Enhancing Customer Satisfaction in Cross-Cultural Tourism - Exploring the Impact of Employee Foreign Language Proficiency and Beyond -

In today's highly competitive business environment, enterprises are increasingly recognizing the significance of elevating customer satisfaction as a fundamental pillar for gaining a larger market share and sustaining their competitiveness. This becomes even more critical in the context of a globalized business market, where effective communication with international customers is essential to staying ahead. To delve into these dynamics, we conducted a survey using structural equation modeling. Our study focused on 251 Chinese tourists visiting Korea, aiming to investigate the factors influencing customer satisfaction. Interestingly, our findings challenged conventional wisdom. We discovered that while the communication skills of staff had a limited impact on customer satisfaction, the level of customer satisfaction was significantly higher when the staff demonstrated stronger foreign language proficiency. This research offers practical insights for businesses seeking to enhance customer satisfaction. Instead of solely emphasizing general communication skills, businesses should prioritize investing in improving the foreign language proficiency of their staff. By doing so, they can better cater to the needs of international customers and ultimately elevate customer satisfaction levels to gain a competitive edge in the market.