How language barriers impact customer retention rates — and what you can do about it!
Language barriers can significantly impact customer retention rates, often in ways businesses might underestimate.
It’s been long established that customers prefer to shop in their own language — studies report customer concern about misunderstanding product features, pricing, or support instructions. And if they do encounter a problem with the product — if customers can’t communicate easily with support staff, their issues may take longer to resolve or go unresolved entirely. There is also the issue of brand perception: if customers feel their language is not acknowledged or valued, they may feel that their business is unimportant to you.
In marketing, language barriers can lead to missed engagement opportunities: language barriers can prevent companies from engaging effectively through personalised marketing, loyalty programs, or feedback channels.
Furthermore, dissatisfied customers are likely to share their experiences, especially if they feel ignored or misunderstood due to language issues, which can hurt brand reputation and retention. And don’t forget, your competitors who offer multilingual support or localise their services can more easily capture and retain these customers.
Ultimately, if the buying experience is frustrating due to communication issues, customers are more likely to move on, even if the product itself is good.
Companies can mitigate these issues by offering:
- Multilingual Support Staff or AI Chatbots
- Localized Content (websites, emails, support documents)
- Clear, Visual Instructions to bridge gaps
- Feedback Collection in customers’ native languages
Multilingual Customer Support and Marketing
Hiring native-speaking, on-the-ground, support staff for your key markets is an excellent investment. Alternatively, there are AI Chatbots that have multilingual capabilities — some can handle 10+ languages. Lastly, offering email support in popular customer languages is a must.
When marketing, segmenting your email lists or ad campaigns by language preference and region, will ensure potential customers feel seen and valued. Offering promotions tailored to holidays or events in that region, will encourage customers to perceive you as a ‘local brand.
Online, User Experience (UX) Matters
Make sure your website or app auto-detects language, or allows easy switching between language sites. Make sure you localise buttons, all menus and error messages. Multilingual checkout processes are critical for reducing cart abandonment! In short, a smooth user experience reduces friction, and encourages users stick around longer, and hopefully bookmark your site to return later!
Collect Feedback and Build Community
Use surveys, reviews, or NPS tools that support multiple languages, so you can ask for feedback in the customers’ native language. Show you’re acting on their input! Involving customers in improvements shows respect, builds loyalty, and creates brand advocates.
Creating localised social media channels or forums will encourage community interaction — think Facebook Groups, Discord servers, etc. Loyal customers create peer support, which reduces churn and amplifies engagement.
Real life examples — brands that nailed it!
1. Airbnb: Hyper-Localized Experiences
What They Did:
- Translated their platform into 62+ languages.
- Localised everything, including: listings, user reviews, customer support and local payment methods and currencies
- Ran region-specific marketing campaigns with culturally relevant messaging.
Results:
- Massive global growth with strong repeat booking rates, especially in non-English-speaking markets like Japan, France, and Brazil.
- Customers reported higher trust and satisfaction due to localized content and support.
2. Shopify: Supporting Global Entrepreneurs
What They Did:
- Offered their e-commerce platform in 20+ languages.
- Localised: Onboarding tutorials, support articles, and their help centre
- Enabled localized payment gateways and tax calculations.
- Introduced multilingual customer support teams.
Results:
- Huge retention boost in emerging markets (e.g., Latin America, Southeast Asia).
- Entrepreneurs felt empowered to stay on the platform longer due to better comprehension and support.
3. Netflix: Personalized, Multilingual Content
What They Did:
- Offered multilingual interfaces and audio/subtitle options in 30+ languages.
- Invested in original content for different regions (e.g., “Money Heist” in Spanish, “Sacred Games” in Hindi).
- Localized marketing with regional trends, slang, and humor.
Results:
- Retention skyrocketed in regions like India, South Korea, and Spain.
- Localized content led to binge habits—keeping subscribers on the platform.
- “Money Heist” alone drove millions of new subscribers globally.
4. IKEA: Customer Support and Product Localisation
What They Did:
- Localised product names, instructions, and websites.
- Offered multilingual customer support in stores and online.
- Adjusted product sizes and designs based on regional preferences (e.g., smaller furniture for apartments in Tokyo).
Results:
- Consistently high customer satisfaction scores across different countries.
- Repeat purchases increased as customers felt understood and supported.
Key Takeaways
Supporting customers in their language helps them to get what they need from you — so they stick with you. When people see your company and your product as being for them, they don’t just stay — they recommend you to others! Language plus cultural adaptation creates loyalty and drives sales.
