Language friction in customer interactions can erode revenue growth.  In Canada, an officially bilingual country with large Francophone communities, a bilingual answering service offers first-language support to attract bookings or sales and safeguard your reputation.

Here’s how bilingual phone answering can drive revenue growth and give you a competitive advantage:

More bids or opportunities to secure new work

By conversing in the customer’s language, agents resolve issues faster and avoid frustrating back-and-forth. That efficiency frees capacity for new inquiries—where most sales and quotes are won.

Fewer errors

Accurate data collection enables agents to offer appropriate solutions without delay or accidental offense. In return, satisfied customers promote the business through positive word of mouth.

Language-first call flows

A successful bilingual phone answering service starts with a language-first call flow. This call management strategy has three components:

1.     Detection

A short IVR prompt, AI-powered voice recognition, or bilingual agent greeting determines the caller’s preferred language from the start.

2.     Warm transfer

If a customer’s issue needs more technical language or a complex dispatch, the agent can transfer the call to a bilingual specialist. The agent provides a call note so the customer doesn’t repeat themselves (Service level agreement/SLA target: 60 seconds).

3.     Dual-language ticketing

The specialist creates a service ticket in the caller’s language or, if required, a bilingual version. They follow the company’s bilingual terminology and format. (SLA ticket accuracy: near 100%)

Compliance and clarity

Clear English-French safety phrasing supports PIPEDA-aligned handling of client information—accurate intake, correct routing, and confidentiality (SLA target: dispatch within 5 minutes).

• Medical emergency – Urgence médicale
• Evacuate building – Évacuez le bâtiment
• Gas leak – Fuite de gaz
• Elevator entrapment – Personne coincée dans l’ascenseur
• Water leak/flooding – Fuite d’eau / inondation
• Power outage – Panne de courant
• No life-threatening condition – Aucune condition mettant la vie en danger

Clear English-French safety phrasing also supports PIPEDA-aligned practices for accurate and confidential handling of client information.

KPIs

Keep your business growth on track by measuring bilingual phone support performance against these three KPIs:

• First language resolution: percentage of calls fully handled in the caller’s preferred language, even if a warm transfer is needed
• Transfer rate: how often initial agents route calls to bilingual specialists; a useful metric for determining staffing or training needs
• CSAT by language: satisfaction scores for English versus French calls

Moreover, monthly QA reviews of bilingual calls verify whether agents used approved English-French terms, completed tickets accurately, and followed warm-transfer procedures correctly.

Hiring vs outsourcing bilingual coverage

Recruit dedicated staff if you expect a steady call volume and your area has a wide bilingual talent pool. However, only Quebec has such an abundant and ready market for that skill. Keeping up with a spike in calls during holidays, after-hours, or across multiple areas can be costly and unpredictable for an internal team.

Outsourcing solves this by providing trained English-French agents on demand. Many companies are adopting a hybrid structure where in-house teams manage calls during core hours and external agents handle overflows, emergencies, and holidays.

Widen your coverage and improve caller CX with a bilingual answering service

Want Canada-wide bilingual coverage that captures bids and ensures dispatch accuracy? Let’s discuss a tailored service package that grows with you. Book a 15-minute fit call / réservez 15 minutes with On Call Centre today.

Can a caller’s strong accent affect call accuracy?

No, it shouldn’t when the right measures are in place, including clear EN/FR terminology, active listening, verification, and warm-transfer procedures.

How do we meet the expectations of Quebec callers?

Start the call in French—maintaining a formal, polite tone that Quebec callers expect. Consistently follow standardized EN/FR phrasing, and ensure the caller won’t need to repeat details in another language.

With outsourced agents, someone will always be available to answer Francophone callers in their language. You can skip hiring or scheduling in-house staff.