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Talk Like a Human: The Importance of Empathy in Chat Support

We’ve all been there: stuck in a loop with a chatbot that doesn’t understand, or talking to a support agent who replies with cold, scripted phrases. It’s frustrating. It makes you feel like you’re not being heard. Now, ask yourself: what do your own chat conversations sound like? In a world increasingly dominated by automation, the most powerful tool you have to stand out is your humanity. Customers aren’t looking to talk to a machine; they are looking for a connection, for understanding, and for help from another person. Is your team speaking their language?

So far, we’ve focused on the strategic foundations of a proactive chat service: treating it as a sales channel, being available, and initiating conversations. Now, we need to zoom in on the most critical component of those conversations: the tone. You can have the best strategy in the world, but if your agents sound like robots, you will fail to build the trust necessary to close a sale. The fourth principle is simple but profound: talk like a human.

Empathy: Your Most Valuable Sales Tool

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. In a chat conversation, it means stepping away from scripts and canned responses to genuinely acknowledge the customer’s situation, whether they are excited, confused, or frustrated. Why is this so important in a sales context? Because people buy from people they like and trust.

A conversation laced with empathy and natural language does several things:

  • It builds rapport: A human tone breaks down the digital wall between the agent and the customer, creating a friendly and open environment.
  • It de-escalates frustration: When a customer is upset, the most powerful first response isn’t a solution, but an acknowledgment of their feelings. “I understand how frustrating that must be” can change the entire tone of a conversation.
  • It fosters trust: When customers feel they are being treated as individuals, not as ticket numbers, they are more likely to trust the agent’s recommendations and advice.

Forgetting the human element is a critical error. In their quest for efficiency, many teams rely too heavily on rigid scripts, draining the personality from the interaction and making the customer feel processed rather than assisted.

From bot-like to truly relatable: A Chat Makeover

Let’s see how a small shift in language can make a huge difference.

Scenario: A customer is having trouble with the online car configurator on your website.

The bot-like Response:

Customer 10:50 PM

I'm trying to use your car configurator, but it's not working. It won't let me save my choices.

Agent 10:51 PM

Please specify the browser and operating system you are using.

Customer 10:52 PM

Okay, sure. I'm on Chrome on a Mac.

Agent 10:53 PM

Your request has been noted. Please wait while I investigate the issue.

The agent is gathering information, but the tone is cold and impersonal.

The customer feels like they are submitting a bug report, not having a conversation.

The Human, Empathetic Response:

Customer 11:00 AM

I'm trying to use your car configurator, but it's not working. It won't let me save my choices! It's so frustrating.

Agent 11:01 AM

Hi there! Oh, that does sound frustrating, I'm sorry you're running into trouble. I can definitely help you sort that out. Can you quickly tell me which browser you're using?

Customer 11:02 AM

Yeah, sure. I'm currently on Chrome on a Mac.

Agent 11:03 AM

Perfect, thanks! Let me take a look at this for you right away. While I'm checking, if you'd like to tell me the model and options you were trying to save, I can build the configuration for you on my end. 😊

The agent immediately validates the customer's frustration, uses natural language ("sort that out"), and proactively offers a workaround.

The subtle use of an emoji adds a touch of warmth and personality.

The second agent will not only solve the problem but will likely save the sale and leave the customer with a positive feeling about the brand.

How to Humanize Your Conversations in LiveChat

Your LiveChat tools can either reinforce a robotic tone or help you scale a human one. It all depends on how you use them.

  1. Rethink Your Canned Responses: Canned responses are essential for efficiency, but they are the number one source of “robot talk.” It’s time for an audit.
    • Write them in a natural voice: Read them out loud. Do they sound like something a person would actually say? If not, rewrite them.
    • Use them as templates, not scripts: Train your agents to treat canned responses as a starting point. Encourage them to personalize the message with the customer’s name or by referencing a specific detail from the conversation before hitting ‘send’. You can find more on using them effectively here: Canned responses.

Complete Your Agent Profiles: A simple name and photo can make a world of difference. When a customer sees a picture of the agent they are talking to, it instantly reinforces the fact that they are having a human-to-human conversation. Encourage your team to fill out their profiles to build that connection. Learn how to manage agent accounts here: Team management.

Super App Recommendation: Super Trainer automations

How do you train for empathy at scale? It’s a soft skill that can be hard to enforce. This is where Super Trainer automations can act as a powerful coaching tool.

You can set up Super Trainer automations to detect keywords that signal customer emotion. For instance, create a rule that triggers a private reminder for the agent whenever a customer uses words like “frustrated,” “problem,” “annoyed,” or “stuck.”

  • Trigger: Customer message contains “frustrated.”
  • Super Trainer automations Action: A private message appears in the agent’s chat window: “Heads up! This customer is feeling frustrated. Remember to show empathy first. Try starting with ‘I understand that must be frustrating…'”

This serves as a real-time coach, gently nudging your agents to use empathetic language at the moments it matters most. It helps build good habits until expressing empathy becomes second nature for your entire team.

In the end, technology doesn’t sell cars or services-people do. By ensuring your digital conversations are filled with genuine human warmth and understanding, you build the trust that turns browsers into buyers.