The consequences of misinterpreting or misleading a Hispanic client can lead to difficulty maintaining sales or even a loss of customers. Some businesses think that an easy “fix” to a language barrier is to simply have an interpreter to do all of the communicating.
Common Business Mistake #1
“We have a bilingual employee to get us by. We send the Spanish-speakers to them.”
This is a good start to building an effective communication chain in your business, but relying on an interpreter to help Hispanic clients only builds trust between the client and the interpreter, not the client and the business.
Often the customer will not return unless the bilingual worker is there to help them; and what happens if the employee leaves the company? Having a bilingual worker is a simple solution, but does not fully solve the problem.
The Solution
- Train your staff members to use simple and practical Spanish phrases that are helpful for daily business in a matter of a few hours.
- The Hispanic client who relied on only one employee can now be assisted by everyone! Imagine the growth and positive reputation associated with your business when all of your employees can offer assistance to a wider variety of customers.
- Your staff doesn’t have to be fluent to create a great first impression, but just knowing the very basics of the Spanish Language can create a warm and welcoming environment.