What Are The Pros And Cons Of Over The Phone Interpreting Services?

Over the phone interpreting presents several inherent advantages; yet, there are a few disadvantages as well. While, there are certainly more advantages than disadvantages, it’s beneficial to research prospective services to gain a more clear picture of how it works. So, to help you determine if telephone interpreting is appropriate for an upcoming project, we’ve prepared a brief list of the pros and cons associated with this technology.

Benefits Of Over The Phone Interpreting

Convenience: When you use the phone to access professional interpreters, you can rest assured knowing that you have access to professionals around the clock.

Regardless of the time zone that you reside in, as long as you have access to a phone with good connection, you will always have access to an over the phone interpreter.

This is helpful for when you are planning your project, especially if you have a basic understanding of when you will be available for a phone call.

Low Cost: Fortunately, over the phone interpreting services are quite affordable, even if you only need to access the services for personal projects. Using one of iTi’s over the phone interpreting services, you have access to a wide variety of multilingual resources, and we can assure you that you’ll only pay for the interpreting you need (when you need it).

Typically, over the phone interpreting is far more cost effective when you compare it to the cost of hiring an interpreter to come on-site for a couple hours. When you work with an efficient telephonic interpreting service, you’ll only be paying for the minutes you use and nothing more. 

Works Well For Small Projects: One of the main benefits associated with over the phone interpreting is that you have convenient quick access to answering simple questions.

Consider this: it isn’t that easy if you speak a foreign language and you want to confirm an appointment or set up a meeting, especially if you are running short on time and your emails aren’t working. In cases like this, a telephone interpreter can be a lifesaver, as they are precise, affordable, and easy to use.

How To Prepare For Successul Telephone Interpreting Services

Drawbacks Of Over The Phone Interpreting

Becomes Difficult With More Than Two Participants: While phone interpreting is perfect for communication situations involving two people, it can become a bit convoluted when multiple parties are participating. Surely, conference calls can make the process easier, but if it isn’t clear who is speaking (this is usually determined by visual cues), the conversation can get more confusing than it’s supposed to be.

Background Noise Can Be Interrupting: If one of the phone call participants is located somewhere with a lot of background noise, it can be challenging to understand what the interpreter is saying. Relying only on a voice can be an advantage in some situations, yet it can clearly be a disadvantage as well.

You May Not Be Able To Work With The Same Interpreter Every Time: It’s important for some clients to have a close working relationship with their interpreter; however, due to the around-the-clock nature of telephone interpreting, this may not be possible.

In-Person Interpreting Vs. Telephone Or Video Interpreting (Infographic)

iTi Over the Phone Interpreter Services

iTi’s dedicated and experienced team offers a wide range of multilingual solutions for domestic and global corporations in a variety of industries. Do you require translation services to enhance your global marketing and sales initiatives or interpreter services to communicate across languages? We specialize in custom language solutions and work with over 250 languages so regardless of the barrier you face, we will work together in synergy to bridge the gap to ensure success. Please feel free to contact us through a message or by calling 860-362-0812. Our offices are open 24/7/365 so we can respond immediately to your interpreting or translation needs anytime, anywhere

Last updated November 28, 2022