COACH’ S CORNER
BY MARK PEREIRA
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
TAPPING THE POWER OF CULTURE – PART 2
HOW CQ CAN CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS.
Understanding and adapting to the cultures of customers is essential to providing excellent customer experiences( CXs) to them. In Part 1 of this article I explained cultural intelligence, also known as cultural quotient( CQ), which is the ability to recognize, understand, and adapt to different cultural contexts to communicate effectively and build trust.
I provided as one such example my sister, Andy, who, as a call center agent, was able to effectively help an Indian customer because she had high CQ.
So, what strategies can call centers use to build a culturally intelligent high-
20 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
CQ workforce? This is what I will be focusing on, through agent and leader training, in Part 2 of this article.
STEP 1: CONDUCT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Before developing a CQ training program, identify the specific cultural challenges faced by your call center.
This can be done by:
• Interviewing and surveying agents and leadership. Gather insights into communication barriers and challenges.
• Reviewing call history and common customer demographics. Identify frequent caller locations, languages, and cultural patterns.
BEFORE DEVELOPING A CQ TRAINING PROGRAM, IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC CULTURAL CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUR CALL CENTER.