Empathy Vs Sympathy
Whenever emotions run high in a customer interaction, especially when things are going wrong, it’s easy to get caught up in a customer’s emotional world so when responding to customers, it’s important to know the difference between empathy and sympathy. Many people interchangeably use the words but knowing the difference when to sympathize and when to empathize, can help you give a more appropriate response.
• Sympathy (To Sympathize) involves identifying with, and even taking on, another person’s emotions. A sympathetic response is, “I’m really angry about those centerpieces, too.”
• Empathy (To Empathize) means acknowledging and affirming another’s emotional state. An empathetic response is, “I can understand why that makes you angry.”
TIP:
When a service provider wallows in a customer’s misfortune, there are two victims instead of one. As a service professional, you need to see the clear difference between what happened and who it happened to—and work on the former to bring things back to normal.
What’s the Difference?
Responding to customers with sympathy—getting as upset as they are—puts you on an emotional roller coaster and can leave you worn out and frazzled at the end of the day. The trick is to be emotionally aware and sensitive without becoming too emotionally involved. When you respond with empathy, you stay calm and in control of yourself. Only then you become at your absolute best: ready, willing, and able to help your customer meet his needs or solve his problem.
Showing empathy for customers allows you to be professional and caring at the same time. It also makes customers feel that they are important and whay they are saying matters. Empathy cannot be handed out by a machine; it’s something one person does for another.
For more customer service skills, check out our Instant download customer service training package "Vision, Energy & Passion To Serve"
Customer service Related Articles
- World Class Customer Service, What is it?
- WIIFM - What's in it for me to provide great customer service?
- GROW Service questioning model
- The Power of One agent
- 7 Defusing Techniques - Defusing angry customers
- Empathy Vs Sympathy
- Building Customer Rapport
- Roles of the customer service manager
- What is Proactive customer management? (PCM)
- What is True Customer loyalty?
- Greeting customers professionally
34 Full Courses & 6 Mini Courses
Get all available programs
& save ...!!
Price: $4499.95 $2995.95
Great Value For Money
Read More+ |
The Presenter-Trainer Package®
Train The Trainer
Presenting With Impact
Price: $359.95 $299.95
SAVE $59.95
Read MoreRetail Excellence Series®
3 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Frontline Retail Selling Skills
Retail Sales Planning & Forecasting
Passionate Retail Experts
Price: $539.855 $349.95
Pay for 2 Get 1 Free
Read MoreSales excellence series®
3 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Sales Management
Professional Selling Skills
Sales Territory Planning & Routing
Price: $539.855 $349.95
Pay for 2 Get 1 Free
Read MoreCall Center Excellence Series®
4 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Handling angry and difficult callers
Call control
Find a way to say YES!
Successful telephone debt collection
Price: $719.95 $449.95
Pay for 2 programs and Get 2 programs Free
Read MoreCommunication Excellence Series®
4 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Communicating with clarity and impact
Negotiating for results
Conflict resolution
Presenting With Impact
Price: $719.95 $449.95
Pay for 2 programs and Get 2 programs Free
Read MoreCustomer Service Excellence Series®
5 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1
Vision, Energy & Passion To Serve
Pathways to service excellence
Find a way to say YES!
Passionate Retail Experts
Setting others up for success
Price: $899.75 $599.95
Pay for 3 Get 2 Free
Read More
Instant Download
Training packages
All you need
to deliver a great training!
Our training material packages come with all you need to provide
a professional and accelerated learning solution with
High Impact
Power Point Slide Deck
To support immersive learning, a high impact professionally designed power point slide deck to engage trainees at all levels.
Student
Workbook
A comprehensive reference workbook you can give out to your class participants as a quick future reference.
Trainer
Guide
With step-by-step clear directions with tips and suggestions on what to say and how to present each slide.
Activity
/Exercise Sheets
Various training material and support documents to help you both explain and debrief the different exercises, activities and games Plus a fun final Jeopardy style review game as a fun ending for your training program.
Additional
Support Documents
To ensure you have all you need to deliver a complete and professional training program, additional supporting documents are included with each full course material package. From training evaluation forms to 5 different certificate templates that you can edit and hand out to your participants at the end of your training.
Job Aids
& Forms
Specific forms designed to extend and reinforce the training that participants can utilize back on the job to help them apply the new learned concepts (Select training material packages)