The client needs written replies that work for customers in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond, so they are testing whether you can adjust your English for clarity without sounding condescending or changing policy rules.
Use the STAR format to show a before and after of your writing. Highlight specific word choices, sentence length, and visual structure like numbered steps. Emphasize that the customer confirmed understanding, which is the real success metric.
Start by walking through the actual text you sent, not just describing it. Show the interviewer the before and after, and be specific about what you changed. Say plainly that you swapped out words like "utilize" for "use," "commence" for "start," and "in accordance with" for "our policy says." Explain that you broke long compound sentences into shorter ones, one idea per sentence, and that you turned any multi-step instruction into a numbered list so the customer could follow it line by line. Mention that you avoided idioms and phrasal verbs like "figure out" or "run into" because they do not translate literally. If the customer was on a BPO shift overseas, you might add that you also kept the tone warm and patient, never talking down to them, and that you closed by asking a simple yes or no question like "Does this answer your question?" so they could confirm without having to write a long reply. The key is to show that clarity, not formality, was your goal, and that the customer's confirmation of understanding was the proof it worked.
Filipino agents sometimes use 'as per our policy' and 'kindly be advised' which sound formal but can confuse non-native customers. Instead, say 'Our policy says' and 'Please note' and use one idea per sentence.
Situation
As a volunteer support writer for a student organization's online store, I had to explain our return policy to an international buyer from Japan who wrote in English that 'return window confuse me, is item final sale or no.'
Task
I needed to make a two-paragraph policy digest into a short, friendly message that a non-native English reader could follow step by step, without changing the policy meaning.
Action
I replaced words like 'commence', 'eligible', and 'pursuant to' with 'start', 'can', and 'under'. I broke the explanation into three numbered lines: 1) You have 30 days from delivery. 2) Items marked final sale cannot be returned. 3) To start a return, reply with your order number. I also used bold for the two key dates and avoided any phrasal verbs like 'send back' or 'hold off' that might confuse.
Result
The customer replied within an hour saying 'I understand now, thank you', and completed a valid return without further back-and-forth emails. Our volunteer lead adopted my plain language template for future international orders.
Short numbered lists and simple verbs beat paragraphs for non-native readers.
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