5 Reasons Why Multilingual Customer Support is So Important

Table of Contents

• #1 An Increase in Cross-Border Trade
• #2 Better Customer Experiences
• #3 Be Better Than Your Competitors
• #4 Increased ROI
• #5 Increased Customer Loyalty and Trust
• Tips to Mastering Multilingual Customer Support
  • Create a Multilingual Website
  • Offer Self-Service Tools
  • Strategize and Take Advantage of Automation
  • Use Chatbots
• Conclusion

There is no doubt that customer service is essential for any business. Around 74% of customers report spending more with a company because of the positive customer service experience they had. Therefore, good customer service helps you to grow your revenue, attain a better reputation, and make your retention rate much better!

Customer service is especially needed in eCommerce. Ecommerce helped businesses to surpass the borders which are great and less great at the same time. On one hand, you are no longer bound to a certain country or a shop. It is amazing in relation to your customer database and business costs. On the other hand, it also brings some difficulties that you would never think about if there was no eCommerce. One of them is the multilingualism of your customers.

If you want to have really good customer service, you have to invest in providing the consumers with the possibility to get help in their native language. It may seem like too much effort and tons of new employees. However, we have found out 5 solid reasons why multilingual customer service is so important for successful eCommerce business.

#1 An Increase in Cross-Border Trade

As we have already mentioned, eCommerce brought us an impressive possibility to forget about the borders and bond to certain locations. For instance, cross-border eCommerce grows so rapidly that its worth went up to €731 billion in 2019. If we were able to reach only US citizens through our business before (especially if it is a small one), the audience grew so much bigger now. However, cross-border trade is impossible without multilingual customer service.

You may say that everyone knows English today. Somehow everyone, native English speakers, in particular, expect the world to know the language. Yet, only 20% of the population speaks English. It leaves us with 6 billion people who do not understand a word.

You can also suggest the almighty Google translator. Have you ever laughed at Aliexpress descriptions? Have you used translate options on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram? So you possibly know how ridiculous the results can be. It is almost impossible to get a coherent thought if machine translation is done for rare languages or with highly technical instructions. So even if Google translator is becoming better every day, we are still not at the point when we can use it for eCommerce.

By providing multilingual customer service, you open up a new perspective of cross-border trade because you gain tools for making it possible.

#2 Better Customer Experiences

It is easily understandable why many people outside your country have the possibility to order your products and they, in fact, need it but they do not buy. It is because they can not navigate your site freely and customer support is not here to help them. Or they want to know more about a product or checkout process more to be sure of what they are doing but no one can give them the feeling of security and understanding.

If you provide an opportunity for your customers to feel comfortable while using customer service, you make them feel cared about. You acknowledge their diversity and their needs and shape your business around these needs.

Thus, you do everything to increase customer experiences and believe us when we say that they will love it.

#3 Be Better Than Your Competitors

We live in a world where there are dozens of solutions for one problem. There are thousands of products with the same function and the same effect. Niches are getting more and more packed. Small business statistics are really alarming, with its 20% failure in the first year. Most of them fail because they can not withstand the competition.

In order to not be one of the businesses that drowned among others, you have to suggest something unique or at least do your best to satisfy the customer. Multilingual customer support can become your winning trait.

Imagine being a foreigner and deciding between two clothes shops. They have almost the same prices and clothes. As a customer, you will start looking for additional reasons to buy from one of them. That is where customer support that speaks their native language comes in handy. It is an additional bonus for your customer that matters. Consequently, you have something that your competitor does not have and you win!

Multilingual customer support drives you away from the hideous statistics from before and makes you a winner every time.

#4 Increased ROI

Multilingual customer support increases, in fact, a lot of your KPIs.

Firstly, you obviously get your retention rate higher due to the customers that stay loyal to your brand (more about that in the next point).

Secondly, you will increase the lifetime value of customers. It means that your customer will come back and they will spend more money since they already know what an amazing service you provide.

Thirdly, the cart abandonment rate will definitely drop. Payment is an extremely responsible step. It means that a customer stops to browse with no intent to buy and that is when your hold on them should be the strongest. However, payment includes sometimes ridiculous steps and payment systems vary a lot from country to country. Customers will need your support and if you can not help them right there, they will just stop the process altogether and never come back again. If you do provide the best customer service, the payment process will not be as scary anymore.

When these KPIs get better, it is natural that your revenue grows. Moreover, it is continuous growth. So you have to invest in establishing your multilingual customer service (hire native speakers, French, German, and Chinese tutor at least or invest into new translation software) at some point but you will definitely get more money back. One day your investment will become nothing, compared to what you have gained from it.

#5 Increased Customer Loyalty and Trust

Brand loyalty is extremely important for every business. Having loyal customers means that you will always have customers. By that we mean, that customers will come back because they do like your brand to the point when they do not even consider taking a look at your competitor.

A loyal customer also means that on average they will spend 67% more and are more likely to recommend you to their followers, friends, or family. It is also much easier to retain an old customer than attract a new one.

There are lots of ways how to deserve your customers loyalty and creating a multilingual customer service is one of them. You take a step further in your care about a customer, and they take a step closer to your business by shopping from you regularly.

Tips to Mastering Multilingual Customer Support

Now that we know how extremely beneficial multilingual customer service is, we hope that you start growing your business with the help of it right now. Luckily, you do not have to look for tips on how to create multilingual customer support because they are already here. Enjoy your bonus knowledge!

Create a Multilingual Website

There is no sense in multilingual customer support if your customers do not even know how to navigate your site. They will not be able to even find a button with the help of which they can get support.

Offer Self-Service Tools

Not everyone enjoys contacting real people that can help. Customers may be too shy, introverted, or not in a mood to interact with someone. So set up self-service tools and do not pressure your customers into having a chat with someone.

Strategize and Take Advantage of Automation

There are so many tools better than Google translate. Insert software that can translate all the inbound messages automatically, for example, and educate your employees on how to get the most out of it.

Use Chatbots

Chatbots are a great solution for businesses because they do not require a whole team of customer support. Moreover, they give a response in a matter of seconds.

Read more:

• What is excellent customer service?
• What is a Customer Service Representative?
• Top 10 Best AI Chatbot Apps for enterprise customer service
• Revolutionize Customer Experience With The Best AI Chatbots

Conclusion

As you can see, multilingual customer service has benefits for everyone: you, your customers, and even your employees. You will boost your sales, create a great brand image, expand your business to numerous countries, and show off why you are the best on the market. So no matter how difficult a process of establishing multilingual customer service can be, it is totally worth the effort and money!