Good customer service means different things to different people. Here are 5 ways to develop your cultural competency for customer service, and  have a greater opportunity to attract and retain diverse customers.

1. Know your clientele.
Spend time talking with clients to learn about where they are from. You should have a basic knowledge of relevant world views, values and beliefs. Expect difference, not similarities. The more you know about your clients, the better you can meet their needs through appropriate customer service.

2. Seek out culture-specific knowledge of your customers.
Is your client Japanese, Chinese or Korean? Don’t lump cultures under one umbrella.  Learn beyond “Asian” or “Hispanic” commonalities to discover the uniqueness each country. Mastering a few key phrases in their language is always a warm way to build relations.

3. Recognize patterns for communicating.
Does the client prefer  “speak your mind” or “read between the lines” when communicating?  Do they focus on relationships in customer service or value efficiency and speed? Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal communication, and learn to mirror them in your customer service. By mirroring someone’s communication style you are affirming their values in that area.

4. Attract diverse customers by having a diverse workforce.
Create a welcoming environment for a variety of clients. When people see themselves and their cultures reflected in a business, they are more likely to become a customer than if they feel like an outsider.

5. Build relationships.
Your customers are not just a series of tasks to be completed or passed off to the next worker.  In  Hispanic, Asian, Arab and African cultures relationships are key to conducting business. Become an active listener and build relationships to grow a loyal customer base.

Below are 10 common areas for cross cultural conflict in customer service.
How do you feel about customers who do the following?

  1. Discounting or refusing to deal with women.
  2. Bringing whole family/children to appointments.
  3. Soft, “dead fish” handshake.
  4. Standing too close when talking.
  5. Having a heavy accent or limited English.
  6. Coming late to appointments.
  7. Withholding or not volunteering necessary information.
  8. Not taking initiative to ask questions.
  9. Being very informal and familiar.
  10. Not making a line or waiting one’s turn