Emotions; some organisations may fear them. Recognition of emotions can be considered unprofessional, or as a sign of weakness. This attitude is incorrect! In the world of customer feedback and customer experience, it’s beneficial to observe emotions and to manifest your own emotions to the customer.
Positive approach to emotions
It would be positive for commercial organisations to stop shying away from terms like ‘empathy’ and ‘emotions’! They must comprehend the proximity of these terms to consumer loyalty. Therefore, executives or CX professionals must include these terms in their communications, at least some if not all the time. They cannot relegate these terms to the trash bin, with a sentiment of, “They have no place in hard-core business”. When they understand the meanings of these terms, they will learn to empathise with customers’ emotions about the interactions they have with the commercial establishment. In turn, empathy will result in positive actions, thereby ensuring greater customer satisfaction.
Act like a human being
Listening to your customers isn’t about scoring points. It’s about truly listening to their story. In every story there is a feeling, whether it’s positive or negative. To act on it in the right way, you as an organisation must show your feelings too. For example, a customer is very dissatisfied about the service he received. Your organisation wants to know the reason behind the dissatisfaction. This results in engaging in conversation with the customer. That moment is very valuable. The customer notices that you are sorry for the experience. The customer’s voice is heard, and though it might not change their experience of the previously received service, it changes the way they think of you as an organisation. Because you behaved as a human being!
Encourage your employees
Encourage your employees to show emotion. You don’t have to be theatrical in your dialogue but let the customers feel you are there for them and that you’re sincerely interested in their experience. This contributes to more satisfied and more loyal customers.
Future-proof with emotional focus
Several CX specialists believe in the emotional aspect. They even think it’s becoming a huge factor in customer feedback. You can see the change already. It’s not only about collecting data, it’s not about the score itself; the emotions and stories behind the score are becoming more important. These stories provide deeper insights and input for improvements within the organisation.
In the future, the emotional aspect will become even more important. The personalisation of customer feedback needs a more unique approach, with a unique experience and a unique product or service. To accomplish this, you must find the right emotion that fits the needs and wishes of your customer so you can provide them with an ideal experience.