Deck 8: Customer Service in a Diverse World

Question 1

Adopting or accepting the beliefs of others is essential to accomplish the goal of providing excellent service to the customer.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Cultural diversity has to do with the broad similarities between groups of people.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Some differences between people, such as height and weight, are innate.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A person's value system helps him or her determine good from bad.

Question 5

Applying your own cultural practices and beliefs to a situation involving someone from another culture is highly recommended.

Question 6

Caution must be used when considering any characteristics that define an individual, since grouping people can lead to stereotyping.

Question 7

The title used to address people is known as the form of address.

Question 8

"Diversity" only refers to race or the color of skin.

Question 9

The key to effectively serving all customers, and particularly people from different cultures, is flexibility.

Question 10

Values are based on deeply held beliefs of a culture or subculture.

Question 11

Polychronic refers to the perception of time as a central focus with deadlines being a crucial element of societal norms.

Question 12

Values can also influence your perceptions and actions toward others.

Question 13

Within a given subculture of society, all people choose the same conflict resolution style.

Question 14

Many service providers are wise to take values for granted.

Question 15

Closed-end questions encourage customers to share information.

Question 16

Disclosing personal information about oneself is often a cultural factor.

Question 17

Diversity presents challenges but enriches our lives as we grow professionally.

Question 18

As the world grows smaller economically and technology increases, the chances of having contact on the job with people from other cultures decreases.

Question 19

In some cultures, conservative dress by women is one manifestation of modesty.

Question 20

A key to customer service success is to be open-minded and accept that someone else has a different belief system that determines his or her needs.

Question 21

Which of the following strategies should be adopted to effectively handle customers with language differences?

A) Avoid humor and sarcasm as they could lead to embarrassment.
B) Assume that the customer shares your views.
C) Alter your tone to enhance understanding.
D) Use closed-end questions to encourage customers to share information.

Question 22

When communicating with diverse customers, it is better to describe people in general terms than to single a customer out or focus on exceptions in a group

Question 23

According to the text discussion, which of the following is the most likely result of applying your own cultural practices and beliefs to a situation involving someone from another culture?

A) Effective communication
B) Business growth
C) Customer satisfaction
D) Poor service

Question 24

Which of the following statements best reflects the behaviors of people from monochronic societies?

A) They base promptness on relationships.
B) They tend to do one thing at a time.
C) They consider time as a guide and flexible commodity.
D) They juggle multiple things without feeling stressed.

Question 25

Which of the following best defines diversity?

A) It refers to the perceptions or assumptions that individuals or cultures maintain.
B) It refers to the characteristics, values, beliefs, and factors that make people different, yet similar.
C) It refers to the long-term appraisals of the worth of an idea, person, place, thing, or practice held by individuals, groups, or cultures.
D) It refers to the way that cultures view propriety of dress and conduct.

Question 26

People from polychronic societies tend to ________.

A) work toward long-term deadlines
B) take commitments seriously
C) adhere closely to plans
D) do one thing at a time

Question 27

If you use a term such as "honey" or "sugar" to address someone, it is your perception, not the customer's, which is the deciding factor of your actions.

Question 28

John works as a sales representative for Traveldesire.com, an online travel portal. He receives a call from a Russian customer, who is not fluent in English, inquiring about holiday packages. To best serve the customer's needs, John should ________.

A) assume that everyone has the same experiences and treat them accordingly.
B) listen patiently and try to understand the customer's meaning.
C) raise his voice to enhance better understanding and lay emphasis.
D) ask closed-end questions.

Question 29

You can always assume familiarity and call someone by his or her first name when addressing them.

Question 30

Which of the following best defines modesty?

A) It refers to the important concept of esteem in many Asian cultures.
B) It refers to the title used to address people.
C) It refers to how people of a given culture view property.
D) It refers to the way that cultures view propriety of dress and conduct.

Question 31

Which of the following strategies is suggested to help build strong interpersonal business relationships?

A) Assume a quicker familiarity with people from different cultures.
B) When you will be having ongoing contact or doing repeat business, follow the customer's lead.
C) Spend time in conversations strictly pertaining to business concerns or topics and avoid personal discourse.
D) Share confidential information about the organization in order to build trust and respect.

Question 32

A(n) ________ focuses on the need for service providers to build strong bonds with customers.

A) intimate relationship
B) interpersonal relationship
C) familial relationship
D) polychronic relationship

Question 33

Which of the following statements about gender roles is true?

A) Decision-making and authority are clearly established as female prerogatives within most cultures.
B) Gender roles are no longer evolving around the world.
C) Culturally and individually, people view the role of men and women differently.
D) When people leave a country, they also leave behind their cultural values and attitudes on gender norms.

Question 34

In most cases, customers who have disabilities want to be treated differently.

