Lost in Translation No More: The Power of Customer Support in Native Language

Communicating in your customer’s language is critical in the business world. According to a Harvard Business Review (HBR) survey, 72.4% of consumers said that they are more likely to purchase a product if product information is available in their native language. Additionally, 56.2% of consumers said that the ability to get information in their own language is more important than price. Providing customer support in the customer’s native language is crucial.

No one contacts customer support with glee

When customers reach out to customer support, they are often not filled with excitement. They contact customer support because they are unsure how to use a product or they are experiencing issues with the product. If they are struggling to meet their needs and, on top of that, they have to make an additional effort with communicating in a foreign language, it’s natural for them to develop a strong aversion towards purchasing products from that particular manufacturer again. This applies regardless of whether the product is a toy or a sophisticated industrial item. Failing to offer customer service in the customer’s native language will inevitably lead to a decline in customer satisfaction.

Here are the three reasons why providing customer service in the customer’s native language is crucial.

Maximize repeat customer’s business

Based on a survey conducted in 29 countries by CSA Research, a significant 75% of respondents indicate a higher likelihood of repurchasing from the same brand if customer service is available in their native language. This preference is particularly pronounced among individuals with limited proficiency in English. Surprisingly, even 60% of those who feel confident in their English reading skills still prefer customer service in their mother tongue. If customer can communicate in their native language, they can communicate without extra effort. Providing support in the customer’s native language is crucial for fostering customer loyalty and encouraging customers to come back.

Prevent misunderstandings

Explaining a problem in one’s native language is inherently easier. When customers are forced to describe an issue using a limited vocabulary, it not only adds stress to their experience but also hampers their ability to convey precise information. Furthermore, this language barrier poses challenges for support staff. It impedes their comprehension of the customer’s intended message and hindering accurate problem diagnosis. By facilitating communication in the customer’s native language, the risk of information leakage due to language barrier is significantly reduced. This applies to both accurately describing the situation and confirming the specific steps for resolving the problem.

Increase average spending per customer

As per the HBR survey mentioned earlier, more than half of the consumers (56.2%) express a willingness to pay a higher price for the ability to access information in their native language. Offering product and service information in a customer’s mother tongue inherently adds value and has the potential to charge higher. Moreover, advancements in technology have made it easier than one might imagine to deliver information in multiple languages.

Customer support in customer’s native language is important

Offering customer service in the customer’s native language holds significant benefits. It fosters repeat purchases, enhance the overall customer experience, and increase customer spending. To provide pleasant buying experience for customers, it is essential that customer support is available in their mother tongue.

Multilingual Customer Support

For global companies, providing customer support in the customer’s native language equates to delivering multilingual assistance.

With the assistance of Kiku, companies can efficiently select pertinent information from their extensive internal knowledge base and present it in their customers’ preferred language. This capability enables to utilize accumulated knowledge from diverse regions worldwide, facilitate to share inquiries and issues related to products or services across multiple languages. Consequently, you can extend tailored support to overseas subsidiaries and customers easily, ensuring efficient communication in their respective languages.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you want to know more about multilingual customer support,