What Are They Feeling? - Listen and Identify
Customer says: “I’ve been waiting for someone to come do my grub control and no one has been here." What emotions are they feeling?
Like we don't care about their time, or we don't value their priorities
A customer calls, saying their lawn was treated without notice or a phone call. Their call ahead was set up properly and should have gone out, and this isn't the first time they've tried to request a prenotification.
"You absolutely should have received a call before your service was done, that is a reasonable expectation that we've communicated about in the past."
Empathy means you have to agree with how someone feels
False - Empathy means you understand their feelings, not that you agree or share them
Give me a full empathy response for when a customer says, “Your technician was driving like a madman down the highway!”
"I'm so sorry you witnessed that and I completely understand why you felt the need to call us about it. Seeing one of our vehicles driving recklessly is alarming, and you should never have to feel unsafe because of someone representing us."
Customer says: “I was told I would have 75% off of this service and it’s still full price on the invoice.” What emotions are they feeling?
Distrusting - how can they count on us to take care of their lawn if we can't get their pricing right?
A customer calls saying weeds are still visible two weeks after a treatment. They've had a full program for three years and they're upset because the clover never stops showing up.
"It makes complete sense that you would expect to see progress by now, I would be concerned if I were paying for something that doesn't seem to be making an impact"
Sympathy and empathy are the same thing
False - sympathy is feeling for someone from a distance, empathy is stepping into their perspective and feeling with them
Give me a full empathy response for when a customer says, "I don’t know why I’m getting a bill, no one was ever here."
"I am so sorry for the confusion this has caused, getting an invoice without being sure the work was done is understandably concerning. You shouldn't have to question if someone was actually there."
Customer says: “My neighbor yelled at me because your technician treated their property instead of mine.” What emotions are they feeling?
Embarassed, stressed, distrusting
The technician didn't leave good notes that advised what the brown spot in their lawn is. The customer has repeatedly asked for an assessment and communication so we can correct what's wrong.
"You're right to expect that they're advising on what's going on, we're the experts and you're trusting us to help you understand what needs to happen next."
Showing empathy for someone means that you are taking responsibility for fixing their problem
False - empathy is about understanding, not solving. Jumping to solutions or explanations can make someone feel less heard
Give me a full empathy response for when a customer says, “I waited all day for someone to come out here and no one showed up."
"I'm so sorry that the scheduling didn't happen as expected. You were counting on us to be there, and it's definitely disappointing when we can't uphold our end of that. You probably have a lot of other things you could be spending your time on instead."
Customer says: My children were playing in the yard right after your technician was here. We didn't get our text ahead and there wasn't even a flag left for us to know there was product put down." What emotions are they feeling?
Fearful for their kids' health, concerned, let down
A customer has a graduation party happening at the end of the week and they're still having a lot of mosquito activity even though we've treated consistently and were out 10 days ago.
"You set up this service service was so you could enjoy being outside. That is exactly what you should be able to expect, and you shouldn't have to worry about mosquitoes on top of organizing this event."
Using a customer's name and saying "I understand" automatically means you are showing empathy on a call
False - these are empathy techniques, but without a genuine tone and showing active listening, it feels hollow. We need to acknowledge the actual feeling or issue they're communicating
Give me a full empathy response for when a customer says, "My HOA is trying to give me a fine because the weeds aren’t gone."
"I am really sorry you are dealing with this. The last thing you should be facing after investing in a lawn service is a fine from your HOA. That's incredibly stressful and it's understandable to want to see results."