3 Big Differences Between Sympathy and Empathy You Should Know
People often confuse the words empathy & sympathy to mean the same thing. Although they are frequently used in similar contexts to describe the nature of the relationship one has with the feelings and experiences of another individual.
There are big differences between Sympathy and Empathy professionals should know, especially those who interact with a lot of people in the course of their jobs
Sympathy
Sympathy is derived from the Greek words Syn & Pathos – meaning ‘with feeling’ Sympathy is a feeling of care and concern for someone and is primarily used today to convey commiseration or pity for someone who is experiencing misfortune.
Example of sympathy
Empathy
Empathy is derived from 2 Greek words em & pathos, which translates to ‘in feeling’. Empathy has to do with understanding and sharing the experiences, feelings, and emotions of another person. It is the ability to experience the feelings of another person, in other words, empathy means putting yourself in another’s shoes.
Example of empathy
The 3 Differences Between Sympathy & Empathy
It is easy to see that sympathy and empathy have roots in the Greek term páthos which translates to suffering, sensation or feeling. No wonder people often use them interchangeably even though both words have varied meanings. The Infographic below highlights 3 important differences between Empathy & Sympathy.
In customer service, empathy plays a significant role in interacting with customers, especially in complaint resolution. Check out this Parking Ticket experiment. The researchers gauge people’s reactions after they experience getting a parking ticket. They discovered that participants who were shown empathy felt happier than those whom the researcher simply sympathized with.
Empathy is an important skill for service professionals to master. The ability to put yourself in the shoes of a customer gives you a better perspective and context of the customer and how he/she might be feeling at the time. This knowledge positions you to render better service, which leaves the customer feeling understood & valued.
- How AI Is Changing CX – 12 Statistics To Know - May 21, 2024
- The Top 10 Remote Customer Service Job Websites That Hire - March 1, 2024
- Are Your Customers Truly Satisfied? - February 20, 2024