For one, the Spanish population is the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States. Second, their buying power was $1 trillion in 2010 and is estimated to jump up to $1.5 trillion in 2015, according to a Nielsen report.
These interesting facts show that businesses need to invest on Spanish-centric marketing and customer service management services. For those looking for a call center for their Hispanic clientele, here are the qualities to look out for.
Expert bilingual agents
Finding bilingual call center agents tops the list as effective communication is key to good customer service. Applicants must be proficient in accent-neutral Spanish as well as English, for Hispanic US citizens who prefer the latter language.
Understanding of Hispanic customer care
A good Spanish call center knows that being fluent in Spanish is one part of being an effective customer service agent. They also need to understand that the Hispanic market has a unique cultural background and a distinct conversational style. For instance, Near Shore Americas noted how Spanish callers spend more time with agents and tend to ask deeper or "more thoughtful" questions. Understanding these small differences is important in adjusting the performance and the quality metrics of call center agents.
Focus in Spanish customers
Ideally, call center candidates should have previous experience in dealing with Spanish customers. Look at the history of their former clients and the time they dedicated in focusing to the specific sector. This can help gauge the agents' expertise and effectiveness in giving high quality customer service attuned to the Spanish market.
Moreover, the firm should treat its bilingual and multilingual accounts as a priority, not merely side projects. Handling of the Spanish customer base must be one of their strengths.
Continuous training for agents
After a stringent recruitment process to screen for the best candidates, the Spanish call center must ensure competitiveness by providing continuous training to their agents. This will keep them up-to-date and hones their customer service skills.
Consistent performance checks
Regular evaluation and performance checks are important for all call centers, no matter the ethnicity of their customers is. These are done to assure quality of calls. Management must see to it that agents effectively communicate, answer inquiries, and resolves specific problems of the callers. These criteria ensure that your call center is capable of providing customer service and support customized to Spanish customers.
Multilingual call center services are one of the specialties of Open Access BPO. Our company, located in a business district in the Philippines, has a team of native and non-native Spanish call center agents that can provide expert care to your Spanish customers. To know more about us, visit our website or connect with us through our Google+ page.
