CUSTOMER SERVICE SCENARIOS:
DO’S AND DON’TS

(The following scenarios were developed by Richard T. Alpert, President, Diversity Resources, Inc.
and Selma Myers, President, Intercultural Communications)

ANOTHER CUSTOMER LOST

BUSINESS CONTEXT: The Hernandez family consists of an employed mother and father, a daughter of working age, a teenage son, and two younger children. Although the family has lived in the United States for five years, they are originally from a Latin country and speak with a fairly heavy accent.

The Hernandezes were all very excited because they had just bought a home in a new development. However, certain details of the house were left unfinished, such as the carpeting, so that the new owners could choose exactly what they wanted. The Hernandezes, therefore, spent some time looking at carpet samples. At the recommendation of a friend, they decided to go to Carpet World.*

The Hernandezes went to Carpet World on a Saturday, dressed very casually. As they looked at different colors of the better carpeting, the salesman kept reminding them how expensive that carpeting was and that they might be happier looking at a less expensive brand.

ASSUMPTIONS: Since the Hernandez family was dressed very casually and spoke in heavily accented English, the salesman assumed that they were poor and wouldn't be able to afford the better grade carpeting. He sincerely thought he was doing them a favor. The Hernandez family felt that the salesman assumed they could not afford the better carpeting. When they continued to show interest in the more expensive line of carpeting, they felt that the salesman became even more patronizing.

IMPACT ON BUSINESS: The whole family agreed that they would rather go to another store. A big sale, carpeting for a whole house, was lost.

* A fictitious name; any association with any store by that name is purely coincidental.

ACCENT ON PATIENCE

BUSINESS CONTEXT: Yevgeny, newly arrived in the United States and with limited English speaking capacity, went to pay his utility bill. He had been taking English as a Second Language classes for several months and had gotten to the point of being understood in most simple situations.

However, as soon as the customer service representative at the payment counter heard Yevgeny’s heavily accented and broken English, he called for a translator. The clerk proceeded to deal entirely with the translator to complete the simple transaction. Yevgeny felt shunted aside and left out of the transaction. The experience reinforced whatever doubts he had about being able to handle such basic transactions himself. Yevgeny was extremely upset, and everyone else in the bill-paying area of the office could hear how he felt unfairly treated.

ASSUMPTIONS: The clerk assumed that because Yevgeny had a heavy accent and spoke imperfect English, he would not have been able to understand enough to complete the transaction. This assumption was based solely on Yevgeny’s opening sentence and a few words. The clerk assumed, moreover, that he himself was inadequate for the task and would not be able to provide the service required. Furthermore, the clerk assumed that it was appropriate to call for a translator at the outset, without stopping to consider whether Yevgeny would be offended. The clerk chose to call the translator rather than pursue the interaction further to see if the transaction could be completed without additional help or simply ask Yevgeny if he preferred that the clerk call for a translator.

IMPACT ON BUSINESS: Yevgeny’s dissatisfaction was apparent to all those waiting for service at the office as well as to the community in which he lived. The company, which had put an office in this community to provide better service to its customers, was hindered from attaining its goal.

BUSINESS CONTEXT: Phu’ng Ngoc Quye’n, who had recently moved to the United States from Vietnam, went into a department store to make a purchase, having heard that the salespeople were very helpful to new customers.

When Phu’ng Ngoc Quye’n presented her credit card to the salesperson, the salesperson decided to try to build rapport with her by addressing her by name. However, the salesperson had no idea how to pronounce Phu’ng Ngoc Quye’n’s name. Nevertheless, she tried to pronounce it, and when it was clear that she couldn’t pronounce the name correctly, the salesperson started to giggle. As she kept trying to get it right, she distorted the correct pronunciation more and more and continued to giggle. Increasingly embarrassed, Phu’ng Ngoc Quye’n snatched back her credit card and stormed out of the store.

ASSUMPTIONS: The salesperson thought that it was better to keep trying to pronounce a name she had no idea how to pronounce, rather than simply ask Phu’ng Ngoc Quye’n to help her learn how to pronounce the name. This would have entailed a real interaction with her that might have been more difficult. However, people would much rather be asked how to pronounce their name than listen to someone mangle it.

IMPACT ON BUSINESS: Phu’ng Ngoc Quye’n not only refused to go to that store again, but also spread the word to her friends, recommending that they not go to that store, either.

HELP IS NO HELP

BUSINESS CONTEXT: Beth and Sarah went into a small clothing store that rarely does business with customers who have disabilities. Beth, who uses a wheelchair, and her friend, Sarah, who does not, went into the store hoping to find some items not usually found in the larger chain stores. The salesperson greeted them both. However, when the salesperson asked how she could be of help, she directed her question only to Sarah. Sarah indicated that it was her friend who was interested in a purchase. Nevertheless, the salesperson continued to address Sarah, talking about Beth in the third person by asking, “What do you think she would like?”

After several of Sarah’s suggestions that she ask Beth directly, the salesperson got the message and began to talk to Beth. However, she did so very slowly and with a raised voice, as if Beth’s being in a wheelchair also made her unable to easily understand English.

ASSUMPTIONS: The salesperson assumed that because Beth had a physical disability, she must have a mental disability as well, making her unable to engage in even a simple conversation. The salesperson further assumed that it was appropriate to talk about Beth in the third person, even though Beth was sitting right there in her wheelchair at the time.

IMPACT ON BUSINESS: At a support group meeting for people with disabilities, Beth recounted her experience at the clothing store. Following a discussion about her experience, the group decided to describe the incident in their newsletter, and debated whether or not to recommend that people with disabilities should avoid the store.

WOMEN AND CARS

BUSINESS CONTEXT: Nykeisha brought her car in to a major repair shop and explained the problem with the car clearly and thoroughly. The attendant then carefully told her how he analyzed the situation. In responding, the attendant was condescending, referring to her as “lady” and clearly suggesting that she knew nothing about cars. Whenever Nykeisha tried to suggest why his analysis did not fit the problem with her car, he corrected her at every turn.

ASSUMPTIONS: The attendant assumed that because Nykeisha was a woman, she knew nothing about cars, when in fact she often fixed minor problems with her car. Nykeisha felt the attendant knew nothing about how to speak respectfully to a woman.

IMPACT ON BUSINESS: Nykeisha resolved the conflict by taking her car to another shop. Needless to say, women spend quite a bit of money on car repairs and need to feel comfortable with service personnel and to trust those who work on their cars. Women, just like other customers, do not hesitate to leave a service shop where they feel talked down to and go to one where they are treated with respect and courtesy.

Diversity Training and Skill Building | Home