Emotional Intelligence in Customer Experience

October 31, 2023by Jackie0

Emotional Intelligence – The Key to Elevating Your Business Strategy

A majority of business owners place great importance on price and product innovation.

However, in this day and age, customer behaviors are constantly changing and their decision to buy is now greatly influenced by their emotional experiences with a brand and not by the traditional market drivers.

High quality customer experience is arguably the best way to grow revenue for any business and ensure its success. Organizations that have taken time to invest in customer experience have differentiated themselves from similar brands hence gaining a competitive advantage.

In order to achieve this, organisations have involved everyone. This includes the customer service agents who of course bear the principle responsibility because they often have direct conversations with customers; as well as the executive team and managers as well.

To deliver a positive customer experience, it is important to have all of the customer service agents and the leadership team trained on how to demonstrate emotional intelligence with every interaction at the office as well as with the customers.

 

So What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is defined as the ability to identify, understand and appropriately respond to one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others. By better understanding and managing an intense situation, one can not only manage to meet expectations but surpass them as well.

Crucial customer service skills such as empathy, effective communication and compassion are built on the foundation of emotional intelligence.

This is because it enables customer service agents to connect on a deeper and personal level with the customers.

It shows customers that the customer service agents understand their emotions which makes them feel that they are honestly cared for and their feelings validated.

 

Take for instance…

You are running late to catch a flight and by the time you get to the airport to check in your luggage, the queues are long and you are sure you will be missing your flight…

Upon speaking to the airline ground staff about your situation, they bring you to the front of the queue, you get your boarding pass and they accompany you to the boarding gates and as you walk to your seat, you can feel the glaring eyes from other passengers.

However, the flight attendant welcomes you with a smile and cool drink as you settle down and they ask you to let them know if there is anything they could do to make your journey more comfortable.

 

Some brands have understood the key to making an emotional connection with customers

Is by speaking to their emotions! Take for example – Coca Cola has perfected the art of emotional connections.

Over time, they have had slogans such as “Open Happiness”, Have a Coke and a Smile”, Taste the Feeling” among others.

The way customers feel after interacting with a brand greatly influences their decision to purchase then or in the future.

 

Majority of shoppers are more likely to make another purchase if they have a positive customer experience. They are also more likely to tell others about your brand if they have a great experience.

For a business to be able to provide better customer experience and have satisfied customers, it is important for business owners to intentionally place emotional intelligence at the center of the customer experience strategy.

 

The Importance of Great Emotional Intelligence in Business

Customer service representatives are at an opportune position to turn around an unpleasant situation into a positive one.

Agents who are able to handle complaints in a sober manner, managing to calm customers whose emotions are overflowing due to a frustrating situation and solving the issues in a timely way, help a brand to stand out from the competition.

 

  1. Increased Customer Loyalty

After customers interact with a brand and at the end of it, feel valued and respected, they will tend to go back to the same brand for their next purchase. Customers who go through a positive experience with a business and feel emotionally attached, are not likely to consider another brand.

  1. Brand Ambassadors

Building emotional connection with customers can assist in increasing the chances that your loyal customers will recommend your business to their family and friends. This will push a couple of new customers to your business who may in turn be loyal customers.

  1. Reduced Customer Churn

The cost of acquiring a new customer is much higher than that of retaining an existing customer and therefore it is important for a business to invest some of its resources into customer retention.

When customers feel heard and appreciated, their emotions are validated. A business that is able to show genuine interest in their customers, increases the probability that the customers will purchase from the business again.

This is simply because the existing customer knows and trusts your brand which consequently protects against potential customer churn.

  1. Revenue Growth

A business is bound to grow their sales volume from repeat purchases from their loyal customer or from the new customer base derived from the word of mouth thanks to the loyal customers as well as opportunities for further sales due to the opportunity to cross-sell or upsell.

All these combined can help a business boost its revenue through the sales made.

  1. Happier Agents

It is all connected and it goes both ways. Customer service representatives who are able to offer a positive customer experience are able to create a beneficial bond with their customers which results in the team being motivated and more productive in their job.

 

How to Build Emotional Intelligence for Your Customer Service Team?

It is important for the customer service team to try and make an emotional connection with customers at each and every interaction.

Below are the 4 main areas that the agents can focus on to achieve emotional connections with customers regardless of their personal feelings about a situation.

 

  1. Awareness of One’s Own Emotions

Being in a position where one is able to recognize their own emotion assists in understanding how they affect one’s own thoughts and behavior. It helps in controlling and preventing situations where feelings may take precedence.

When the customer service team is self-aware, they are more mindful of how they communicate with the customers. By mastering their own emotions, they begin a journey towards understanding the feelings of those around them.

Take for example, a frustrated customer who has reached out and is very agitated but instead of getting a response in a similar fashion, they get a calm and understanding response, ready to sort out their issue.

 

  1. Learn to be more Empathetic

Empathy is a key ingredient in creating a positive customer experience. In the day to day interactions with a customer, empathy is an important skill of emotional intelligence.

