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For a global business, the ability to effectively communicate across cultural and language boundaries isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s absolutely critical. As your business expands into new markets, you face the challenge of connecting with customers who speak different languages and have different cultural expectations. 

According to a study by Common Sense Advisory, 76% of consumers prefer to buy products in their native language, while 40% of non-English speakers rarely or never buy from English-only websites. These results clearly demonstrate the critical importance of developing a multi-lingual capability if your business wants to succeed overseas. 

This is why TMJ, a pioneer in the Japanese Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry and a specialist in helping global brands thrive in the Japanese market, has developed a comprehensive strategy to provide seamless multi-lingual support.  

Overcoming the Challenges of Multi-lingual Customer Service 

Multilingual customer service goes well beyond translating words from one language to another. It requires a deep understanding of cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and different communication styles.  

Take, for instance, the concept of "omotenashi" in Japanese culture. Often translated simply as "hospitality," omotenashi goes far beyond what most Westerners might expect from customer service. It's about anticipating needs before they're expressed, paying meticulous attention to detail, and genuinely caring for the customer's experience.  

This can differ significantly from the more transactional approach often seen in Western countries. TMJ's staff are trained to embody this principle, ensuring that customer interactions meet the high standards expected in the Japanese market. 

The localization of customer service, marketing and sales communications is a vital part of succeeding in the Japanese (or any overseas) market. This goes beyond simple translation and should include adapting tone, style, and the communication medium to align with the target market’s preferences. For example, while email might be the preferred method of business communication in many Western countries, in Japan, a phone call or even an in-person visit might be more appropriate for certain types of interactions. 

Another crucial aspect of Japanese communication is using "keigo," or honorific language. In Japanese customer service, the appropriate use of keigo is non-negotiable. It's a complex system of linguistic respect that can make or break a customer interaction.  

This isn't limited to Japan. Communication styles vary across cultures. Whether it's the direct communication preferred in many Western countries or the more indirect approach common in many Asian cultures, we adapt our service style to meet the expectations of each market. 

TMJ operates out of Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan's historic gateway to the West. We have built a team of professionals fluent in Japanese and English as well as other regional languages, including Chinese, Korean and Tagalog. This capability extends beyond customer-facing and contact center roles to permeate the entire organization. This way, we ensure seamless communication at all levels of our interactions with clients and their customers. 

Multi-Lingual Recruitment and Training 

We employ rigorous language testing during our recruitment process to ensure customer-facing and management staff possess the language skills and cultural understanding necessary to handle complex cross-cultural interactions. 

The recruitment process includes: 

1. Comprehensive language proficiency assessments in both Japanese and English (or whatever language is required) 
   
2. Cultural awareness evaluations 
   
3. Industry-specific knowledge tests 
   
4. Situational judgment tests to assess problem-solving skills in multi-lingual contexts 
   

Once onboard, TMJ staff take part in continuous training and development. This isn't just about maintaining language skills—although that's certainly part of it. Our training programs cover everything from cultural sensitivity to industry-specific terminology, ensuring that staff are always up-to-date with the latest trends and expectations: 

1. Industry-specific terminology training 
   
2. Cultural sensitivity workshops 
   
3. Ongoing language proficiency assessments 
   
4. Training in Japanese business etiquette and communication styles 
   
5. Role-playing exercises to practice handling complex multi-lingual customer interactions 
   
6. Regular updates on cultural trends and changes in language use 
   

This comprehensive approach ensures that our multi-lingual staff can smoothly handle various customer service scenarios, from technical support to high-touch luxury brand interactions. 

Leveraging Technology for Multi-lingual Support 

While the human touch is at the core of everything TMJ does, we leverage advanced technologies to enhance our multi-lingual capabilities.  

Technologies to translate communications from one language to another are primarily based on Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) and increasingly include Large Language Model AIs. TMJ is increasingly making use of the following tools to deliver multi-lingual support at scale and provide self-service support in multiple languages: 

Machine Translation (MT): MT uses AI to automatically translate text between languages without direct human involvement. Modern approaches primarily use neural machine translation (NMT), which employs deep learning to process and generate translations. NMT is currently considered the most advanced form of MT, surpassing earlier rule-based and statistical models in accuracy and fluency by analyzing large datasets of human translations. However, all of these approaches can still struggle with context, idiomatic expressions, and specialized terminology​ , so we ensure humans always remain in the loop for quality control and continuous training of the AI model. 

Accent Neutralization AI: AI for accent neutralization typically works through speech-to-speech technology. It converts spoken language into text, processes the accent, and re-synthesizes the speech in a more neutral accent. Machine learning allows the system to improve by adapting to various accents and speech patterns. Some applications offer customizable voice avatars for professional use, often with a neutral or regional accent. 

Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools: CAT tools do not fully automate translation but assist human translators. They use features like translation memories (which store past translations for reuse) and glossaries to ensure consistency and speed up translation projects. These tools increase efficiency but require human intervention, particularly for quality control​. Our native-speaker human translators use tools like these to help them translate FAQs and other support documentation, which are used in knowledge systems to support customer service advisors and in self-service systems accessed by customers. 

Real-Time Translation Solutions: These solutions provide near-instant translations for spoken or written content, enabling immediate communication across languages. They are often integrated into live chats, customer service platforms, or meetings and combine machine translation with speech recognition for real-time interaction​. 

Large Language Models 

The technology behind the latest AI chatbots, such as Chat GPT and Google’s Gemini, is having a big impact on contact centers across the globe and how we deliver CX. For multi-lingual projects, TMJ is implementing LLM technology in multiple ways: 

Self-service through multilingual chatbots: LLMs and conversational AI enable self-service by providing real-time translation and multilingual chatbots that respond to customer queries across different languages. These bots offer 24/7 support for basic inquiries and troubleshooting without human intervention​. 

Supporting human agents: LLMs assist human agents by offering real-time translation suggestions and cultural context, helping agents communicate more effectively with customers in various languages​. 

Behind-the-scenes efficiency: AI enhances operational efficiency by automatically detecting languages, routing queries to the right support channels, performing sentiment analysis across languages, and continuously improving its capabilities through machine learning​. 

The Human Touch 

TMJ’s approach is to always balance technological solutions with human expertise. The personal touch is crucial to many of our clients’ high-value brands and the Japanese market in general, so we ensure this never gets lost. Our hybrid approach allows us to offer efficient, scalable, multi-lingual support while maintaining the high level of personalization and cultural sensitivity that our clients and their customers expect.