Why a Bilingual Answering Service Is a Must for Diverse Markets

Today, more than 13.3% of the U.S. population is comprised of native Spanish speakers - about 42 million people. An additional 15 million people speak Spanish as a second language. If your business is in a market with a lot of Spanish speakers and you don’t have a single bilingual resource available, you’re missing out on a huge share of that market. 

The good news is that finding bilingual help isn’t that difficult. 70% of high school students and 50% of college students in the U.S. choose to learn Spanish as a second language. And you’re not even limited to hiring your own in-house staff — you can invest in a bilingual answering service that takes care of everything for you. 

What is a bilingual answering service?

With a bilingual answering service, you’ll be able to quickly identify your customers’ native language preferences so that you can provide them with the solutions they need. Plus, you won’t have to take time away from your day-to-day work because the answering service will handle everything for you. 

An answering service can be available around the clock, even when your team isn’t. They can handle both inbound and outbound calls, chats, and communications, screen calls, qualify leads, schedule appointments, and even refer calls to your staff directly when necessary. 

This relies on the capability of professional receptionists who are also bilingual and can communicate effectively with your callers. Some companies try to use AI or IVR phone systems that offer multi-language access, but there’s something to be said for having an actual team of agents available when help is needed. 

Where is this most beneficial?

Typically, if you’ve lived in your state or city for any length of time, you should have an idea of what the demographics are like, including whether there’s a high population of native Spanish speakers. According to World Population Review, the states with the highest number of Spanish speakers include:

1. California, at 26.89%
2. Texas, at 25.13%
3. New Mexico, at 24.36% 
4. Florida, at 19.31%
5. Nevada, at 18.5%

These states are followed closely by Arizona, New Jersey, and New York. If you are in any of these states, you should have a bilingual customer service option available. And even if you’re not in a state listed but you know that there’s a heavy population of Spanish speakers in your region, consider the investment. 

The benefits of a bilingual answering service 

Providing your customers and leads with the option to speak to someone in their preferred language is going to take your business to a whole new level. No longer will people have to hope that their broken English is enough to communicate their needs. You have dedicated agents who can speak to them however they’re most comfortable, assuring that their needs are addressed properly the first time. 

In addition to answering calls, you can outsource to an answering service that has other solutions, as well. For example, Smith.ai offers a team of dedicated virtual receptionists that can serve as your bilingual answering service 24/7. Our agents can also provide support for lead intake, appointment scheduling, and even live chat on your website. 

Plus, by offering bilingual service, you’ll enjoy:

• Improved customer service and retention 
• A whole new market of potential customers 
• Better solutions for existing leads and customers 
• Increased sales and revenue 
• Fewer pain points related to language barriers 

Improved communications and quality control 

Another major benefit of choosing a bilingual answering service is that you will improve communications across the board and set higher expectations for standards moving forward. Your outsourced team will be able to maintain the highest level of quality in all calls and chats and will even work with you to create a customized solution for your unique business needs. 

Answering services are designed to do one thing: provide communication solutions for businesses. Because of that, they are also capable of delivering better results than you might be able to achieve on your own. Whether you’re just starting out or you simply feel that outsourcing is better than hiring your own bilingual staff, you can trust that the perks will become apparent quite quickly. 

Promote inclusivity and gain a competitive advantage 

Today, the culture wars are on, and everyone is looking for a way to show that they’re inclusive and welcoming to people from all walks of life. When you have bilingual agents available, you are showing your customers that you welcome all of them, no matter their background or native tongue. This can help bolster your company’s reputation in a few different ways. 

More importantly, you’ll also be positioning yourself to gain a competitive advantage over those who aren’t looking into solutions like this. As time goes on, the number of Spanish speakers in the U.S. is only going to increase. The companies that have the resources available to accommodate this are the ones that will be successful. 

If you want to stand out from the competition and show your audience that you’re truly there for everyone, a bilingual answering service could be just what you need. 

Partner with Smith.ai for answering service solutions and more

As mentioned, the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai should be your first choice for bilingual support services. In addition to a team of well-trained agents, we can also provide a 24/7 bilingual answering service so you never miss a lead. We’ll take care of appointment scheduling and lead intake and can even advise on your outreach campaigns if you’d like. 

Ask about our live chat solutions and our AI voice assistant, too, and find out how they can take your service to the next level. And while we’re doing all this, you’ll be able to focus on taking care of business. What’s not to love?

To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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