Consumer expectations of what it means to offer “exceptional customer service” are constantly changing across the globe. However, there are still considerable disparities in consumer demand among cultures.
In France, service workers such as waiters and shop assistants consider themselves on equal footing as the client, which means they may not always prioritize the consumer’s demands before their own.
In the United States, providing good customer service is seen as critical to differentiating your product or service, giving rise to the adage “the customer is always right”. At the same time, service employees anticipate gratuities as a norm, rather than an optional extra. All of these variables influence what local clients anticipate, and hence the quality of service they get.
Asia is clearly made up of several nations, each with its distinct culture.
Thai customers, for example, place a premium on being polite and knowledgeable compared to those expected by Malaysian or South Korean consumers, and 60% of Chinese respondents in a study by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said they’d switch companies instantly if they got bad service, compared to less than 25% in India.
However, research shows that in many sectors, Asian customers have the highest customer experience expectations of all.
According to the EIU, 76% of consumers in the area believe that customer service should be a company’s first priority, and a follow-up survey found that the region had the largest number of demanding ‘autonomous customers’.
Several variables are driving these rapidly expanding CX requirements. An expanding, more wealthy middle class has high expectations, and the population includes more digital natives who utilize cutting-edge technology than many Western nations. 72% of company leaders say that access to internet information is the primary cause of increased expectations.
Demographics also play a role. Currently, 45% of Asians are millennials, and by 2025, the area will account for 60% of the global population in this age bracket. Everything individuals undertake is driven by a continuous pursuit of novelty and creativity.
Lastly, there are enduring traditions across the Asia that place a premium on providing excellent service, which means that people of all ages expect their demands to be met.
Based on this, what should businesses do to satisfy client needs? More importantly, why should global businesses who seek to scale partner with an Asian BPO?
Businesses should choose Asia for customer service for the following reasons:
1. Asians embrace technology.
Asia’s consumers and service providers are adept users of new technology. As such, they expect to be able to engage with companies via the newest gadgets and channels. That means, at the very least, ensuring that firms provide mobile-friendly service choices like mobile chat, as well as adopting self-service and chatbots. They expect technology to be integrated, smooth, and simple to use. No customer wants to lose time or repeat themselves while escalating to a new channel or speaking with someone.
2. Most Asian cultures put the consumer at the center of your company.
Despite all of the complexity and technical advancements, the greatest approach to understanding and communicating with clients is to constantly prioritize their needs. Service providers on this side of the planet are firm in their belief that a customer-centric culture is key. They constantly verify everything you do to ensure it meets consumer needs. They also listen to and act on their input, and ensure that everyone in the business is focused on meeting the demands of the customers.
3. Personalization is important to traditional Asian service.
It is critical to remember that, even in the era of technology, customers still prefer to engage with humans for certain transactions and at specified times. While many are tech-savvy, they prefer protocols that allow clear escalation channels to human agents from platforms such as self-service. They make automation work for them. Agents are trained to boost their abilities using technology, such as automatically evaluating incoming emails and social media posts and recommending specific answers using AI.
4. Asians love to innovate.
Many Asian consumers consider themselves “early adopters”. This means they are always on the lookout for the next great item.
The upside to this is companies can’t remain still when it comes to client experience; they must always evaluate how they might adapt and innovate in the services they provide. Leaders in Asia-based industries are always on top of their game. They also look outside their immediate competition to see what lessons can be had from other sectors. Many BPOs based here have also built solid systems in place to foster internal innovation within their organization and that of their clients’ organizations.
As per the Asian Development Bank, by 2030 Asia will account for 43% of global consumer expenditure (US$32.9 trillion). With customer experience becoming a key component in which brands Asian customers pick, enterprises must ensure that they are satisfying expectations today in order to prosper and expand in the future.
For good customer service, head to Asia
But for excellent customer service, partner with the expert – cxperts!
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cxperts is a global provider of multichannel demand generation and customer engagement services. We have presence onshore, nearshore, and offshore in the USA, the Philippines, Colombia, Guatemala, and soon, Mexico and South Africa.
We partner with companies to help provide exceptional customer care that builds brand loyalty through our brick-and-mortar centers and work-from-home models leveraging top resources from the areas where we operate.
cxperts is an omnichannel customer experience (CX) provider that delivers exceptional CX for brands of all sizes. Our contact center solutions cover all facets of customer experience and business process outsourcing, from customer care, white glove services, and technical support to sales, collections, and back office.
Within our modern contact centers in the Philippines, Guatemala, and Colombia, we provide sustainable, life-changing careers to hundreds of cxperts around the world. On top of that, our work-at-home solutions give brands the flexibility to benefit from a limitless pool of exceptional talent.
