Grief touches every community, and it often shows up in customer interactions. For workplaces that serve the public, the way staff respond in these moments can make a lasting difference. Supporting grieving customers with compassion is not about having all the answers, but about listening, showing patience, and creating space for humanity.
By embedding these practices into everyday interactions, organisations can strengthen trust, loyalty, and connection while helping to reduce the silence that too often surrounds grief.
Creating compassionate customer interactions
The following practices offer a starting point for workplaces seeking to better support grieving customers and clients:
- Train staff to listen with empathy by encouraging active listening, patience, and a non-judgemental presence.
- Give customers permission to pause or step away when conversations feel overwhelming, normalising breaks without pressure.
- Follow through on actions with clarity and consistency to help reduce stress and build trust.
- Recognise grief as a universal human experience, not an inconvenience, and respond with dignity and respect.
For instance, a customer may become unexpectedly emotional when asked to confirm details about a loved one who has died. A compassionate response might be to gently acknowledge their feelings, pause the transaction, and ask if they’d like to continue later. These small moments of understanding can leave a lasting positive impression.
Building grief literacy in the workplace
When workplaces lean into these practices with compassion, they move toward greater grief literacy. This doesn’t mean having all the answers, but rather creating an environment where staff feel supported to respond with sensitivity, and customers feel seen in their humanity. By embedding awareness and practical skills across teams, organisations reduce the silence or discomfort that often surrounds grief. Over time, this fosters a culture of care where both employees and customers experience more genuine, humanised interactions.
Tips for supporting staff
Caring for customers who are grieving can also take an emotional toll on staff. Workplaces can ease this load by checking in regularly with employees, encouraging peer support and debriefing opportunities, offering access to employee assistance programs, and recognising the value of emotional labour. A supportive environment not only sustains staff wellbeing but also strengthens their ability to show up with compassion for others.
Moving forward
Developing grief literacy is an ongoing process. Even small steps like training staff in empathetic communication or reviewing policies to ensure flexibility, signal that your organisation values humanity as much as efficiency. By approaching grief with openness and compassion, workplaces can create spaces where people feel respected, supported, and understood.
Grief is a universal experience, yet it is often hidden in plain sight. When workplaces respond with compassion, they not only support customers through difficult times but also strengthen trust and connection within their communities. By building grief literacy across teams, organisations can reduce discomfort, honour diverse cultural expressions of grief, and create spaces where people feel respected and understood.
For workplaces wanting further guidance, Griefline’s on-demand webinars offer practical tools and insights to help staff build confidence in responding to grief with compassion.
Finding support
- Griefline: Call 1300 845 745 (8am–8pm AEST, 7 days)
- Online Forums: Connect with others who understand: Visit the forums
- Griefline Training: On-demand webinars
