15 Empathy Statements That Help Improve Customer-Agent Rapport – Justin Osborne
An empathy statement is a short phrase that you can use to create a connection with the person you are conversing with. It shows that you are making that person the sole focus of the conversation and you are ready to personally take responsibility for them.
This is something that is extremely important for you as a customer agent to help you create a rapport, mutual trust, and understanding with your customers. An effective empathy statement often includes the following:
- Personal pronouns: When relating to your customers, it is important that you use personal pronouns such as ‘you’ and ‘I’, especially if the customers are already irked.
Using personal pronouns makes them feel like you can relate with and understand what they feel on a personal level and you are making them a priority. - Active verbs: The use of active verbs in communicating with customers gives them a sense of identity and makes them feel like there’s someone working actively to resolve their issue.
- Genuineness: You must ensure that you are being yourself and are honest while speaking to the customers. You could read out all the standard empathy statements there are as a customer agent, but without any authenticity and genuineness to your words, you are only likely to increase the anger and resentment that the customers are feeling already. It is important that you remain positive, natural and calm while providing the needed help for your customers rather than using a set of laid out empathy statements. This does more to build empathy with the customers.
7 Different ways to use empathy statements
Empathy statements can be used in different ways during the duration of the call with the customer, it can be used to:
- Assess the situation with the customer.
- Clarify the situation with the customer.
- Reassure the customer.
- Provide a sense of urgency.
- Make a commitment.
- Maintain strong relations with the customer.
- Close the call.
Assessing the customer’s situation
This is the first thing to do as a customer care agent. Try to know what is happening, and be empathetic, let them know that you are attentive and you have an interest in their situation. Here are examples of empathetic statements you can use.
1.
“Is there something you want me to do for you?”
This assures the customer that you are willing and ready to help them solve their problems.
2.
“Please tell me more about your situation.”
Again, this makes the customers feel like you are willing to get enough information to help them out.
Clarifying the customer’s situation
Empathy statements are important to clarify what the situation is with a customer appropriately without pushing them off or frustrating them because of the repetition. Here are examples to help you out:
3.
“For me to be sure I heard you correctly, you mean that …”
You can create a customer-advisor connection by giving the customer the impression that you wish to understand them properly and give them the opportunity to explain themselves better.
4.
“I will go over the issue again. It will be kind of you to correct me wherever I am wrong.”
Reassure the customer
Once you understand everything that is going on with the customer. The next step would be to reassure the customer. Let them know that they have your support and the company is trying very hard to resolve their issue. You will need to use empathy statements to reassure them and win back their trust. Here are some examples.
5.
“Thanks for bringing this to our attention.”
This makes them feel you acknowledge and appreciate the feedback. It relieves them and assures them you will resolve the issue.
6.
“You can be rest assured that we will get to the bottom of this issue Sir/Madam.”
Provide a sense of urgency
You should use empathy statements to let the customer know that you are on top of the issue and you are working earnestly to resolve it urgently. This is important, especially for irate customers to alleviate their hard feelings.
7.
“I appreciate that you are bringing this to my hearing. We will resolve this issue immediately.”
8.
“I am currently checking for possible solutions to help you with…”
9.
We are currently working on it and it will be sorted out in the next 8 hours.”
These statements help to calm the customers down with their sense of urgency.
Make a commitment
Making a statement of commitment to the customers after reassuring them with a sense of urgency does a lot to comfort them, as they know that their complaints are being resolved. Some examples of empathy statement to make a commitment are:
10.
“We are currently working on resolving the issue and I will get back to you as soon as it is resolved.”
11.
“If there are any other issues you want me to help you with, please do not hesitate to tell me. I am at your service.”
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Maintain strong relations with the customers
Maintaining a strong relationship with the customer is the work of a customer agent, and you should do this at every chance you get. Like an essay service, you’re required to meet the customer’s needs and make them happy. Empathy statements are important to achieve this.
12.
I appreciate your feedback and I will definitely pass it across to the management team.”
13.
I had a similar experience recently and I will provide you with all the help you need.”
Close the call
It is easy to forget all about empathy when you are done with communication and are already ending the conversation. But until you end the call, you need to remain empathetic.
That is the true sign of your genuineness. So, you still have to close the call with empathetic statements such as;
14.
“Do you have any other problem that I can help with, Madam?”
15.
I am glad that your issues have been resolved, kindly get back to us if you need anything else.”
Ending your conversations with the customer on this note will increase the customer’s happiness, and they will be more willing to reach out to you next time because they are sure you are ready to help them out.
12 More Positive Empathy Statements
Bonus: 10 Call Center Acknowledgment, Empathy, and Reassurance Statements
- 15 Empathy Statements That Help Improve Customer-Agent Rapport – Justin Osborne - February 18, 2020
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