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Chapter 08 - Customer Service in a Diverse World
8-19
• Many older customers are in excellent physical and mental shape, are still
employed, and have more time to be active now than when they were
younger.
• As the baby boomer population (people born between 1946 and 1964) ages,
there are more older Americans than ever.
• As the population ages, there will be a greater need for services—and
service providers—to care for people and allow them to enjoy a good quality
of life.
Be Respectful
• Service providers should be respectful to elderly customers.
• Even if the customer seems a bit arrogant, disoriented, or disrespectful,
service providers should not lose their professionalism.
Be Patient
• Service providers should allow older customers the time to look around,
respond, react, or ask questions.
• Service providers should keep in mind that as some people age, their
ability to process information lessens and their attention span becomes
shorter.
Answer Questions
words.
Try Not to Sound Patronizing
• If service providers appear to talk down to older customers, problems
could arise and they could lose a customer.
• A condescending attitude will often cause any customer, elderly or
otherwise, to take his or her business elsewhere.
Remain Professional
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• Common courtesy and professionalism should always be extended to
customers without regard for their age.
• Words such as please, thank you, yes sir/ma’am, and other such
pleasantries can go a long way in building customer–provider
relationships.
Guard against Biases
• Service providers should be careful not to let biases about older people
interfere with good service.
o They should not ignore or offend older customers by making
statements like “Hang on, old timer.”
D. Younger Customers
• Some of the terms describing the “younger generation” are Generation Y,
Nexters, MTV generation, Millennial Generation, or cyber kids.
• Financially, the group accounts for billions of dollars in business revenue for
products such as clothes, music, videos, electronic entertainment equipment,
and entertainment consumption.
• If the service provider is a Gen Xer, he or she will potentially treat members
of this generation as he or she would his or her own children.
o Service providers should be careful not to do this or to come across as
domineering or controlling since this will likely irritate the customer(s).
• If the service provider is a baby boomer or older, he or she may feel
paternalistic or maternalistic or might believe some of the stereotypical
rhetoric about this group.
o Although some of these descriptions may be accurate for some
members of the group, it is dangerous to pigeonhole any group or
individual.
• Their memories could prompt younger customers to take their business
elsewhere if their experience with a service provider is negative.
• If the service provider is older, he or she may be tempted to talk down to the
younger customers or be flippant.
o Service providers should not give in to the temptation.
• Younger customers may not have the product knowledge and sophistication
in communicating that an older customer might have.
o Service providers can decrease confusion and increase communication
effectiveness by using words that are appropriate for their age group
and by taking the time to explain and/or demonstrate technical points.
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VI. Communicating with Diverse Customers
• Service providers should learn as much technology as they can if they plan to
effectively provide service to members of Generations X and Y, since they are
very technically savvy.
o Technology examples include smartphones, iPods, iPads, computer
hardware and software, Internet options and services, social media, and
service delivery technology such as wikis, blogs (web logs), and
podcasts.
Be Careful With Your Remarks and Jokes
• Comments that focus on any aspect of diversity (religion, sexual
preference, etc.) can be offensive and should not be made.
o Also, humor does not cross cultural boundaries well.
Make Sure That Your language is Inclusive
• When speaking, service providers should address or refer to the people
from various groups that are present.
• If service providers are addressing a group of two men and one woman,
using the term guys or fellows excludes the woman and thus is not
inclusive—concept of ensuring that people of all races, genders, and
religious and ethnic backgrounds, as well as a multitude of other diverse
factors, are included in communications and activities in the workplace.
Respect Personal Preferences When Addressing People
• Service providers should not assume familiarity when addressing others.
o They should not call someone by her or his first name unless she or
he gives permission.
Use General Terms
• Instead of singling a customer out or focusing on exceptions in a group,
service providers should describe people in general terms.
• Instead of referring to someone as a female supervisor or black
salesperson, service providers should say supervisor or salesperson.
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Recognize the Impact of Words
• Service providers should remember that certain words have a negative
connotation and could insult or offend.
• Using such words can reflect negatively upon the service provider and
his or her organization and should never be used.
Use Care with Nonverbal Cues
• The nonverbal cues that service providers are familiar with may carry
different meanings in other cultures.
• Service providers should be careful when they use symbols or gestures if
they are not certain how their customer will receive them.
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Class Activities and Sample Assignments
2. If you have time, it is a good idea to “experience” what it feels like to have a
disability in order to better help students understand. Purchase earplugs, blindfolds
(pieces of fabric) and pebbles. Have the students split into groups of two. Give each
group a set of earplugs, a blindfold and a handful of pebbles. Then ask them to do
3. Learning disabilities, although not discussed extensively in this chapter, can present
a challenge in customer service situations. If a person cannot read the manual, sign
or receipt, they may need help. The customer service representative can’t always
recognize this at first, but if a person asks many questions and doesn’t seem like
they are actually reading something, they may have some learning disabilities.
