Real-Time Translation: Scaling the Customer Experience

New AI technologies can assist businesses that aim to stay updated with innovative solutions, provide exceptional customer service, and expand into the global market without facing skyrocketing costs.

Not everything can be entirely automated with AI. Companies will still have to offer personalized communication. However, global companies catering to European markets often face a significant hurdle: finding and scaling a multilingual team. Fortunately, AI is transforming the landscape of customer service, breaking down language barriers and making the customer-agent interaction smoother than ever before.

The translation engine plays a crucial role in the overall quality and effectiveness of the service

When translations need to be done for written conversations, the choice of many companies has been to integrate the DeepL API as the world's best machine translation (MT) technology directly into their products and platforms.

Prominent companies, such as Airbnb, opt for ModernMT, a solution that frequently excels in language combinations involving English. "This is primarily attributed to the abundant availability of data in English, encompassing both bilingual and monolingual text sources." (source: Modern MT Blog)

Not all AI translation engines are created equal. Choose one that aligns with your company's reputation, tone of voice and meets your customers' preferences for unparalleled accuracy

Real-Time Voice Translation

Real-time voice translation is a significant advancement in customer service. Among all communication channels, voice remains the quickest way to resolve issues (after self-services). However, the preference for voice communication may vary based on the generation, with younger generations showing a decreasing inclination to call companies. It's essential to consider the age of your target audience when choosing the most suitable communication channels

SeamlessM4T was introduced just recently by Meta

Meta describes it as a "foundational multilingual and multitask model that seamlessly translates and transcribes across speech and text." This technology offers "speech-to-speech translation, supporting nearly 100 input languages and 35 (in addition to English) output languages." It's indeed a remarkable breakthrough in the field of Machine Translation.

Imagine a scenario where you pick up the phone to call customer support, and regardless of the language you or the agent speak, you can engage in a meaningful conversation. Thanks to AI technology, this situation can now be managed seamlessly. Real-time translation enables immediate and precise translation of conversations between customers and agents who speak different languages.

This innovation not only enhances the customer experience but also significantly reduces other problems:

• Global Reach: Businesses can cater to a broader and more diverse customer base, which is essential for expansion into international markets. No longer Customer Service Managers will have the problem to find rare languages. Today, the whole business often has to wait until Customer Service Operations were set up or outsourcing partners were found offering a global footprint.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Real-time translation ensures that customers can express their concerns, issues, or questions in their native language, making them feel more comfortable and valued.
• Faster Problem Resolution: With real-time translation, customer service agents can quickly understand and respond to customer inquiries. This not only improves efficiency but also contributes to a faster resolution of issues.
• Efficiency and Cost Savings: Real-time translation in live phone conversations streamlines operations by reducing the need for in-person interpreters or time-consuming manual translation
• Accurate and Natural-Sounding Conversations: Advanced AI algorithms ensure that the translations are not just accurate but also sound natural, making the conversation feel authentic.

Customers can communicate in their preferred language, and the agent will receive and respond to their queries in real-time, all without the need for human translation or language expertise. This is a game-changer for international businesses and those aiming to rapidly expand their global reach.

The introduction of real-time translation in live phone conversations is part of a broader movement. How about Real-Time Translation Headphones?

Real-time translation technology is making significant inroads in B2C with devices like Timekettle. This suggests that it will likely extend its reach into the B2B headset industry in the near future. One of the most exciting applications within this realm is wearable technology for customer service, particularly the development of real-time translation headphones. These headphones empower businesses to facilitate real-time conversations in multiple languages, ensuring that individuals can communicate effortlessly in various languages without missing a beat.

The Future of AI-Driven Real-Time Translation

AI-driven real-time translation is a testament to the transformative power of technology. It's revolutionizing customer service, enabling global expansion, and enhancing communication in various industries. As AI continues to advance, we can expect even more accurate and natural-sounding translations, further breaking down the language barriers.

The key to leveraging this technology effectively lies in embracing innovation and understanding its potential. As we look ahead, businesses that integrate real-time translation into their customer service operations will undoubtedly set themselves apart, creating seamless and meaningful connections with customers worldwide. Embracing AI-driven real-time translation is not just a step forward; it's a giant leap towards a more interconnected and inclusive future.

Check out some links mentioned in the article

Listen to this article here (voice transformation by murph.ai)

ModernMT Machine Translation combined with company tone of voice as used by Airbnb for written communications

Aggregation of AI Software provider

AI Cheat Sheet by Doppelg?nger

2-way Simultaneous Interpretation device by timekettle

Meta introducing SeamlessM4T speech translation

Join me on a journey through my past experience in Customer Operations and the new era of AI and technology that is aiding companies in becoming more customer-centric and staying at the forefront of innovation. There are 5,626 AIs related Software developments in Customer Operations today. Checkout my full list of Customer Operations AI use cases here

Yours, Carmen