EMPATHY IS THE MEDICINE THE WORLD NEEDS

Judith Orloff M.D. beautifully pens down her on her blog page- ‘Empathy?is extremely important right now. We’re all struggling to cope with the changes around us and adjust to our new normal. As we navigate these choppy waters, we could all benefit from a little?Empathy?from others, so try to operate with?Empathy?at the forefront of your minds. The power of a simple, “I hear you” or “That must be hard” can go a long way when it comes to helping your counterpart deal with their stresses, frustrations and problems.?Sometimes all people need is to feel heard and to know someone cares about what they’re going through’.

? The term VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity- I know you have heard that a million times now!) is all the more important for the current situation the world is facing, more than ever before. Till now boardrooms were only discussing & planning for VUCA, but now we are caught in the “execution mode” like being at the battle field, clueless where the next bullet could hit us from. All discussions needs to be translated into actions. Only the well-placed individuals, groups, organizations and countries will emerge victorious, who have made adjustments for future uncertainties. So why should brands be left out of this race?

For brands to ensure that they stay in business, are able to retain customers at relatively lower costs, to ensure long term loyalty & repeat purchases, profits- execution of strategies will be the key rather than formulating strategies. A no brainer then that the differential factor is how brands showcase?Empathy?towards their customers. A quick dictionary reference will put?Empathy?as the ability ?to understand and share the feelings of others. As a CX practitioner, I will echo “putting yourself in the customer’s shoes”. The pre-requisite being that the brand’s actions are viewed from the customer’s eyes, but with more importance to the emotional aspect & the memories we are left with. How did that last transaction make them feel? Will he/ she continue repurchasing/ renewing our subscription? Will my customer recommend me/ still better advocate me on social media/ online forums/ WhatsApp groups? These pressing questions are more important as communications between your frontline team & a customer is limited to digital channels. Brands those are ahead of the curve on digital transformation and practice?Empathy?as a brand mantra are the ones that will emerge victorious having ducked that “unknown bullet”.

So, what can brands do to strengthen?Empathy?towards customers (if your brand isn’t already doing that)?

1. “Actually” put yourself in the customer’s shoes: Try paying for your internet service provider/ still better upgrade your plan, if you represent the Telecom industry. Prematurely break a time deposit/ call customer care with a query, if you represent banking industry…. Any WOW moments? Or more of pain points? That should answer you on the next steps

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2. Get out of the usual environment: Don’t assume the only path that your customers will take to approach you for sales/ service, are there any other effective ways? Touchpoints? Can those help showcase more?Empathy?during these tough times? When was the last time you met/ observed a customer during the journey process?

3. Get feedback: Any data person will highlight, you can action only what you measure, so keep engaging with customers to collect their valuable feedback. Only then will you know areas to improve to build on your?Empathy?quotient

4. Cultivate a sense of curiosity: A task to enforce upon your internal customers, your employees to practise, can something be done better? If we were to take the path A, then what, if path B then what? ?What will ensure that we actually display?Empathy?towards our customers, rather than a manifesto printout on our desks & now on their WFH walls. There has to be a shift of habit from thinking ‘what’s going on’ to ‘genuinely wondering where we are heading’

In the end, it’s a beginning towards learning to be kind to our customers, who are currently confused, frustrated and waiting for life to get back to normal. Customer experience aims at delivering life time memories, rather than just a focus on a seamless and happy transactions.?Empathy?to understand customer’s feelings and perspectives will be the first step to show that you care and then build a loyal customer base, which will ultimately materialise. ?