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Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy? They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind. Part of the reason why energy is of Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, Read more

Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt - 4/8/25


Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure. You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your Read more

Narrow Your Focus to Seek Excellence - 4/1/25


You’ve probably heard companies use phrases such as: “We want to go from being good to great.”  Maybe they’ve said: “We strive for perfection, and although we’ll never reach perfection, maybe we can achieve excellence along the way.” These organizations find some kind of a catch phrase or slogan, but Read more

Avoid the Unfriendly Ghost - 3/25/25


Last week we talked about the qualities of “PERKI Customer Service,” essentially what attitudes and actions are characteristics of those who provide great customer service.  This week, let’s take the opposite approach.  What are some of the mistakes that people make?  Maybe these are mistakes of omission or commission; Read more

PERKI Customer Service - 3/18/25


After having worked on hundreds of projects over the years with thousands of thousands of individuals, some things become pretty clear. There are certain traits held by people who are great in customer service.  Look at this list, and do a self-assessment.  Which apply to you? Positive and Patient Do you Read more

It Helps to Downshift - 3/11/25


One of the first tips I heard when I was learning how to drive related to what to do when the brakes fail - downshift.  Shifting into a lower gear can slow down a moving vehicle.  I would explain this in technical terms to you, but considering I’m not Read more

Patience is… - 3/4/25


Patience is a…pain in the neck.  Why is it so hard to be patient?  Those of us who work in customer service know that we constantly have to show patience with our customers.  We’re ready to move to the next step or the solution because we’ve heard this issue Read more

Everybody Doesn’t - 2/25/25


Joey received the compliment, but he was confused.  Paula, his boss, and Joey had their monthly one-on-one meeting, and Paula noted that, although he was new, Joey was already doing a great job!  While there were learning curves on some of the organizational policies and the technology that he Read more

A Simple Phrase to Transform Your Customer Feedback Approach - 2/18/25


I went to a restaurant called Big Ed’s (no relation) in Raleigh, NC recently.  It’s basically country cooking with fantastic breakfast options!  On the menu there was a quote that said: If you enjoyed your meal, tell a friend.  If not, please tell us. That was an excellent statement that embodies Read more

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Empathy Examples for Everyday Situations – 12/10/24

Posted on December 10, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I’ve often said that empathy is the single most important characteristic of people who are great at customer service.  If empathy is essentially “to understand the other person,” it helps so much to have that ability in order to specifically help someone.  To talk to what’s unique about them.  To convey your knowledge of their situation or your ability to comprehend the emotions they must be feeling.

But how do you phrase your empathy to the customer in particular situations?  Here are three quick examples for you to consider and put into practice:

Acknowledging Inconvenience During a Refund Process:  A customer requests a refund and expresses annoyance about the delay in processing. The employee could say:  “I understand how inconvenient this delay must be for you. Your time is valuable, and I’ll prioritize making this process as smooth as possible moving forward.”

Understanding Frustration with a Delayed Order:  A customer calls upset about a late order.  In addition to providing the tracking information, the employee could respond:  “I can understand how frustrating it must be to wait for something you were expecting on time.  Let me look into this right away and see how we can resolve it for you.”

Calming a Customer Facing Technical Issues:  A customer is struggling to navigate an online portal and expresses irritation. The employee could say:  “I know how stressful it can be when technology doesn’t work the way we expect.  I’m here to guide you through this step-by-step so we can get it sorted out together.”

These examples show how empathy can involve acknowledging, understanding, and calming someone.  And every example has empathy, followed by a transition to the next step.

To be empathetic with the customer and also convey that understanding of them and their situation, add these everyday examples to your empathy toolkit.

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The Empathy Roadmap – 2/27/24

Posted on February 27, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

For some people, empathy comes naturally.  There’s an innate desire to learn about the other person and to sincerely convey that sense of interest and caring.  But for many of us, sometimes it helps to have a communication plan.  It helps to know what to do in order to help your customer or your co-worker truly understand how much you care.  It helps to have an Empathy Roadmap:

  • Ask for Information – It’s difficult to convey understanding unless you truly understand. Ask enough questions to understand what’s unique about the individual and their particular situation.  Simply assuming what they want can send you down the wrong service path.
  • Listen to What They Say and How They Say It – When they’re talking, be attentive – as if they’re the most important person in the world to you at that moment. Listen to their words and note their body language, expressions, gestures, and tone of voice.  Two customers can say “Are you ready for me, yet?” in two totally different tones, conveying two very different messages.
  • Learn Their Perspective – Their issue or need may be the same as 10 other customers you’ve helped, but what that issue means to them could be different. Seek to understand “the why” behind their issue – why it’s important to them, why it caused them to contact you, why they want it addressed.  Determine their unique “why.”
  • Confirm Your Understanding – One of the best ways to convey empathy is to restate your understanding of their need and situation to them. This suggests you cared enough to listen and understand.

 
Follow the empathy roadmap to help the customer feel like you truly care.

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Make Empathy Your Superpower – 1/2/24

Posted on January 2, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I was facilitating a Service Excellence Training class for a Higher Ed client in the Northeast several years back.  As I was walking through the portions of our technique for defusing the angry customer, I talked about empathy.  I talked about accepting responsibility.

Immediately, one of the hands in the room went up.  The employee said: I would never make statements like you’re suggesting.  Once you start saying you’re sorry or once you start acknowledging their feelings, they’re going to sense that you’re weak.  They’re gonna walk all over you.

I was a little bit taken aback initially, but not because somebody was challenging the technique.  Primarily, I was surprised somebody would consider it a weakness to be empathetic.  Somebody might consider it a weakness to accept responsibility.

I’ve always viewed empathy as a strength.  It’s a higher level of awareness, a higher level of caring for another person.  Being willing to look outside yourself to understand the unique needs and situations of another.  It’s a strength to have emotional awareness of others.  These are strong, positive attributes.

Now, I understand the employee’s point was that if you ‘put down your guard,’ if you acknowledge the other person, they may feel that they can berate you, or get you to do things on their behalf that are against policy, not ethical, or not the acceptable procedure.  But what he was suggesting was to maintain a defensive posture.  To not acknowledge the issue or any company responsibility.

What empathy does is to help the customer feel that you care, and to more quickly move you to a next step.  What lack of empathy does is to create a stalemate, to bog down the conversation, to S-L-O-W progress toward a resolution, and to ramp up the negative emotions.

Use empathy to make the customer feel better, to feel heard and understood.  But use it also because it saves you time, it keeps down emotions, and it moves the conversation along.

Use empathy as a strength.  Make it your superpower.

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