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Craig Caddell's Verification Tips
March 07, 2014 posted by Steve Brownstein
Language! Language! Language!
You know the old saying “Location! Location! Location!” as it applies to restaurant success or failure, well in the International verifications business you could say Language! Language! Language! If, for instance, you call Brazil and expect people to speak English you may very well get an earful of indignant Portuguese rather than the verification you were hoping for.
Here are four language tips to help make your international verifications more productive.
1.Knowing how to say “Do you speak English?” in the local language is a great way to establish instant rapport and at the same time determine whether or not you will need to use our second tip. People tend to be very forgiving and often quite helpful when you make the effort – even if you feel foolish doing it.
2.Unless you have gargantuan volume you are not going to keep dozens of foreign language speakers on staff day and night. Therefore you will need a relationship with a translation firm that can ride shotgun on your calls. The cost can soar quickly so to keep it in check try the following:
1.Make sure the number you are dialing reaches someone before you engage the translator in the call.
2.Make sure you are ready to provide the translator with the pertinent information about the call as soon as they come on the line.
3.Give your researchers time limits on how long they can take for various tasks with a translator such as step (b) above or giving instructions, waiting on hold, and allowing the phone to ring.
3.At a minimum you will want someone on staff during the day who speaks Spanish. They can cover domestic calls that require Spanish as well as most calls in the Americas.
4.Prepare written requests for verification in the languages for which you use interpreters most, and use them to supplement your verbal attempts. Consider adding a line in the translated form that requests the reply in English if possible. This will save you the cost of translating written results.
