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You’re going to love our guest Leslie O’Flahavan and her refreshing take on the way we empathize with customers. She’s passionate about shifting the burdens off of CX agents so they can focus on connecting with the customers.

Topics discussed in today’s episode:

[2:34 – 3:00] “Empathy statements can be scripted. Yes. But the question is, “Should empathy be scripted?”

[5:12 – 6:32] We expect agents to express empathy to customers all day long. Is that fair for us to demand that emotional involvement continually?

[9:39 – 11:05] Are we giving enough training on sympathy and empathy as skills?

[12:28 – 13:36] Making sure that our empathy statements are sincere.

[14:36 – 16:32] Let’s fix the problems that prevent agents from giving good sympathy and let’s stop expecting agents to absorb the negative aftermath of the bad practices of the business.

[21:26 -23:16] We all know companies where agents are given a job that is doable and rewarding. They are trusted to make good decisions on customers’ behalf. Those businesses thrive.

[26:43 – 28:17 ] Do not put legal or financial risk decisions in the hands of the agents, but empower them to regain the customers’ trust in the company.

Leslie O’Flahavan is the owner of E-WRITE, a writing training consultancy. Check out her offerings to strengthen companies and organizations.

To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.