The Global Phoenix - Issue 4 The Global Phoenix - Issue 4 | Page 10

Best Practices – especially for off-shoring and outsourcing Some tips for providing excellent global customer service: Evaluate the regions where you will be providing customer service or if you have a contact center, the culture of that region. Analyze: • • The historical perspective; Is or was the area a capitalist or socialist society? How long has the culture experienced consumerism? In some cultures, the customer is always right. In countries where consumerism has a strong foothold, customers have power and expect to be catered to. In other countries, such as in Eastern Europe, where consumerism is not as strong, customers are expected to wait in line and not make as strong demands. Consumerism may be seen less positively, while in other cultures the expectation is that if you work hard you get rewarded. In India, the “service sense” is very different. Transactions are a “dance” often involving bargaining and negotiation and may even get emotional. In addition, cultural differences may define our attitudes toward work entirely. Some cultures live to work while others work to live. Page 10 www.theglobalphoenix.org