Ch 8 - Customer Service

To reduce the risk of misunderstandings by people who speak your language as a second language, stick with basic verbiage. Avoid jokes, words, or acronyms that are uniquely tied to sports, historical events, or your culture. For example, people from the United States should avoid these types of statements:

"I will need your John Hancock on this form" (referring to John Hancock signing the Declaration of Independence). "If plan A fails, we will drop back and punt" (referring to North American football). "We scored a base hit with that proposal yesterday" (referring to baseball).

wai

(pronounced "why") Traditional gesture in Thailand used in conjunction with a slight bow as a greeting to say "thank you" or "sorry." You execute this posture by placing the palms and fingers of both hands together as in a prayer position in the center of the chest. Holding the hands higher in relation to the face is an indication of more respect or reverence to the other person in certain countries.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

A U.S. federal act signed into law in July 1990 guaranteeing people with disabilities equal access to workplace and public opportunities.

baby boomer

A term applied to anyone born between 1946 and 1964. People in this age group are called "boomers."

respect for elders

A value held by people from many cultures.

gender roles

Behaviors attributed to or assigned by societal norms.

hearing disabilities

Conditions in which the ability to hear is diminished below established auditory standards.

vision disabilities

Conditions resulting from lost visual acuity or disability.

customers with disabilities

Descriptive phrase that refers to anyone with a physical or mental disability.

attitude

Emotional responses to people, ideas, and objects. They are based on values, differ between individuals and cultures, and affect the way people deal with various issues and situations.

40.3 million noninstitutionalized Americans over the age of 18 (16.8 percent of population) have hearing trouble.

Face your customer directly when speaking. Speak louder (assuming they only have partial hearing loss). Provide written information and instructions where appropriate and possible. Use pictures, objects, diagrams, or other such items to communicate more clearly, if appropriate. To get the person's attention, use nonverbal cues such as gesturing. Use facial expressions and gestures to emphasize key words or express thoughts. Enunciate your words and speak slowly so that the customer can see your mouth form words (but do not overexaggerate your mouth's movements). Use short sentences and words. Check for understanding frequently by using open-end questions to which the customer must provide descriptive answers. Communicate in a well-lighted room when possible. Watch backlighting (light coming from behind you that can cast a shadow on your face), which may reduce the ability to see your mouth. Reduce background noise, if possible.

interpersonal relationship

Focuses on the need for service providers to build strong bonds with customers.

individualistic cultures

Groups in which members value themselves as individuals who are separate from their group and responsible for their own destiny.

As you begin your journey through the concept of dealing with diverse customers in this chapter, stop and think about the following questions.

How do you define diversity? What do you already know about diverse cultures around the world? In what ways do your cultural beliefs and values differ from those of cultures with which you have contact as a service provider? In what ways are your cultural beliefs and values similar to those of cultures with which you have contact as a service provider? How do the beliefs and expectations of people from a gender other than your own affect your ability to serve them effectively? What is your personal interest in learning about other cultures or diverse groups? What training or research have you done on diversity and how has that influenced your views or perspectives toward others who may be different from you?

Real-Time IM Relay for Customers with Hearing and Speech Loss

Instant messaging system that allows people with hearing loss who have signed up for AT&T's free Relay Service to receive real-time instant messages from callers.

values

Long-term appraisals of the worth of an idea, person, place, thing, or practice held by individuals, groups, or cultures. They affect attitudes and behavior.

collective cultures

Members of a group sharing common interests and values. They see themselves as an interdependent unit and conform and cooperate for the good of the group.

beliefs

Perceptions or assumptions that individuals or cultures maintain. These perceptions are based on experiences, memories, and interpretations and influence how people act and interact with certain individuals or groups.

mobility or motion impairments

Physical limitations that some people have, requiring accommodation or special consideration to allow access to products or services.

