Adapting your customer service skills when working abroad
Working overseas has several advantages, including the opportunity to experience different cultures, build confidence and improve your communication skills. What’s more, adapting your customer service skills when working abroad may not be as difficult as you think. Whilst handling a variety of international customer concerns and adapting to a new work environment can seem difficult, by taking the following tips into consideration, providing a high level of customer service is easy.
Clear communication
There are numerous factors that can affect your level of customer service abroad, including language barriers. In order to adapt your customer service skills when working abroad, it is paramount that you successfully convey to customers exactly what you mean. Authentically positive language and a cheerful attitude can help ensure the customer is satisfied.
Be responsive
As expected, customers want service – and they want it fast. Even if they are unable to obtain the full answer immediately, when working abroad, it is paramount that you provide the customer with some information before you get back to them regarding their query, question or concern. If it will take a while, ensure that you keep the customer in the loop and ensure that they understand that you are doing your best to ensure their issue is addressed as quickly as humanly possible.
Live the company values
In order to ensure a fantastic customer experience and to adapt your customer service skills when working abroad, you must live the company values and ensure that the service you provide has critical cultural value. Making the service you provide adhere to a major part of the culture means that you will create high-standard service outcomes, keeping the customer happy. It is equally the company’s duty to ensure that their culture and values align, in order to avoid poor performance.
Knowledge
When adapting your customer services skills to work abroad, it is important to remember that your customers rely on you for their knowledge of the product or service you are offering. You should aim to stay informed enough to be able to respond to a majority of inquiries, and know who to ask if the questions become too technical to answer yourself.
Adaptability
Every customer is different. Your next customer will be different from the first and so on. Working abroad entails new cultures and language that you may be unfamiliar with; however, by being able to sense the customer’s mood you can rest assured adapt accordingly and handle the situation like a pro. Regardless of whether you are permanently working abroad or have obtained an overseas placement in order to experience new cultures and languages, there are numerous ways you can easily adapt your customer service skills when working abroad. From remaining responsive and keeping customers in the loop when answering their question, query or concern to living the company values to provide the best possible service, adapting to a new country and workplace will automatically improve your communication skills.
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