Is it necessary for agency staff to speak multiple languages?

YES.

Our agency is located in the city of Pawtucket, about five miles from Providence, Rhode Island. Our community of clients is extremely diverse, and we have a particularly large Latino and Portuguese client base.

While many, if not most, of our clients can speak English, it is not their first language. Many of them prefer to speak in their native languages, especially when speaking about a complex issue like insurance.

Insurance is difficult enough to understand as it is, let alone when you’re trying to explain it in English to someone who doesn’t speak the language fluently. When a client or prospect can converse in their first language about their insurance needs, they’re able to better understand what is being discussed.

On our agency team, we have several employees who speak Spanish, Portuguese, Creole and French. An employee’s ability to communicate in another language is a huge advantage and an important factor we consider during our hiring process. Our bilingual employees do a wonderful job helping clients navigate the complexities of insurance by removing a significant communication barrier.

And our clients and prospects deeply appreciate being able to speak Spanish or Portuguese, for example, rather than having to try to muddle through a conversation in broken English. Employing a staff that speaks multiple languages is a competitive advantage that has helped our agency grow, because clients refer their friends and business associates to us based on our ability to communicate with them in their preferred language.

Not all agencies are able or willing to offer this service. Doing so strengthens our relationships within the local community and builds our reputation as an agency where all are welcome.

—Melanie Loiselle-Mongeon, agency manager at Loiselle Insurance Agency in Pawtucket, Rhode Island

NO.

Employing a multilingual agency staff isn’t necessary for success, and it can be an ingredient for disaster if done wrong.

Several liability issues could arise when delivering information to potential customers in a different language. For example, my agency sells surety bonds—a highly niche product with many nuances. A bilingual agent might be able to provide a brief overview of the product relatively well, but can they perfectly describe the nuances the insured will encounter during a claim, recovery or overall transaction—leaving no gaps or confusion?

Bilingual fluency can take years to master. While a bilingual agent might be able to take in information successfully, delivering that information exactly as it would be delivered in its native tongue could be a different matter entirely. Substitutions, omissions, additions or idioms have the potential to drastically change an explanation.

Additionally, employing a multilingual staff creates questions around testing and training. Will employees be required to pass a test before speaking to clients in another language? Is it one test per year, or one test forever? What about continuing education? Should bilingual employees take CE credits in English, their second language or both?

Who will be responsible for cross-checking a bilingual agent’s work? Who will continue to train, test and monitor their linguistics skills?

Rather than take responsibility for this communication, direct prospects or clients to another agency that speaks, writes and fully understands not only their language, but also the product in question to ensure the insured receives the best, most specialized care.

Until an agency can find someone who has truly mastered their product in a non-English tongue, it’s better to stick with, and speak, what you know.

—Crystal Ignatowski, marketing content developer at Surety Solutions in Salem, Oregon