When companies put themselves in their customers' shoes

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When companies put themselves in their customers' shoes

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Monday, 30 november 2020 | Redacción CEU

Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is not as easy as it may seem at first, especially when you are a company and go from being one to be an organization made up of many individuals. Despite this obstacle, empathy can be a very powerful tool for business success. Customers who feel heard, understood and answered may become great brand ambassadors. If we also reflect on the uncertain times that we are living, empathy with clients becomes, if possible, even more relevant. Emotions are especially present these days in the life of any citizen. This is why clients need to feel more protected and understood than usual. Unfortunately, some companies focus on short-term goals and forget the importance of customer empathy.

Do you want to be remembered as that brand that stepped on the gas and forgot about its consumers in the middle of the pandemic? Do you prefer clients to think of your company as the firm that supported them when they felt most vulnerable? Put like this, it is difficult, at least without remorse, not to go for the second option. Although this might be a reductionist analogy, it is also true that an insensitive decision that is not aligned with customer experience may become the turning point that jeopardizes your business, in particular in this moment of uncertainty and vulnerability. On the other hand, the consumer who is truly understood and cared for may become a faithful follower and defender of your brand. We are not talking about an intangible value, but about brand loyalty.

What do customers want?

Many times, we think we know what customers are looking for, but we need to observe them, listen to them, ask them and, finally, understand them in order to really connect with them. There is an interesting analysis carried out by Bain & Company: Wider Divide: Serving Consumers as the Middle Class Fades. In this study, they present data from a survey of 2,000 consumers in the United States. According to it, although the majority of low-income households have responded to this situation by cutting back on their expenses, 40% of them continue to buy affordable luxuries they consider a special treat. This is just one example of how certain details can go unnoticed if we do not make an effort to put ourselves in our consumers’ shoes.

Another detail that this study reveals is that, regardless of their social status, consumers are neglecting mid-priced products or services that are not distinguished by superior functionality or emotional resonance. We want to highlight this because emotions have a fundamental weight in consumer behavior. Their importance is even greater given the troubled times we are going through.

How to empathize with the customer?

There are many interpretations about the concept of customer empathy, but they all seem to agree on a common point. Behind this idea lies the desire of companies to be aligned with customers, to understand them in a personal and emotional way and make them feel accompanied. This is not simply a matter of identifying needs and satisfying them, but of going one step further and achieving a real connection with consumers. How can brands achieve this?

Listening to customers: This can be achieved through the opening of communication channels and a strategy focused on the practice of active listening.
Observing clients: they will not always tell you what is happening. It is necessary to watch out for the small details revealed by customers: gestures, attitude, body expression, etc.
Identifying bias: do not take things for granted. The objective is to put yourself in your customer’s shoes, not to analyze them just through your own lenses.
Relaying on the opinion of your employees: they are the ones who deal with customers as part of their routine. Listening to consumers also means listening to the people who are in contact with them.
Paying special attention to the employee experience: How will the consumer end up connecting with your brand if your employees are always forcing a smile?
Asking customers: do not wait for feedback to arrive. It may be too late when it finally happens...
Making your customers part of the solution to the problems: Do you not quite understand why something does not work. Ask your clients. Give them the opportunity to put themselves in your place too.
Incorporating what you have learned: all this goes up in smoke, if there is no reaction on your part and your client’s feedback is not taken into consideration.

Last two keys

According to the figures from the Salesforce Shopping Index, e-commerce growth shot up 67% in Spain in the second quarter of this year. Consumers are changing their consumption habits, and, in fact, younger generations are already interacting in a different way with brands. For example, they place greater trust in the communication with brands through their social networking sites, and as a consequence they expect the attention to be much more personalized (one in which their purchase history is even known). These are details that we cannot ignore. The role of technology in the customer experience is increasingly important, and the pandemic is also enabling this to happen faster.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that for a company to be empathetic, it has to act honestly and be authentic. If customers perceive that they are being misled, the effect may be really counterproductive. This is the reason why to work on empathy it is important to start from a company culture based on consistent and coherent values that match the brand.

This can only be achieved by putting effective and ethical leadership into practice. Do you want to become a professional who exercises this type of leadership? Ask about our specialized management programs: Executive MBA (EMBA) and International Master’s Degree in Management (MiM).

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