Omoiyari and Omakase: the new way to exceptional Customer Support

(this article developed in a full blog that I invite you to read: https://omoiyari.support )

Introduction

In an era dominated by efficiency and metrics, the human touch often takes a backseat in customer support. However, the Japanese concept of omoiyari, which translates to compassionate empathy, offers a refreshing perspective. By incorporating omoiyari into customer support strategies, businesses can foster deeper connections with customers and build lasting relationships.

What is Omoiyari?

Omoiyari goes beyond mere sympathy. It involves understanding another person's feelings, anticipating their needs, and taking actions to alleviate their discomfort. In the context of customer support, it means putting oneself in the customer's shoes, recognizing their frustrations, and responding with genuine care.

Omoiyari is from Omoi, "thought" or "feeling" and Yari, from the verb "yaru," which means "to do" or "to give". Therefore, omoiyari literally means "sending one's thoughts or feelings to others" or "acting on one's thoughts for others."

The Power of Omoiyari in Customer Support

• Builds trust and loyalty: Customers appreciate being treated with empathy and respect. When they feel understood, they are more likely to become loyal customers. This is linked to the idea of Omakase that will see later.
• Enhances customer satisfaction: By going the extra mile and exceeding customer expectations, businesses can create positive customer experiences.
• Improves problem-solving: Understanding a customer's perspective can help agents identify the root cause of issues more effectively.
• Fosters a positive work environment: Employees who practice omoiyari are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, leading to increased productivity and reduced turnover.

Practical Applications of Omoiyari in Customer Support

• Active listening: Give customers your undivided attention and truly understand their concerns.
• Empathy: Show genuine care and compassion towards customers.
• Anticipation of needs: Proactively address customer issues before they escalate.
• Personalization: Tailor interactions to individual customer preferences.
• Follow-up: Ensure customer satisfaction by following up after resolving issues.

Challenges and Considerations

While omoiyari is a powerful concept, implementing it can be challenging. Factors such as workload, customer expectations, and company culture can influence its effectiveness. It's essential to strike a balance between empathy and efficiency.

Omoiyari and Customer Support: analysing the Points of Contact in detail

Omoiyari, the Japanese concept of compassionate empathy, aligns remarkably well with the core principles of exceptional customer support. Here are some key points of contact:

1. Understanding and Anticipating Customer Needs

• Omoiyari: Empathizing with another's perspective and predicting their needs.
• Customer Support: Proactively identifying customer pain points and addressing them before they escalate.

2. Empathy and Compassion

• Omoiyari: Placing oneself in another's shoes and feeling their emotions.
• Customer Support: Genuinely caring about customer experiences and responding with empathy.

3. Effective Communication

• Omoiyari: Clear and respectful communication that considers the feelings of others.
• Customer Support: Active listening, clear explanations, and avoiding technical jargon.

4. Building Trust

• Omoiyari: Fostering trust through reliability and care.
• Customer Support: Consistent delivery of promises, transparency, and honesty.

5. Creating Positive Experiences

• Omoiyari: Striving to create positive and memorable interactions.
• Customer Support: Going the extra mile to exceed customer expectations.

6. Teamwork and Collaboration

• Omoiyari: Working together harmoniously for the benefit of others.
• Customer Support: Effective collaboration between departments to resolve customer issues.

Applying Omoiyari in Customer Support

Scenario 1: Handling Customer Complaints

• Traditional approach: Focus on resolving the issue quickly and efficiently.
• Omoiyari approach: Go beyond problem-solving. Empathize with the customer's frustration, apologize sincerely, and offer additional support or compensation to demonstrate care.

Scenario 2: First-Time Customer Interactions

• Traditional approach: Provide basic information and product details.
• Omoiyari approach: Anticipate potential questions, offer personalized recommendations, and create a welcoming experience that builds trust.

Scenario 3: High-Pressure Situations

• Traditional approach: Focus on de-escalating the situation and providing a solution.
• Omoiyari approach: Maintain calm, actively listen to the customer's concerns, and validate their feelings before offering solutions.

Scenario 4: Building Customer Loyalty

• Traditional approach: Provide excellent service to meet customer expectations.
• Omoiyari approach: Exceed expectations by anticipating customer needs, offering personalized solutions, and creating a long-term relationship.

Scenario 5: Team Collaboration

• Traditional approach: Focus on individual tasks and responsibilities.
• Omoiyari approach: Prioritize team cohesion, support colleagues, and work together to achieve common goals.

