Fewer than one in every ten agents report empathy, quality, and listening as their greatest strengths, according to new global Genesys research.
Despite being a long-time talking point across the industry, such statistics suggest that many contact centers still struggle to recruit for, coach, and nurture empathy.
Moreover, this trend seems particularly prominent in Europe and North America, with only three and four percent of agents picking out empathy, quality, and listening as their most significant strengths.
These lowly figures gain additional context when compared with the 21 and 18 percent of agents that selected empathy in China and Oceania.
Furthermore, with 96 percent of consumers indicating that empathy from customer service agents is “important” during support interaction – according to a 2022 Dixa study – these figures appear troubling.
However, in an industry notorious for measuring and incentivizing efficiency, these results may come as little surprise.
So, could this be influencing the skillsets that agents build? With 55 percent of agents claiming that “thoroughness and completeness” are their greatest skills, it is likely the case.
Of course, these skills are highly beneficial. Yet, the Genesys report concludes that contact centers could start connecting “any initiative with employees’ values.” Doing so may encourage more empathy.
Such advice is helpful, with empathy a significant focus for the vendor. Indeed, Genesys CEO Tony Bates – alongside Dr. Natalie Petouhoff – authored a book entitled: “Empathy In Action: How to Deliver Great Customer Experiences at Scale.”
Inside, Bates and Petouhoff write:
Empathy is a powerful construct for a better world and a better business. It’s not a synonym for nice. Empathy is about respect and treating people in the context of their unique situation in a highly personalized way.
Taking this advice on board, contact centers may begin to coach self-awareness to increase emotional intelligence and deliver more empathetic service experiences.
More Fascinating Findings from the Genesys Study
The Genesys report uncovers many more intriguing findings that go beyond empathy and into the broader employee experience domain. Standouts include:
- 51 percent of contact center employees wish there were clearer expectations
- 48 percent of contact center employees love learning new skills on the job
- 46 percent of contact center employees hate time pressures
To gather these results, Genesys worked with The Valuegraphics Project to survey 16,671 contact center employees in customer care, sales, and tech support.
Every agent surveyed had a minimum of two years of experience and was based in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, or Oceania.
Eager to gain employee experience insights from the recent Genesys Xperience event? If so, check out our article: Arianna Huffington Shares Her Employee Engagement Secrets
