An easy way to deliver truly empathetic customer service is to imagine your customer is a close relative.

• You'd be sure to give a close relative your best advice.
• You'd demonstrate patience, understanding, and caring for a close relative, even if they were tough to deal with.
• You'd use your expertise to ensure your close relative had a great experience and didn't encounter any problems.

Using this technique can make demonstrating empathy, ahem, relatively easy.

Thanks to my colleague Wendi Brick, and my Mom (a close relative), who both suggested this technique.