Enhancing Legal Services with Multilingual Support: A Strategic Approach

Author: Pia Vosloo, SEO & Marketing Manager at BiCortex Languages & Translations. 

BiCortex Languages & Translations provides personalised language training worldwide for adults and children in over 50 languages, with tailored private and group classes

Enhancing Legal Services with Multilingual Support: A Strategic Approach

With over 6 billion people who are not native English speakers, the use of multilingual support can help businesses have better relationships with their clients. There can be a financial upside to providing multilingual support. Although new-age technology makes it easy for us to connect with those from around the world, it doesn't mean that customer service will be effective. By implementing multilingual support, businesses can create better and more effective worldwide connections. So, let's take a closer look at how offering multilingual support can significantly help businesses and what the best ways are to enhance customer experiences.

What is Multilingual Customer Support?

In the U.S. alone, over 350 languages are spoken, so it is no surprise that in the constantly growing digital marketplace, language matters. Many customers prefer to speak in their native language, but this can cause barriers such as misunderstandings and miscommunications. If a business is only communicating and operating in English, then it has not made efforts and strides to be more inclusive. This can remove demographics and linguistic groups that could possibly benefit from the business's offerings, like legal services.

This alienation can negatively impact a business's retention goals. By becoming more inclusive, businesses can win over more customers. Making changes, such as adding more language options on your website, can help boost its accessibility. Translating offerings, social media content and videos can also be very useful in reaching more potential customers. There is a noticeable difference between companies that accommodate different languages and ones that don't, as having exposure to a bigger population can result in more customers and customer loyalty.

Industries Where Multilingual Customer Support is Present

Travel and Hospitality

This industry requires plenty of communication between guests and customers. This can be from making calls, web chats and emails in different languages. By adding multilingual customer support, it can make handling these tasks much easier and better for customers.

Online Retailers

This can be very beneficial for online retailers as translating your products information as well as the shopping cart to other languages can be a great start. Reaching out and making your online store more accessible in different languages can broaden your product and services outreach and grow your clientele base by an exceptional amount.

Medical and Healthcare

It is required by law for healthcare facilities to have multichannel, HIPAA-compliant and multilingual medical support. A way that many healthcare facilities have improved their support is by setting up multilingual contact centers to help customers. By working hand in hand with language service, these organizations can help mend any language barriers between patients and healthcare workers.

Legal Field

In the legal field, it is extremely common for law firms to interact with people from different cultures who speak different languages. When it comes to legal matters it is crucial that everything is being understood and relayed properly so as to avoid any problems. This is why having multilingual customer support for law firms can make communication and interactions more effective.

Types of Customer Multilingual Support Channels

Multilingual live chat - At the heart of multilingual live chat is the idea of a world without language barriers. It tries to achieve this goal by constantly translating messages to your native language. This can help people have live chats while understanding what is being said. The innovative technology makes communicating smoother and takes the leg work out the way. 

Multilingual chatbots - These channels can be used on websites and in messaging. These multilingual chatbots are powered by AI and act as a virtual assistant. This is a great tool to help customers whether with automated assistance or live interaction. This AI-powered assistant can help break down barriers and provide support in a number of different languages. 

Over-the-phone interpretation support - OPI or also called telephonic interpreting is when languages are translated over call whether on a phone, tablet or laptop. This either consists of two or three people on the line. This was done in person however after the pandemic OPI has become much more of a norm and preferred way of communication. 

Translating customer support materials - Wherever you have customer support, whether it be in-house, over call, email, or information on websites etc. Taking the step of translating these into different language options can be very helpful for customers and build better connections, communication and loyalty. 

Language-accessible video content - This is an effective way to reach others from different backgrounds. Using captions and transcripts to translate video material before posting them can expand your audience's reach.  

Language Proficiency Enhancement Strategies

Customizable IVR System

Interactive Voice Response systems are used to help direct calls from clients to the right person or department. However, law firms should make sure that their IVR system has options for multiple languages. This can make navigating the client's needs more seamless.

Language-Specific Call Routing

This helps to direct customers to the staff that can speak the same language to help their needs be properly met. This can help eliminate misunderstandings as well as build trust and loyalty. Providing verbal support in customers native languages can help law firms improve rapport with clients by giving them accurate and clear information and guidance. 

Multilingual Staff and Interpreters

Employing staff and hiring interpreters who can speak different languages can show the law firms' commitment and efforts to address and meet all their current and potential client's needs. Partnering with professionals who can assist in interpreting and translating can give the firm an edge amongst those who don't.

Language-Preference Tracking

This is a great tool for firms to have, it can be integrated with a companies CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) and tracks what clients preferred language choices are. This helps to be better prepared for future interactions and this can build strong bonds and effective support for customers. 

Multilingual Call Recording

The best way to get better at anything is to understand pitfalls and what is still needed. Firms can do this by incorporating multilingual call recording. This allows management and staff to listen to customers' interactions. This shows where improvement is needed and how the current multilingual improvements are performing. 

Cultural Awareness Training

When it comes to culture and language, there is a lot to be learned. However, by providing frequent training on cultural awareness can help staff better their communication skills with clients. Having knowledge of cultural expectations and nuances can improve a clients overall experience and avoid unintentional disrespect. 

Multilingual Marketing Materials

Law firms should market their materials in multiple languages as it can help to bring in more clients of different cultures. It also shows commitment to helping those who have different linguistic needs. Having the firm's expertise and services in other languages can build a wider and more diverse clientele. 

Conclusion

Law firms are one of the most vital industries that have multilingual customer support. Legal matters leave little room for miscommunication and misunderstanding. It can be difficult for those who speak different languages to understand what is being advised and offered. However, there are several ways that legal services can improve their multilingual support for their customers. By showing this dedication and providing multilingual channels, companies can grow their clientele and create loyalty.

1. With innovative solutions from companies like BiCortex, law firms can provide better services to diverse clients and improve their multilingual capabilities. 
2.  Taking the step of translating these into different language options can be very helpful for customers and build better connections, communication and loyalty.