Caring Matters: 40 Empathy Statements for Customer Service

We want you to think about your most recent positive customer service interaction. Why do you think the interaction went well? It's likely because the individual assisting you was sympathetic to your situation and effectively addressed your problem or satisfied your need.

Now, imagine a customer service experience that exceeded your expectations. Why was it so good, you think? We'd argue that it was exceedingly positive because the customer service representative used empathy statements to genuinely connect with you and truly understand your circumstances, thereby solving your problem or meeting your needs.

Contact Center Agent Empathizing with a Customer on a Call

What is an Empathy Statement?

An empathy statement is a declaration that you understand the circumstances of the person you are speaking with. You know what it must be like to be in their shoes, so to speak.

Empathy statements, or phrases, in customer service are authentic ways to connect with customers. However, empathy phrases are just the first step toward positively impacting a customer's situation. You must be sure you follow up with the appropriate action so that you stand by your word to transform the customer's negative experience into something positive.

Your follow-up actions will depend on your specific situation. But to help you get the interaction off on the right foot, we want to share empathy statement examples for customer service scenarios. 

40 Empathy Statement Examples

Customer service scenarios run the gamut. Here are 40 empathetic customer service statements you can use for a wide variety of scenarios.

• Empathy Statements to Display Active Listening

  To properly empathize with someone, you must actively listen to their situation. Active listening helps you remain focused and, in turn, offers a better solution for the customer's unique needs.

  1. I want to be 100% sure I understand all your concerns. Please continue.
  2. I want to make sure I understand everything correctly for you, so I'm taking notes as we go.
  3. Thank you for that question. I will be happy to answer that for you.
  4. What I hear you saying is [paraphrase the customer's chief complaint]. Is that correct?
  5. Thank you for sharing your opinion about [customer's pain point]. Am I understanding you correctly?
  6. To recap, you're looking for [customer's primary need]. Does that sound right?
  7. To summarize, you need [customer's primary need.] Do I have that right?
  8. Thank you for sharing. I am taking notes, then I will ask a few follow-up questions.

  Best Practices

  Focus on attention, accuracy, clarification, and customer-led dialogue by:

  • Paraphrasing key points to confirm understanding

    It reassures the customer you're listening and eliminates misunderstandings.

  • Using clarifying questions to gather complete information

    Ask follow-ups to avoid assumptions and get a full picture of the issue.

  • Telling the customer what you're doing as you do it

    ("I'm taking notes" or "Let me recap") builds transparency and trust.

  • Avoiding interrupting or rushing the customer

    Active listening means letting them fully explain before responding.

  • Validating the importance of the customer's input

    Statements like "Thank you for sharing" help customers feel heard.

• Empathy Statements That Acknowledge the Customer's Situation

  Acknowledgment is vital for empathy statements. However, going one step further to also understand customers' needs and wants is essential for properly empathizing and delivering excellent customer service.

  9. I understand why you feel that way.
  10. I know situations like this can be really stressful, and I'm here to help you through it.
  11. I can see how this would be really frustrating to deal with.
  12. Thank you for explaining that. I really appreciate you clarifying.
  13. I really appreciate you sharing your concern. Let me see what I can do to help.
  14. Thank you for explaining, and I can completely understand. Let's get this figured out for you.
  15. Thank you. I would feel the same way. I will be happy to help.
  16. I know this has been a difficult situation. Let's work through it together.

  Best Practices

  Acknowledge emotion, validate their experience, and show understanding by:

  • Naming the emotion or hardship directly

    ("I can see how frustrating this would be") shows genuine understanding.

  • Avoiding assuming shared personal experience

    Acknowledge without claiming "I know exactly how you feel."

  • Showing partnership, not pity

    Use collaborative language like "Let's work through it together."

  • Being specific about what you understand

    Resonate with their actual situation--not vague empathy.

  • Combining acknowledgment with forward movement when appropriate

    After validating, pivot toward problem-solving to reduce customer stress.

• Empathy Statements That Offer Gratitude

  Expressing gratitude is essential for empathic customer service interactions. Both gratitude and empathy can strengthen relationships and improve customer loyalty.

