Ask the Expert

QUESTION:

I am looking for some information that supports the need for empathy as a behavior for QA.  I personally think it is an extremely important behavior, but I am getting some pushback with keeping this behavior on the scorecard.  Anything that would help me build a case would be wonderful.

ANSWER:

We posed this question to some of our QATC members, and here is some of the feedback we received:   

  • We address empathy in our Quality Standards through our Communications & Courtesy.  We don’t mark down unless the lack our empathy affects the call.  Lack of empathy is always a coaching note on an audit.
  • We measure it in our quality review.  I have attached a snapshot of how we define it in our program:

  • We measure the customer experience as 80% of the overall evaluation. Contained within this component is the method by which we communicate with the customer.  Empathy is defined within this component.
  • Showing Empathy is a big piece on our quality evaluation.  Just that behavior alone earns 20 points when used with a good tone and sincere approach.  Our evaluation form consists of 3 main pillars: Customer needs, Business needs, and Call Flow, and we measure the customer needs as 50% of our overall call evaluation.
  • We define and measure empathy in the Interpersonal Engagement area of our form in the Communication Skills section.  When appropriate, it is a critical skill.  Here are the documented expectations from our Customer Experience Expectations Guide: