Dear Editor,

I have noticed in recent times that some occupations seem to have become staffed by people who are obviously not New Zealanders by birth. I am in no way racist and have no concerns whatever about a person’s origins or the colour of their skin. But what I do have concerns about is the ability for staff in frontline positions in any organisation to be able to understand what the customer is saying, and ensure that the customer understands them.

Photo by Berkeley Communications on Unsplash

This is particularly important in banks and insurance companies, where customers may often need to discuss in detail situations which may have legal connotations. The need for each to be able to fully and easily understand each other and respond accordingly should be a no-brainer. Yet often, customers are finding that they are leaving such encounters unsatisfied, or unsure whether they have got their intended message across. Call centres are another source of frustration. A long wait for a response is often met with a situation where the caller and staff member have difficulty understanding each other.

Is it unreasonable for a customer of any business to expect to be able to converse freely with a representative of that business?

regards

Rod Rowlands

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