Interactions with clients - Useful tips

amansundar · #1 (**permalink**) 03-30-2008, 08:29 PM

Do not write "the same" in an email - it makes little sense to them

Example - I will try to organize the project artifacts and inform you of the same when it is done.
This is somewhat an Indian construct. It is better written simply as:
I will try to organize the project artifacts and inform you when that is done

satheesh · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2008, 08:32 PM

Do not say "Pardon" when you want someone to repeat what they said. The word "Pardon" is unusual for them and is somewhat formal.

shaalini · #3 (**permalink**) 03-30-2008, 08:34 PM

The term "regard" is not used much in American English. They usually do not say "regarding this issue" or "with regard to this".
Simply use, "about this issue".

shaalini · #4 (**permalink**) 03-30-2008, 08:36 PM

Americans do not understand most of the Indian accent immediately - They only understand 75% of what we speak and then interpret the rest. Therefore try not to use shortcut terms such as "Can't" or "Don't". Use the expanded "Cannot" or "Do not".

amansundar · #5 (**permalink**) 03-30-2008, 08:36 PM

Do not write or say, "I have some doubts on this issue"
The term "Doubt" is used in the sense of doubting someone - we use this term because in Indian languages, the word for a "doubt"

and a "question" is the same.
The correct usage (for clients) is:
I have a few questions on this issue

amansundar · #6 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:41 PM

Do not use the term "screwed up" liberally

If a situation is not good, it is better to say, "The situation is messed up". Do not use slang while interupting with clients...

amansundar · #7 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:43 PM

DO NOT interrupt a client when they are speaking

As a general matter of form, Indians interrupt each other constantly in meetings - DO NOT interrupt a client when they are speaking.

Over the phone, there could be delays - but wait for a short time before responding.

amansundar · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:44 PM

use proper punctuation

In email communications, use proper punctuation. To explain something, without breaking your flow, use semicolons, hyphens or

paranthesis.. As an example:
You have entered a new bug (the popup not showing up) in the defect tracking system; we could not reproduce it - although,
a screenshot would help.
Notice that a reference to the actual bug is added in paranthesis so that the sentence flow is not broken. Break a long sentence
using such punctuation.

shaalini · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:45 PM

The usages "September End", "Month End", "Day End" are not understood well by Americans. They use these as "End of September", "End of Month" or "End of Day".

shaalini · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:46 PM

Americans have weird conventions for time - when they say the time is "Quarter Of One", they mean the time is 1:15. Better to ask them the exact time.

amansundar · #11 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:49 PM

Avoid using "understand"
When explaining some complex issue, stop occasionally and ask "Does that make sense?". This is preferrable than "Do you understand me?"

amansundar · #12 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:52 PM

Mail and Email

In American English, a mail is a posted letter. An email is electronic mail.

When you say "I mailed the information to you", it means you sent an actual letter or package through the postal system.
The correct usage is: "I emailed the information to you"

shaalini · #13 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 03:30 AM

To “prepone” an appointment is an Indian usage. There is no actual word called prepone. You can “advance” an appointment.

shaalini · #14 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 03:31 AM

In the term “N-tier Architecture” or “3-tier Architecture”, the word “tier” is NOT pronounced as “Tire”. I have seen many people pronounce it this way. The correct pronunciation is “tea-yar”. The “ti” is pronounced as “tea”.

shaalini · #15 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 03:32 AM

The usages “September End”, “Month End”, “Day End” are not understood well by Americans. They use these as “End of September”, “End of Month” or “End of Day”.

shaalini · #16 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 03:33 AM

Americans have weird conventions for time - when they say the time is “Quarter Of One”, they mean the time is 1:15. Better to ask them the exact time.

shaalini · #17 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 08:40 PM

Indians commonly use the terms "Today Evening", "Today Night". These are not correct; "Today" means "This Day" where the Day stands

for Daytime. Therefore "Today Night" is confusing. The correct usages are: "This Evening", "Tonight".
That applies for "Yesterday Night" and "Yesterday Evening". The correct usages are: "Last Night" and "Last Evening".

shaalini · #18 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 08:42 PM

When Americans want to know the time, it is usual for them to say, "Do you have the time?". Which makes no sense to an indian.

shaalini · #19 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 08:43 PM

There is no word called "Updation". You update somebody. You wait for updates to happen to the database. Avoid saying "Updation".

shaalini · #20 (**permalink**) 04-02-2008, 08:43 PM

When you talk with someone for the first time, refer to them as they refer to you - in America, the first conversation usually starts by

using the first name. Therefore you can use the first name of a client. Do not say "Sir". Do not call women "Madam".

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