Top 5 customer service languages every brand needs

Faith Ocampo Published on October 18, 2016 Last updated on February 17, 2021

The international business landscape is changing at a pace never before seen. McKinsey predicts that by 2025, almost half of the world’s biggest companies will be based in emerging markets, revolutionizing the dynamics of global business competition.

diverse young people with international flags

Employers are now starting to prepare for this massive shift. More and more of them are taking an initiative to promote multilingualism in the workplace as part of their business growth strategy.

Others, however, are taking the easier route. They outsource to multilingual call centers that can handle their customer support and other processes. By doing so, they instantly gain access to a workforce that can help them penetrate diverse foreign markets.

But which customer service languages should you prioritize to gain the biggest benefits? Based on the number of native speakers and nations’ economic growth, here are the top five languages you must be able to speak.

  1. English (339 million native speakers)

    young african american man in glasses speaking on phone in seaside
    Of course, when it comes to business communication, the English language must be your top choice. Tapping the world’s most powerful economies including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia would require you to learn English. Plus, it’s widely considered a dominant international language. So there’s a big chance that non-native speakers in many parts of the world are also familiar with English, possibly learning it as their second tongue.

  2. Mandarin (897 million native speakers)

    Chinese best friends laughing
    Mandarin is more widely used than English and Spanish combined. China, the major country where it’s spoken, is also an attractive place for businesses. In 2020, the Asian country posted a GDP of USD 15.67 trillion, making it one of the world’s most vigorous markets.

    Being highly fluent in Mandarin will bring you a step closer to the Chinese market. It will help you build strong relations that are based on trust, enabling you to maximize the opportunities in the world’s biggest consumer sector.

  3. Spanish (427 million native speakers)

    Spanish friends in cafe with coffee camera
    Spanish has long been recognized as one of the most useful and widely spoken languages in the world, making it a key component of every business communication strategy. It’s spoken in 24 nations across Europe and Latin America, and it’s also the second most popular language in the United States.

    Delivering customer service in Spanish would therefore give your international marketing efforts a significant boost, allowing you to tap several foreign markets at once.

  4. Arabic (290 million native speakers)

    Arabic friends talking about smartphone use
    Arab-speaking countries are economic powerhouses bringing in a collective GDP of $2.522 trillion. Providing Arabic customer support allows businesses to tap into big economic markets with ease. However, Arabic language variations are difficult to learn as English speakers, placing more importance on native speakers to effectively communicate with customers in clients.

    Arabic languages feature 30 modern types, including Modern Standard Arabic, and are widely spoken in the Middle East and Africa. In addition, it is considered as one of the six official languages of the United Nations (UN).

  5. French (77 million native speakers)

    fun russian friends on the phone out shopping
    French is spoken in 29 countries across Europe and Africa, and regions of Canada. It is also the second most used language for multilateral diplomacy, following English.

    Due to its popularity as a learned second language, French speakers are predicted to balloon to 750 million by 2050. Even now, 202.6 million non-native speakers outweigh French native speakers. This, therefore, cements French as an asset for international businesspeople and a crucial language offering for multilingual call centers.

To achieve cultural competence and connect with diverse markets all over the world, you need to team up with a multilingual call center that can adhere to your standards. This will allow you to create a sustainable business growth strategy as you aim to capture new, promising frontiers. Get in touch with Open Access BPO to start speaking your customers’ language.

Faith is a digital media enthusiast aiming to become an active part of the tech world by sharing her insights. She likes to blog about everything digimarketing, technology, and social media.
Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 4 days ago
Driving excellent #CustomerExperience hinges on the diverse perspectives within your team.

Cultivating a culturally competent environment not only enriches your workforce but directly translates to superior service for a global customer base.

Join us as we discuss how #diversity elevates #CX!
Dive deeper into our insights and share your thoughts: https://buff.ly/fqcGUQK

——————————
Partner with a team that values and leverages diversity for outstanding results.

Contact us today to discuss your outsourcing needs: https://buff.ly/fNfWbTE

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CulturalDiversity #EmployeeManagement
#DiversityManagement #CustomerSuccess
Open Access BPO 4 days ago
Getting a bad performance review can be tough, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world.

In fact, it can be an opportunity to learn and grow, and to come back stronger than ever.

𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

𝐈𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.

Read our blog post right now: https://buff.ly/hiAUi78
And let's explore:
• the importance of recovering from a bad performance review;
• the causes of performance failures; and
• how to determine the best course of action to address these challenges

——————————
Find out how Open Access BPO's 24/7 multichannel services (in 30+ languages) can upgrade your #CX, strengthen brand loyalty, and drive business growth: https://buff.ly/cltoadZ

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerSupport #CustomerService
#CustomerExperience #CSat
Open Access BPO 7 days ago
Open Access BPO's recent 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 showcased our unwavering commitment to #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion. This inaugural event united our teams in Makati and Davao to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and support meaningful causes.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬-𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: https://buff.ly/nmRUrVg

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#PrideMonth #Pride2025 #UnitedByLove
#OneWithDiversity #PrideMonth2025
Open Access BPO 21 days ago
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗣𝗢 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗙𝗧 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀

Multilingual call center Open Access BPO announced the official launch of 𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗙𝗧: 𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗔𝗕𝗣𝗢 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, an initiative designed to foster sustainable health and well-being among its employees.

The program, whose acronym SHIFT stands for Sustainable Health and Integrated Fitness Transformation, aims to address the challenges of sedentary work lifestyles prevalent in the BPO industry by providing comprehensive support for health improvement.

The OABPO SHIFT Program will offer a holistic approach to employee wellness, encompassing structured physical fitness activities, wellness coaching, and a smart, sustainable nutrition guide.

This program highlights Open Access BPO's dedication to employee well-being, recognizing that healthy team members are key to both professional success and a great quality of life.

Employees are encouraged to check their official Open Access BPO email for detailed information on program enrollment and participation.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#OneForHealth #oabpoSHIFT
#IdeaHubOABPO #EmployeeWellness
#WellbeingAtWork
Open Access BPO 25 days ago
Delivering outstanding #CustomerSupport on over #SocialMedia promptly is essential for enhancing #CustomerSatisfaction and improving the overall brand experience.

But how can your brand consistently deliver on this crucial front?

Improve your customer interactions and build stronger connections on social media by reading all about it on our blog: https://buff.ly/sdjJ2A3

——————————
Give your brand a CX boost on the social web!
Outsource to a #CustomerService expert today: https://buff.ly/aBetHaO

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CSat
#CustomerExperience #CX
Open Access BPO 35 days ago
The world is getting smaller, and your customers come from all corners of it!
Partnering with a culturally diverse #CallCenter team isn't just the right thing to do, it's a smart business move.

Learn about the key benefits in our blog:
https://buff.ly/360SqHP

----------
Want a high-value #CustomerExperience for your diverse audience?

Let our multicultural teams help your brand break into international markets without worries.

Contact us today: https://buff.ly/59i7YD6

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CX #diversity #inclusion