1. Notify customers when self-service content has been translated into their native language
Simply informing clients that they are reading translated content will help them understand that there may be some linguistic nuances and issues that need to be addressed. Rather than focusing on it, many people will be grateful for the ability to access content in their own language.
There’s no guarantee that translated content will be perfect when it’s shown to customers. It’s hard to generate self-service information in your native language that caters to the demands of every customer.
2. Make material from your knowledge base available in the languages spoken by your customers
Any customer care solution must include a strong knowledge base. Consider the languages spoken by your consumers when you construct your knowledge base. You give more clients a sought-after self-service option by making that material available in several languages.
3. Translate and Interpret with Cultural Understanding
Providing excellent customer service needs more than just linguistic proficiency. Cultural awareness is required for a successful multilingual customer service attempt. This is because people from various locations not only speak different languages but also communicate in different ways.
When engaging with customers, customer service representatives should keep this in mind, as well as when translating documents for customer support.
Many western cultures, for example, communicate more straightforwardly than many eastern civilizations.
A skilled support agent will not only speak the language but will also comprehend the nuances.
4. Invest in Professional Translation and Localization
Yes, you can manage consumer expectations by informing them that they are accessing translated information; nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make every effort to present customers with content that has been professionally translated and localised.
From machine translations to crowdsourced translations to professional translation, take the time to source out the best option for your budget.
5. Branding may have to be sacrificed in favour of clarity
Your content is most likely a reflection of your brand. This could include scripts for customer assistance. When translating these aspects to deliver customer care to all of your clients, you may need to sacrifice part of your individuality for clarity’s sake.
Slang terminology, catchphrases, buzzwords, and other idiomatic speech may help you achieve the desired ‘personality’ with the majority of your clients. These elements, on the other hand, can obfuscate your message and simply make things more complex for non-native speakers.
6. Enhance Multilingual Support Online using Visuals
When it comes to online support, think about including graphics in your materials. Pictures are a great way to simplify instructions and provide a visual explanation if the written version isn’t clear enough.
User manuals, knowledge base materials, and other content that clients can access directly can all benefit from visuals.
7. Teach Multilingual Customer Service Representatives to Clarify and Ask Unambiguous Questions
Language limitations aren’t often obvious right away. A customer care representative may conclude a call with the impression that the consumer has fully grasped the answer to their problem. Regrettably, this isn’t always the case.
That’s why customer support representatives must ask straightforward questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This might assist them in ensuring that everyone is on the same page. The same is true when recapping conversations to ensure that all points are understood.
Fortunately, excellent customer service training may assist in this area.
8. Build Customer Support with Multilingualism in Mind
It can be difficult to reengineer customer support solutions to be multilingual. Start from the ground up if at all possible. When satisfying the demands of your multilingual clients are prioritised from the start, you will be better able to meet those needs in the first place.
The following are some things to think about:
- Staffing for call centers
- Solutions based on self-service
- Solutions for the phone
Investing in multilingual customer service is a smart move. It’s certainly worth the effort to develop a multilingual customer care solution, whether you’re seeking to establish a global presence or simply trying to suit the needs of your local clients. Your efforts toward this goal will be considerably more likely to succeed if you follow the eight guidelines listed above.