Empathy statements for customer service

In customer service, empathy statements are how agents can let customers know that they’re listening, understanding, and authentically human. We’ve categorized the ones that can turn angry customers into advocates.

Your customer support team will come across all manner of issues in the contact center, but one thing will connect all of them: people. No matter the nature of the query – or the channel – it’ll be a human being on the end of the phone, email, text, or live chat. And us humans generally prefer it when people empathize with our problems.

To that end, agents can give customer service conversations a decent dose of human understanding by deploying what are known as ‘empathy statements’.

Let’s explore what those are, the impact they can have, and take a look at a bunch of the most powerful empathy statements for customer service...

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What is an empathy statement?

We totally understand what it’s like to not know what an empathy statement is; we’ve been there.

That was one, just you know. An empathy statement is a phrase that lets the person you’re speaking to know you understand what it’s like to be in their shoes, and that you’re on the same page. Empathy in general is a level up from sympathy – which is the ability to feel for someone else’s misfortune – as it involves being able to put yourself in someone else’s position.

Empathy is how we relate to one another, and its authentic use can have a hugely positive effect on the person expressing an issue, whether that’s a friend who’s had a bad day, or a case of customer frustration in the contact center.

Empathy vs Sympathy

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy, exactly? The simplest way to describe it is in terms of perspective. If you see someone stub their toe, sympathy would be acknowledging their pain and feeling sorry that it happened to them.

Empathy would be going a step further – you’d imagine (or remember) what that must feel like, and act with that in mind. But that doesn’t mean ‘making it about you’, so much as it means affording people the reactions they should rightly have in a given situation.

So customer service empathy statements, then, are little sentences your customer service reps can use to let customers know that any given call isn’t just a business interaction; it’s two human beings having a genuine conversation. Get this right, and you’ll turn every interaction into a positive customer experience chance to build genuine customer satisfaction.

Here are some of our favorites – grouped by purpose – along with the thinking behind the phrasing for each one.

25 powerful empathy statements for customer service

In any contact center or help desk scenario, customer service representatives can show empathy in four key ways: validating the customer’s feelings, appreciating their contact, promising personal advocacy on their behalf, and offering ways to move things forward.

Here are 25 customer service empathy statements that fall under those core banners:

1. Empathy statements for: Validating customer feelings

These empathy statements can help your customer service team show that they have the innate ability to put themselves in the customer’s position – and that they understand what it’s like to be in that situation.

"I know how frustrating this situation must be for you."

This statement directly acknowledges the customer’s frustration, rather than pretending there shouldn’t be any.

"I’d find that annoying as well."

This shows that the customer service representative understands that the issue is a genuine pain.

"I'm sorry you've had to deal with this."

Here we’re confirming that the issue the customer is dealing with is something arduous.

"Your feelings about this are completely valid."

You can’t get much more direct than this; here we can flat out declare that any emotions the customer has are deserved.

"I can hear how important this is to you."

An angry customer is probably only angry if something unexpected has happened. This empathy statement is a good way of gently acknowledging their heightened emotion.

"I know this has been a challenging experience for you."

Here we’re acknowledging the previous hurdles the customer has had to jump to get to this point – even before the issue has been resolved.

"It's totally understandable that you'd feel this way given the circumstances."

Demonstrating customer empathy means conceding that things aren’t always perfect. This empathy statement confirms that, yes, things have gone wrong here – and it’s frustrating.

"I want you to know that we take your concerns seriously."

In this instance we’re validating through the implication of severity; this situation sucks for the customer, so it’s a big deal for us.

2. Empathy statements for: Appreciating customer contact

Alongside validating the feelings of a customer, it’s also important to make them feel like they’ve done the right thing by reaching out – and that they’re on the right path to resolution.

"I know how tough that is, but I appreciate you bringing this to our attention."

This empathy statement can help the customer feel better by acknowledging their efforts.

"That’s frustrating, but I'm glad you reached out to us about this issue."

This kind of statement can level the playing field by making the customer feel as though they’ve done the company a service.

"I understand and appreciate your honesty in sharing your concerns."

Here, an irate customer can have their anger recognised as wearing their heart on their sleeve.

“That must be really frustrating, but calls like yours are so valuable to us.”

Again, here we empathize with the customer while also showing that their call will help others.

“I’m sorry you’ve had to take the time to call about this, but I’m glad you did.”

This empathy statement acknowledges the time given over to the interaction, while also implying that it won’t be for nothing.

3. Empathy statements for: Personal advocacy

Part of putting yourself in the customers’ shoes is ensuring them that you’re a real, genuine person, rather than just a faceless robot. Personal advocacy means expressing your personal desire to be each customer’s champion within the business – and that you’re going to get this sorted for them no matter what.

"I want to make sure I fully understand your concerns. Could you tell me more?"

If you’re going to prove to the customer that you want to put yourself in their position, you need to show that you want to have as much info as them.

"You shouldn't have had to experience this, but I’ll do my best to resolve it."

Here we’re acknowledging that something’s going wrong while affirming that you’re now in this together.

"I can sense your frustration, and I'm here to help."

This empathy statement demonstrates that you get it, and that things are going to get better now that you’re on the case.

"I'm committed to finding a solution that works for you."

You’re on the case, but you’re only looking for solutions that the customer wants – rather than ones that toe the company line.

"It's clear this situation has caused you stress, and I want to alleviate that."

If you can empathize and also position yourself as the conduit for easing the burden, customers will see you as being truly in their corner.

"I'm here to support you through this process."

Finding a solution isn’t the only thing that needs to happen here – you also need to demonstrate that you can support customers’ emotional needs so that they leave the call feeling positive.

"Thank you for your patience while we work through this together."

Framing the situation as though you’re in it as a team will go a long way to shouldering some of the customer’s frustrations.

4. Empathy statements for: Moving forward

It’s time to solve the problem and find a clear bath toward ‘better’. Empathy statements for customer service can also be a great way to frame this issue as the start of broader improvements.

"Even though I know this has been tough, your feedback is really valuable and helps us improve our service."

Here we’re acknowledging the difficulty of the situation while positioning it as an important internal resource.

"You're right to expect better from us, and we'll work to meet those expectations."

This concedes that things aren’t perfect, but frames the customer’s needs as something we can aspire to match.

"Your satisfaction is super important to us, and we'll do our best to turn this around."

‘Turning this around’ implies empathy here, but it also suggests that our aim is to completely turn the situation on its head.

"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address what must be a really frustrating issue."

Once again, we’re turning our empathic read on the situation into a chance to do better – both for the customer and for others like them.

"Your experience really matters to us, and we want to make this right."

Ultimately, we want the customer to know that we’re going to work towards the kind of service they rightly expect from us. ‘Making this right’ means we hear that it currently isn’t.

Understand customers like never before

Customer needs and expectations are an ever-shifting sea. If you want to know how to keep ahead of today’s trends and deliver the kind of experiences that drive customer satisfaction – like great customer service – we’ve got you covered.

Download our free 2024 Global Consumer Trends report to learn what makes today’s customers tick, and the factors that will drive tomorrow’s consumer behavior.

In the report, you’ll learn:

• The four consumer trends shaping 2024
• What these trends mean for businesses, including the opportunities and the risks ahead
• Expert advice on how to navigate our findings