Best Practice

Copyright 2012 Tata Consultancy Services

Limited

Title

Domain/ Service/ Technology /Geo: Telecom

Name of the Project/Support Fn: CTL NIT HICAP MNT CHN
Name of the Author: Anitha S (256421)
Date Created: 23-08-2012

How we did it
Process Adopted

Indian Context

International Clients
Context

Do not write "the same"

in an email - it makes
little sense to them.

It is better written simply

as::

Example:
I will try to organize the
project
requirements
and inform you of the
same when it is done

Example:
I will try to organize the
project
requirements
and inform you when
that is done
3

Indian Context
Do not write or say, "I
have some doubts on
this
issue"
We use this term because in
Indian context
the
word for
"doubt and a "question" is the
same.

Example:
I have some doubts on
this issue.

International Clients
Context
The term "Doubt" is
used in the sense of
doubting someone The
correct
usage
(for
clients)
is:
Example:
I have few questions
on this issue.
4

Indian Context
The term "regard" is
not used much in
American English.
Example:
I feel its important we
have a talk with Laurie,
regarding this issue

International Clients
Context
They usually do not say
"regarding this issue" or
"with regard to this".
Simply use, "about this
issue".
Example:
I feel its important we
have a talk with Laurie
about this issue
5

Indian Context
Do not say "Pardon"
when
you
want
someone to repeat what
they said..

International Clients
Context
The word Pardon is
unusual for them and is
somewhat
formal.
Therefore you can use
kindly
repeat
,"excuse me, I didn't
catch that" or "sorry,
can you say that
again?".
Just
"sorry?" works too.
6

Indian Context
Americans
do
not
understand most of the
Indian
accent
immediately.
Therefore try not to
use shortcut terms
such as "Can't" or
"Don't".

International Clients
Context
They only understand
75% of what we speak
and then interpret the
rest.
Use
the
expanded
"Cannot" or "Do not".

Indian Context
Do not use the term
"screwed up" liberally.
If a situation is not good,
Do not use words such
as "shucks or "pissed
off".

International Clients
Context
It is better to say:
Example:
"The
situation
messed up".

is

International Clients Context

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.

International Clients Context

When explaining some complex issue, stop
occasionally
and
ask
"Does
that
make sense?".
This is preferable than "Did you understand me?"

10

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

International Clients
Context
Example:
You have entered a new bug
(Address not displayed) in the
defect

tracker;

we

could

not

reproduce it although, a screen

shot would help.
Kindly notice that a reference to the
actual bug is added in parenthesis so
that the sentence flow is not broken.
Break a long sentence using such
punctuation.

11

Indian Context
When you say,
"I have mailed the
information to you", it
means youve sent an
actual letter or package
through
the
postal
system.

International Clients
Context
In American English, a
mail is a posted letter. An
email is electronic mail.
Example:
"I have emailed
information to you"

the

12

Indian Context
To
"prepone"
an
appointment is an Indian
usage.
Example:
It would be great if you
the
could prepone
discussion.

International Clients
Context
There is no actual word
called prepone.
You can "advance"
an appointment
Example:
It would be great if you
could
schedule
the
discussion in advance
.
13

Indian Context
In

the

term

International Clients
Context
"N-tier

Architecture" or "3-tier
Architecture", the word
"tier"

is

NOT

pronounced as "Tyre".

The correct pronunciation

is "tea-yar".
The "ti" is pronounced
as "tea".
.

14

Indian Context
The usages
"September End",
"Month End", "Day
End" are not
understood well by
Americans.

International Clients
Context
They use these as
"End of September",
"End of Month or
"End of Day".
.

15

Indian Context

International Clients
Context

We commonly use the

terms
"Today Evening"
"Today Night"
"Yesterday Night
"Yesterday Evening".

The correct usages are:

"This Evening",
"Tonight
"Last Night
"Last Evening".
.

16

Indian Context
There is no word called
"Updation".
It
is
occasionally used in
India despite the fact
that it has no set
meaning.
Example:
The following updation
are done in the code.

International Clients
Context
Example:
The following are the
updates in the code.
The following lines are
updated in the
code. etc
.
17

Indian Context
Do not say "Sir".
Do not call women
"Madam".

International Clients
Context
When you talk to 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.
.
18

International Clients Context

It is usual convention
(particularly
technical)
abbreviations,

in

initial emails
to
expand

Example:
We are planning to use the Java API For
Registry (JAXR)
After mentioning the expanded form once,
subsequently you can use the abbreviation.
19

International Clients Context

Make sure you always have a subject in your
emails and that the subject is relevant.
Do not use a subject line such as HI .

20

International Clients Context

Avoid the usage of the word Can/Will.
This word questions the listener of his ability to do
something.

Alternately use the word Could/Would or

better still May. This is a polite way of
requesting.
It also avoids questioning the ability as the listener is
given an alternative and does not have an authoritative

21

International Clients Context

Do not use the word But, as this word is always
used to give negative news.
Use the word However, as it has a positive tone
attached to it.

22

International Clients Context

Use the word Assist, when you want to Help
a person finish a task.
This is for the reason that when you assist a person, you work with
him to get the task finished. If, however, you use the word Help, you
would be saying that you will do the task all by yourself and do not
need the other persons presence or assistance.

23

International Clients Context

Ensure that you dont give the person a Ring,
instead you give him a Call.

24

International Clients Context

Ensure that you do not use the word Problem.
This word gives a negative impact of the Problem being critical and
having existed right from the beginning.

Alternately, use the word Issue.

This word has a lesser impact and as issues did not exist from the
beginning (has just surfaced), they could be resolved in a lesser duration
of time (unlike problems which needs to be solved and would take a
greater time).
25

Indian Context
Avoid using back,
instead of "Back.

International Clients
Context
.. Use "ago".
Back is the worst word
for American.
(For Days use "Ago",
For hours use "before")

26

Avoid using.

International Clients
Context
Use

BUT"

. "However".

"YESTERDAY"

. "Last day".

"TOMORROW"

. "Next day".

Indian Context

27

Thank You