3 Empathy Boosters to Improve Your Tech Teams Client Relations

Keeping up with the latest in technology can be overwhelming. At times, our frustration level can be inversely proportional to our knowledge about how a piece of equipment, app, or software functions.

Regardless of your perspective, 82% of Canadians say their experience with a brand—which includes that company’s customer service—matters as much as its product or service. Thus, your help desk and tech support teams play a crucial role in shaping the reputation of your business and its offers.

Empathy: It’s Not What You Say but How You Say It

Pain is something we try to avoid, often at all costs. But that’s where empathy comes in—connecting with your client concerning what’s causing them “pain.” The best solution usually comes after putting ourselves in the client’s shoes and understanding the problem from their standpoint.

Thus, empathic customer service is a balancing act between being a shrink and a troubleshooter. At the same time, how you speak with callers is more important than what you tell them. Customers can sense empathy through the following:

1. Language

According to the white paper “The True Cost of Poor Translation,” 40% of consumers buy from brands that understand their cultural sensitivities. More specifically, 52% of consumers felt brands “cared” for them when they practiced localization or used their native language on labels and customer communication. These findings stress the need to speak your clients’ language throughout their journey with your brand. Bilingual outsourcing is one way to ensure these great connections.

For instance, you can pair your English-French language online store with customer services from a bilingual telephone services Ontario provider to raise your competitive advantage. Working with call centres like On Call Centre will streamline your omnichannel strategy because agents can also engage with clients bilingually via email, SMS, and live chat.

No matter what industry you belong to, you can extend your localization efforts to other written communication, including self-help resources such as FAQs, website knowledge base, and troubleshooting guides.

2. Tone

Intercom’s recent multi-generation survey on expectations from customer service showed that 56% of consumers prefer a professional tone, with baby boomers making up most of the percentage. However, 61% of Gen Z said they prefer a casual approach.

2. Added value to your premium product

Customers expect more value for their money, particularly from your medium to high-end products and services. With round-the-clock customer care, clients won’t regret their purchase or subscription. They may even spread the word about your premium after-sale assistance.

3. Word choice

Regardless of your caller’s age, make it as easy as possible for them to follow along, especially if you’re troubleshooting. Get them on your side by avoiding discussions of unnecessary technical details and keeping information at their level as you walk them through the problem-solving steps.

And don’t forget to stay polite. Intercom discovered that misused slang (41%) and inauthentic communication (35%) offend customers. Callers may doubt your authenticity when you use forced, unnatural statements. Thus, shorten your sentences, use simple terms, and avoid clichés. Statements like the following express empathy and authenticity:

  1. “I see how upsetting this can be” or “That would frustrate me, too.”
  2. “Let me repeat back the problem—just to make sure I understand what it is and didn’t miss anything” or “If I understand correctly, your problem is . . .”
  3. “I haven’t forgotten about you. I’m still working on it.”
  4. “I’m going to escalate your ticket to level 2, and I’ll personally monitor and see that it’s taken care of.”

Authenticity also means supporting your brand promise. Be transparent about product limitations, expiry dates, contract or subscription exclusions, data privacy, and so on.

Choose On Call Centre for Help Desk Support

On Call Centre is ready to serve your IT or telecom business with agents who can provide tier 1 live call answering Ontario support. We can customize your plan—complete with script development— according to your tech resolution structure. If you want to retain your IVR, you can include voicemail-to-live answering and message management services in your package. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with your customer success strategy.

At On Call Centre , we deliver exceptional customer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year—sometimes 366. On Call Centre has been providing tailored, fluently French/English bilingual answering services and call centre services to small business owners (professionals, trades) and customer support departments (government, high tech, property management, healthcare, emergency clients) serving Ottawa , Montreal and Toronto —and all over Canada —for almost 50 years.

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