Empathy is a crucial skill in customer service. Showing empathy on the phone is essential, especially when customers are frustrated or upset. You can identify them by determining your customer’s pain points.
Pain points can be diverse and unique. This means that people may have the same experience and problem but can respond or cope with it differently.
Thus, it is essential to conduct quality research to determine the nature of your customer’s pain points so you can understand how to fix them. There are three ways to determine the pain points of your clients. Let’s discuss each one.
Engage With Them
The best way to find out your customer’s pain points is to conduct the following:
- Surveys
- Focus Group Discussions
- Interviews
Ask them targeted questions and listen to their concerns the best way you can so you can solve their problems. Let’s discuss some magic words and tricks to show empathy to clients on the phone during the call, helping you create a more positive and supportive customer experience and improve the call center process, especially for call center outsourcing companies.
When you use appropriate words, you can make your customers feel that their emotions are valid. You make them think that they are:
- Heard
- Understood
- Valued
MAGIC WORDS: Phrases That Drive Empathy
Here are words and phrases you can use when speaking with customers on the phone:
I Understand
This phrase tells the customer that you are listening and can relate to their feelings or situation. It helps establish a connection and makes the customer feel less alone in their problem.
I'm Sorry
Apologizing is an effective way to show empathy, and it makes your client feel that you are taking responsibility for any inconvenience or frustration the customer may be experiencing.
After apologizing, constantly reassure the customer that you will try to resolve their issue.
Thank You
Expressing gratitude for the customer’s patience, understanding, or feedback can help build rapport and show that you value their input.
You're Right
By validating the customer’s feelings and experiences, you make them feel understood and respected. Acknowledging their perspective also helps to build trust.
I Can Imagine
This phrase can help you express empathy by putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and demonstrating that you understand their feelings.
Asking Your Sales Team
Your sales team, as well as customer service outsourcing, is on the frontline when dealing with customers; thus, they are valuable sources of information.
They can share different perspectives to help you discover the current trends and pain points unknown to customers. However, ensure you understand the difference between your customer’s pain points and your sales team’s.
Analyzing Customer Feedback
Doing this can turn bad experiences into powerful selling points for your business. Many things can be done to analyze customer feedback. First, ensure that you are actively listening. This is a crucial skill for showing empathy on the phone.
It involves focusing on what the customer is saying. You can ask defining questions and deliver verbal prompts to show you are engaged in your conversation. Here are ways to analyze your client’s feedback:
- Avoid interrupting the client
- Paraphrase or summarize what they say
- Use verbal cues
- Asking open-ended questions
In addition, your tone of voice is critical in a conversation with a client. It can express empathy and understanding. So, when speaking on the phone, you have to do the following:
- Speak calmly and clearly
- Adjust your pace and tone to match the customer’s
- Use a warm and friendly mood to create a comfortable atmosphere
Third, you can personalize the conversation by using the customer’s name. You can refer to details from their account or previous interactions to help create a more personalized and empathetic experience. This shows your clients that you are genuinely interested in their concerns and are dedicated to discovering solutions tailored to their needs.
Finally, offer suitable solutions, or you can also provide alternatives. Constantly comfort the customer and tell them you are doing your best to help. After the call, follow up with the customer. Check if their problem has been resolved. This initiative demonstrates that you genuinely care about their satisfaction.
In conclusion, showing empathy to customers on the phone is essential for building solid relationships and providing excellent customer service.
By using magic words, actively listening, adjusting your tone of voice, personalizing the conversation, and offering solutions, you can create a more positive and supportive customer experience.
