Great Customer Service = Empathy

A recent article by Michael Hess on the CBS Money Watch site seeks to get to the root of the issue that plagues customer service, and I am inclined to agree with his conclusions, as they have been the subject of many of my past writings on the topic – just without my using the same word.

Empathy is the word of the day when it comes to great customer service, and I have mentioned in times past the importance of putting yourself in the customer’s position, and treating them the way you would hope to be treated in their situation. This is summed up in Hess’ article as:

• How does the person I'm trying to help feel?
• How would I feel if I were that person?
• No matter the request or the "rules," is there something I can/should do to help?
• What would I expect to be done for me if the roles were reversed?
• In the end, what would make this customer satisfied or (better yet) happy, and is there any reason I can't do it or find someone who can?

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For management, it can be all about the numbers and statistics, rather than the actual human experience. For those on the front line of service, it is (or should be) more about the customer and satisfaction. Many of the points in the article are issues I have highlighted in past articles, and really need to be beaten into the habits of those involved in this field. The main thrust of Hess’ article is contained in this one paragraph, where he writes:

Empathy is often ignored or lost when companies start to get excessively clever and complex. Things like NIA (Next Issue Avoidance), ASA (Average Speed of Answer), KPI (Key Performance Indicators), and any number of other acronyms and metrics dehumanize a very human interaction. Articles, white papers and corporate guidelines often read like satire to anyone who is truly passionate about customers. They are full of buzz terms and grandiose technical language, focused very much on operational performance and "ROI," and very rarely focused on the person around whom all of this complexity revolves. It's akin to having a conversation about someone who's standing in the room but ignoring the fact that she's there.

As I have stated time and time before, the customer has to be the focus, and while it is important to understand and take into consideration the statistical data behind it all, it is more important for the long term growth and survival of the company that you put the most emphasis on solving the customer's issue in such a way as to please them enough for them to remain a customer and tell other. Many companies do not spend the time training their representatives correctly, and do not follow up on bad reports when representatives do a lousy job.

If you work in the customer service industry, take a hard look at your normal procedures when dealing with customers. Do you just do the least amount possible to get them to go away? Or do you seriously focus enough attention on each case to be sure that, in the end, the problem is truly solved, and the customer is truly satisfied?  You have to care – plain and simple, and Hess sums it up well in his closing line “…today's customer service standard-bearers have proven that process should only be built on a basic, human-focused foundation, and when it comes to serving humans, empathy is the best place to start.”