Ruby McKenzie
The world has globalized at an unprecedented rate. While this has certainly come with challenges, there’s also no denying that it’s got plenty of benefits as well. Realistically, on a day-to-day basis, it’s something that we as businesses and organizations have to work with and adapt to.
In that vein, there’s a pretty high chance these days that you’ll end up interacting with someone who speaks a different language than you (natively, at least). When this happens at work or during a business meeting (or really, anything similar), it can be quite stressful if we aren’t prepared.
Phone calls in particular can be tricky to navigate if both parties involved can’t fully understand each other. That’s where something like phone interpreter services come into play. If you haven’t heard of them before, or if you would just like to learn more, then make sure to stick around!
What are Interpreting Services?
First, let’s define what we mean by interpretive services! You can find a brief explanation of them here, https://www.publish.csiro.au/ah/ah16195, but it’s really pretty simple. Perhaps your mind first went to a sign language interpreter, since that’s where we tend to see them most as far as pop culture and the media goes.
However, when we open up our world view just a bit, we can see that there are many other applications for these professionals. At their core, though, they are people who can understand one language and translate it to another to help others connect on a better and deeper level. Some are hired for trips and vacations and will accompany their clients when asked, while others are employed at firms (or something similar) and are there when requested.
What are Phone Interpreter Services, then?
Now that we’ve covered some of the basics, you’re probably wondering what specifically the phone version of this looks like. Honestly, it’s pretty similar to what we’ve already described, just a bit more accessible on-demand. You can get an idea of what that looks like by checking out this company’s service, since it serves as an example of precisely what we’re discussing.
Perhaps the most interesting (and important) thing to keep in mind with phone interpreters is that they’re available whenever you need, and that they can work in a wide range of industries. Whether you’re a healthcare professional and/or provider or if you’re someone working with a customer, you can count on them.
Communication is incredibly important when it comes to these sorts of situations after all, especially if there is a patient that can’t fully understand you, or you can’t entirely understand them. The ability to call an interpreter whenever we need is pretty invaluable really, which is probably why phone offerings have now been developed.
How Does Phone Interpreting Work? Is it Worth Utilizing?
When you first call one of these organizations that offers a service like this, you’ll likely need to explain to the customer service agent what the situation is. Ideally, you will be able to identify the language that your patient or customer is speaking and what needs to be interpreted. From there, you’ll be matched with someone who is equipped to assist you.
The process is quite simple, really. Language barriers can be stressful for everyone involved, as you can see in this article. Getting support for it quickly is certainly important, so it’s hard to say that being able to access such assistance isn’t worth it. This is especially true considering that you’ll be ensuring the comfort and safety of your patients and/or customers.
This does beg the question, though – what are the other positives involved in the equation? Would it be worth paying for a phone interpreter? Well, we’ll be more than happy to explain some of the other perks that you might notice.
Obviously, there’s the fact that it can be quite quick. In fact, depending on how complicated the request is, you can end up getting the support needed within minutes. This also lends to the fact that it’s quite convenient for everyone involved. Hopefully, it can help your patients and customers to feel more comfortable in your practice as well.
If you’re still feeling uncertain, we understand that. One option you may want to take is to check out some of the online reviews from other customers if you’ve decided on an interpreter service that you’re interested in using. See what others have to say about what they bring to the table before you take the plunge.
Something else to keep in mind is that most of the time, you pay by the minute for these types of services. This means that the faster you are able to explain the situation and resolve the problem, the less you’ll pay in the long term. Thankfully, it tends to be a fast process.
