BILINGUAL VIRTUAL RECEPTIONIST

Though there was once a time that held the expectation for everyone in the United States to learn how to speak English, those days are gone. Spanish has emerged as a critical secondary language in the country. It’s even predominant in some locales.

In fact, more people speak Spanish in the US today than ever before. And these numbers will go up, not down, as we move into the future.

You may be most aware of this reality, or it may be news to you.

Either way you need a bilingual virtual receptionist to handle your phone calls. Whether you have a mixture of English and Spanish-speaking callers or infrequently encounter callers in Spanish, the smart solution resides with a bilingual virtual receptionist from a proven communications provider.

You may counter that since your client base all speaks English, English is all you need. Or do you only have English customers because you alienated potential Spanish-speaking business by not being able to communicate with Spanish callers in their preferred language?

Even if your customer base primarily speaks English, successfully interacting with just one Spanish-speaking caller a month is enough to justify using a bilingual virtual receptionist service.

Embrace All Callers

The percentage of Spanish speaking people in the United States has surpassed double digits, with the current number at 13 percent. This means that on average, one out of every eight people speaks Spanish or prefers to speak Spanish.

You can expect to see this ratio reflected in the calls to your company. This is where a bilingual virtual receptionist comes in and why it’s critical for your business to have one. Don’t disrespect 13 percent of your callers by forcing them into an English-only option.

Spanish Matters

When it comes to communicating with people in Spanish, we must acknowledge two scenarios. First, are those who speak only Spanish. If they call your company and encounter an English-only receptionist, communication will not take place. It cannot.

Their only option is to hang up and call your competitors until they reach a representative who speaks Spanish. This is why having a bilingual virtual receptionist is critical to grow your business.

The other scenario includes people who are native Spanish speakers and know some English but prefer to communicate in Spanish. These Spanish-preferred callers may struggle at effective communication in English. Even worse, miscommunication is a more likely result. They will have more confidence in their interaction with your business if they can speak with a representative in Spanish, their language of preference.

English is Essential

Many virtual receptionist providers offer English-only service. And a few providers offer Spanish-only representatives. Both are shortsighted and miss the critical realization that the wise, holistic tactic is English and Spanish. This is best accomplished through a professional bilingual virtual receptionist service.

Just as you don’t want to disrespect Spanish-speaking callers by forcing them to deal with English-speaking representatives, you don’t want to do the opposite and force English-speaking callers to encounter Spanish-speaking receptionists.

The Solution Is Clear

Show respect and appreciation for both English and Spanish-speaking callers by providing them with an accomplished bilingual virtual receptionist service, staffed by proficient English/Spanish bilingual telephone representatives.