In the US, it is simply unrealistic to engage as a contact center services provider without having a solution to support Hispanic consumers. Today, ‘Press 2 for Spanish’ is now standard practice for enterprises large and small. But offering a Spanish-speaking option is only part of the equation. What counts is the team, strategy and locations needed to deliver first-rate service to Hispanic Americans, a crucial part of our country’s consumer segment.
I am very conscious of how important it is for a well-rounded contact center strategy to include servicing the Hispanic community. After all, I grew up and live in Miami, a city where more than two-thirds of the residents speak Spanish as their native tongue. But there are so many communities across the country where this same linguistic dynamic is happening, and business executives need to recognize and accommodate what is an amazing commercial opportunity.
According to a recent US Census estimate, there are about 57 million citizens that count themselves as Hispanic. Not only is this nearly 20% of the country’s population, it is roughly the same number of people that live in Canada and Australia combined. And this is not simply a volume play; household incomes among US Hispanics have been growing as well. The median annual household income for the Hispanic community was roughly $31,000 in 1999, but by 2015 it reached $45,000 per year. This is a jump of 47% in less than twenty years, affording members of this consumer segment with more disposable income for services and products of their choice. It goes without saying that enterprises across sectors will want to solidify their position among US Hispanic consumers.
But formulating a customer experience strategy designed for the US Hispanic community must be done thoughtfully. For example, according to data collected by Pew Research Center published in the last twelve months, members of the US Hispanic community are more likely to be accessing the internet from mobile devices than all other major demographics. Thus, accommodating customer support needs by way of mobility is essential. It is also important to employ agents that have fluency in both Spanish and English, given the truly bilingual nature of the US Hispanic community.
As CEO of Golden Gate BPO Solutions, I am proud of our engagement with the US Hispanic community. As a cross-industry provider of contact center services, Golden Gate BPO leverages a team of agents that have the language skills to provide service in Spanish and English, both onshore and nearshore, in particular from our site in Phoenix, Arizona and two sites in the Dominican Republic. Our customer experience professionals understand how to develop the right digital and voice strategies that ensure the best outcomes for Hispanic consumers, thereby winning loyalty and increasing share of wallet. With the current demographic shifts continuing to take place in the US, we believe Golden Gate BPO is the right partner and logical choice for those companies aiming to drive their positioning in the US Hispanic consumer segment.
Written by Stephen B. Ferber