As to the last part of your question , historical stigmas of English not being the primary language have been greatly reduced , especially within customer service and service .

Companies recognize that people need help , and they want to deliver that help in the most effective way . If one of our agents notices that a non-native speaker struggles to interact in English , we can ask them if they prefer a native speaker .

Resolution of the issue is the most important goal : regardless of what language the interaction uses to find it .

SO : Non-English-speaking customers increasingly demand service in their preferred languages . This is driven by demographic shifts , inclusivity expectations , and enhanced cultural awareness . The most-requested languages include Spanish , Mandarin , Tagalog , and Hindi for localization in North America , according to CSA and to our research . And in Canada , Statistics Canada shows growing demand for services in Tagalog and Punjabi due to immigrant population growth . Conversely , some customers choose English to improve fluency or avoid potential biases .

HS : With a growing focus on compliance , such as the stiffer French-language mandates in Quebec ’ s Bill 96 , accommodating non-English-speaking customers is also becoming more common . Businesses are prioritizing native-language support to meet regulatory requirements as well as customer expectations because they recognize the importance of accessibility .

FOR ORGANIZATIONS SEEKING TO SERVE CUS- TOMERS IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH / FRENCH – AND PROVIDE SERVICE AT THE LEVEL AND QUALITY CUSTOMERS EXPECT – CAN THEY READILY FIND AND RETAIN THESE AGENTS IN THE U . S . AND CANADA ? OR ARE THEY FACING CHAL- LENGES IN HIRING AND TURNOVER AND IF SO , IN WHAT LANGUAGES ?

RB : Turnover is a common challenge within contact centers around the world . It can be difficult to find and retain skilled multilingual agents in the U . S . and Canada . Some specialized contact centers will pay a premium for these agents , especially in highly personalized contact centers delivering healthcare or financial services support .

SO : Recruiting and retaining multilingual agents is challenging , especially for niche languages like Korean or Arabic . Common issues include limited talent pools , high turnover , and salary competitiveness .

HS : Organizations may struggle to find and retain agents fluent in multiple languages , especially for highly specialized languages . These challenges result in increased turnover , higher costs , and lack of quality customer service .

For example , because of Bill 96 , organizations now have additional pressure to provide French-language support if they want to serve Quebecois customers from outside of Canada .

WHAT ARE THE CHOICES AND OPTIONS ORGANI- ZATIONS HAVE ? IN-HOUSE ( IN-OFFICE / REMOTE ) OR OUTSOURCED LIVE AGENTS ? ONSHORE OR NEARSHORE / OFFSHORE ? LIVE TRANSLATION ? AUTOMATED TRANSLATION ? PLEASE DISCUSS THE PROS AND CONS AND USE TYPE EACH IS BEST FOR . ALSO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF ANY LEGISLATION ( E . G ., ON HIRING , PROOF OF LAW- FUL STATUS , LANGUAGE USE ).

RB : Due to technology , and Generative AI in particular , contact centers have many available options . Customer records can identify customers based on language preferences or companies can decide based on their knowledge of customers to offer specific language prompts on an IVR .

For example , an English-speaking agent can begin the call and then transfer the caller to a Spanish-language AI tool to gather data needed to support the interaction . This responsible use of AI is gaining traction in all languages .

If a brand desires , agents can be located onshore , nearshore , or offshore . Today , agents are aligned with incoming customer needs based more on skill sets and expertise than location . Cloud-based platforms and tools have nearly eliminated the need for in-house localized agents .

But training is more important than ever , regardless of language . Agents must be highly trained for quality of service and language should only be part of the equation .

AI can help train agents on how to navigate tricky situations . AI-powered sentiment analysis tools can make helpful suggestions to defuse frustrated customers . By giving agents tools that make their jobs easier , contact centers can retain more talent overall .

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