Bloomingdale's Customer Service Reaches Abroad

Case A14: Bloomingdale's Customer Service Reaches Abroad

Language barriers are indeed a unique need for many international consumers. There are over 200 different languages spoken world wide, and within the diverse nations around the world, there are at least two or more official languages spoken. Bloomingdale's has done an awesome job with catering to the specific needs of their foreign consumers, by introducing an international services desk to help ease the shopping experience of these particular patrons. Catering to the vast numbers of international cultures is also a special need for foreign consumers; It is best to have a personnel on staff who not only speaks the language of the international consumer, but a personnel who also understands the lifestyle and behavior standard that make up the culture of the consumer. Bloomingdale's international service desk is a reliable source for helping international consumers seek information; but this particular source may not do a great job at making the shopping experience more personal, hence hiring foreign personnel's that understands the cultural of the international consumers could enhance the shopping experience for these individuals, by allowing the patrons to feel comfortable as they make purchase decisions. Currency exchanges are available for most tourists at hotels and in town tourist information desks, but if Bloomingdale's incorporated currency exchange in the store it would make the experience more convenient for the actual foreign consumer. Bloomingdales could also offer miniature hand books located at the international service desk that gives the consumer about the taxes since they vary in different countries. All this information provided could also be beneficial for Bloomingdales online international shoppers, by introducing a live online chat service, which would give the consumer insight on products and purchases.

The rapid growth in technology has allowed an opportunity for merchants to tap into larger market sectors. Social media has indeed made the world a smaller place; we are able to easily connect with people all over the world. This speedy growth in technology has created a more innovative society, leading people all over to become more adaptive to the unique lifestyles of others in different regions; which has also lead to global expansions. International markets are definitely an attractive market to pursue, with the help of the Internet / technology almost anything is obtainable, especially when it comes to the retail market. Bloomingdales is defiantly on the right track with their mission to increase an international customer base. When targeting international consumers, Bloomingdales should be aware that consumer's needs could depend on their nationality. Nationality may not necessarily be a major issue all the time; but it is clearly a factor that could possibly come into place. As stated earlier