While dealing with an agitated customer, it is important for a customer service agent to acknowledge their frustration. Trying to connect with a customer’s emotions when they feel disappointed makes them feel valued and supported.

It makes them feel that you are not merely trying to solve their problem because it’s your job but you genuinely want to help and make the situation better for them because you understand what they feel.

Research has shown that customers are forgiving towards a company even after a mistake if they receive excellent service. Some of the statements that the customer service agents could practise using include:

  • I am sorry that you have faced such a problem
  • Thank you so much for notifying us about the issue
  • I understand how frustrating it must be
  • We assure you to fix your issue as soon as possible. We will be in contact shortly
  • I know you have spent a lot of time on this already
  • Thank you for your patience

When the customer service agents are unable to create an emotional connection with customers, it may appear as though they lack interest and this may lead to dissatisfaction that results in lost customers.

 

  1. Develop Self- Management Skills

It goes without saying, customer service jobs can be very stressful. Most of the calls that come through the customer service line are mainly about issues.

That is why it is important for the agents to learn not only how to control their emotions but also how to cope with the stress that comes from being in disappointing and repetitive situations.

It is therefore important for customer service agents to learn how to manage stress because of the nature of their job. It all starts with self-awareness and self-management.

 

Below are Three Self-Management Skills that can Help Customer Service Agents to be More Productive

Communication and Time Management

It is of great importance for customer service agents to be able to communicate efficiently and coherently to the customers and to the team mates as well.

It helps save time when you do not have to keep on repeating yourself and doing it in a timely manner can help increase productivity.

Having a daily checklist of the tasks that need to be achieved and going over the list at the end of the day can help track performance.

 

Stress Management

When you feel that things are getting out of hand, as they will often feel while working in the customer service field, it is good to take a short break.

This is ideal in order to avoid mistakes that occur when people are stressed and only getting back to the task when ready so that productivity is not compromised.

 

Exercise and Rest

At some point, it is important to steer your body and mind away from the constant incoming emails and calls so as to clear the mind and keep your body in good shape.

In order to be productive and avoid burnout, it is crucial to stay active but also, getting enough rest is equally important.

 

  1. Keep Yourself Motivated

It is important to train your mind to be positive and while one cannot be positive all through everything they go through and do, it would be ideal to reward oneself after achieving a goal.

Do not over think it; it does not have to be a huge reward, it could be as simple as taking a break, having a snack, making a call, checking in on social media after getting through a challenging task.

This starts with setting small, achievable and trackable goals which could help keep you motivated as you perform a task.

Self-motivation can sometimes be difficult but it is achievable by being clear about what you want to accomplish and aligning the same with your goals.

 

As a business owner or manager, you can further support your customer service team by:

  • Providing Context to Agents

Customer service agents are able to provide a more personalized service if they have access to all customer information. The history of the customer interaction with the company helps the agent to interact with them in an intelligent manner.

Consolidating all customer data in a single customer relationship management system, Omnichannel, helps keep the agent informed about each and every customer.

  • Build the Call Center from Customer’s Perspective

Majority of call centers work with set out menus in order to run effectively however call centres should also consider incorporating empathy throughout their operations. 

For instance, having an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or incorporating a voice prompt to press a number if the quality of a call is not good, shows the organization sympathizes with the customer’s situation and has the customer’s best interest at heart.

  • Go Off the Script

Call center agents need to be empowered to go off the usual scripts. Though scripts can be helpful, it can be difficult to be empathetic and sensitive while following a laid out script.

Agents need to be empowered to use their emotional intelligence for those isolated cases in order to deliver a personalized experience.

 

In Summary…

It is not enough to just preach emotional intelligence, it has to be at the core of the call center supported by the executive team, managers trickling down to the customer service team. It all boils down to creating pleasant customer experiences and doing so in a humane manner.

By being aware of our own emotions and managing them, we are then able to anticipate a customer’s feelings when there is an issue and then offer a befitting response and solve the problem in a mutually beneficial way.

For organisations, it is important to hire with emotional intelligence in mind while providing the employees with the necessary tools and training required for them to hone and exercise their emotional competency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Jackie

Over the last 16 years, Jackie has built a remarkable career in Customer Service in different capacities and industries. As a Customer Experience Trainer, her mission is focused on helping businesses make more and retain more customers through unrivalled Customer Experience. She has an in-depth CX understanding that stems from personal experiences, learning & research all fueled by my passion and commitment to see customers happy and organizations thriving. She is the Co-founder, CEO, and Senior Consultant at Customer Centric Kenya, the consulting and training firm of choice. Her tailor-made training-approach has been a key strength. The companies she has worked with have appreciated some key aspects: → The well-researched and packaged modules. → The depth of training and tailoring. → The applicability and follow up. If You Want to Stay Current with The Latest Customer Service Insights, News, Trends and Predictions, Join her Newsletter. → GO HERE: https://rb.gy/qucj4k To Book or Get More Information on Training write to us: jackie@customercentric.co.ke info@customercentric.co.ke

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