Multilingual Applications

Multilingual IVRs are necessary for businesses at both a global and domestic scale, since not every caller will be familiar enough with English. Moreover, a multilingual IVR could assist in providing an “in” to international markets. The IVR should at least include the languages with the widest reach among the target demographic, but this can later be optimized. Deciding which languages to include in a multilingual IVR should consider the language proficiency of the callers, the attitudes callers might have towards each offered language, the variety present within the language (such as what dialect to look for in a voice talent), and the geographical distribution of callers and languages. The determination of how many and which languages to offer should occur during the requirements analysis phase.

Callers will form a mental model of the interaction, and their expectations regarding how to interact with the IVR will be based on their past experiences and cultural experiences. An IVR design expecting callers from potentially different cultures should recognize and consider that callers from different cultures will have varying understandings of what is intuitive.

The designer must determine the point in the IVR the offered languages will be presented, which mode will be used to indicate the language selection, the sequence of the presentation of offered languages, and which language(s) will be used to present each offered language.

A designer must also consider both the business and specific language translation rules that apply to the IVR. This requires knowing whether branding standards dictate company and/or product names should be spoken in English, the caller’s selected language, or in English with the accent provided by the caller’s selected language. Taking these considerations is important in building brand awareness as well as trust and respect with callers.

Incorporating phrases, tone, and applicable slang used by the target demographic may help callers to form positive and inclusive associations with the company, especially if the company’s service is less formal in nature. This means the designer needs to consider what the appropriate phrasing, tone, and slang are for each language, as well as whether the languages to be used adhere to a distinction between formal and familiar conventions for “you” / statements in the second person. However, if a caller’s mental model of a company / its service is more formal, the IVR should be designed with formal language and a formal persona. For general information on word choice, see Lexical Considerations.

In further regard to persona, a particular regional accent may comfort a particular caller while leaving another with a potentially negative connotation. That being said, depending on the company, an accent may add value, especially if a regional identity fits the company’s service. For more official or public services, it is best to avoid accents and attempt to achieve an “accessible-to-everyone” persona. As a further example, studies performed by the Fraunhofer Institute suggest that a friendlier, more personal persona is better suited and more effective in helping the caller to accept recognition failures and to be more cooperative. Try researching what accents / manners of speaking tend to sit well with target callers. For general information on personas, see Persona and Brand.

A multilingual design requires that both linguistic and cultural differences be considered. This means that the language used and the mental model must be the one intended for the caller; this is accomplished by proper prompting and doing what is possible to avoid cultural insensitivity. For instance, phrases that are gender-neutral in English may not be gender-neutral in another language. To avoid having the application attempt to assume the gender identity of the caller and still use appropriate language constructions, reword such prompts to those that avoid a gender-sensitive reference to the caller, such as making the phrase about an object instead of a person, or to use a gender-neutral prompt that uses phrases that address “one” or “any person.” When it comes to concatenated prompts, each component must have the proper intonation, emphasis, pitch, and rhythm. This means the components will have to be recorded with final or non-final intonation. Also, because different languages have different sentence structures, it is possible that a one-to-one correspondence between the components of the concatenated prompts may not exist. For more on concatenation, see Prosody.

When conducting translations of the prompts, use a native speaker for each regional language. This means that the translator(s) should be familiar with both the language and the culture that the language developed in; this helps ensure the appropriate colloquial terms and phrases are used. Keep in mind, it is best to ensure that all changes that need to be made to the original English script are completed before the translation process begins. The prompts should also be sensitive to country-specific data, such as time zones and company-specific differences among countries the IVR will be used in. For examples of translations between English and Spanish, see Spanish Translation Examples. For more information on how to go about localization and translation, see Localization and Translation.

When picking a voice talent, attempt to find a speaker with a neutral or easy-to-understand accent / dialect. It may be best use a voice talent that has either spent a significant amount of time in or was born in the country / region the IVR will be used in, since that would make them most familiar with the way phrases should be pronounced. It may be necessary to use several voice talents, unless accented speech is not an issue. If multiple voice talents are used, or a single voice talent records in multiple languages, it is necessary that those coaching the voice talent ensure that consistency exists among the portrayed personas. Make sure stakeholders from the country or region agree that the voice talent for each language sounds authentic. For general information on voice talents, see Voice Talent.

In order to avoid having the caller listen to a list of languages offered, set English as the default language. Start with an introduction in English, then follow it with instructions in the other supported language(s) for how the caller should indicate a different language choice. If possible, consider making language predictions based on a caller’s identification / customer profile, what you know about where they are calling from, or what language they have used before. However, always give the caller the option to select a different language. Strategies for providing personalized language offerings include: 1) dedicated phone numbers for each language, 2) upfront language menus, 3) automatic language identification using ASR, 4) caller line identity, and 5) computer telephony integration approaches. However, it is not necessary to employ a personalization strategy. For more information on language selection, see Language Selection.

It is worthwhile to note that a multilingual IVR can lead callers to be more empathetic. Using native speakers as voice talents for the IVR recordings can help callers with the same nationality feel more welcome, to trust the brand more, and to better understand the message, which all can increase user satisfaction. Furthermore, a multilingual IVR can be particularly useful when a portion of a company’s callers speak the default language as a second language. By providing multiple languages, the callers that do not have adequate fluency in the default language can still accomplish their tasks, and even do so more efficiently, because the language barrier can be eliminated by allowing them to select their native language.

References
Calteaux, K., Grover A., & van Huyssteen, G. (2012). Business drivers and design choices for multilingual IVRs: A governement service delivery case study. Retrieved from http://www.mica.edu.vn/sltu2012/files/proceedings/7.pdf

Giebutowski, J. (2017, December 18). Multilingual IVR 5 Big Ways to Get It Exactly WRONG Marketing Messages. Retrieved from https://www.marketingmessages.com/multilingual-ivr-5-big-ways-to-get-it-exactly-wrong

Goodwin, A. (2018, February 21). 5 Multilingual IVR Tips to Take Your Business Global [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.west.com/blog/interactive-services/multilingual-ivr-take-business-global

Houwing, T., & Greiner, P. (2005). Design issues in multilingual applications. (SPEECH-WORLD[TM]) (interactive voice response systems). Customer Interaction Solutions, 23(12), 88–93. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208150344/ Studio52. (2019, April 9). 5 Reasons why your IVR should be multilingual. Retrieved from https://studio52.tv/5-reasons-why-your-ivr-should-be-multilingual