Serving Customers from Different Cultures
Customer service representatives in the United States (U.S.) are often not prepared for the challenges of serving customers from different cultures. This is especially true related to understanding other cultural values and effectively communicating. This is often because many people have never traveled outside the borders of the Continental U.S., nor have they taken time to research subtle differences in communication styles between cultures. In an ideal world, organizations would provide training on the topic to all employees, but the reality is that most do not.
As an example of how perceptions might differ when communicating, consider the fact that various cultures take a different view of silence during an interaction. For example, North Americans are often viewed by people from some cultures (e.g. Asian) as talkative, aggressive, and boastful. If you are from the United States or Canada you might view a customer from Japan or China as being indifferent or lacking an opinion during a discussion when they do not readily have a strong response or opinion to something that you say. They may appear to simply be listening or hesitant to respond. In reality, many people from Eastern cultures have been taught to be reflective, quiet and to observe. If the person to whom they are talking is older or of a higher socioeconomic status, they are also taught to quietly pay respect and listen to those people. This is contrary to what many people from Western cultures are often used to, which is to speak up and voice an opinion or ask a question. In either instance, there is a chance that because of misunderstanding on both sides of the conversation there could be a breakdown in communication or the customer-provider relationship.
By learning how to effectively interact with customers from differing backgrounds you can improve your chances of creating customer satisfaction. You can also potentially reduce customer churn and help develop better brand loyalty. Check out Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service across Cultures for additional thoughts and strategies on effectively serving customers from different cultures and backgrounds.