”. There are actually three types of empathy (click here to learn more). Now with social media in place as yet another platform for customer support, (Facebook,Twitter,instagram,etc) how can we address empathy as in this case you don’t speak to a customer live as in a call. Uncover definitions, examples and even test questions. Ways to Express Empathy to Customers. 17. They show that the other person is your sole focus and that you are taking personal responsibility for them in this conversation. Whether customers call about a problem or complaint, your job is to make them feel heard, respected and understood. Thanks to Matthew MacLachlan, Head of Intercultural and Communication Skills Training at Learnlight. 7. What is true 100% of the time, however, is that when a customer reaches out for service, she wants to be heard and feel like the person on the other end of the conversation truly understands what she’s going through. A sympathetic response could be: "I'm also unhappy with the way that product works." “We always value customers who are keen to give us their feedback. Sympathy, on the other hand, is when you feel sorry for their troubles. “Do let us know if you have any further questions, Mr Smith”. “We will help you get this issue resolved”. This knowledge positions you to render better service, which leaves the customer feeling understood & valued. 1 This conceptual and semantic confusion has practical implications for clinical practice, research and medical education. Now that the call is coming to a close, agents must still maintain a respectful tone and maintain their empathetic attitude so that customers feel comfortable voicing more concerns and stay satisfied with the service received. How Virtual Assistants is Important for Your ... Post Covid-19 hybrid (home/office based) cust... 4 Things Contact Centres Can Learn from Father Christmas. Remember we are dealing with emotions. However, you must be careful that advisors are being respectful when using this line! Depending on the situation, a service interaction may be as short as a few minutes or -- when you add up multiple engagements -- more than an hour. Reminding customers of the business’s ever-willing support for them helps to conclude with a sustained empathetic approach, and the use of the word “us” summarises the collaborative culture on which empathy is based. The three empathy statements below demonstrate how to do so. 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