Global Call Centers Achieving Outstanding Customer Service Across Cultures And Time Zones Erik Granered by Erik Granered 9781904838036, 1904838030 instant download after payment.

Outsourced customer service call centers are something that corporations both large and small have caught on to and are reaping the financial benefits from. So why is it that, despite sound business principles and advanced technology, international call centers are often measured successes at best?The reason is one that everyone is familiar with. All of us have been on the phone, at one time or another, trying to communicate with a call center agent somewhere in the world and reacting, often negatively, to what we feel should be a simple and productive exchange. Those subtle reactions, most often rooted in culture, are significant; significant enough to disrupt the flow of many call centers and to cause some companies to reverse their decision to outsource customer service.Erik Granered, author of Global Call Centers: Achieving Outstanding Customer Service Across Cultures and Time Zones, argues that we are now at a point with outsourcing where we can learn from experience and reduce the failure rate. It is rash to think that customer expectations and agent training should be the same in Amsterdam as in Dallas. And those unrealistic expectations are magnified over the phone, where communication cues are completely lost.Global Call Centers reveals how the syntax and rhythm of a phone conversation is much like a dance that differs from culture to culture. What may be a tango for one is a waltz for another; while one party may be seeking results, the other may be simply exploring, looking for information. Global Call Centers outlines cultural variables that will impact where you locate a call center, what customers are served from that location, and what is the optimal business approach in getting that center up and running. Complete with compelling anecdotes, real-world training tips, and strategies for managers and agents to develop vital cultural literacy, Global Call Centers delivers a way for businesses to effectively cut down on customer service costs and utilize one of the fastest-growing trends in business today.ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword by J.P. Singh, Ph.D.IntroductionAuthor's NotePart I: Global Call Centers: The Customer Experience1 Outsourcing and Offshoring2 The Customer Experience Dilemma3 Understanding the Media of InteractionPart II: Culture, Communication, and Call Center Management4 The Power of Awareness5 Creating a Customer Service Culture6 A Strategic Approach to Call Center TrainingPart III: Designing a Global Call Center Strategy7 Culture as a Competitive Variable8 English-Language Customer Service9 Spanish-Language Customer Service10 European Cultures and Customer Service Options11 Asian Cultures and Customer Service OptionsConclusionReferencesIndex