Multilingual customer support playbook for a small team and an AI agent
A multilingual customer support playbook a small team can run this week: decide per language, give the AI agent language rules, hand over honestly when nobody speaks the language, and test the same 10 questions in every language each month. Filled example, Word and Excel.
Made by Anatolii Ulitovskyi 
Fact-checked by RH Fardin Updated 1. Language coverage matrix: decide per language
Fill firstThis multilingual customer support playbook starts with one decision per language. The AI agent replies in 95+ languages, so every language gets an answer. The matrix decides which answers you stand behind, who checks them and what happens when they fail.
Three coverage levels
| Level | What the customer gets | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Supported: AI plus people | AI answers, and a person who speaks the language takes handovers. | A teammate who reads and writes it well, a reviewer, a passed test, a fallback. |
| AI only | AI answers. A person replies with a translation tool, more slowly. | A reviewer for about 1 hour a month, approved policy texts, a passed test, a fallback. |
| Not supported | AI answers simple questions. Binding terms come in main language, with an honest note. | An honest message and a reply time in main language. |
Matrix row (one per language)Language: language, with the region if it matters
Share of chats: % last month
AI answers: Yes / No
People who speak it: names, or none
Reviewer: native or fluent speaker
Fallback: what happens when quality fails or nobody speaks it
Status: Supported / AI only / Not supported
Owner and next action: name, action, by date
Decide the level
- Count real chatsShare per language over the last month. Also read 20 chats: what counts is the language people write in.
- Over 3% of chatsAt least AI only: find a reviewer and write the fallback.
- Someone speaks itSupported, if that person covers your support hours or has a backup.
- Under 3%, no reviewerNot supported for now. Look again every 3 months.
Completion checkA language counts as supported, AI only or AI plus people, only when it passed this month's test with a reviewer and has a working fallback. Until then, treat it as Not supported.
2. Greeting and language switch in the visitor's language
The agent answers in the language the visitor writes in. The first message shows before the visitor types, so keep it short, in your main language, with your languages named in their own words.
First message (translated greeting)Hi, I'm bot name, the AI assistant for business. Write in your language: I answer in English, Español, Português, Français and more. Our team replies in team languages.
2.1A language you support with AI only
Agent doesAnswers in that language; explains the handover once.
Agent saysI can help you in language. If you need a person, our team will reply in language with a translation tool, within time.
2.2A language you do not support
Agent doesAnswers simple questions; for policy questions, gives the official text in main language.
Agent saysI can answer simple questions in language. Our team works in team languages, so the official text of our policy is in main language: link. A person can reply in main language within time.
2.3The visitor switches language
Agent doesSwitches and stays in the new language. Never mixes two in one reply.
Agent saysOf course. I will continue in language.
2.4Mixed or unclear message
Agent doesAsks one short question instead of guessing.
Agent saysSorry, I am not sure I understood. Could you say it in other words, or in main language?
Never promiseA person who speaks the visitor's language, unless the coverage matrix names one for that language.
3. Handover when no one on the team speaks the language
Decide before it happensHuman handover by language is where multilingual support breaks: the agent passes a chat to a person who cannot read it. Decide per level who replies, in which language and by when.
Who replies, in which language, by when
| Level | Who replies | Reply language | Reply time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported | name who speaks it | The customer's language | 2 business hours |
| AI only | name, with a translation tool | The customer's language; approved texts for policy | 1 business day |
| Not supported | name | main language, or translated with the original below | 1 business day |
Agent, before the handover (AI only)Thank you. I am passing this to our team. They work in team languages and reply to language messages with a translation tool, within time. Please send your order number or email.
Agent, before the handover (not supported)Thank you. Our team works in team languages, so a person will reply in main language within time. If that is hard for you, reply in your language and we will use a translation tool. Please send your order number or email.
Email reply in your main languageSubject: Your question about topic, order order number
Hi first name,
Our team works in team languages, so I am replying in main language.
The answer in 2 or 3 short sentences. Next step and date.
If anything is unclear, reply in your language and we will use a translation tool.
Your name, business
Email reply translated, original belowThe answer in the customer's language
This note in the customer's language: This reply was translated with a translation tool. If anything is unclear, the main language text below applies.
The same answer in your main language
Your name, business
Before you send a reply in a language you do not read
- Paste the approved text from tab 4 for any refund, return, warranty or legal answer.
- Write short sentences, numbers in digits and dates in words: 12 October, not 10/12.
- Translate your draft back with a second tool and check numbers, dates and names.
Never promiseA phone call in the customer's language, or a reply time you do not keep for that language.
4. Policies, prices and legal text: approved translations only
MustRefund, delivery and warranty rules, prices and legal text are promises. In every supported language, the agent quotes an approved translation from the Knowledge Base. Terms, warranty and privacy text: the approved translation, or the original with a link.
How a translation gets approved
- SourceThe current text in your main language, with its version date.
- DraftMachine translation is fine as a first draft.
- ReviewThe reviewer checks it line by line against the source: numbers, days, exceptions.
- ApproveThe owner approves and dates it. For legal text, ask a local adviser if you sell into that country.
- StoreIn the Knowledge Base under one heading: policy, language, approved date.
Regional policy note (for the Knowledge Base)Policy name for orders shipped to country or region, approved date:
The rule in 1 to 3 sentences: who pays return shipping, delivery time, duties and taxes.
This note applies only to country or region. For all other orders, see main policy.
