How to Serve a Non-English Speaking Client

• June 24, 2026

By Nancy Germond

Independent insurance agents in the U.S. increasingly serve a multilingual population. Nearly 68 million people—almost 1 in 5—speak a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

So, is your agency missing prime chances to write more business due to language barriers? But if you do expand your clientele, are you exposing yourself to increased errors & omissions risks?

Serving non-English speaking clients gives your agency access to an underserved market. But even for native English speakers, insurance is complex. Application questions, endorsements, deductibles, exclusions, warranties and limits require detailed explanation. However, when the attempt to translate those explanations is undertaken by a staff member with limited fluency, a bilingual but unlicensed employee, or a free online translation tool, the resulting incomplete or inaccurate translation creates risk.

When communication is inaccurate, the risk extends beyond a missed sale to service failures, client frustration and E&O exposure. In a real-world example, one Arizona agent faced a claim after selling a minimum-limits auto policy to a Spanish-speaking client. After an accident, the client alleged the agent did not speak Spanish well enough to explain that the policy would not respond as the client expected.

When no one at the agency is fluent in the client’s language, agencies may resort to having the client’s family or friend translate, but most family interpreters do not understand insurance terminology. They may translate only part of what the agent communicates. While it may help to ask the family interpreter to sign an acknowledgment that they translated the discussion, it does not eliminate the risk of a misunderstanding.

It’s also important to consider privacy in those scenarios. By sharing personally identifiable information (PII) through an informal interpreter, consent, accuracy and confidentiality concerns can follow.

When Referral Is the Best Option

Not every prospect is meant for your agency. As much as an agent dislikes turning away business, a referral may be the safest and most professional response if the client has limited English proficiency and no one in your agency can confidently and accurately communicate the coverage. The majority of E&O risks arise from commercial risks, according to Swiss Re data, so strongly consider referring commercial risks to an agency with expertise in both commercial lines and the client’s preferred language.

A timely referral to another Big “I” agency protects both the client and the agency. It also shows professionalism. When you maintain a vetted list of trusted bilingual agency partners by language and line of business, you can help the client without forcing a risky transaction. Your Big “I” state association can help by connecting you with members who have non-English-speaking talent.

Damaris Garza is an agent and officer manager of Garza Insurance Agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which offers services in English and Spanish and primarily serves personal lines clients in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. “Most of our referrals come from Hispanic-owned auto dealerships and word of mouth,” Garza says. “Referrals are awesome.”

“As agents learn about our Spanish-speaking abilities and refer to us, we want to do what is best for the client,” Garza says. “We’re always thrilled to get a referral from a Big ‘I’ agent and refer business to a Big ‘I’ agent if we can’t write that specific line of coverage.”

Should the referral agency not meet the insured’s expectations, it’s best to offer multiple referral options when possible. Explain that the referral is meant to help the client work with someone who can serve them clearly and accurately, as well as protect your agency.

How to Serve Non-English Speaking Clients

If you decide to expand your client base to non-English speaking prospects, here are three practical solutions to protect your agency from E&O risk:

1) Use qualified interpreters and translators. Professional interpretation services can help agencies communicate more clearly with prospects and insureds, especially for larger personal accounts or commercial risks. A qualified interpreter or translator is often a better solution than relying on a family member or a producer with limited language skills. The American Translators Association certification is one of the gold standards in translation.

For written materials, find trained translators who understand insurance terminology. Translating forms using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as Copilot, ChatGPT or Claude, can create problems.

Professional language support may cost more upfront, but it can reduce expensive misunderstandings later and even save your E&O deductible.

2) Create standard workflows and update your procedures manual. A consistent internal process will reduce guesswork and inconsistency across producers and service staff. Your workflow should define when to proceed, when to use an interpreter, when to escalate and when to refer the account out.

Your procedure should include steps to identify the language barrier early and to document how the decision to quote in-house or refer was made. And if a translator or interpreter is used, especially on complex accounts, document discussions with the translator or between the translator and the client.

3) Carefully vet bilingual staff. Hiring bilingual talent is a great way to expand your customer base. Bilingual employees can improve responsiveness, strengthen trust and help agencies compete in multilingual markets.

The standard, however, is not simply: “Can this employee speak the language?” It is: “Can this employee communicate insurance correctly and lawfully?”

Nancy Germond is Big “I” executive director of risk management and education.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only, and any opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s). The article is provided “as is” with no warranties or representations of any kind, and any liability is disclaimed that is in any way connected to reliance on or use of the information contained therein. The article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for obtaining such advice. If specific expert advice is required or desired, the services of an appropriate, competent professional, such as an attorney or accountant, should be sought.