“…The African immigrant community in the U.S. is expanding dramatically due to political, social, and economic factors. These African-born immigrants are the most highly educated segment of the immigrant community in the U.S. per the 2000 and 2010 United States Census. The African immigrants in the U.S. are also very industrious and thanks to this quality, coupled with their high educational levels, they control over $50 billion in purchasing power. A savvy business would then recognize that African immigrants’ customer-service expectations are important, especially those businesses located in the cities and communities where most African immigrants reside. Since U.S. trade with Africa is on the increase, many multinational companies have entered the African market. The identification of the customer-service expectations of the African customer is critical to the success of these multinational corporations.

The identification of the customer-service expectations of the African immigrants in the U.S. will give American companies ample and vital information that could help shape their customer service policies and strategies in their new market. This could be particularly important since research has shown that the cultural values and behavior of African immigrants in the U.S. do not change because of immigration. In effect, the African immigrant in the U.S. mirrors the African back home on the African continent. Thus, the customer-service expectations of the African immigrants in the U.S. could be said to be similar if not identical to those back home. American companies stand to gain financially and strategically if they can identify those customer-service expectations…”

culled from a soon to be published book “The Customer Service Expectations of African Immigrants in the United States.”

Dr. Ken Barnes is a Management Consultant with Specializations in Entrepreneurship and Business Management, Marketing and Human Capital Development.