Following the activities are some examples of what a “normal” paragraphi might look
4. Ask students to discuss their own experiences with diversity in small groups. Then
ask them to discuss in what ways THEY are diverse and may be different from
5. This can be used as an introductory activity to the concept of diversity. Ask two
Chapter 08 - Customer Service in a Diverse World
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has a purple shirt). When each difference is shouted out, ask the two students to
take a step forward. Once they are nearing the outer limits of the room, ask the
class to stop shouting out differences. Then have the students face each other, still
on opposite sides of the room, and have the class shout out similarities between the
two students. As they do, the students should take a step forward. This can be used
to define diversity (the differences between people) but also to make the point that
8-26
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Discussion Opportunities
2. Why is it inappropriate to use words such as “homo” even in a joking manner?
3. In groups, brainstorm five non-inclusive words or phrases that are common in our
4. What assumptions do we sometimes make about elderly people which are likely
incorrect or a stereotype? Brainstorm a list. (LO 8-5)
5. Do you think younger customers are often stereotyped? In what way? How might
serving an elderly person be different than serving a young person? (LO 8-2 , 8-3
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In the Real World Notes
Manufacturing—Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was founded in New Brunswick, New Jersey (where it is
currently headquartered), in 1886 by three Johnson brothers to produce antiseptic
wound medications. The company later began developing products such as baby
products, sanitary napkins for women, dental care products, bandages, and other
wound dressings. In 1924 J&J expanded to an international platform by opening an
operation in England. Today, J&J employs more than 128,000 employees in 275
companies operated in 275 different countries. Their corporate family includes:
• The world’s largest and most diverse medical devices and diagnostics company.
• The world’s sixth-largest biologics company.
• The world’s sixth-largest consumer health company.
• The world’s eighth-largest pharmaceuticals company.
Since its founding, J&J has been a leader in the areas of healthcare, wellness,
medicine, and health education. The four main tenets of their credo are:
• “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to
mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services.”
• “We are responsible to our employees, the men and women who work with us
throughout the world.”
• “We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world
community as well.”
• “Our final responsibility is to our stockholders. Business must make a sound profit.”
Even though J&J has experienced serious challenges and threats in the past (e.g.,
Tylenol poisoning in 1982), the company’s proactive approach to business has allowed
it to recover and thrive where other organizations have foundered. By taking a visionary
approach to product and service development and continually working to maintain
customer respect and trust, J&J is able to move forward and expand even in dire
economic times.
1. What do you currently know about J&J and the products and services it provides?
Students’ answers may vary. As per J&J’s website (http://www.jnj.com/healthcare-
products), they offer the following products:
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• Baby care products (JOHNSON’S® BEDTIME™, JOHNSON’S® HEAD-TO-
2. How does J&J compare to other companies of which you are aware from the
standpoint of commitment to customers, employees, and community?
3. Why do you think J&J has survived and thrived since 1886 when other companies
often have much shorter lifespans?
4. As a customer, do you trust J&J brands? Why or why not?
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Work It Out Notes
Work It Out 8.1—Encountering Diversity
This activity asks students to think of the diverse interactions that they have had over
the last week. It is likely that their lists will be long, but in some ways they may not have
thought about the interactions as “diversity.” It is important to point out that this thinking
can get us into trouble, because if we don’t recognize the diversity, we may act and
communicate based on our values and offend the other person if their values are
different.
Work It Out 8.2—Identifying Resources
This activity asks students to check with local advocacy groups or on the Internet for
information on the types of accommodations they might make for people with various
disabilities and how best to interact with people who have specific disabilities. If you
teach a hybrid or online class, this is a good weekly assignment to utilize. To get more
specific, you may ask students to do the research and provide five things that surprised
them from the research they performed. Consider using your online class discussion
board for this assignment. Examples of websites might be the following:
• http://www.draginc.com/
• http://www.napas.org/
• http://www.access-board.gov/index.php
Work It Out 8.3—Serving a Variety of Customers
This activity asks students to role-play three scenarios dealing with a blind person,
hearing-impaired person and a person of another culture. The important thing for
students to understand is that they must not stereotype people based on their abilities
or the way they look. One option for this activity is to choose a handful of students to
role-play to the entire class and then ask students to rate the performance of the
customer service professional. You can pull “actors” aside and ask them to handle the
situation in an inappropriate way in order to see the rest of the class’s reaction. This
section also serves to sensitize students towards the needs of differently abled and
diverse customers.
