Chapter 5 Discussions
5.7. Further Research Suggestions
It would be interesting to see how different scenarios impact on the perceived service quality. For instance, conducting research with scenario including differences of local and non-local speaker AGENT providing extremely good or bad service.
Alterlocally, propose the scenario so that it distinguishes significantly between local and non-local speaker. In addition, scenario could also manipulate with non-local speaker´s perceived country of origin or with the image of company (well known versus lesser known). Different results would be obtained by exposing respondents to the audio sample of example service encounter. Apart from that, study identified factors influencing the perception of non-local speech (accent, vocabulary, rhythm of speech, syntax, cognitive language frame). Even though they were given attention of linguisticians, their exact contribution to the perceived service quality is not yet exactly known.
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Additionally, the setting of the service encounter could be changed to the face-to-face interactions in order to determine differences in non-local speaker´s perception during the phone call interaction and the face-to-face conducted service. It would be beneficial to determine the role of visual components during the service encounter.
Finally, including more countries into study would help gaining more comprehensive picture of possible similarities and differences among nations. The study would enlighten perception of non-local speakers in various countries and enable also comparison of other factors such as perceived service quality or competence of AGENT.
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Appendix 1
Interview guide for dialogues with consumers Abbreviations
CS= Customer Care
AGENT: Customer Care representative (Informal greetings, prefatory statement)
1. Demographical questions (age, education, place of living) 2. Have you ever been calling a Customer Care?
Follow up – if so what kind of? Please, describe your experience. Was the call conducted in your local language? Was the AGENT person the local speaker?
Why do you (or don’t) think so?
3. Have you ever been calling a Customer Care with a particularly technically difficult question?
Follow up – if so what kind of? Please, describe your experience. Was the call conducted in your local language? Was the AGENT person the local speaker?
Why do you (or don’t) think so?
4. In your opinion why do companies employ foreigners in call centers?
5. Please answer questions concerning following situation:
A. Imagine that you want to activate roaming on your mobile phone as well as ask about the price offers related to roaming because you are going to call home from abroad quite often. This process is not technically nor timely demanding. You call CS and hear that your call is answered by a non-local speaker.
Would you have concerns related to:
Reliability and trustworthiness of the company?
Theft or misuse of your personal data?
Service being located outside of the country?
Communication?
Communication follow up – Please evaluate on the scale 1-7 (1= completely disagree, 7= completely agree) and comment your decision
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My local language spoken with accent by AGENT makes me feel uncomfortable about the company
I cannot completely concentrate on the content of speech because of the person’s accent
I feel like correcting the person when s/he says something wrong or uses improper wording
I am considering the wording of my speech carefully (avoiding the difficult words)
I try to repeat my requirements also in other words so that I can be sure that CS person understands me
I am thinking what could be company’s reasons to employ foreigner and not local speaker
I feel that the probability of a misunderstanding is higher than when interacting with local speaker
I try to prevent misunderstanding by careful articulation of my problem
I am willing to change wording and way of my speech because of this CS person
6. If you speak with non-local speaker which of following factors do you consider as the most noticeable? Please, evaluate from the most to the least noticeable.
Accent
Limited vocabulary
Syntax (does not create sentences correctly)
Different speech rhythm
Using the words in a wrong context, e.g. non existing comparisons or sayings 7. From the customer’s point of view - do you think that employing foreigners in technically non-demanding services (simple order placing) is more acceptable than in technically demanding services (e.g. computer set up, program installation)? If so, why?
8. In your opinion, do foreigners provide worse service because of them being non-local speakers?
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Appendix 2
Interview guide for dialogues with current or former Customer Care representatives
(Informal greetings, prefatory statement)
1. Demographical questions (age, education, place of living)
2. What is your local language and in which language do you provide the CS?
Questions: How have you learned the language in which you provide CS?
How many years have you been studying the language? Have you obtained any certificates regarding the language knowledge?
Have you lived in the country where the language in spoken? Have you been working or studying in that country? If so, how long? When being in the country have you experienced any negative comments or behavior regarding your accent or overall way to speak the language?
3. How would you evaluate the knowledge of the language you speak in CS on the scale 1-10 (1= not at all, 10= completely)?
4. Please describe the call center you are or were working in. (The type of service, technical demandingness, active versus passive call center). How long have you been working there? If you quit your job, what were the reasons behind it?
5. In your opinion why companies employ foreigners in call centers?
6. Please describe your duties as AGENT. How many percent of your work time do you use email and phone in contact with customer (approximately)? Follow up – do you feel more comfortable when emailing or calling? Why?
7. Have you ever experienced any difficulties related the language (e.g. not understanding the customer)? If so, how often? How have you solved them?
8. When customers call, do they ever express concerns regarding:
Reliability and trustworthiness of the company?
Theft or misuse of their personal data?
Service being located outside of the country?
Communication?
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Communication follow up – Have you ever experienced following situations? If so, please comment further.
The way I speak the language make customers express doubts about the trustworthiness and reliability of the company
I feel that customers do not completely concentrate on the content of speech because of my accent; I have to repeat my statements multiple times
Customers correct me when I say something wrong or use improper wording
Customers start to consider the wording of their speech carefully (avoiding the difficult words)
Clients ask what are the company’s reasons to employ foreigner and not local speaker
Customers try to prevent misunderstanding by careful articulation of their problem
I notice that clients are willing to change wording and way of their speech because of me being non-local speaker
Customers try to end up the call quickly and I think that it was because they did not feel comfortable about me being non-local speaker
9. Do you think that employing foreigners in technically non-demanding services (simple order placing) is more acceptable than in technically demanding services (e.g.
computer set up, program installation)? If so, why?
10. In your opinion, do foreigners provide worse service because of them being non-local speakers? Why?
11. Imagine that you call CS in your local language. Would you feel uncomfortable talking with a foreigner employee (non-local speaker)?