Here’s an idea for retailers: Stop losing sales because your associates don’t speak the language of some of your potential customers. When a customer shows up who only speaks Spanish — or Russian, or Mandarin, or Portuguese, or Hmong — you could accommodate them without hiring sales associates in every store who speak Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Portuguese and Hmong.

How, you ask? Through the magic of call-center centralization.

I’ll explain, but first let me tell you what made me think of this.

A deaf customer recently used the drive-through at a Starbucks in St. Augustine, Fla. After some frustrating moments trying to place her order, she was pleased to see a video screen pop up on the menu board showing an employee communicating with her in American Sign Language. So pleased, in fact, that she went back the next day to record the experience and post it on Facebook.

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