Hello Interpreters,
As I had mentioned in the email that was sent, I
anticipated that there would be interpreters with questions about the material
included in the newsletter. I have put together a Frequently Asked Questions
sheet in response to the questions and concerns that the Newsletter prompted.
Please see the Q&A below! I hope this answers everyone's questions. If not,
let me know.
Again, thank you for your time and for all of
your hard work!
Q:
You
said that we are not to say we work for CLI, but what if a customer asks me
directly who I work for? Should I answer "CLI?" Or should I say,
"I'm an independent contractor?" Or is there some better reply?
A:
The reason that we ask that
you not to mention CLI directly to a client is, as mentioned in the newsletter,
that we have established vendor relationships with several different companies
who also provide language interpretation over the phone. We want to avoid
situations wherein a client thinks that they are calling “ACME Interpreters”
and the interpreter informs them that they are in fact speaking with an
interpreter who works for Certified Languages International. So, the question
is: why would a customer ask an interpreter what company they work for? Have
you ever called a company for a service... only to forget the name of the
company by the end of the phone call? I hope not. If a client asks you directly
which company you work for then it is safe to assume that this client is
aware of the fact that the company that they receive interpreter services
through utilizes vendor services. In this case, it is perfectly acceptable to
inform the client that you work for CLI. In my experience this is a question
most commonly asked by officers who work with Customs & Border Protection,
INS, and other government agencies. Also, if a client mentions CLI to you then
it is perfectly okay to refer to CLI throughout the remainder of the duration
of the call.
Q:
When the service rep connects you with
the call, they sometimes do not tell you what language you will be interpreting
in. Then they tell you to introduce yourself to the caller. Could you tell them
to specify what language it is in the beginning so that things can go smoothly.
I often find myself interjecting to find out what language it is.
A:
Our CSRs should be informing
the interpreter which language was requested by the customer when connecting
calls. This is especially important for interpreters who assist with two or
more languages. If you are not informed of which language the customer needs
assistance with then please do ask the CSR. If you notice that this is
consistently an issue with a specific CSR please send me an email at mattc@certifiedlanguages.com. I'll address the issue with the CSR.
Q: Is there any way of knowing if we are covering for
another company?
A:
Unfortunately, no. There
is not any way for us to pass this information along to the interpreter. We
provide vendor services for so many different companies that it is not
possible to announce when this is the case. The Customer Service Representative will
announce these companies for you when connecting calls.
Q:
There have been times
when a customer has asked for my interpreter number and then seems surprised
when I give them letters. The person usually responds
"But what is your number?" When I repeat my ID, the caller often
sounds confused and unsatisfied. Is there an ID number that we can give these
callers?
A: In these cases please
politely explain that the term “Interpreter ID Code” and “Interpreter ID
Number” is interchangeable. Please do further explain that with the Interpreter
code (state your Interpreter ID CODE) the company can identify you as
being the interpreter for that particular call as that is your own unique
ID. If the customer is for some reason
still not satisfied apologize and inform them that they should call “the
company” (do not say CLI) back with
any further questions.
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