The Global Phoenix - Issue 4 The Global Phoenix - Issue 4 | Page 11

“ The most satisfied customers
go out of their way to
actively try to convince
others to do business with
you. Unfortunately, dissatisfied
customers make it a point to
tell others to stay away, and
dissatisfied customers are
significantly more vocal.”
JD Power and Associates
• Time orientation: How long is a pause?
Is it 3 seconds or 3 minutes?
Research shows that pauses in 10 or
30 second intervals are acceptable in
Eastern Europe. In some Asian cultures
pauses lasting up to 1 minute are not
unusual. In the Americas a pause that
extends beyond 3.5 seconds is painful
and some Americans try to fill that void
with a conversation even if it is “chit chat”.
Cultures who are used to a longer pause
may think this is a sign of disrespect or
find it unusual to carry on a conversation
outside the transaction itself.
In the U.S., if a customer service
representative is on the phone and
needs to put a customer on hold, it is
recommended they tell the customer
they need to put them on hold and
ask if that is okay. In Eastern Europe,
a much more transactional culture,
representatives typically don’t ask
permission.
Asians on the other hand, apologize for
putting a customer on hold, but don’t ask
if that is okay.
• Relationship vs. task orientation: Get it
done, with or without a smile.
In the United States, a customer service
representative may appear to be
the customer’s “best friend” for five
minutes. While they are moving towards
accomplishing the service task, they are
expected to appear personable and
friendly. This approach is seen by many
Eastern Europeans as ingenuine.
In Asia, a slight, polite smile is expected,
but Asians would not expect the
representative to act like they are the
customer’s best friend.
• Achievement/optimism vs. Being/
realism: What does “success” mean to
your customers?
In some cultures providing a business
service to a customer is seen as an
extension of the customer’s business—a
“if you succeed we succeed mentality.”
There is a “can do” attitude that is
expected; let’s work as a team and
solve it together—as partners. Service
representatives are expected to feel
connected to the achievement of solving
a problem.
In Europe, where there is a more
“realistic” approach, customer service
representatives expect to help solve the
problem and move on. In cultures where
there is more “realism” representatives
simply ask you about your problem and
tell you “here is what you need to do to
solve your problem”
In Asia, representatives show strong
personal responsibility for a customer’s
problem and would not expect the
customer to be part of the resolution.
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