Four tips on how to relate to clients better

In customer service, the ability of company representatives to empathize and relate to clients and their problems is extremely important. Many misunderstandings are rooted in the fact that a customer service agent is not capable or willing to relate to the client and to understand their situation in its entirety. The customer is then quite rightfully frustrated that nobody understands them or pays sufficient attention to them. How can you get the customer service team to better understand the clients' needs and better relate to them?