How do you create a culture of respect and empathy with customers?

Listening is vital to understanding the customer's wants and needs. It helps you provide the solution and the customer feel heard. If you want to provide excellent customer service, then listening actively is a must. By listening actively, you can show the customer that you care about them and that you are committed to resolving their issue.

Active listening. This isn't just about hearing what your customers say; it's about digging deeper, understanding the 'why' behind the 'what.' It's the foundation of our "Know Me" principle at MOFI. Do your homework on who your customers are and what drives them. Their wants, needs, and pain points should be at the heart of your design process.

In my experience the first thing is to listen to guest needs and accommodate as much as possible to ensure great customer experience.

In my experience, to foster a culture of customer respect and empathy, we need to set a good example, teach and empower our employees, engage in active listening, handle issues quickly, personalize encounters, solicit feedback, recognize great service and always improve.

That's right, no matter how good your job position is, if you don't have skills in negotiation, listening to complaints from people who use your products and responding to them without getting emotional. You are nothing but a money-making machine without empathy. You are in a big group whether in the company, family or neighborhood. Try to be someone who is sensitive to changing situations in the world of work and your personal life.

In my experience it is always positive to use a language of concern and understanding, so the guest feels that they’re most important in any moment during their stay.

Language is a powerful tool—it can build or burn bridges. As such, we need to wield it wisely. The use of positive language is pivotal in fostering a respectful, empathetic culture. It's an embodiment of our "Make It Easy For Me" principle at MOFI, where we strive to make every interaction pleasant, effortless, and positive. Empathetic language helps reduce friction, making customers feel valued and understood.

In my industry, there a lot of things that we’re simply unable to do. So using positive language goes a long way. Telling customers what you can do, not what you can’t do. Instead of “I can’t answer that” we say “that’s an excellent question, the best way to find some answers is to…” Instead of “we can’t do that” we say “let’s start with X, and see if the next steps would lead us there”. Being part of the solution and not adding to the problem.

Positive language in customer service is transformative. Use appreciation, empathy, and affirmation to create rapport. Focus on solutions, avoid blame, and express genuine gratitude. Turn challenges into opportunities to strengthen customer relationships.

This is very important, because I am a guest when I travel and I don’t want anyone judging me or not being respectful of my feelings.

To truly resonate with your customers, you need to respect the broad spectrum of human experience. Respect for diversity isn't just an ethical imperative; it's also a smart business strategy. The more diverse perspectives you include in your design process, the more comprehensive and appealing your solutions will be. In my book, Kiss Your Dragons, we talk about Radical Relationships. To have radical relationships you have to have honesty, integrity, trust, and loyalty. Embracing radical relationships means thinking differently (bigger) about your relationships in both life and work and embracing the messiness that comes with it. This is about stretching yourself to completely rethink how you approach and interact with the world around you

I find that it starts at home. Havinge set the example of treating all team members with respect and empathy lead to a team that treats each other with respect and empathy. This translates into how they deal with the customers.

Respecting diversity is vital in customer service. Avoid biases, assumptions, or judgments based on appearance or behavior. Adapt to communication styles and preferences. Use inclusive language and gestures to build trust and value each customer as an individual.

Feedback isn't a one-way street; it's about creating a dialogue, a cycle of improvement that includes your customers. It's another key element of our "Surprise Me" principle. Offer feedback that is authentic, constructive, and empathetic, and be open to receiving it from your customers, too. Surprise them with your ability to take criticism and turn it into action.

Feedback is crucial for customer service growth. Embrace input from customers, peers, and managers, even if it's negative. Offer respectful and constructive feedback to others. Cultivate a learning culture and show appreciation through feedback.

Show empathy while listening to the customer and try as much to maintain eye contact. This gives the customer some satisfaction before actual action is taken on whatever complaint.

The Oxygen Mask Principle: In the quest for creating customer-centric solutions, we can't forget about ourselves. If you've ever been on a plane, you'll remember the safety briefing: put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. The same principle applies here. To effectively empathize and help others, we must first ensure our own wellbeing.

In the demanding world of customer service, practicing self-care is paramount. Taking regular breaks, managing emotions, setting healthy boundaries, and seeking support are essential. Prioritizing self-care enables you to maintain your well-being, cope with stress effectively, and stay motivated in your work. Remember, taking care of yourself empowers you to provide the best service to your customers.

Recognizing milestones isn't just about patting ourselves on the back; it's also about acknowledging the role that our customers played in achieving those milestones. The celebrations then serve as moments to thank our customers and reinforce our commitment to them.

Celebrating success in customer service is crucial. Recognize and reward achievements of team members, managers, and customers. Share positive feedback, give compliments, send thank-you notes, and organize fun events. This boosts confidence, fosters teamwork, and strengthens customer relationships.

Its important to recognize those who are adept at solving a range of customer issues. If all your incentives are geared toward profits etc. that's all you will get. The larger your organization is, the more likely this is true.

Follow through as promised! It builds trust and strengthens relationships making retention more successful. Then by word of mouth those customers will refer your services generating more revenue.