In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Citizens Energy Group proudly recognizes the vital role our bilingual customer service representatives play in serving our diverse community. With a team of 20 English/Spanish bilingual reps, we are committed to ensuring language is never a barrier to essential services. In July alone, we received more than 5,000 Spanish-language calls, accounting for roughly 10 percent of our total call volume. The vast majority of these calls were handled directly by our bilingual staff, demonstrating our dedication to culturally responsive and inclusive customer care. This month, and every month, we honor the contributions of our Hispanic and Latino communities and reaffirm our commitment to equitable access for all. We spoke with Jose Garrido Iniguez, Customer Support Specialist I, to learn more about how Citizens is delivering an inclusive customer experience:
How has your cultural heritage shaped your approach to customer service?
Over the course of my career based in customer service, I’ve come across numerous instances where customers of Hispanic heritage relied on external resources in fear of having to ask for assistance, potentially leaving them misinformed or uneducated on certain procedures. I’ve seen such scenarios almost play out in person during my time assisting at local resource fairs, although thankfully I was able to clear up misinformation and educate the customer. I empathize with them. Therefore, I strive my best to provide them the smoothest customer service in return.
How do you think being bilingual enhances the customer experience?
Most of the time, information we may take for granted is unfortunately not so easily accessible to foreign language speakers. Now envision that same statement but apply it to one’s daily life—this is only one of many barriers. Customer service roles should put forth the necessary time, effort, and resources into being able to assist all customers respectfully and equally, making sure everyone is seen and represented.
What advice would you give to young bilingual professionals entering the workforce?
We live in a rapidly growing world. If we wish to continue developing as a society, it's important for us to ensure that a steady form of communication and understanding always remains accessible, especially for diverse communities. Being bilingual has provided me opportunities I don’t believe I would’ve seen otherwise. It truly is a strength, so I encourage young bilingual professionals to continue honing their strengths, developing new ones, and putting themselves out there in hopes of developing themselves professionally.
About Citizens Energy Group
Citizens Energy Group provides safe and reliable utility services to about 900,000 people in the Indianapolis area. Citizens operates its utilities for the benefit of customers and the community.
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