When there’s a language barrier and you need to explain MOT failures, visual communication becomes your best friend if there’s a language barrier.
Use your phone to take photos of the failed items and point directly at what’s wrong. Simple diagrams or even hand gestures can bridge language gaps surprisingly well. Keep your language extremely simple with short sentences and no technical terms, and repeat key points.
The MOT certificate itself can be helpful as a visual aid. Consider having a colleague join the conversation if they speak the customer’s language, or use translation apps on your phone for key terms (though be aware these aren’t perfect).
Write things down too, sometimes people understand written English better than spoken. If you have regular customers from specific language groups, it might be worth creating a simple visual guide showing common MOT failure points with pictures.
Above all, stay patient and friendly. Communication barriers are frustrating for both sides, but showing genuine effort to help them understand builds trust and usually leads to a positive outcome.