Question 35

To be effective in dealing with others, service providers should ________.

A) ignore the power of values and beliefs and treat everyone alike
B) think of their own value system as better than that of someone else
C) use negative feedback as needed and strive to adopt the beliefs of others
D) be open-minded and accept that someone else may have a different belief system

Question 36

Which of the following factors is learned or gained through our environment and life experiences?

A) Beliefs
B) Sibling birth order
C) Hair color
D) Physical condition

Question 37

Which of the following strategies should be adopted to effectively handle customers' expectations of privacy?

A) Adopt a gregarious attitude and speak freely to make the customer feel comfortable.
B) Avoid controversial topics that might be emotional hot buttons or sensitive.
C) Give in to every whim and request of the customer.
D) Avoid generating small talk about the weather or traffic.

Question 38

You should avoid technical terms, contractions, slang, or broken English when talking with non-native speakers.

Question 39

The ________ refers to a term coined by Tony Alessandra related to going beyond the step of treating customers the way you want to be treated, to the next level of treating them the way they would like to be treated.

A) Golden Rule
B) Polychronic Rule
C) Platinum Rule
D) Conflict Resolution Rule

Question 40

________ are groups in which members value themselves as separate from their group and responsible for their own destiny.

A) Collectivist cultures
B) Individualistic cultures
C) Ethnocentric culture
D) Polycentric cultures

Question 41

Which of the following strategies should be adopted to effectively help customers with vision disabilities?

A) Give vague information and directions.
B) When walking with someone who is blind, offer your arm.
C) Raise your voice while dealing with visually impaired customers.
D) Avoid introducing or referencing others who are in the room to eliminate confusion.

Question 42

List the basic guidelines for communicating effectively with diverse customers.

Question 43

When communicating with diverse customers, which of the following is a suggested strategy?

A) Add in lots of remarks and jokes
B) As a rule, use male-oriented personal pronouns
C) Verbally identify customers as "handicapped" or "disabled"
D) Be very careful when using gestures

Question 44

A ________ is a form of server software that allows nontechnical personnel to create and edit website pages using any web browser and without complex programming knowledge.

A) wiki
B) podcast
C) blog
D) cache

Question 45

List any three strategies to effectively serve customers with mobility or motion impairments.

Question 46

Daniel, a customer care executive at an e-commerce site, receives a complaint from an elderly customer regarding a mismatch in the product delivered to him. While dealing with this customer, Daniel should ________.

A) adopt a flippant approach if the customer is a bit arrogant, disoriented, or disrespectful.
B) be careful not to let biases about older people interfere with good service.
C) try to sound patronizing while addressing the customer's grievances.
D) treat the customer as if he or she is confused or disoriented

Question 47

Which of the following strategies should be adopted to communicate most effectively with diverse customers?

A) Use care with nonverbal cues.
B) Make sure that your language is exclusive.
C) Always address the customer using his or her first name.
D) Assume that everyone appreciates a good joke.

Question 48

Which of the following strategies should be used to effectively help customers with hearing disabilities?

A) Ensure you over exaggerate your mouth's movements so that the customer can see your mouth form words.
B) Interact with the customers by asking them closed-end questions for which the customer must provide descriptive answers.
C) Use facial expressions and gestures to emphasize key words or express thoughts.
D) Avoid speaking louder or reducing background noise as it might hurt the customer's feelings.

Question 49

List any five strategies for servicing customers with hearing disabilities.

Question 50

List any five strategies to effectively handle customers with language differences.

Question 51

Keith, a middle-aged sales representative at a sports apparel store, often encounters customers from Generation Y. Which of the following approaches should Keith adopt to serve these customers better?

A) He must adopt an informal approach and treat them as his own children.
B) He must adopt a flippant approach toward them.
C) He must strive to become overly familiar with them.
D) He must strive to cater to their wants and needs just like any other customer.

Question 52

A ________ is an online journal or diary that allows people to add content.

A) podcast
B) cache
C) blog
D) wiki

Question 53

James, a sales executive at an apparel store, encounters a German customer who does not speak English. The customer tries to communicate his needs to James. After interpreting the customer's needs, James is still seeking clarity to help understand the customer better. James should next try to ________.

A) adopt a flippant approach
B) paraphrase the customer's message
C) use humor and sarcasm
D) pretend to address the customer's needs

Question 54

Tom, a sales executive at an electronics store, is helping a Japanese customer who is not fluent in English and wishes to purchase a laptop. While attending to the customer, which of the following strategies should Tom employ?

A) He should speak louder for better clarity.
B) He should give the customer a lengthy explanation on the features and specifications of each laptop.
C) He should be extremely brisk in his approach to the customer.
D) He should continue to sport a smile whenever appropriate.

Question 55

What is the significance and purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)?