Providing a good quality Customer Care has become vital for companies in order to succeed on the market and differ from competitors. Running call center is example of the service which companies offer to customers. However, in many cases companies distinguish running call centers as extra expenditure and as such in some cases outsource/offshore those to lower labor rate countries. As a result, Customer Care is regularly provided by non-local speakers.

The aim of this thesis was to determine whether customers perceive service in a different manner hearing that employee is not a local speaker. Additionally, study examined which non-local speech characteristics are important for the service quality perception. Besides that, study looked for differences in the service quality perception between respondents under 30 years (so called Generation Y) and older respondents.

Theoretical framework focused on three core areas – call center specifics, the service quality perception and the role of language in call centers in particular. Literature review helped to summarize factors characterizing non-local speech (accent, vocabulary, rhythm of speech, cognitive language frame and syntax) and determine suitable measure item scale for empirical part.

The empirical study consisted of the pilot study and consequent survey study. Pilot study was based on customers´ and Customer Care representatives´ interviews. All Customer Care representatives had experience with conducting calls in their non-local language(s). Based on the pilot study, hypotheses were formed and consequently tested by survey realized in two countries, Taiwan and Philippines. Questionnaires with imaginary scenarios were used to gain data.

A series of analyses on evaluating the measures as well as the testing of the hypotheses will be processed following the procedure of data collection.

Providing a good quality Customer Care has become vital for companies in order to succeed on the market and differ from competitors. Running call center is example of the service which companies offer to customers. However, in many cases companies distinguish running call centers as extra expenditure and as such in some cases outsource/offshore those to lower labor rate countries. As a result, Customer Care is regularly provided by non-local speakers.

The aim of this thesis was to determine whether customers perceive service in a different manner hearing that employee is not a local speaker. Additionally, study examined which non-local speech characteristics are important for the service quality perception. Besides that, study looked for differences in the service quality perception between respondents under 30 years (so called Generation Y) and older respondents.

Theoretical framework focused on three core areas – call center specifics, the service quality perception and the role of language in call centers in particular. Literature review helped to summarize factors characterizing non-local speech (accent, vocabulary, rhythm of speech, cognitive language frame and syntax) and determine suitable measure item scale for empirical part.

The empirical study consisted of the pilot study and consequent survey study. Pilot study was based on customers´ and Customer Care representatives´ interviews. All Customer Care representatives had experience with conducting calls in their non-local language(s). Based on the pilot study, hypotheses were formed and consequently tested by survey realized in two countries, Taiwan and Philippines. Questionnaires with imaginary scenarios were used to gain data.

A series of analyses on evaluating the measures as well as the testing of the hypotheses will be processed following the procedure of data collection.

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