Dear Ali: I enjoyed your recent interview on CNN. Is business conducted as usual during Ramadan in the UAE? Or is it best to postpone it to the evenings or after Ramadan? Edison, London
Dear Edison: Ramadan working hours are from 9am till 3pm, so this is different to the regular timings of the year which are from 8am till 4 or 5pm. But despite that, business is business, and it is conducted throughout the whole year.
The UAE functions just like all major international business locations in the world – in fact, you will find longer working hours in the UAE than in America or the United Kingdom. For example, we have banks opening till late in the evening, also shopping malls don’t close before 11pm. And during Ramadan, things just turn around and we all function more in the evening than in the afternoon, since all social life begins after we break the fast around sunset time, which also means that we discuss business alongside such things as the World Cup.
Dear Ali: I work in the customer services industry and want to know what is the best way of handling customers' complaints here in the UAE. Are there any cultural norms? H S, Sharjah
Dear HS: Thank you for this important question. I think everyone will agree that in a multicultural city such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi, attitude can become a core issue in gaining a customer's trust and respect.
Regarding the UAE in general, you may know that in previous times people who lived in this demanding desert environment applied strict and high moral standards to relationships between people that protected the nation from any kind of dishonour.
Since that time, people have shown respect to each other in everyday talk and behaviour. Up to the present day, these are our standards and norms. We have certain ways of talking to each other such as controlling the timbre of the voice or the lexicon used. As an example, we never raise our voice to our elders or use bad language in public. This is particularly important to know when dealing with a superior, or a customer who by default expects to receive your total respect.
Here are a few tips for you to follow every time you have a complaining customer at your workplace. First of all, never raise your voice but talk nicely in a wise way. We love it and it makes us relax in the time of stress and think about the global reasons for everything. Mention God’s will and His blessing. “Inshallah” (God willing) is a great word and a positive one to use with the right tone and place in your conversation.
Secondly, be courteous, offer the person a seat and serve some water, coffee or tea. In our culture we believe that once someone is angry this person should change his position, for example if he was standing he should sit, if he was sitting then he should stand – this will lower the temper and change the bad mood. Even if your customer refuses your treats, keep everything next to him so he will feel that he is welcomed and respected.
And last but not least, be attentive and listen to all that this person says. Don’t argue; rather, show understanding and empathy. If there is a mistake on your part or your company’s, don’t deny these faults but try in an honest and proper way to explain the reasons why the problem could have happened. The person may accept and understand it just because you are nice to him. When talking, always keep calm and be peaceful.
To conclude, I would like to add that we are a kind nation and our relations are based on love and respect. Keep all this in your heart and mind and you will always have your customers’ trust even if you can’t do anything else for them.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.
