Multilingual Customer Support: Why is it a business priority & how to leverage it?

What is Multilingual customer support?

Multilingual customer support is a service provided by companies to assist customers who speak different languages. It involves providing customer support in multiple languages so that customers can communicate with the support team in the language they are most comfortable with.

Multilingual customer service is essential for companies that operate in regions where multiple languages are spoken, or for businesses that have customers from different parts of the world. It allows companies to provide a better customer experience, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately, increase customer loyalty.

Multilingual customer support can be provided through various channels, including phone, email, chat, social media, and self-service portals. It requires a team of customer support representatives who are fluent in the languages supported by the company, and who can provide timely and effective assistance to customers.

Overall, multilingual customer support is a critical aspect of any business that wants to serve a global customer base and meet its needs effectively.

Why do businesses need multilingual customer support? 

Take India as a market, for example. The country has over 22 major languages, spoken by almost 18% of the world’s population. If brands in India were to deliver customer support in just 1-2 languages irrespective of geography, market demography, and customer preference, would customer support solve its purpose?

Exceptional customer support is the fundamental law for any successful business. Globally every customer expects quick and effective support. Now if a business deals with customers around the globe, the brand should ideally have the arrangement to provide support in the preferred language of the customer.  Most businesses in the 21st century have a global customer base. This not only stimulates the necessity of having multilingual customer support but also ensures a strong footing in certain geographies. Engaging customers using their native languages helps to build trust for a brand in all stages of a customer’s life cycle.

A report published by ICMI claims that almost 72% of customer service leaders confirmed that customer satisfaction increases if support is carried out in the customer’s native language.

Why should you consider providing multilingual customer support?

When customers feel that simple queries and concerns cannot be resolved by your brand due to a language barrier, they are more likely to choose a competitor over you. By providing multilingual customer support, your business can achieve better CX scores and even gain loyal customers.

Undertaking multilingual customer support is not an easy task. However, by providing customer support in native languages for a customer based spread across geographies, a business enhances its brand value. One of the best ways to provide multilingual support option is to outsource it to a call center outsourcing partner, with capabilities to hire native talent and deliver great CX. Some of the major long term advantages a company can enjoy if it accommodates multilingual support options are as follows:

Enhances customer experience

Undeniably, developing a satisfied customer base is the utmost priority of any business. Now if customers get fluid access to customer support through their native language, it will develop a very positive mindset about the company. Thus multilingual customer service for a brand improves the relationship with its local audience while enhancing customer experience.

Better conversion rate

Like brand loyalty, sales depend upon various socio-economic factors, and language is one of the weightiest of those factors. So a business needs to reach its customers according to their preferred language. It will actually improve the conversion rate in the long run for the business. Multilingual customer support helps an organization to capture the global market that increases both revenue and brand value.

Solid global footprint

Helping customers with their native language boosts a brand to put a strong footprint in the global market. Multilingual customer service not only builds an international customer base but also helps brands to target bankable foreign markets such as China, India, etc. Brands like Amazon, Samsung have already adopted this strategy, making them more welcoming to potential customers globally.

Lower call abandonment

Support Agents fluent in customer’s preferred languages reduce the chances of call abandonment, thereby reducing call attrition. Not only is it convenient for the customer to communicate in the choice of their language, but it also enhances brand image.

Increases customer loyalty

Over 96% of customers believe that customer support determines their level of loyalty to a brand. Going the extra mile for the customer to provide support in their preferred languages has only brought more exposure to a brand, and loyal customers. With smoother communication between both parties involved, it is a win-win situation. The brand records higher query resolution and better agent experience, and the customer is left feeling that the brand took the effort to cater to their needs.

Industries that Commonly Require Multilingual Customer Support

Multilingual customer support is found in a variety of industries, especially those that operate in regions with diverse language populations or serve global customers.

Here are some industries where multilingual customer support is often found:

Travel and hospitality: Companies in the travel and hospitality industry often deal with customers from different countries who speak different languages. Multilingual customer support is essential to help customers with their travel arrangements, reservations, and other needs.

E-commerce: As more businesses move online, e-commerce companies are increasingly serving customers from different parts of the world. Multilingual customer support is critical to help customers with their orders, product inquiries, and shipping concerns.

Financial services: Banks, investment firms, and other financial institutions need to provide multilingual support to their customers. Customers often have questions about their accounts, transactions, and financial products, and providing support in multiple languages can help them understand their options better.

Healthcare: Multilingual customer support is essential in the healthcare industry, especially in areas with diverse populations. Patients need to communicate with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers in a language they are comfortable with, and multilingual support can help bridge that gap.

Technology: Technology companies often serve a global customer base, and providing multilingual customer support is critical to help customers troubleshoot technical issues and use their products effectively.

Overall, multilingual customer support is essential in any industry that serves customers from diverse language backgrounds. It helps companies provide better service, improve customer satisfaction, and build lasting relationships with their customers.

Ways to get your multilingual customer service strategy in place

In a world where borders merely exist on maps, multilingual contact centers are the new normal for brands to cater to a large, global audience. Here are some solutions a business can consider while strategizing its multilingual support system:

In-house Multilingual Support Teams

This method involves housing a team of agents who speak multiple languages to cater to any and all customer concerns. The team is hired and trained for specific business requirements. While this method is a sure-shot way of ensuring efficient CX, it can prove to be quite expensive for start-ups or small and mid-sized companies.

In-country/state Contact Centers

With every state or country that a business operates from, an in-country/state contact center is established to support customers in the region. This option allows a business to hire linguists and native trainers to guide agents to provide great customer experiences. However, establishing contact centers in multiple locations is very expensive, and the scale of operations may not justify the large investment.

Business Process Outsourcing

By outsourcing customer support to a third-party service provider, a business can focus on its core activities. Business process outsourcing is one of the most sought after strategies for ensuring multilingual customer support. Customer support service providers are experts in providing outsourcing services. With operational efficiency and delivery standards looked after, a business has a broader bandwidth to focus on growth and expansion. For example, apart from customer support, Maxicus also provides services like technical support, back-office solutions, and managed services to cater to specific business needs.

And now with remote customer support services, a BPO service provider can get you access to the best talent, of your customer’s preferred linguistic background from anywhere in the country.

Ensuring The Best Support For Customers Across Demographics

Catering customer support in multiple languages is definitely a key differentiator. And there is a large opportunity for your business to expand with a multilingual customer support strategy. However, before finally selecting a model, a business must thoroughly consider their/an outsourcing company’s capabilities. From being flexible to ensuring digital and remote contingencies  – a business process outsourcing company must be able to cater to the needs of your customers in their preferred language, time, and channel.

Maxicus has been a front-runner of the BPO business for over 15 years. With 6 delivery centers located in Tier 2 and 3 cities in the country, remote support facilities, and access to a wide pool of talent, Maxicus can cater to a global audience.

To know more about our outsourcing services, contact us.