A few years ago, two American expats in Jamaica related an account of a shopping trip they had taken to a Montego Bay mall.
They were particularly intrigued by a phrase they kept hearing each time they walked into a store.
“Yuh gettin tru?” is likely to be the first statements you’ll hear from help staff in a local establishment, whether it’s a retail store or a restaurant. Loosely translated “Are you being served?”, the phrase is quite familiar to Jamaicans, but often have foreigners scratching their heads in bewilderment. Though greeting customers in this manner is culturally acceptable to locals, it could pose a barrier to good service especially those for whom English is not their first language.
Employees working on the front line in customer service and particularly those in resort areas should be cognizant of the cultural barriers that may exist, and learn to modify their behaviours to maintain a standard of excellence. Replacing the greeting with “How may I help you?” is a simple way to start.
Other cultural barriers to service may include employees chatter in native tongue in the presence of customers, or unintentionally uttering phrases which in their culture would be considered offensive. If you work in a multicultural environment, do your research on what is culturally acceptable as it relates to basic customer interactions. Management should also sensitize employees to develop an awareness of cultural differences and how to bridge the gap to maintain service excellence.