Diversity and inclusivity are not just corporate terms anymore. These are concepts with real-world significance, especially for businesses.
We are currently living in an era where customers are a top priority for businesses. Making processes customer-centric is the only way businesses can survive in today’s hyper-competitive environment.
One fool-proof way to do that is through your customer service, i.e., by making it diverse and inclusive.
I call it foolproof because the US is a cultural hub now. With people from all nationalities and ethnicities now residing in the US, only inclusive customer support can help your business cater to a diverse customer base.
For instance, my abuela is pretty independent with her Cox internet problems because her internet provider provides 24/7 customer service in Spanish. So even if she does not speak English, all she has to do is ring up Cox Servicio al Cliente en español when she faces an issue with her internet, and she gets immediate inclusive assistance. This has made her loyal to the brand.
Moving on, let us discuss the importance of an inclusivo (inclusive) customer service by going through its benefits. Then, I will end this blog by sharing some tips that you should consider while making your business’ servicio al cliente (customer service) inclusive.
Importance of an Inclusive Customer Service for a Business
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You Get to Cater to a Diverse Customer Base
An inclusive and diverse customer support team can cater to a diverse customer base. This means more customers.
For instance, if your customer service only focuses on English-speaking people, then you are missing out on the 8.4% of US residents who cannot speak English very well. Just by adding Hispanic customer support, you can target over 66 million customers and make them feel valued, just like Cox makes my abuela feel valued.
Therefore, by making your customer support inclusive, you can cater to people of different religions, races, ethnicities, and linguistic backgrounds. This is precisely why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a priority in the US corporate world. Having a diverso (diverse) team means your employees are better equipped to empathetically deal with customers from different walks of life.
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The Work Environment Also Becomes Inclusive
If your business is open to diverse customers, it will automatically have an inclusive work environment. This is because by getting the resources to make your customer support inclusive, you end up with a diverse team as well. Such a team, aware of anti-discrimination policies, is the only way you can equip your customer support to cater to a diverse audience.
However, the work environment does not become completely inclusive just like that. This also needs some conscious effort on your part, as a business owner. The stakeholders need to ensure there is space for open dialogue. Plus, conducting DEI trainings that educate employees on aspects like microaggression, workplace bias, etc., also helps. Ultimately, this will also contribute towards an inclusive atención al cliente (customer support).
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It Improves Problem Solving and Innovation
There is no doubt that diverse teams mean endless innovation. When people from different walks of life get together, they bring a wide variety of perspectives with them, which ultimately helps in problem-solving. This diverse problem-solving is culturally aware, which leads to a better understanding of problems.
Moreover, the mixture of creative problem-solving and innovative ideas will also improve your business processes by making them more customer-centric. This means your team will be able to nurture better relationships with your clientes (customers), leading to improved customer retention and loyalty.
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Customers will Trust You More
When customers see that your business is going the extra mile to accommodate their diversity, they naturally start trusting you more. If your customer service is able to make the customers feel valued, seen, and heard, then the chances of them coming back to you increase exponentially.
This will improve your business reputation and profitability as well because retaining current customers is more affordable than getting new ones. Moreover, customers are more likely to shop from a business whose values align with theirs. So, if your customer support represents the values that diverse customers seek, like inclusivity, it will do your business good financially.
Tips for Providing Inclusive Customer Support
Here are some things you should keep in mind while transforming your customer support into an inclusive one.
- Make sure your customer journeys are inclusive from the get-go.
- Be mindful of cultural nuances and values that impact your customers.
- Ensure that the language being used is respectful and gender-neutral.
- Implement and routinely monitor Customer Experience (CX) metrics to see what your customers think.
- Conduct routine cultural sensitivity training for your employees.
Catering to a diverse customer base can reflect on your business internally. Plus, the financial and reputational benefits also make it worthwhile.