Customer service without empathy is simply not enough, and here’s why:

Let’s say you’ve just bought an expensive item and you’ve been eagerly waiting its arrival. Then you wait in all day on the delivery day and it doesn’t arrive. That evening, you check the tracking information from the company you purchased the item from, and the package status says delivered. You have a look outside and check areas where the parcel may have been placed but you can’t find it anywhere, so all that’s left to do is contact the company you purchased it from. 

Scenario A: you reach out to the brand’s customer service team and tell them what has happened, letting them know that you’ve looked in safe places and asked your neighbours but to no avail. The customer service person informs you that they can’t do anything because it says that the parcel has been delivered. They then say that you will need to wait 30 business days before they can do anything. You’re then left feeling deflated, undervalued and frustrated. 

Scenario B: you reach out to the brand’s customer service team and tell them about your situation. The customer service member apologises for your experience and tells you that they can completely understand why you’re feeling the way you feel. They then offer you a couple of options to help resolve the situation: 1) they send out another parcel with same day or next day delivery with the understanding that if your original parcel arrives, you’ll send it back using a free returns label, or 2) they cancel your order and immediately refund you. You leave the conversation feeling listened to and cared for. 

Which company would you go back to? 

Chances are, you picked Scenario B – where the customer service was understanding and empathised with your situation. And it’s this that takes the lead in today’s world of automation – the human touch and interaction that encourages people to be loyal to a company and write positive reviews, and in many cases, return to them time after time. 

Why empathy is crucial to your CX

The importance of providing a human and empathetic service has never been so important, especially after the pandemic. Across the globe 59% of people say that they search for premium customer care, more so than they did last year, according to Review42. Which goes to show, that businesses that offer empathetic customer services will prosper and those that don’t will fall by the wayside. That’s because people no longer want to settle for satisfactory customer service, they want great customer service. 

What is empathetic customer service?

Although empathy is defined as being understanding and sensitive, in a customer service context, it means to put yourself in your customer’s shoes to show your human side. 

Does your business stand out for its empathetic services? Share your examples and thoughts with us on social! 
 

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