Zurich Insurance study reveals empathy is the competitive edge companies shouldn't ignore

• New research reveals 73% of consumers avoid businesses that don’t show empathy with almost half (43%) taking their business elsewhere when brands fail to deliver
• 71% believe AI cannot recreate genuine human connections and 92% value direct human interaction over 24/7 availability
• In Asia Pacific, over 4,000 employees have completed over 8,500 hours of training and more than 1,500 documents have been rewritten, driving an average +5pts improvement in tNPS from 2023

Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has today published a new global study "Addressing the Empathy Gap: How human connection can give businesses a new competitive edge." Developed in collaboration with renowned empathy academic Professor Jamil Zaki, Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, the report examines the role of empathy in business, revealing a growing disconnect between customer expectations for empathy and what they experience from businesses. 

The study draws on a global YouGov survey¹ of over 11,500 consumers across 11 countries, highlighting that consumers deeply value understanding and care, especially in vulnerable moments. Three in five consumers surveyed (60%) said they only used companies that genuinely cared about them and their needs, while nearly three quarters (73%) of respondents said they would avoid using companies that showed a lack of empathy towards their situation or circumstances. 43% of consumers surveyed have left a brand in the past due to a lack of empathy and a further 61% would be willing to pay more for a brand that genuinely cares. 

In addition, the survey finds that the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) is recognized, but that it lacks authentic emotional sharing – 71% of the surveyed individuals believe that AI cannot recreate genuine human connections and 92% value direct human interaction over 24/7 availability. Offering a cross-industry view, the report shows that empathy is especially expected in financial services – 88% of consumers believe it is important (second only to healthcare providers), yet only 63% agree the industry is genuinely empathetic. 

“In today’s world, empathy is key to shaping customer experience. Organizations need to embed genuine human connection as a foundation for trust, loyalty, and sustainable growth. Through empathy, businesses can gain a competitive edge and build lasting customer relationships. At Zurich, we see empathy as a learnable skill that forges deeper connections, fueling trust and loyalty in every interaction.”

Conny Kalcher, Group Chief Customer Officer

In Asia Pacific, Zurich has embedded empathy as a core part of its business strategy, integrating it into employee training, customer communications, and support tools, including AI-powered chatbots. The empathy programme, co-designed with the Be Human Partnership, has already seen more than 4,000 employees complete over 8,500 hours of training, and over 1,500 customer-facing documents re-written to reflect clearer, more human language. This consistent focus on empathy ensures every interaction reflects the customer’s social style, culture, demographic, and situation. This has translated into measurable results, with Zurich’s regional Transactional Net Promoter Score (tNPS) improving by an average of +5 points since 2023.  

“At Zurich, empathy is more than a value, it’s a strategic capability we invest in to shape every customer interaction. We’re on target to train all our customer-facing staff by the end of 2026 and we’ve rewritten our communications to be clearer, more human, and jargon-free. By meeting people where they are, responding to their individual needs, and using language they can easily understand, we’re building trust, loyalty and long-term relationships with our customers.”

Nitya Bhutani, Head of Strategy and Customer Office, Asia Pacific

Embracing empathy as a learnable skill and embedding it into operations can help build resilient customer relationships. Key recommendations from the report include:

• Strategic integration: Make empathy a central part of business strategy, treating it as essential to long-term success rather than just a gesture. 
• Empathy training and skills development: Invest in bespoke training which is tailored for both the market and the business function so frontline employees can genuinely understand and respond to customer needs.
• Leadership commitment and measurement: Ensure leaders model empathetic behavior and track its impact as a key performance indicator.
• Technology and human connection: Blend technological efficiency with authentic human interaction – use AI to support, but not fully replace, personal engagement in customer moments that matter.
• Cultural embedding: Integrate empathy into daily operations and company culture, making it a foundation for all business activities. 

“Empathy is the thread that runs through all my academic work. Many years of research consistently shows that it drives trust, co-operation, and long-term success. This report highlights how empathy shows up in business and why it matters - making a strong case for embedding it into every customer experience.

Professor. Jamil Zaki, Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory

 

For further information, please contact:

Ben Evetts
Head of Communications & Marketing, Zurich APAC
ben.evetts@zurich.com.sg