By incorporating omoiyari into these scenarios, customer support teams can create a more compassionate, empathetic, and customer-centric environment. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.

Omakase: to entrust and to receive trust

Omakase is one of the Omoiyari pillar. It is a Japanese term meaning "I'll leave it up to you." In the culinary world, it refers to a dining experience where customers trust the chef to select and prepare the entire meal.

Applying this concept to customer support, omakase customer support would mean trusting the support agent to provide the best possible solution without specific customer instructions. This implies a high level of trust in the agent's expertise and ability to understand the customer's needs. The role of customer is active, not passive. It doesn't surrender to the ideas of the customer support agent but is guided, trained and empowered.

The Customer as an Active Participant

In traditional customer support, the customer often feels passive, reliant on the agent to solve their problem. Omakase flips this script. The customer becomes an active participant in the solution-finding process, guided by the agent's expertise.

Trust as the Cornerstone

Omakase customer support is built on a foundation of trust:

1. Trust in the agent's expertise: Customers believe the agent has the knowledge and skills to provide optimal solutions.
2. Trust in the company's commitment: Customers feel confident that the company values their satisfaction and is willing to go the extra mile.
3. Trust in the process: Customers understand that the omakase approach is designed to benefit them.

In Japan, helping someone often involves the art of listening more than speaking. It's about understanding their needs without explicitly telling them what to do, but rather empowering them to find their own solutions. Enable and empower. Avoid imposing your view. Help the customer find its own voice. Bring your knowledge, not your ego. If the customer understand the process he can help himself next time. Trust is king.

Key elements of omakase in customer support:

• Agent empowerment: Agents have the autonomy to decide the best course of action based on their knowledge and the customer's situation.
• Customer trust: Customers need to feel confident that the agent will provide the best possible solution.
• Deep product knowledge: Agents must have a thorough understanding of the product or service to effectively "curate" the support experience.
• Empathy and intuition: Agents need to be able to read the customer's needs and tailor their response accordingly.
• Empower and enable: Agents are not there how to solve an issue but to make sure that the solution is an empowering and training process for the customer so he can become independent from customer support on more and more subjects: pressure on agent is reduced, customer learn and trust grows

An example of omakase customer support would be a customer contacting support with a general issue, such as "my software is running slowly." Instead of simply following a script or offering limited options, the agent would use their expertise to diagnose the problem, suggest potential solutions, and guide the customer through the process, all without the customer needing to specify the exact issue.

Improving Customer Satisfaction Through Agent Empowerment

Let's delve deeper into how to enhance customer satisfaction by empowering agents within an omakase customer support model.

The Role of Agent Empowerment in Customer Satisfaction

Agent empowerment is a cornerstone of omakase customer support. When agents feel trusted and capable, they are more likely to:

• Build rapport: Connect with customers on a deeper level, fostering trust and loyalty.
• Provide personalized solutions: Tailor responses to individual customer needs.
• Increase first contact resolution: Efficiently resolve issues without escalations.
• Boost customer satisfaction: Create positive experiences that lead to customer advocacy.

Strategies for Empowering Agents

• Expand knowledge base: Provide agents with comprehensive product knowledge, industry trends, and best practices.
• Develop problem-solving skills: Offer training in critical thinking, decision-making, and troubleshooting techniques.
• Foster a culture of innovation: Encourage agents to suggest improvements and experiment with new approaches.
• Provide autonomy: Grant agents the freedom to make decisions within defined parameters.
• Recognize and reward achievements: Celebrate agent successes to boost morale and motivation.

Measuring the Impact of Agent Empowerment

To assess the effectiveness of agent empowerment, consider these metrics:

• Agent Satisfaction: Measure employee morale and job satisfaction.
• Agent Turnover: Track the rate of agent attrition.
• Customer Satisfaction: Monitor CSAT, CES, and NPS scores.
• First Contact Resolution: Evaluate the percentage of issues resolved on the first interaction.
• Average Handle Time: Analyze the time spent on customer interactions.

Conclusion

Omoiyari is more than just a buzzword; it's a philosophy that can transform customer support. By prioritizing empathy and compassion, businesses can create a competitive advantage and build lasting relationships with their customers. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the human touch, embodied by omoiyari, will become even more valuable.

By embracing omoiyari, businesses can create a culture of care that resonates with customers and employees alike, ultimately driving long-term success.

The traditional Japanese saying, 'Okyakusama wa kamisama desu' or 'The customer is god,' has long dominated customer service philosophy. However, a more effective approach is to empower customers, fostering trust and mutual benefit.