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overcome. You, the customer,
customer may cause the barrier.
or both you and the
Overcoming Cultural Differences
Persons for whom English is a second language
often have difficulty with pronunciation and sentence
structure. English is considered one of the most difficult
languages to learn. Words that sound alike have
completely different spellings and meanings, and words
with similar spellings are pronounced differently. You
cannot change the language, but you can overcome the
barrier.
First you must listen with CARE and be sure that
you know the nature of the need or problem; show an
honest concern for what is being said. Then, carefully
phrase your questions, using relatively simple words;
ask only one thing at a time. By first determining the
nature of the problem, you will be able ask questions to
gain additional information.
The customer who has difficulty speaking English
also may have trouble understanding it. When the
customer has difficulty understanding, speak more
distinctly and more slowy. Watch the person’s facial
expressions for signs of misunderstanding.
Overcoming Physical Problems
Speech impediments, such as stuttering or lisping,
also cause misunderstanding. We did not list speech
problems in our discussion of causes for adverse
reactions. However, in some instances they may cause
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