Reflecting on Empathy in Customer Service: A Personal Encounter

A recent incident with my new car breaking down made me reflect on the widespread challenge many organisations face – showing empathy.

My car, barely a year old, suffered total engine failure. The response? No apology, no acknowledgment of the impact on me. Instead, a reminder of the manufacturer's commitment to quality. What I wanted was a simple "sorry" and recognition that my experience did not align with their commitment to customer satisfaction.

This made me think about parallels in the social housing sector. Countless complaint responses emphasis the organisation's desire to deliver excellent services, often without recognising the gap between intent and reality.

Corporate messaging seems to hinder teams from putting themselves in the customer's shoes and just being human. My experience highlights that this challenge isn't exclusive to social housing, and training teams isn't the holistic solution. What's needed is a cultural shift—a culture of listening, respect, and providing colleagues the time and space to empathise and resolve problems from the customer's perspective.

Let's advocate for a more empathetic approach in all sectors, fostering a culture that goes beyond words and truly understands the customer's experience