Empathy: One Thing Most Companies Are Missing
I recently read a fascinating study from Zurich Insurance. The research revealed that one thing customers are seeking, and few companies are delivering on, is empathy — plain, old-fashioned empathy. Improving it is one of the clearest opportunities to enhance CX and create more loyal, profitable customers.
The results from this study are clear: customers are paying attention to how they’re treated, not just the product or service they receive. And when that experience falls short, they don’t hesitate to look elsewhere.
Read the full article and access the complete study →
Introducing Retail Ready Micro Modules
Your B2B business is likely dealing with more “retail” customers now than in the past. These are customers who buy different, usually smaller equipment than what you have traditionally sold. They are also more likely to come into a location to buy a part or seek service.
To address this need, we’re launching a new training module called Retail Ready, which focuses on helping your frontline workers better serve your retail customers.
Retail Ready was developed to address this directly. It is built around short, focused modules that reinforce the behaviors that define a strong customer experience.
Each module is designed to:
- Reflect real-world customer scenarios
- Reinforce clear, observable behaviors
- Provide immediate, actionable takeaways
The format is intentionally simple and practical, making it easy for teams to apply what they’ve learned in day-to-day interactions.
Our first Retail Ready module is aligned to CAT dealers for Parts and Service environments. However, the structure is designed to be adaptable to any organization. Most organizations share similar expectations around communication, responsiveness, and follow-through. Retail Ready can be tailored to reflect the specific standards and priorities of other dealer networks and service-based organizations.
The goal is consistent:
- Define what good looks like
- Reinforce it through practice
- Ensure it shows up reliably across teams
Watch the Demo and Learn More →
Additional Customer Journey Modules
Many of the same execution challenges show up across industries — particularly around communication, consistency, and follow-through along the customer journey.
Our other digital learning modules are designed to address these moments directly:
The Parts Customer Journey Focuses on delivering the right part at the right time, with clear communication throughout the ordering and delivery process.
The Shop Customer Journey Emphasizes proactive communication during projects — ensuring work is clearly explained, and customers remain confident in the outcome.
The Field Customer Journey Addresses high-pressure service moments, including how teams respond, resolve issues quickly, and rebuild trust when it matters most.
These modules are short, practical, and built for immediate application across teams. And, they can be tailored to your specific environment.
Explore Customer Journey Modules →
First Fridays — May 1, 12 Noon ET (Pre-Recorded)
For May, we’re taking a slightly different approach to First Fridays.
This session will be pre-recorded and available to watch on your schedule, while still focusing on practical ideas that leaders can apply immediately.
The topic centers on building a more intentional employee experience — specifically, how elements like recognition, goal clarity, and balance contribute to engagement and performance over time.
In each of these areas — customer experience, retail execution, and employee engagement — the pattern is consistent: results improve when behaviors become more intentional and more consistent.
The opportunity is not just to understand what good looks like, but to ensure it shows up reliably in day-to-day interactions.
Lynn Daniel, Founder & CEO, The Daniel Group
704.749.5018
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does empathy matter in B2B customer experience?
- Research from Zurich Insurance found that customers are paying close attention to how they are treated, not just the quality of the product or service they receive. When that experience falls short of empathy, customers don't hesitate to look elsewhere. Improving empathy is one of the clearest and most immediate opportunities to retain customers and increase loyalty in B2B environments.
- What is Retail Ready training for dealerships?
- Retail Ready is a short, simulation-based training module from The Daniel Group designed for B2B dealership frontline workers who serve retail customers — those buying smaller equipment or coming in for parts and service. Each module reflects real-world customer scenarios, reinforces observable behaviors, and delivers immediate takeaways that teams can apply the same day. It was first built for CAT dealers but can be tailored to other dealer networks and service organizations.
- What are The Daniel Group's Customer Journey training modules?
- The Daniel Group offers three Customer Journey modules: the Parts Customer Journey, which focuses on delivering the right part at the right time with clear communication throughout the ordering and delivery process; the Shop Customer Journey, which emphasizes proactive communication during service projects so customers remain confident in the outcome; and the Field Customer Journey, which addresses high-pressure service moments and how teams rebuild trust quickly. All three are short, practical, and built to be adapted to your specific environment.
- How do you improve frontline employee performance in a dealership?
- The most consistent finding across The Daniel Group's B2B survey data is that behaviors improve when they become intentional and consistent. Short, scenario-based training modules — like Retail Ready and the Customer Journey series — are designed to define what good looks like, reinforce it through practice, and ensure it shows up reliably across teams and locations, without pulling employees off the floor for long training sessions.