Situation:
Customer service clerks misunderstanding customers and failing to "live the brand promise" through the consistent use of clear, concise communication skills in the call center environment.
The Classified Advertising department of a regional daily newspaper took ads from many non-native speakers of English. Because the clerks could not understand the non-native speakers very well, the ads frequently contained errors, resulting in refunds to the customer.
Solution:
• Discern the accents most difficult for the clerks to understand.
• Provide a 3-hour workshop explaining the most common errors made by non-native speakers, practice in interpreting common accents and communicating more accurately with limited English speakers.
Results:
Reduction in errors made by customer service service personnel and clerks; implementation of a call center coaching program to ensure the skills transfer to long-term on the job performance.
