Contact Center Pipeline June 2026 | Page 7

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT MAKE CANADI- ANS AS A PEOPLE OR PEOPLES UNIQUE IN THE WORLD? AND DO THESE ATTRIBUTES AFFECT PROVIDING EXCELLENT CXS TO THEM?

MIKE AOKI( MA)

One of the immediate, most noticeable, and classic things you hear from Canadians is“ sorry.” Someone bumps into you at the grocery store, but you say,“ I ' m sorry,” even though they ' re the ones who bumped into you.

In Canada,“ sorry” is used as a pleasantry rather than an admission of remorse. But in some U. S. jurisdictions, saying“ sorry” can be viewed by courts as an admission of guilt. So, agents who serve U. S. customers need to avoid saying“ I’ m sorry” because of that legal issue.

Lawsuit amounts in Canada are capped monetarily. So even if you do win an action here, you ' re not going to get that much, whereas in the U. S. you could be awarded damages from a massive multimillion-dollar class action lawsuit.

This leads to another characteristic of Canadians that, like Britons and Europeans, we’ re looking to get a problem solved and are not necessarily looking to sue as easily or as readily.

So, it draws some different customer behaviors and different agent responses because of that. Conversations with Canadian customers tend to focus more on fixing their problems and with them being seen as valued. Meanwhile, ideal agent behavior focuses on fixing the problems AND fixing the relationships.

AFSHAN KINDER( AK)

What makes Canadians unique is a combination of our attitudes about our cultural mix, communication style, and the values we share across our country.

Our original heritage is a blend of British and French traditions, Indigenous cultures, and, through the centuries, a multicultural population.

Like the U. S., Canada was largely settled by the British, but we evolved in a different cultural direction. While both countries share British roots, Canada retained more British traditions over time, partly because our political development was more gradual and less shaped by conflict.

We also have a strong French heritage that played and which continues to play a major role in our national identity.

Rather than describing ourselves as a“ melting pot,” Canadians often use the term“ mosaic,” reflecting a cultural identity where diversity is preserved and celebrated. This influences how we think, how we communicate, and how we deliver an outstanding CX.

You can still see these influences today, even in small details like our spelling. For example, we write centre instead of the American spelling center or flavour, neighbour, honour, colour, etc.

I don’ t mean to generalize, but one could say that Canadians are perceived as more polite and tactful compared to an American communication style, which is often direct and to the point.

When you compare us with U. S. customers, there is a difference. Again, without generalizing, Americans tend to want things fast. That is, fast answers, fast resolution, and fast decisions. Canadians, on the other hand, put more weight on clarity and fairness.

I remember reading some consumer research from Deloitte and McKinsey that really underscored this point. Their research indicated that Canadians are more deliberate and value-oriented, and we respond better when the interaction feels respectful and the solution is thoughtfully explained.

So those expectations naturally carry over into the way Canadians want their CX delivered, which is with clear information, a respectful tone, patience, and a sense that we’ re not being rushed or pushed into a decision.

WHAT ARE THE KEY, CANADA-SPECIF- IC-AND-SHAPED CHALLENGES FACED BY CONTACT CENTERS?

MA: Because Canada has a smaller population and overall talent pool, employee engagement and employee retention are key challenges for Canadian contact centers.

We don ' t want or can’ t afford to bleed off 30 %, 50 %, and 100 % of the agent workforce a year. It ' s just too expensive to go and lose that kind of talent. It is not uncommon in smaller cities to have agents who have worked for multiple companies in the past.

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