  17. That sounds very frustrating. Thank you so much for following up with us.
  18. I personally understand how frustrating your situation must be. Thank you for sharing.
  19. I know how difficult your experience has been. Thank you for your patience thus far.
  20. Thank you for being so open about this -- that helps a lot.
  21. I'm sorry you had to spend time contacting us about this. Thank you for letting us know, and let's get it resolved as quickly as possible.
  22. Thank you very much. I understand this experience can be very frustrating.
  23. Thanks for walking me through that. Let me help get this sorted out for you.
  24. Thank you. I understand your concern and will be happy to help.

  Best Practices

  Highlight appreciation for the customer's effort, honesty, patience, and time by:

  • Thanking the customer for specific behaviors

    ("Thanks for being open," "Thanks for walking me through that") feels more personal than generic thank-yous.

  • Acknowledging the customer's time investment

    Validates that contacting support takes effort.

  • Bringing gratitude with empathy for frustration

    This combination is powerful in de-escalation.

  • Avoiding thanking customers for negative experiences

    Thank the effort, not the problem (e.g., don't say "Thanks for your inconvenience").

  • Keeping the tone warm but professional

    Gratitude should feel sincere and not overly emotional.

Empathy vs. Sympathy

Sympathy is a genuine concern for someone else who is experiencing a difficult situation. However, with sympathy, you do not vicariously share the feelings, thoughts, and experience of that person.

On the other hand, empathy goes one step further. Merriam-Webster defines the word empathy as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another."

The distinction between empathy and sympathy matters in customer service because empathy is often a more meaningful way to connect. Empathy transforms the interaction between customers and service representatives from a business transaction into a genuine conversation between two individuals.

For example, imagine a customer who is also the familial caretaker of a sick patient, calling their local doctor's office. They are repeatedly transferred to different customer service agents as they attempt to schedule an appointment or locate their medical records.

A sympathetic service representative can recognize the frustrating circumstances and say something like, "I understand you're very frustrated at this moment."

On the other hand, a service agent with similar caretaking experience could say, "I understand exactly how you feel. I dealt with a similar situation with my child. Let me escalate the issue and get you the help you need."

While the former interaction is sincere, the latter interaction, which includes empathy, will undoubtedly offer a more positive customer experience.

Benefits of Being Empathetic with Customers

Empathy can strengthen your bonds and deepen your relationships with other people. As it turns out, that's not only helpful for family and friends. There are many benefits of empathy in a customer service setting, also.

• Empathy Helps Diffuse Conflict

  During a conflict, empathizing with your customer can help prevent being needlessly rude or overly critical of them. After you establish a more nuanced understanding of their situation, it becomes easier to offer them a compromise or offer a solution.

• Being Empathetic Can Reduce Burnout

  Empathy helps facilitate better communication and collaboration. This is important for customer-facing interactions. However, better communication and cooperation are also helpful for interactions amongst customer service colleagues.

• Empathy Guides Decision-Making

  Empathy is particularly effective in helping you take the wisest course of action. In other words, when you're motivated by empathy, you tend to make more holistic decisions that are not blinded by your personal biases.

• Practicing Empathy Creates Prosocial Behavior

  Practicing empathy helps you improve the lives of other people. And that's the epitome of excellent customer service.

Tips for Practicing Empathy

Being empathic is a skill. You must practice empathy to improve at it. Here are some tips to hone your empathy skills.

• Listen to others without interrupting. 
• Tune into nonverbal communication, like body language.
• Try to understand, even if you disagree.
• Seek to identify your biases and how they affect your perspective.
• Look to establish common ground instead of highlighting differences.
• Be willing to be vulnerable. 

Sympathy is Good, But Empathy is Better 

Using empathy statements in customer service is an ideal way to genuinely connect with your customers. With empathy, you can do a better job at listening to their needs or wants, devising a course of action, and offering a solution.

Empathizing with customers goes beyond simply sympathizing with them – you can transform the interaction from a meaningless business exchange to one where both you and the customer feel valued and satisfied.

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