AN IMPORTANT SKILL FOR CUSTOMER-CENTRIC BUSINESSES
Empathy and the ability to understand or relate to the feelings and perception of another is an important skill for customer-centric businesses. Fostering customer empathy across an entire organization is very important when conducting business, as it allows customers to feel a sense of trust with the company they’re working with. Broadly defined, customer empathy entails understanding the motivations, emotions, and frustrations of your customers and viewing them as unique individuals rather than just another part of the business operation.
Customer empathy plays a large role in our day-to-day operations and brings our organization closer to our customers by understanding their needs and delivery requirements for efficiency. Ultimately this leads towards a very successful collaboration and better customer experience.
Learning design processes and going through multiple options can be a challenge while trying to resolve conflicting requirements. We need to remember that not all assumptions are true, especially when it comes down to scheduling, pricing, and any technical difficulties that may arise. Projects that are low on a priority list can potentially lead to multiple delays and unnecessary mistakes, even during times when the drive for perfection is at the forefront. Clear and diligent communication with customers should remain a top priority. Communication should be followed through from the very beginning stages, and throughout each stage thereafter. Truly committing to acting as a partner and empathizing with our customers during each critical stage will enable a drive for operational excellence towards successful project completion.
There is no industry standard when it comes to the customer experience as a whole. However, there are many ways we can adjust to meet our customers’ needs and empathize with their expectations. Building and deepening customer empathy is an essential skill for being able to anticipate, respond to, and meet our customers’ requirements going forward. There’s always room for improvement and it’s never too late to be better.
