35 jobs found for Bilingual Customer Service

all about bilingual customer service jobs

Working with customers from different cultures can mean you will be required to have very specific training, and this training will vary based on the type of company you work for and other details of your position. Plus, not all bilingual customer service representatives are required to speak the same languages. Today, there is need for people who speak English as well as French, Spanish, Mandarin, Taiwanese, German, French, Russian, Czech, Polish, and many other languages.

what bilingual customer service entails

Depending on your position, you may be required to offer customer service over the phone, online, or in person. You may answer questions, help with customer accounts, troubleshooting, providing advice, and more. Bilingual customer service jobs usually require that the employee be able to naturally read from a script, be computer literate and have excellent people skills.

average bilingual customer service salaries

Bilingual customer service professionals who can offer more skills, speak in multiple languages and have more experience will be able to command higher salaries than customer service job applicants who cannot speak more than one language. Most customer service jobs offer higher-than-average starting rates and bonuses for bilingual employees, whether they are paid on an hourly rate or salaried basis.

The average starting rate for customer service reps is about $30,000, however bilingual customer service reps will find they can make more, even when just starting out in the field. With 5+ years of experience, you can expect to command a salary in the $45,000 range.

your day to day tasks

Although it’s common for bilingual customer service representatives to deal with issues such as complaints, that isn’t the only aspect of being in this kind of field.

Some representatives actually offer training to customers; others may perform outbound sales calling to upsell or cross-sell potential or current customers. Therefore, they may need to be able to think on their feet and maintain a pleasant attitude. Day-to-day tasks include:

• answering customer inquiries
• cold calling/sales calls
• updating customer records
• speaking to customers over the phone or computer
• completing transactions for customers
• processing refund, returns or other issues

where you can work

Bilingual customer service reps are in demand across Canada, but they are particularly in high demand in regions with a large multicultural population. The Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, and the province of Quebec offer many bilingual customer service career opportunities. You may also be able to work remotely or from home.

what you bring to the table

As with any customer-related positions, Bilingual Customer Service jobs require a high degree of ability when it comes to communicating with customers. Sometimes, the communication happens in a face-to-face venue; other times, it may be over the telephone. In today’s internet era, some Bilingual Customer Service reps help clients via text messaging, chat rooms or emails. Thus, the applicant must be motivated to serve, as well as ready for anything. Skills requirements include:

• being able to speak two or more languages
• highly effective and clear communicator
• strong interpersonal skills
• organization and prioritization skills
• ability to work under pressure
• experience with CRMs and other database software programs

training and certifications

Bilingual customer service jobs do not necessarily require any kind of formal academic training. However, some organizations do prefer to work with people who have graduated from two- or four-year degree programs at universities. Having a college or university degree will also allow you to specialize in a specific area, work for a company or position related to your degree and help you be a candidate to move up in the company in the future.

In general, the only expertise one must have to get into the field of bilingual customer service jobs is to know at least one language other than English. Of course, it’s helpful you have some previous customer service experience. Bilingual customer service personnel can also increase their earning potential by learning new languages.

where your career is headed

A bilingual customer service representative who can perform his or her job with ease can expect to move up the chain of command and take on roles in sales and customer service management. As Canada continues to become more diverse and as the global economy expands, the need for professionals who can offer customer service in multiple languages will continue to increase.