Making multilanguage support a priority will vastly improve the consumer experience with customer service agents, according to a report from the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI).
According to “The Growing Need for Multilanguage Customer Support Research Report & Best Practices Guide,” customers today are more diverse than ever and their support expectations are at an all-time high. It’s nearly impossible for an organization to meet those expectations if their customer service agents are unable to understand and relate to a large segment of their customer base.
ICMI conducted a research survey in the fourth quarter of 2013. This new research, along with other current ICMI data, provides contact center professionals the information they need to create or refine their multilanguage strategy in 2014.
More than 70% indicated that providing support in a customer’s native language increased their satisfaction with customer support and 58% said it increased loyalty to the organization’s brand.
“Most people don’t realize that there are over 300 languages frequently spoken within the United States!” Sarah Stealey Reed, Content Director, ICMI, said in a press release. “That means there is a high likelihood that you have customers who are not native English speakers. You need to consider their experience when they need your help. How will they communicate with your support team? And how will your agents feel when they are unable to help customers? It’s an incredibly frustrating experience for both the English-speaking agent and the non-English speaking customer. Companies that provide multilanguage support see improvements in customer loyalty and agent satisfaction!”
The study included 443 respondents (primarily executives, directors, and managers) from every major industry in both the U.S. and abroad. Findings from the study were compiled and analyzed by ICMI’s research team.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:
86% of contact centers report having non-English speaking customers
Only 66% have formal customer support options in a language other than English
Over half realize that offering support in a customer’s native language is a competitive differentiator
72% said support in a customer’s native language increased their satisfaction with customer support, while 58% said it increased loyalty to the brand
58% said their internal agent productivity and efficiency improved once they partnered with a language interpretation service
Over 70% said their multilingual customers were positively impacted by having language interpretation services
“Just the idea of providing multilanguage support is daunting for most contact center leaders,” Stealey Reed added. “That’s where language interpretation services come in! You get the benefit of multiple languages without the hiring, training, and implementation challenges. And the best part? Research shows that good interpreters have a positive effect on customer satisfaction scores and give the organization a competitive edge!”