Job Description
As a bilingual customer service employee you are expected to use your foreign language skills for a number of clerical, secretarial and administrative purposes. As the job title outlines, you are expected to offer assistance to staff and/or customers in more than one language.
It is very much a specialised role with significant career prospects so if you speak a foreign language fluently, a career in bilingual customer service could be ideal. Still interested in Bilingual Customer Service job role, read on for detailed Bilingual Customer Service job description.
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What Will I Be Doing?
There are a number of different roles available within bilingual customer service such as call centre advisor, secretary or personal assistant. This means your typical duties will vary but here is a snapshot of what you may be doing:
- Answering customer queries/taking phone messages in a foreign language.
- Translation of documents from English to foreign languages.
- Acting as an interpreter in meetings.
- Booking accommodation & transport for international visitors or your company’s staff on overseas visits.
- Recruitment, training and supervision of new staff.
- Typing.
- Handling foreign correspondence.
- Organising meetings.
What Else Do I Need To Know?
Most bilingual customer service roles are office-based; as a HR Specialist you will probably work typical 9-5 weekday hours but in other jobs you may have to work irregular hours depending on the needs of their employer. If you work in a call centre, evening and weekend work is normal.
What Are The Different Bilingual Customer Service Roles Available?
- HR Specialist: The main purpose of this role is to respond and resolve Human Resources related queries from employees and managers. Other duties include maintaining accurate employee records and escalating issues to the company specialist as appropriate. You also need strong written and verbal communication skills in at least 2 languages.
- Service Desk Agent: In this position you are expected to be fluent in 2 languages and your main task will be to provide phone support to your company’s internal and external client base. Other duties include working as part of the organisation’s troubleshooting team, aiding customers with technical issues and dealing with problems as they arise.
- Customer Service Representative: In this role you will report to a customer service supervisor and your duties will include entering customer purchase orders into your company’s system, verifying the availability of products and answering all sales and customer queries.
Bilingual Customer Service Salary
- HR Specialist: You may earn in the €30,000-€40,000 per annum range in this role and there are a number of short-term contract positions available.
- Service Desk Agent: You are likely to earn in the €20,000-€30,000 per annum range.
- Customer Service Representative: The typical annual salary in this role is €25,000-€35,000 per annum.
What Are The Plus Points?
You get to show off your ability to speak a foreign language! You also have the opportunity to talk to interesting people from overseas and perhaps learn more about their culture. Since we now live in a global marketplace and there are relatively few bilingual employees in any given organisation, you will be seen as an invaluable member of the team. As a result, it is possible to quickly rise through an organisation’s ranks.
What Are The Downsides?
If you work in a call centre, the hours are likely to be unsociable and interfere with your personal life. There could also be serious consequences for your company if you happen to mistranslate!
What Education/Qualifications Do I Need?
Although you don’t necessarily require formal qualifications, a Bachelor’s Degree in your chosen foreign language will significantly improve your chances of landing a job. An increasing number of employers are seeking candidates with a minimum of 6 months experience in a customer service/phone based role.
It is also advantageous if you have IT skills and have already worked or studiedin a technical/IT environment in the event you are applying for service desk agent roles.
Am I A Good Candidate?
In order to be a success in the world of bilingual customer service, you need to possess the following traits:
- Fluency in a minimum of two languages.
- Secretarial skills.
- Outstanding interpersonal and customer service skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Excellent IT skills.
- The ability to work as part of a team or by yourself.
If you liked the information provided in this Bilingual Customer Service job description from the duties to salary to progression opportunities, then a career as Bilingual Customer Service might be right for you.
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