Email responses reveal cultural differences in customer service communication styles
The study compared how English and German customer service emails differ in style and use of pronouns. English emails are more people-focused, while German emails are more content-focused. Both languages use similar structures, but German emails use more "we" references. In some cases, agents use "I" pronouns to apologize, showing a shift in identity. Overall, German agents use more "we" references than British agents, and they sometimes distance themselves from the company within the same email.