How can you teach customer service skills to non-native speakers?

1 Assess the language level

Before you start teaching customer service skills, you need to know the current language level of your employees. You can use online tests, interviews, or self-assessments to measure their proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Based on the results, you can group them into different levels and tailor your training accordingly. You should also identify the specific language gaps or difficulties that they have, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, or cultural nuances.

2 Focus on the key scenarios

You don't need to teach your employees everything about the language, but only the relevant and essential skills and expressions for customer service. You should focus on the key scenarios that they are likely to encounter in their work, such as greeting customers, answering questions, solving problems, handling complaints, making recommendations, and closing conversations. You should provide them with clear examples, scripts, and role-plays of how to handle these situations in a polite, professional, and empathetic way.

4 Provide feedback and support

Teaching customer service skills to non-native speakers is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that requires feedback and support. You should monitor and evaluate the performance and progress of your employees regularly, and provide them with constructive and specific feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. You should also create a supportive and inclusive environment where your employees can ask questions, share experiences, and learn from each other. You should also recognize and reward their achievements and efforts.