Lionbridge Introduces the Future of Over-the-Phone Interpretation

Lionbridge Technologies, the world’s most trusted translation and digital communications company introduced the future of over-the-phone interpretation (OPI) with GeoFluent Interpreter Direct, a suite of services that significantly improves the customer experience for firms in need of real-time interpretation.

By cutting the number of handoffs between callers, service agents and interpreters, the new features provide smooth, streamlined interactions that result in significantly reduced effort and generate higher customer satisfaction. With GeoFluent Interpreter Direct, a customer will no longer be forced to communicate with a brand agent of a different language without an interpreter already on the line to facilitate the interaction.

While OPI is effective in providing access to languages that organizations aren’t staffed to support, it often requires non-native speakers to communicate with brand agents of a different language which results in an awkward customer experience. This experience is a stark contrast to callers whose language is supported, where questions are answered quickly and the conversation is productive immediately.

The new features of GeoFluent Interpreter Direct, include:

  • Click-to-Call provides non-native speakers with one-click access to interpreters from a website or app.
  • Hosted Language Interactive Voice Response enables clients to publish language-specific phone numbers that provide a seamless in-language experience.
  • Interpreter Anywhere App™ is designed for professionals on the road or in a non-contact center location and provides one-click access to interpreters. This is the first OPI app available for both Apple and Android devices.
  • Escalate to Interpreter functionality identifies when a digital interaction needs to be escalated to voice. Organizations using a GeoFluent-enabled chat platform can escalate to voice directly from a digital communication channel. In addition to fast connect times, the contact center or service desk representative can share any necessary context with the interpreter.

“Organizations focused on customer experience recognize that traditional OPI, which is voice only, is inefficient for agents and provides a high-effort and frustrating experience for consumers. Brands have made significant investments to improve customer experience, yet if you don’t speak the primary language(s) supported by the brand, you continue to have a high effort, inefficient and difficult interaction experience. GeoFluent Interpreter Direct is a significant step towards providing all language speakers with a great and seamless customer experience,” said Tom Tseki, Vice President & General Manager, Customer Care Solutions, Lionbridge.

GeoFluent Interpreter Direct is available as part of the GeoFluent Omnichannel/Omnilingual Suite, which enables contact centers and service desks to support all languages across all voice, chat or e-mail. Speakers of all languages can enjoy great experiences across any channel whether the brand they’re interacting with staffs for their language or not.