Intelligent Help Desk Blog

Putting Yourself in Your Customer's Shoes

 

Customers that are unhappy with the service they receive from a local business often cite a lack of understanding for their needs or concerns as the number one reason for their dissatisfaction. Customers do not like to feel treated like a number or someone that could be easily replaced.  Instead, they want to be treated as an individual with unique issues. They want to be addressed on a personal level, even if their request cannot be granted in the way they desire.

Empathy, Anyone?

One of the biggest reasons customer service representatives fail to satisfy their customers' expectations is a lack of empathy. Associates fail to put themselves in a customer's shoes to understand their situation and offer the assistance the customer seeks. One reason empathy is lacking in the customer service industry is a negligence on the part of management to build empathy into their staff. It is not a skill that comes naturally to many, but the good news is that it can be taught to everyone in your organization to ensure consistent service throughout.

How do you build empathy?  Teach your staff that customers are the core that builds the business - and pays their salaries.  Show them how to see each customer that walks through your doors as a unique individual.  Give them the freedom to take sufficient time with each customer to truly understand the needs and issues of that specific situation.

Ode to Training

Let us break the empathy process down into concrete steps that are easy for your customer service reps to follow:

• Listen - You cannot understand your customer's needs unless you listen to what they have to say. Let them tell you. Take notes if the issue is complex enough to warrant doing so.
• Repeat - Repeat your customer's issue back to them to ensure you heard accurately. Allow them to correct you if necessary.
• Explain - Tell your customer what you can do for them. Avoid using negatives unless absolutely necessary. There is nearly always something you can do to make a customer happy, even if it is not precisely what they are asking for.
• Use Names - Use your customer's name in the conversation. This personalizes the transaction and makes the customer feel significant.

• Overdo - Once you understand your customer's specific needs, prepare to go the extra mile for them. Does the situation warrant a free service or product? Does your customer deserve an apology? Is there anything you can do to make your customer's life a little easier in this situation?

As you go through these steps, try to see the issues through the customer's eyes. How would you feel if you were in their shoes? Would you be angry or frustrated? Determine what it would take to make you happy and then present that solution to your customer. You will probably find that treating your customer the way you would like to be treated will make all the difference in building a satisfied and loyal customer base.

- Meredith Estep