Addressing the empathy gap

How human connection can give businesses a new competitive edge

Why empathy matters

Empathy is more than a soft skill - it’s a core business capability. As an insurer, we meet people at some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Listening, understanding, and responding with genuine care isn’t just part of our job, it’s the heart of everything we do.

Because we believe empathy is vital in business, we commissioned a study to explore its impact on customer relationships. The findings are clear: there is a growing empathy gap between what consumers expect and what they receive.

Across industries, the companies that thrive are those that deliver deeply human experiences, not just great products. By truly connecting with customers, they can build trust, earn loyalty, and drive sustainable growth, one conversation at a time.

In an AI-driven world, the need for authentic human connection hasn’t disappeared, it has deepened. Empathy is both the foundation of meaningful relationships, and part of a company’s competitive edge.

Conny Kalcher

Group Chief Customer Officer

The empathy advantage: Global consumer insights

60%

Customers want genuine care

Three in five consumers surveyed say they only engage with companies that demonstrate genuine care.

72%

Post-contract disconnect

Nearly three quarters of consumers surveyed believe that companies become less empathetic once a contract is signed.

43%

Cost of inaction

Almost half of consumers surveyed said they had left a brand due to a lack of empathy, with 25 percent considering leaving.

78%

The empathy deficit

More than three quarters of consumers surveyed believe most companies only care about making money, not the genuine needs of their consumers.

71%

Human connection over AI

Seven in ten consumers surveyed believe AI cannot recreate human connections.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc, who also undertook the fieldwork and carried out the survey. Total sample size was 11,560 adults across 11 markets (Australia, Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Switzerland, UK, U.S., Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Spain). Fieldwork was undertaken between May 12 and May 28, 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of adults in each market covered (aged 18+).

Empathy in action at Zurich

Zurich is embedding empathy across its global operations as a strategic lever for customer loyalty and sustainable growth. Since 2023, employees have invested almost 46,000 hours in its award-winning Global Empathy Training Program. This initiative – recognized with four Gold Brandon Hall Awards in 2025 – has been completed by 26% of employees worldwide and continues to be rolled out.

To further support frontline teams, Zurich designed and delivered bespoke face-to-face empathy training in the UK in 2023. The program has since expanded to Switzerland, North America, Malaysia, and Australia, with more markets on the horizon.

Brands that engineer empathy into their systems, train it into their people, and measure it as a core revenue driver will not only survive, but they are more likely to lead the way toward a new type of success, one that centers humanity.

Jamil Zaki, Ph.D.

Director of the Standford Social Neuroscience Laboratory