One of the most important lessons learned from the pandemic is the value of human contact and the significance of empathy. Companies that encourage employees to use empathy with consumers can boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. Leadership must understand the value of empathy in the company.
Customers are more likely to sense a greater emotional connection with a brand when they demonstrate that they understand what their customers are going through. And if a consumer recognizes that a business offers excellent customer service and chooses to return frequently, the company can boost revenue and differentiate itself from the competition.
It’s not enough for employees to use empathic statements; customers must believe that agents understand their circumstances, sentiments, and motives.
Companies that do not consistently display empathy or put themselves in the shoes of their customers, risk losing them to competition. Leadership must acknowledge the value of empathy for it to be reflected in employee culture. If leadership does not emphasize the importance of empathy, the company will work in silos, focusing on customer satisfaction levels rather than understanding the primary cause of the issue.
Customer input should be gathered and used to change strategies based on what the customer wants from the offering or service. This will make the customer feel like the company has heard their voice and values their perspective.
Also Read: Digital-First Customer Experience – Three Challenges Enterprises Face
How Can Employees Be Empathetic?
Organizations can provide empathy training through coaching and role-playing. Here are a few examples of ways how employees can be empathetic.
Focus on Conversational, Not Transactional Interactions
Businesses must train agents and other employees to transition from transactional to conversational engagements. The agent appears to be reading a script during transactional encounters. Instead, agents should utilize the script or questions as a starting point and add their own natural conversational style.
Consider the Viewpoint of the Customer
Agents should not only put themselves in the shoes of the consumer but also actively listen. They should speak in a supportive tone of voice and use the right tone to convey empathy. This could involve thinking about how they, as the agent, desire to be assisted and applying that to the questions, conversation, and tone they have with the customer.
Personalize Interactions with Customers
Personalized interactions, not scripted responses, must be delivered to customers. While employers want to ensure that agents cover critical procedures and meet regulations, training should also include ways to enable personal and empathic responses, such as teaching them to focus on scenarios rather than scripts once they have the confidence and experience to do so.
Teach principles, Not Processes
Employees must be taught customer interaction principles rather than procedures for interacting with consumers, and customers must be treated as people rather than personas. For example, when a customer calls, the agent should ask the necessary fundamental questions to determine who the caller is. Instead of making conclusions about the situation based on the customer’s few first statements, the agent should offer the consumer an opportunity to describe their situation and address it.
Customer Comments Should Not Be Taken Personally
Customers want to be heard and understood, and agents must understand that they should not take their statements personally. Agents should be trained on keeping their cool, accepting responsibility, and expressing commitment, which are vital abilities that customer service tools cannot give.
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