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Why You Should Empathize With Your Customers

by Bryan Phelps, InMoment (formerly Mindshare) - September 30, 2015

Why You Should Empathize with Your Customers
By Bryan Phelps
 

There is a common misconception with many companies that if they provide a service, customers will come. However, the more successful companies have discovered that the key to growing their business is to actively build strong relationships with their target customer base.

To build a better relationship with your customers, you must first understand that while the brand experience is created by the company, the brand experience is experienced by customers. Companies need to be proactive in meeting their customers needs and take the time to identify why and how people interact with their brand in order to deliver a positive experience.

To do this effectively, companies must learn to empathize with their customers. Empathy is defined as the act of putting yourself into another person’s thoughts, feelings, personality, and circumstances in order to meet their specific desires. When working with customers, empathy will always win.

3 Tips to Implement Empathy in a Call Center

· Customer Feedback. In an age of constant chatter, practice listening to your customers. As you take time to understand your customers, you can anticipate their needs and find ways in being more proactive in your dealings.

· Improve the Customer Experience. One way companies stand out from the crowd is to actively look for ways to improve the customer experience. Take time to brainstorm with your team, focusing on the four different aspects of customer service: thinking, seeing, doing, and feeling. By asking open-ended questions and utilizing the empathy map exercise below, you can discover new ways to strengthen customer relations and loyalty.

· Own Your Mistakes. Mistakes are a part of life. Sometimes we have control over the situation, sometimes we don't. Acknowledge when you make a mistake and rectify the situation. Also, take note of what you learned from the experience and how you can avoid making the same mistake in the future. Customers will appreciate your honesty and your effort to correct the situation.

As you begin to empathize with your customers, you will earn your target customers’ loyalty and develop strong and lasting relationships because of your commitment to meeting their needs. The trust companies build by incorporating customer feedback into their brand will help them see a greater ROI all around. Customers will also win because they will feel they are being heard and validated by their experience with your brand.


InMoment has created an empathy map exercise to help companies better identify with their customers. Take a moment to download the empathy map to gain better insight for strengthening the customer experience.



 
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