Call centers often get a bad rap for long wait times, muffled audio, and scripted responses. Customers are often on edge, expecting the worst even before a representative picks up the phone. And more than one bad experience with support can have customers turning their back on a business for good.
In the case of multilingual call centers like the ones utility and insurance companies operate, there are even more boxes companies must check to make sure customers end the call happy. Every customer wants quick, accurate, and personable customer support they can depend on, but multilingual customers in particular need to know that they’ll be greeted by expert-level interpreters who have accurate, reliable industry knowledge.
Fortunately, you can take action today to improve your multilingual call center call flow without going over budget or wasting valuable time. Find out how you can get started with these five simple steps.
1. Automate simple inquiries and routine interactions.
Think of your automated menu as a friendly receptionist greeting new guests as they enter the waiting room. An up-to-date and properly programmed interactive voice response (IVR) system uses relevant caller data to quickly route calls to the appropriate live support. As a result, callers experience:
- Quicker response times
- Shorter average handling times
- Lower average times in queue
For multilingual callers, services like Community Connect and Direct Connect give the gift of faster call center processing times and lower operational costs. With the help of Direct Connect, callers have a specific phone number they use to instantly reach an interpreter who speaks their native language, and the company simultaneously cuts down operational costs by up to 17 percent. Thanks to Community Connect, a call center representative is paired with an interpreter. Together they reach out to customers speaking a specific language to help solve their issues.
To boost customer satisfaction rates, multilingual call centers should be asking themselves these questions:
- Which language demographics do we work with most often?
- What are the most common questions our multilingual customers ask?
- How long does it take for us to resolve the average inquiry?
- How do customers rate their experience?
2. Monitor success according to call center efficiency metrics.
Keeping customers happy shouldn’t get in the way of your company’s productivity. In fact, when you’re getting the most out of your multilingual solutions, you can maximize your team’s efficiency. The key is closely monitoring a set of metrics to keep tabs on your team’s performance and identify areas where you can improve.
Here are some key call center metrics you’ll want to track:
- Number of calls answered
- Average speed to answer
- Average call abandonment rate
- Average time in queue
- Average handle time (AHT)
- First call resolutions (FCR)
3. Ensure quality and comprehensive multilingual solutions.
Take your customer care the extra mile with high-quality interpretation and localization solutions that multilingual callers can access on demand. The best way to ensure your callers are getting access to the best language services is to join forces with a language solutions partner (LSP) with a knack for interpretation accuracy and industry expertise.
When you work with a LSP with years of experience in translation, interpretation, and localization, you’ll get the response speed your customers are counting on. Quality multilingual services resolve more customer inquiries the first time around, saving you time and money so you can pocket the difference.
4. Employ interpreters who are SMEs in your field.
Working in a new industry can feel like learning a new language in and of itself. You’ve got to juggle a set of new jargon, acronyms, and shorthand. It’s no wonder that multilingual speakers favor interpreters who have the industry knowledge to relay even the most nuanced topics with ease.
That’s why many LSPs contract interpreters with industry subject matter expert (SME) credentials to improve their call center call flow. For example, interpreters in the healthcare field sift through the nitty-gritty of insurance forms, prescriptions, and doctors' notes so that multilingual patients can get the best quality care without falling through the cracks.
Both customers and companies benefit from multilingual call centers that function like well-oiled machines. With the assistance of SME interpreters, call centers can achieve faster average response times, higher caller satisfaction rates, and fewer customer callbacks.
5. Partner with a proven LSP for over-the-phone interpretation (OPI) solutions.
Rest assured, you don’t need to single-handedly take on the task of recruiting and hiring qualified interpreters to meet the needs of your callers. That’s where partnering with a proven LSP comes in.
ULG provides comprehensive OPI solutions to multilingual call centers across nearly every industry. The call centers we work with receive 24/7 global support in more than 200 languages, as well as TTY (TeleTYpe)/TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) communications support. It’s all of the assistance your multilingual customers are looking for, all in one place.
Ready to get started? Speak with one of our specialists for more information about optimizing multilingual services for your call center call flow. For more about the power of multilingual support in the healthcare industry, check out our e-book, 4 Things to Consider When Choosing the Right Interpreter, for the best tips and tricks to keep you motivated.
