Empathy.

Empathy.

by Liv | Published on April 29th, 2008, 6:50 pm | Life

Work today. Got a new Palm Pilot. Can't use it because the laptop is fried and Windows 77 doesn't support it on the desktop. Went over the new quality guidelines at work which state we must show empathy on every call.

Empathy?

Yes Empathy.. ( sense of shared experience, including emotional and physical feelings, with someone or something other than oneself.)

I then asked...

Do we actually have to feel it, or just act like we do?

Which of course goes unanswered....

Which leads me to the next resulting question, Shouldn't I inform SAG that I'm acting?

I suppose even acting like you have some empathy can be tiring for some. And there's always some danger that you might end up developing some for real -- oh the HORROR! :wink:

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:I suppose even acting like you have some empathy can be tiring for some. And there's always some danger that you might end up developing some for real -- oh the HORROR!

I've been thinking about your statement here... I like how you put it... Too bad are company doesn't put it in the same light....

I guess it's just that I hate being told how to feel.

Liv wrote:
SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:I suppose even acting like you have some empathy can be tiring for some. And there's always some danger that you might end up developing some for real -- oh the HORROR!

I've been thinking about your statement here... I like how you put it... Too bad are company doesn't put it in the same light....

I guess it's just that I hate being told how to feel.

As someone doing a job -- selling your work to a company in exchange for cash -- I generally try to view such things as orders (or requests, if management says it a little more nicely) for you on how to act, not feel.

My parents were always keen on telling me what my feelings ought to be, instead of listening to what my feelings WERE and dealing with things from there, and it always irritated me. So I know what you're saying. However, in this case, I expect it'd be a good idea to plan to put on a show for the callers. You never know -- it might result in some positive feedback.

I don't think I'd like to be Liv's boss, I can hear her exasperated sigh from here. Smartass employees.

If you're running a service organization the attitude of your staff is as important as their actions. I've had very competent staff with a crappy (arrogant and unsympathetic) bedside manner and less technically competent staff, whom the customers love. Even if the first guy would actually give them a better outcome, they won't deal with him and prefer to go to the bumbling but peasant person. Who gets the biggest bonus? *

Appearing to care goes a long way to appease an unhappy customer. Actually caring and doing something is even better. But generally once your staff start pretending convincingly, it seems that actually caring follows shortly after. It helps if they get rewarded for customer satisfaction. You can get a lot of convincing pleasantry for $100 bonus .

*Another person who was both competent and pleasant. She also got promoted to management.

See? I knew I had management potential. I only wish MY bosses would figure that out. :cry: