Question: Universal's customer service training program - First Class Service ( FCS ) - had a phenomenal reputation with dozens of Fortune 5 0 0 companies

Universal's customer service training program-First Class Service (FCS)-had a phenomenal reputation with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and several global implementations to its credit. It was designed to be delivered in three days with average class sizes of 10 to 12 employees. It was a logical choice for National, which was eager to get the program rolling.
Kathy asked to lead the cultural adaptation team, working with a translator in Johannesburg to translate FCS into Afrikaans (although she had been told by the account manager that most of National's employees spoke very good English). She anticipated that most of the group activities within the program would remain the same-that was what National's buyers had seen at the demonstration. She set up the first of what she thought would be several conference calls with the translator and looked forward to another successful project.
However, the first call brought things to a dramatic halt. As Kathy and the translator got to know each other, the translator asked how much Kathy knew about the South African culture. Kathy had been doing some extensive research on the web after she had been assigned to the project, and she did her best to dazzle the translator with her knowledge. Then the translator asked a question that stumped Kathy: "Why are you only translating this into Afrikaans? Did you know there are 11 national languages in South Africa and that not recognizing those languages is considered to be a social blunder?"
The translator went on to describe how in many formal presentations (such as the training events Universal was planning to roll out in all National's regional offices over the next six months), it was considered rude not to recognize all the nationalities present in the room-particularly in group activities.
Kathy started to panic. How was she supposed to turn an American three-day program into a South African three-day program that allows time to recognize 11 languages and nationalities in the group exercises?
1. What is the right thing to do here?
2. Why shouldn't National just deliver the American version of CFS? If it works here, it should work there.
3. Which stakeholders will be affected by Kathy's decision?
4. What are her options here?
Universal's customer service training program -

Step by Step Solution

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Students Have Also Explored These Related General Management Questions!