Intercultural Communication Competence in Customer Service

Abstract \nIn today`s highly mobile world, businesses must engage with multicultural customer bases, and this requires the development of intercultural cultural competence by staff to provide quality service and customer satisfaction for their customers. The objective of the study is to gain insight into the role culture plays in the ability of customer service representatives to provide quality services to their customers. \nAn extensive literature review informed the foundation of the research, with an emphasis on intercultural communication competence. An exploratory research approach was implemented using mixed-method data collection. A survey combining both closed and open-ended questions was provided to young adults. The resulting data were coded and then analyzed. \nThe analysis of the results divulged some of the challenges customers faced in service companies of multicultural communities which resulted from the cultural differences of customers and the customer care representatives. Further analysis provides insights into the role that good quality service and customer satisfaction play in a company. Culture´s role in the process is clarified, and recommendations are suggested to improve the intercultural communication competences for service providing companies and their employees.