Improve your customer service with powerful empathy statements that make your customers feel heard
When a customer comes with a myriad of issues, even a small dose of empathy can act as a soothing balm on the bruise. Empathy statements in customer service help agents manage frustrated and anxious customers skillfully, making them feel heard and seen. Some people can show empathy naturally, stepping into the customer’s shoes. However, when it is the 75th call of the day, with an angry customer repeating the same issue over and over, even the calmest agent is pushed to the edge. This is where having a treasure of empathetic statements comes to the aid!
In this blog, let’s explore 10 most powerful empathetic statements you can use to improve your customer service game.
- “I can imagine how frustrating this situation must be for you.” This statement not only demonstrates compassion but also validates the customer’s emotions. By using this phrase to respond, agents can make customers feel listened to and understood, leading to an effective conversation.
- “I’d feel the same way in your position. Let’s work together to solve this” You should use this statement to validate the customer’s emotions, subsiding their anger with your polite response. When you reply with such positive words, customers feel that you are on their side, building a layer of trust, even if it’s a thin one. Once this trust is formed, customers feel less defensive, opening up more about what’s bugging them.
- “I understand where you are coming from” Apart from its empathetic tone, this statement also reflects how understanding you, as an agent, are. This type of empathetic response helps customers feel that their frustration is valid and that their issues will be addressed. It also helps calm them down, ensuring customer cooperation and a smooth resolution.
- “That’s awful / that’s terrible” Agents often reply with a nod of affirmation to whatever the customer complains about; you can replace this gesture with statements like “that’s awful” and “that’s terrible.” These statements are short but impactful to demonstrate that the agent is attentive to the customers, carefully listening to their concerns with the goal of resolving it.
- “I completely understand your concern, and I’m on it right away” This statement is effective because of its dual nature. In the first half, it acknowledges the customer’s feelings, expressing empathy and understanding. In the second half, it reassures the customer that their issue is being taken care of. Such a response shows urgency, implying that immediate action is being taken to resolve the complaint.
- “I know this has taken longer than expected, and I really appreciate your patience. I’m here to make sure we resolve this issue completely for you” Often, some issues take many hours to resolve, adding to the customer’s frustration. In such situations, agents can use this statement to show how sorry they are for causing this continuous “back-and-forth.” Additionally, appreciating the customer’s patience will make them feel that their efforts are not taken for granted. This response helps agents calm their customers, fostering a conversation where the customer is ready to cooperate.
- “I know this is important to you, and I’ll make sure we handle it with care” Sometimes, there are issues that hold personal or professional significance for the customer, such as a birthday gift not being delivered on time or an important shipment that has been delayed. In such situations, this empathy statement is ideal to demonstrate how deeply you understand the object’s importance. This response helps you gain customer’s confidence, leading to an improved customer service communication.
- “I am always here to listen and help you” This statement is warm and reassuring, making it ideal for situations where customers feel stuck or unsure. Using this phrase in situations where the customers need emotional support allows agents to build trust, leading to improved customer loyalty and retention.
- “I can tell you’re upset. So, I want to just take a minute to explain what has happened and answer all of your questions” When the customer’s patience is hanging by a thin thread, they want their issues resolved as quickly as possible. This often leads to interrupted conversations, with customers interrupting agents without letting them explain anything. This empathy statement comes handy in such situations, allowing agents to politely address the customers and explain what has happened.
- “I am sorry for what you’ve had to deal with” Agents can use this statement when a customer has been experiencing ongoing issues, leading to prolonged frustration. This phrase acknowledges the inconveniences the customer has experienced, fostering a sense of understanding so that the customer is more willing to relax and cooperate.
5 BEST PRACTICES FOR SHOWING EMPATHY IN CUSTOMER SERVICES
As mentioned before, empathy statements help agents handle challenging situations and manage difficult customers. Apart from these statements, there are many other practices an agent can use to manoeuvre through difficult situations. These empathetic gestures facilitate improved customer services and retention.
- Active Listening: Listen to your customers actively. Pay attention to every issue they are talking about without interrupting. Additionally, using verbal nods like “I see” and “That makes sense” can help agents build rapport with customers, leading to effective communication. Once the customers are done explaining, repeat key points to ensure understanding.
- Be patient and avoid rushing: When customers approach contact centers, they are often frustrated. In such situations, if agents showed rushed behaviour, this may aggravate the situation. Therefore, agents should keep their calm and patiently listen to the customers, without rushing or cutting them off.
- Clarify the situation to show understanding: Don’t be eager to offer empathy statements. First , make sure you understand the situation completely because jumping to empathy statements directly without understanding the issue may add to the customer’s frustration. Thus, agents should comprehend the problem before responding with empathy statements.
- Be transparent about the next step: Don’t leave the customers to guess, rather let them know what happens next. Be sure to update the customers about the progress and when they can expect a resolution. This transparency helps build a rapport, ensuring improved customer loyalty.
- Acknowledge, Empathise, and Reassure: Effective customer service includes; acknowledging the issue, empathising with the customers and offering reassurance. The following sentence does all this:
“I totally understand how frustrating this must be for you, and I truly appreciate your patience. I’m here to ensure that we get this fixed for you as quickly as possible.”
5 Empathy Statements Customer Service should avoid
- I understand how you feel: While this statement may seem to express understanding, it often makes customers even angrier. Agents should avoid it at all costs, as it may come across as generic or dismissive, leading to extreme irritation and a disrupted interaction.
A better alternative would be “That sounds frustrating. Let’s see what we can do to fix this”
- Calm Down: Calm down only adds fuel to the fire. Using statements like this may accelerate the situation further, as they show a lack of acknowledgment and understanding. Customers may perceive such behaviour as dismissive and indifferent toward their issue, leading to damaged trust and loyalty.
Agents can replace this response with: I hear you, and I want to help. Let’s go over this together and find the best solution.”
- I don’t know: This response makes you seem unprepared and unwilling to help. Such statements can make customers feel like they aren’t talking to a professional. The first step toward effective customer service is to gain your customers’ confidence and make them believe they have come to the right place. Thus, such statements should be avoided at all costs.
A better alternative would be: “That’s a great question. Let me check on that for you and get back with the best answer.”
- “I am sorry, but there’s nothing I can do”: Even if agents cannot find a solution to a problem, they should never use a statement like this. Whether it is requesting a refund from a supervisor or demanding a change of process, there is always a way to offer creative solutions.
Agents can replace this statement with “While I’m limited in what I can do right now, I’ll do my best to find a resolution”
- That’s our policy: responses like “that’s our policy” can come across as rigid and unhelpful. It may seem like the agent is unwilling to help and is trying to avoid the customer’s concerns.
A better alternative would be: “I see where you’re coming from. While our policy is [policy], here’s what I can do to help.”
Customer support centers can be a tricky landscape to navigate, so having a good command of communication and the best empathy statements are essential to ensure improved outcomes. Using these statements will help you effortlessly navigate through the intricacies of customer service, building rapport with customers where both customers and agents are willing to cooperate.
