Final answer:
Empathy, especially cognitive empathy, is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, which is critical in customer service. Empathetic attitudes lead to better conflict resolution and can improve relationships and service quality, both internally with colleagues and externally with customers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The customer service attitude that relates to putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding what he or she is feeling is known as empathy. This is a crucial trait where one exhibits cognitive empathy, or theory-of-mind, which allows an individual to take the perspective of others and feel concern for their emotions and experiences. Empathy is not just limited to external customers but also applies internally within an organization, such as understanding and being considerate of your manager's pressures and responsibilities.
Developing empathy can lead to better social problem solving and conflict avoidance, as it encourages understanding and flexibility. This quality begins to increase in adolescence and is further bolstered by supportive relationships, such as having a father with whom teenagers can discuss their worries. In professional settings, showing empathy can repair relationships after conflicts and turn emotional situations into opportunities for learning and growth.
Moreover, being empathetic in a customer service role can enhance the service quality, as demonstrated in a case from Gavi's Fast Food Restaurant, where the lunch-hour manager used feedback to improve an inefficient queuing system, thereby reducing customer complaints and stress for the service clerks. Ultimately, empathy can improve organizational efficiency and personal job satisfaction.