Businesses are reaping the benefits of globalization with the internet facilitating greater access to different cultures, information, art, technology, and products. This landscape entails that businesses start operating on an international scale to remain competitive.

One way to enhance your globalization strategy is by investing in Mandarin Chinese customer service. For starters, about 1 in 6 people in the world speak Mandarin. That’s roughly 1.3 billion native speakers. Imagine how many customers you can reach simply by providing Mandarin multilingual support.

You may wonder, “Why isn’t English enough? Why should I invest in Mandarin Chinese-speaking customer service?”

Let’s navigate these questions together. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of speaking your customers’ language, why investing in Mandarin Chinese customer service is worth it, and how your business can tap into the lucrative Chinese market.

Whether you’re a small startup, a growing online store, or a well-established enterprise, investing in your customer service is essential. Statistics show that 66% of consumers are willing to spend more when a brand offers exceptional customer service—and this includes speaking the language of your target consumers.

One research study found that only 19% of organizations provide multilingual customer support. However, the same survey found that more than half (at least 60%) of consumers expect service in their native language!

This data proves a significant disconnect between the customer experience that businesses provide and what customers genuinely expect. By providing Mandarin Chinese customer service and other multilingual support, your brand will gain a significant competitive advantage while also meeting the needs of your target market.

One common challenge that businesses face when implementing their global expansion strategy is figuring out how to communicate with customers from foreign markets. Cultural differences—and more importantly, language barriers—must be taken into account when developing your international influence.

Consider this: How will you address your customers’ needs if you don’t understand what they are trying to tell you? Forcing a non-native-English speaker to speak in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable language will lead to miscommunication and frustration on both ends, likely driving potential buyers away.

The way to bridge the communication gap is to invest in multilingual support, such as Mandarin Chinese customer service. Your business’s long-term success and profitability depend on how well you can communicate a message to your target audience. By reaching your customers in a language they understand, you can establish trust and loyalty.

The internet has made it possible for business transactions to reach a global scale. In fact, more than a quarter of all revenue for Amazon sellers comes from cross-border purchases. This trend suggests that sales to customers from other countries is a lucrative business and will create a need for multilingual support like Mandarin Chinese-speaking customer service.

Now that you understand the importance of speaking your customers’ language in outsourcing, let us discuss specifically why the Chinese market is worth doing business with.

China is the world’s most populous country, with an estimated population of more than 1.4 billion in 2021, based on the latest United Nations data. Given the large number of Chinese people, the scale of consumer demand in China is also enormous.

According to Oxford Economics, China’s consumer market is likely to overtake America’s by the time 2034 comes in, setting to expand by 12% every year. The growing global power of the Chinese consumer presents a shift in spending patterns, meaning that their needs and preferences will impact the global economy.

Appealing to the Chinese market is now a must for businesses hoping for global expansion. And this means meeting the need for Mandarin multilingual support so that you can appeal to and communicate with Chinese consumers more efficiently.

Ever since China opened its economy to the world, the country became a hub for most of the world’s manufacturing processes. These economic opportunities led the country’s middle class to expand and created significant changes to their living standards and consumer behavior.

China’s working population (over 770.4 million people) is larger than that of Europe and the United States combined. For comparison, the working population in the U.S. is only about 146 million. 

Yet, despite this large number, only 11% are considered middle class. This data shows that there is great potential for Chinese consumers to continue growing wealth and gaining more purchasing power in the world economy.

A McKinsey analysis indicates that China’s middle-class population will only continue rising, potentially reaching 550 million in three years, surpassing the current U.S. population by more than one-and-a-half times. 

Various international businesses are trying to enter this enormous market. And one of the most effective ways to do this is by investing in Mandarin Chinese customer service support. 

Language localization can add the human touch that customers crave. By identifying the needs of the Chinese middle class and speaking to them in the language they prefer, brands can tap into this massive market and cash in.

Industry analysts have observed a rapid growth in China’s e-commerce market, valued at nearly $2.1 trillion, which is more than three times the entire European e-commerce market. International businesses can maximize this to their advantage, utilizing e-commerce sites that provide Mandarin multilingual support to attract more Chinese consumers.

There has also been a rise in the shipping of goods. Shipping rates grew 10 times in 10 years, from 1 billion packages in 2004 to 10 billion in 2014. 

The key takeaway here is that the Chinese market is a gold mine for international e-commerce and cross-border shipping. Businesses can align their offerings to the needs of these consumers and establish exceptional communication with help from Mandarin Chinese customer service. If this happens, there is an excellent opportunity for business expansion and growth.

Businesses attempting to enter foreign markets like China may face challenges in their expansion goals. For brands that wish to tap into this massive and lucrative market, here are a few trends to consider and maximize:

Even before the pandemic, China has been among the leaders in digitization. According to a 2021 McKinsey China Consumer Report, the country accounts for about 45% of e-commerce transactions globally. 

The COVID-19 crisis only accelerated China’s use of digital technologies for commerce. The same McKinsey report found that 55% of Chinese consumers plan to continue buying online after the pandemic ends.

Businesses must improve their e-commerce strategies, including investing in Mandarin Chinese customer service to keep up with this market. Companies who wish to tap into this market must continue enhancing their brand’s online presence in the country by appealing to their audience’s specific culture and language.

Following the latest popular trend is not going to be enough for brands that want to enter China. Based on a study by Deloitte, here the top reasons why Chinese consumers abandon brands:

• 81% said that they left a brand when they felt that the design no longer suited them
• 73% reported the unsatisfying quality of their chosen brand
• 65% cited that the brand’s image is not what they’re looking for

This data shows that Chinese consumers prefer quality products and pay attention to design innovation and brand image. Since there is a wealth of brands for consumers to choose from, a business that wants to enter the Chinese market must continually provide something new.

Offering diverse options is key to standing out in the Chinese market, a stakeholder of a multinational retailer group in China told Deloitte. New brands that come in with a narrowly focused business approach will likely not find much success, the leader added. 

To figure out what different choices Chinese consumers want to see, invest in Mandarin multilingual support. This approach can help you better understand what your target consumers expect of you and help you improve the offerings of your business.

China has a very affluent younger generation due to the economic boom that expanded their middle-class population. Maximizing profit in the Chinese market also means appealing to the needs of this demographic. 

A McKinsey survey found that more than 70% of younger Chinese consumers want to spend their money on safe and eco-friendly products. Consider this preference when entering the Chinese market. By opting for Mandarin Chinese customer service, you can communicate more effectively with the younger generation and figure out what other trends would persuade them to buy more.

Setting up a Mandarin multilingual support service in-house can be challenging, especially if no one in your current team is well-versed in the language and culture. Thankfully, by working with a reliable outsourced team, you can provide the Mandarin Chinese customer service your target market needs without the high costs associated with training an in-house team.

SuperStaff BPO offers a variety of multi-language customer support services, including Mandarin. You can trust our established multilingual call center to provide the resources, skilled workforce, and culture-specific expertise required to help you break into the lucrative Chinese market. Reach out to learn more about our Mandarin Chinese customer service!