Tag Archive for: communication
Remember when we were talking about Customer Service Fluidity? One of the biggest elements of being fluid in customers service is adapting to the customer or rather Customer Service Adaptability.
Each customer is an individual. There’s this thing called ‘individuality’ that we need to take note of.
Humans are creature that adapt to environments. This is simply the way of the world. As nature is more powerful than us. In our world – Customer Service – the customer is all powerful. They make or [can] break your business. Adapting to customers allows you the power to control the situation, but without taking the power away from the customer. Customer Service Adaptability makes them feel served and appreciated. That’s the point isn’t it?
Also read this article: Retail Customer Service: Reality of Retail Industry
Let’s look at a clip from the series called “The Two Ronnies.” Here we will see a foreign customer entering the store. He then tries to purchase items on his shopping list. However, the customer has a very different (or rather unique) way of pronouncing words. The store keeper, as most of us would – speaking any language – tries to correct the speaker. Let’s take a look at what happens…
Well that was a good laugh!
Adaptability
Let’s analyse what happen in that short clip. The first thing the shop keeper (or Owner) tried to do was to send the customer away. Without understanding the customer fully. That’s closing the door on an opportunity. But of course, in this case the customer said something that would sound like “mouse.” Who would think that he was looking “mousse.” Eventually the shop keeper comes to understand what the customer is looking for. However, can’t help but try to correct the customer on the pronunciation.
The moment the customer takes his money away, the shop keeper gives in. Allowing the customer to pronounce the word however he wants to say it. This happens again when the customer asks for Tomato Puree. The scene brazenly shows that customers will take their money away if they feel that they are not understood or not treated right.
What’s interesting though, is that the customer will give you the chance to try to understand them. A customer that feels that he/she is not understood will first try to be understood. Its human nature.
A bonus here is that we see the Shop keeper’s wife entering the scenario and how quickly she adapts to the customer’s quirky pronunciation.
Basically, your level of adaptability to your customer will give you more opportunities. Most companies do this by finding out what a majority of their targeted demographic think like. That information will give you the insight into how to adapt to your customers and dealing with possible scenarios that will arise.
Customer Service Adaptability will allow for better Customer Service Fluidity.
Talking of insights
That’s one thing we do here at AQ. We look for Insights that would make a customer’s experiences more pleasing or had made it unsatisfactory. To know more on these Insights that we often look out for, check out our interview with our Insights Manager. Yes, we have an Insights Manager, that’s how much we want to provide quality service.
Do let us know on our social media pages, whether you had an experience where you felt that a customer service staff adapted to you well and made you feel comfortable and appreciated, or otherwise.
Increased globalisation is forcing a growing number of companies to looks outside of their borders and become more international in the way they do business. More and more companies from developed economies are looking to expand their operations to emerging markets. The companies that will thrive however are the ones whose employees improve the effectiveness of communication and collaboration with customers, colleagues, suppliers and partners (Bailey, 2012).
Definition of communication
Communication is the exchange of meaning: it is my attempt to let you know what I mean. Communication includes any behaviour that another human being perceives and interprets: it is your understanding of what I mean. Communication includes sending both verbal messages (words) and nonverbal messages (tone of voice, facial expression, behaviour, and physical setting). It includes consciously sent messages as well as messages that the sender is totally unaware of sending. Communication, therefore, involves a complex, multi-layered, dynamic process through which we exchange meaning.
Although we think that the major obstacle in international business is in understanding the foreigner, the greater difficulty involves becoming aware of our own cultural conditioning. As anthropologist Edward Hall has explained, “What is known least well, and is therefore in the poorest position to be studied, is what is closest to oneself (8:45).” We are generally least aware of our own cultural characteristics and are quite surprised when we hear foreigners’ descriptions of us .
Effects on retail
It is important to know your customer, their preferences, and values in any market; but this task is even more complex in foreign markets. People in different countries place different values and priorities on different products. And some consumers prefer to buy certain products online, while others choose the traditional marketplace (Tran, 2015).
The inability to communicate with customers is one of one of the biggest barriers to selling internationally. Translation, however, is not enough. Basic customs, mannerisms and gestures are also important. For example, if a salesperson approaches a meeting with knowledge of a customer’s cultural background, then his words, body language and actions can all be adapted to better suit those of the customers. This, in turn, may lead to being better liked by the customer, ultimately increasing the salesperson’s opportunity to close the deal (Brown, 2017).
A good solution to overcome the first barriers is to hire locally. This way you can learn from their local practices and learn who the customers are, how transactions take place, cultural nuances of selling, service and money exchange. See what customers really value – related both to products and service provided.
What do I do if they do not speak my language?
VERBAL BEHAVIOUR
- Clear, slow speech. Enunciate each word. Do not use expressions.
- Repeat each important idea using different words to explain the same concept.
- Simple sentences. Avoid compound, long sentences.
- Active verbs. Avoid passive verbs.
NON-VERBAL BEHAVIOUR
- Use more facial and hand gestures to emphasise the meaning of words.
- Act out as many themes as possible.
- Pause more frequently.
- Hand out written summaries of your verbal presentation.
ATTRIBUTION
- When there is a silence, wait. Do not jump in to fill the silence. The other person is probably just thinking more slowly in the non-native language or translating.
- Do not equate poor grammar and mispronunciation with lack of intelligence; it is usually a sign of second language use.
- If unsure, assume difference, not similarity.
COMPREHENSION
- Do not just assume that they understand; assume that they do not understand.
- Checking comprehension. Do not simply ask if they understand or not. Let them explain what they understand to you.