You can cause injury if you upset their balance or routine. Here are some strategies for better serving these customers:

Prior to a situation in which you may have to accommodate someone who uses a walker, wheelchair, crutches, or other device, do an environmental survey of your workplace. Note areas where space is inadequate to permit mobility (a minimum of 36 inches is needed for a standard wheelchair) or where hazards exist. If you can correct the situation, do so. For example, move or bring in a different table or chair or rearrange furniture for better access. Otherwise, make suggestions for improvements to the proper people in your organization. Remind them that the ADA and state regulations require an organization to accommodate customers with such disabilities. Do not assume that someone who has such an impairment cannot perform certain tasks. As mentioned earlier, people who have disabilities are often given extensive training. They have learned how to overcome obstacles and perform various tasks in different ways. Make sure that you place information or materials at a level that makes it possible for the person to see without undue strain (e.g., eye level for someone in a wheelchair so that he or she does not have to look up). Do not push or lean on someone's wheelchair without his or her permission.

Chicano culture

Refers primarily to people with a heritage based in Mexico.

ownership of property

Refers to how people of a given culture view property.

foreign-born people

Refers to people not born in a given country.

Latino culture

Refers to people of Hispanic descent.

Hispanic culture

Refers to people who were born in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, or Central or South America.

face

Refers to the important concept of honor, dignity, or self-esteem in many Asian cultures. In such cultures, one tries not to cause embarrassment or otherwise create a situation in which someone looks bad in the eyes of others.

polychronic

Refers to the perception of time as a fluid commodity that does not interfere with relationships and elements of happiness.

monochronic

Refers to the perception of time as being a central focus with deadlines being a crucial element of societal norms.

modesty

Refers to the way that cultures view propriety of dress and conduct.

Here are some strategies to use that can potentially help improve the quality and level of service you provide:

Talk to a person with a visual impairment the same way you would talk to anyone else. You do not have to raise your voice; the person is visually impaired, not hard of hearing. Do not feel embarrassed or change your vocabulary. It is okay to say things like "Do you see my point?" or "Do you get the picture?" Speak directly to the customer. Speak to the person as he or she enters the room or approach the person so that he or she knows where you are. Also, introduce others who are present, or at least inform the customer of their presence. If appropriate, ask how much sight he or she has and how you can best assist. Give very specific information and directions (e.g., "A chair is approximately 10 feet ahead on your left"). If you are seating the person, face him or her away from bright lights that might interfere with any limited vision he or she may have. When walking with someone who is blind, offer your arm. Do not take the person's arm without permission; this could startle him or her. Let the person take your elbow and walk slightly behind you. When helping a person who is blind, to a chair, guide his or her hand to the back of the chair. Also, inform the person if a chair has arms to prevent him or her from overturning the chair by leaning or sitting on an arm. Leave doors either completely closed or open. Partially open doors pose a danger to visually impaired people.

Platinum Rule

Term coined by speaker and author Tony Alessandra related to going beyond the step of treating customers the way you want to be treated, to the next level of treating them the way they would like to be treated.

concept of time

Term used to describe how certain societies view time as either polychromic of monochronic.

expectations of privacy

The belief that personal information provided to an organization will be safeguarded against inappropriate or unauthorized use or dissemination.

diversity

The characteristics, values, beliefs, and factors that make people different, yet similar.

acculturated

The cultural and psychological changes in one's beliefs and behavior that often occur as a person or group of people are integrated into another culture or country and adopt the habits and beliefs of their new environment.

cultural diversity

The different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic varieties, based on factors such as values, beliefs, and experiences, that are present in people grouped together in a given situation, group, or organization.

conflict resolution style

The manner in which a person handles conflict. People typically use one of the five approaches to resolving conflict: avoidance, compromise, competition, accommodation, or collaboration.

In the United States and Canada, more than 18 million people have limited mobility caused by such things as disease, accidents, and aging. Six million of those people are veterans. Additionally, one in five elderly people struggle with mobility.

The term "mobility impairment" typically refers to disabilities that impact someone's ability to move without assistance, manipulate objects, and interact with the physical world.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), also called relay service, relay operator, and IP-relay

Through such services, specially trained operators act as intermediaries between people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech disabled, or deaf and blind and standard telephone users.

form of address

Title used to address people. Examples are Mister, Miss, and Doctor.

namaste

Traditional greeting gesture in India (pronounced "NAH-mes-tay") that is performed with a slight bow and by placing the palms and fingers of both hands together as in a prayer position in the center of the chest.