Empathy is a cornerstone of excellent customer service because it helps bridge the emotional gap between the customer’s experience and the service provider’s response.
By acknowledging and validating a customer’s feelings, it reassures them that their concerns are understood and valued.
To find out what agents could say we asked Chris Mounce, Product and Training Specialist, EvaluAgent, to share four effective empathy statements that can make a real difference when addressing customer concerns.
Video: 4 Examples of Customer Service Empathy Statements
Watch the video below to hear Chris explain four empathy statements that can be used in customer service conversations:
With thanks to Chris Mounce, Product and Training Specialist, EvaluAgent, for contributing to this video.
4 Examples of Customer Service Empathy Statements
Here are four examples of empathy statements that can help validate a customer’s emotions and build trust:
1. “I Can Understand, Mr. Smith, How Frustrating This Must Be for You” Or “I Can Understand Why You’re Angry”
When a customer expresses frustration, acknowledging their feelings is the first step. These phrases show that you understand their emotions and care about their experience.
“To empathize with someone, we need to actively listen to that person to explore what their reality feels like for them.
We can also check our understanding through reflecting and clarifying what they’re telling us. Now, that allows the customer to express their emotion and how it’s impacted them.”
2. “You Are Absolutely Right, Mr. Smith. This Should Not Have Happened”
If the customer is correct, it’s important to acknowledge this clearly. This statement validates their feelings and shows that you are taking ownership of the issue.
“Naming the emotion to the customer is as important. Don’t shy away from it. Now, is the customer right? Should this not have happened? Tell the customer that.”
3. “It’s Perfectly Understandable, Mr. Smith, That You Don’t Want to Repeat Yourself, You Just Want This Fixed. I Will Certainly Do My Best for You.”
Customers often become frustrated when they have to repeat themselves, and these statements show understanding of this annoyance.
Acknowledging their impatience helps reduce frustration and moves the interaction forward.
“It’s not about making excuses. It’s taking ownership. And it’s perhaps not the first time that the customer has had to explain the situation, so it’s natural to be frustrated and impatient. We can empathize with that too.”
4. “It Sounds Incredibly Frustrating, Mr. Smith, I Would Feel the Same In This Situation. I’m Sorry That You’ve Had to Experience This.”
Generic apologies can feel insincere, but pairing an apology with empathy makes it more impactful. This approach acknowledges the customer’s feelings and shows genuine care.
“Now customers, they’ll likely hear a lot of apologies when something goes wrong. We need to be mindful that it doesn’t come across to the customer as simply a canned response.
So combining an empathy statement with an apology can be really powerful, because it immediately acknowledges those feelings of anger or frustration.”
By looking at situations from the customer’s perspective, you can acknowledge their emotions without necessarily agreeing with them.
“As a rule of thumb, any time a customer expresses any negative emotion, look at the situation from their perspective. By looking at it from their perspective you can acknowledge and validate that emotion without necessarily agreeing.”
If you are looking for more great insights from the experts, check out these videos next:
- Tips to Reduce Call Queue Time
- Methods to Calculate Forecast Accuracy
- Self-Service and Why Contact Centres Should Offer It
- What’s the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy?
Author: Chris Mounce
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell
Published On: 2nd Jan 2024 - Last modified: 29th Apr 2025
Read more about - Video, Chris Mounce, Empathy, EvaluAgent, Top Story, Videos
