Are You Speaking Your Customers’ Language?

With a global workforce of 10,000+ Mods situated in more than 70 countries around the world, you’d be safe to assume that ModSquad works in a variety of languages. And you’d be right: Our Mods provide local, native-speaking support in more than 50 languages and dialects. Language is a key element in our staffing process, in more ways than one. For even if you’re speaking someone’s language, are you speaking their lingo?

We approach this thought in two ways. First, by assigning regional Mods, who live and work locally to the clients to which they’re assigned, we can ensure that they get the local vernacular and have their fingers on the pulse of their community. This allows for better communication, in a more collaborative vein, with the person they’re assisting.

The other element of understanding lingo is industry-based. Whether you realize it or not, your vertical, your company, and your brand have a language all their own. And if the people you have representing you online and on the phone don’t understand that, it can create barriers between them and your audience.

Think about it this way: You’ve probably seen movies like Crimson Tide or Apollo 13. They’re filled with technical jargon that the majority of us don’t fully understand. While a talented screenwriter can help you understand the gist of each bit of dialogue, there’s still that element of unfamiliarity that creeps over us, reminding us that we’re not a part of that world, merely observers. That’s all well and good when you’re watching a piece of entertainment. But when you’re trying to get assistance from, or communicate with, someone at a company, you don’t want to have to decipher what they’re saying.

It holds true in every industry; whether overt or subtle, each has a lingo of its own that must be mastered if you’re to have a real dialogue with an end user. That’s why ModSquad emphasizes our tradition of assigning fans and brand enthusiasts to related assignments. Not only do they speak the lingo, but they have an innate understanding of the product and the mindset of the person to whom they’re speaking, because they too are users of that product.

To that end, keep these simple rules in mind to ensure you’re speaking your customers’ language:

• Get the lingo. Utilize support agents who speak the lingo because they themselves have a history with the product, brand, or activity.
• Skip the jargon. Stay away from overly complicated acronyms, deep-industry speak, or internal nomenclatures. While it’s good to use terms or phrases that resonate with that particular audience, it’s wise not to rely too heavily upon jargon and parlance. Identify the fine line and tread carefully.
• Take time to listen. Follow the customers’ leads. If they don’t seem to understand what you’re telling them, or your agents find themselves hearing dead silence as a response, reel it in. The customers aren’t getting it. Use this feedback to craft your ongoing dialogues with the end users.
• Above all else, be helpful. Speak in terms of how the product or brand will ultimately help or enrich the customer. After all, that’s what it’s all about. Discuss the benefits of the product and help the customer understand how to make it work for their needs, whether it’s broken or damaged, or the user simply lacks a comprehensive understanding of the product. By opening up a genuine conversation, the agent can get a fuller grasp of the customer’s situation and best determine how they (and the product) can be of help.

When it’s time to contact a company to gain an understanding of their product, or to get resolution with an issue, people want a sympathetic, helpful person to assist them. A person with a commonality of interests and understanding, someone who makes it easy to comprehend what you need to know. Someone who gets you. Someone who speaks your language.