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End-of-Chapter Material Notes
Key Terms
• Acculturated (p. 282)
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (p. 295)
• Attitudes (p. 285)
• Baby boomer (p. 299)
• Beliefs (p. 277)
• Blogs (p. 304)
• Chicano culture (p. 283)
• Collective cultures (p. 285)
• Concept of time (p. 286)
• Conflict resolution style (p. 286)
• Cultural diversity (p. 276)
• Customers with disabilities (p. 294)
• Diversity (p. 274)
• Expectations of privacy (p. 280)
• Face (p. 293)
• Foreign-born people (p. 289)
• Form of address (p. 282)
• Gender roles (p. 285)
• Hearing disabilities (p. 296)
• Hispanic culture (p. 283)
• Inclusive (p. 304)
• Individualistic cultures (p. 285)
• Interpersonal relationship (p. 284)
• Latino culture (p. 283)
• Mobility or motion impairments (p. 298)
• Modesty (p. 280)
• Monochronic (p. 286)
• Namaste (p. 282)
• Ownership of property (p. 287)
• Platinum Rule (p. 276)
• Podcasts (p. 304)
• Polychronic (p. 286)
• Real-Time IM Relay for Customers with Hearing and Speech Loss (p. 296)
• Respect for elders (p. 283)
• Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) (p. 296)
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• Values (p. 277)
• Vision disabilities (p. 297)
• Wai (p. 282)
• Wiki (p. 304)
• Younger customers (p. 302)
Review Questions
1. What are some innate qualities or characteristics that make people unique?
2. What external or societal factors affect the way members of a group are seen or
perceived?
3. What are values?
4. Do beliefs differ from values? Explain.
5. Why would some people be reluctant to make eye contact with you?
6. When dealing with customers with disabilities, how can you best help them?
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Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
One should understand that everyone has different abilities. Just because someone
can’t see well doesn’t mean they aren’t perfectly capable of doing other things.
Starting from a place of understanding is the best way to work with people. Also,
understanding that people with a disability may not want help and can do things on
their own can prevent missteps and insulting behavior.
7. How can recognition of the cultural value of “importance of family” be helpful in
customer service?
8. What are some considerations for improving communication in a diverse
environment?
9. How can you effectively communicate with someone who has difficulty with the
English language?
10. What are some techniques for effectively providing service to older customers?
Chapter 08 - Customer Service in a Diverse World
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Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
• Avoid any biases you have about older people.
Collaborative Learning Activity
The goal of this activity is to simply make students more aware of diversity. In customer
service settings, it is easy to assume everyone is just like us, and in doing so, possibly
offend someone who isn’t. As a result, it is important for students share experiences.
One follow up activity you can do is simple: Ask students to write down:
Before _________, I thought _________ about _________. Now I think _________.
This asks students to really examine their own prejudices and values. It is important to
point out that students may not always be willing to share their experiences for fear of
sounding sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise. Hopefully, at this point in the class,
you have already created familiarity with the group through activities and discussion,
which will make the students more comfortable sharing their personal experiences.
Another possible way to begin this conversation is to share with students your own
experiences with diversity. For example, “I was in Denmark working for a period of time,
and whenever I walked by someone, I said the normal “hi, how are you doing?”
However, I quickly noticed that when people in Denmark asked this or were asked, they
actually gave a response or expected one in return!” In the United States, we use “how
are you,” “how’s it going,” or other phrases as a greeting, but in some countries, they
may take the question literally.
Face to Face—Dealing with Difficult People on the Phone at MedMobile
This scenario is a typical cultural communication difference. Because one of the fictional
people has a non-traditional name, warn students to avoid stereotyping. In this situation,
neither party has taken into consideration the diversity of the workforce, and both
parties are now very frustrated with each other.
While it may seem that his chatter is unimportant, part of his culture might be to
establish a relationship. In doing so, he may feel he can work with you better. Sensitivity
to this is important. You are lacking patience due to the fact he is a new employee and
may not know everything. Especially if English is his second language, it is important to
speak slowly and to explain things when someone has begun a new job. Use of
technical terms can create frustration for both parties (“he doesn’t understand what I
say!” and “she doesn’t explain things!”). Avoiding such language, especially when there
is a cultural difference, is important to good cross-cultural communication. In addition,
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Abeyola should consider the standards and the norms of the company culture in which
he is working. It seems that neither party has been trained in diversity, and this
organization could greatly benefit from further training in this area. To improve, parties
involved should speak slowly, clearly, avoid technical jargon and listen to vocal cues
(nonverbal). They should make sure to check for understanding periodically.
Notes
i Irlen, Helene, “Reading by the Colors,” Perigree Trade, 2005.