Prices, dates and numbers in every language
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Prices | In currency exactly as listed, with the currency code: USD 189, not $189. The $ sign also means Canadian dollars and Mexican pesos. |
| Conversion | The agent never converts currencies or estimates taxes and duties. It sends link or offers a person. |
| Dates | In words: 12 October 2026. 10/12 means October in the US and December in most other countries. |
NeverMachine-translated terms, warranty or privacy text shown without review, or a price the agent converted on its own.
5. Localized refund and delivery replies with the same facts
Write the facts once, then every language carries the same amount, currency code, days, method and next step. Below are the example shop's replies in English, Spanish and French. Approve each version like a policy.
Fact sheet (fill once, in your main language)Refund amount: amount with currency code
Refund method: card, PayPal, store credit
Refund time: number business days after we receive the return
Return shipping: who pays, per region
Delivery time: days business days to country
Delivery cost: amount with currency code
If it is late: what the customer does, from which date
Refund reply, EnglishHi first name, we received your return for order order number on date and refunded USD 189.00 to your card today. Your bank usually shows it within 5 business days. Return shipping from outside the US is not refunded. Not there by date? Reply here and we will check.
Refund reply, SpanishHola, nombre: recibimos su devolución del pedido número de pedido el fecha y hoy le reembolsamos USD 189.00 a su tarjeta. Su banco suele reflejarlo en un plazo de 5 días hábiles. El costo del envío de devolución desde fuera de Estados Unidos no se reembolsa. Si no lo ve antes del fecha, responda a este mensaje y lo revisaremos.
Refund reply, FrenchBonjour prénom, nous avons reçu votre retour pour la commande numéro de commande le date et remboursé aujourd'hui 189,00 USD sur votre carte. Votre banque l'affiche généralement sous 5 jours ouvrables. Les frais de retour depuis l'extérieur des États-Unis ne sont pas remboursés. Si vous ne le voyez pas d'ici le date, répondez à ce message et nous vérifierons.
Delivery reply, EnglishHi first name, order order number shipped on date. Delivery to Canada takes 6 to 10 business days and shipping cost USD 25.00. Duties and taxes, if any, are paid on delivery. If it has not arrived by date, reply here and we will ask the carrier.
Delivery reply, SpanishHola, nombre: el pedido número de pedido salió el fecha. La entrega a México tarda de 6 a 10 días hábiles y el envío costó USD 25.00. Los aranceles e impuestos, si los hay, se pagan al recibir el paquete. Si no ha llegado antes del fecha, responda a este mensaje y consultaremos con la empresa de transporte.
Delivery reply, FrenchBonjour prénom, la commande numéro de commande a été expédiée le date. La livraison au Canada prend de 6 à 10 jours ouvrables et a coûté 25,00 USD. Les droits et taxes éventuels sont payés à la livraison. Si le colis n'est pas arrivé d'ici le date, répondez à ce message et nous contacterons le transporteur.
Check before you save a localized reply
- Amount, currency code, days and method match the fact sheet.
- The number format may follow the language (189,00 in French); the amount and the code do not change.
- Names stay as they are, and the form of address follows the terminology list (tab 6).
6. Translation and terminology list
One list for the agent and every reviewer: names never translated, words with one approved translation, and the form of address per language. It goes into the Knowledge Base and rule 6 of the language rules.
Terminology list (example shop, then your own rows)
| Term | Rule | Approved in each language |
|---|---|---|
| Sagebrush Leather | Never translate | Same in every language |
| Ranger Tote, Trail Wallet | Product names: never translate | Same in every language |
| business day | One approved word | es: día hábil; fr: jour ouvrable; pt: dia útil |
| return label | One approved word | es: etiqueta de devolución; fr: étiquette de retour; pt: etiqueta de devolução |
| monogram | One approved word | es: monograma; fr: monogramme; pt: monograma |
| you (form of address) | Fixed per language | es: usted; fr: vous; pt (Brazil): você |
| your term | never translate, or one approved word | language: approved word |
TipAdd a word the day a reviewer flags it in the monthly test. One line on the list fixes the answer in every language.
7. Monthly multilingual answer evaluation: 10 questions
MonthlyOnce a month, ask the agent the same 10 questions in every language you serve, and let the reviewer score each answer. Same intent and expected facts; only the language changes. Plan about 20 minutes per language.
10 questions that cover most chats
- 1. The price of your top product.
- 2. Delivery time and cost to a country you ship to.
- 3. How to return product.
- 4. Where is my refund?
- 5. Product broke after number months.
- 6. Is product in stock in variant?
- 7. A paid extra, such as option.
- 8. How to use or care for product.
- 9. Change an order or the delivery address.
- 10. Can I talk to a person?
How to run it
- Write the expected factsFrom the source, in your main language: the numbers and rules a correct answer must contain.
- Ask in each languageThe reviewer types each question in their language, in Try Bot or the live widget, as a customer would.
- Score 3 checksAnswer correct, tone OK, policy correct: Yes or No, with a note for every No.
- Decide and updatePass at 90% or more with no policy error. Otherwise fix the source and retest the failed questions within 7 days. Update the Excel matrix.
How to score each answer
| Check | Yes when | No when |
|---|---|---|
| Answer correct | The expected facts are there: numbers, days, names, steps. | A fact is wrong, missing or invented. |
| Tone OK | Natural to a native speaker, right form of address, names untranslated. | Stiff, wrong formality, a translated product name, the wrong regional variant. |
| Policy correct | Prices, refund, delivery and legal terms match the approved text. | Something added, changed or promised: a free label, a converted price, an exception. |
NeverLet the agent or a translation tool score its own answers. The reviewer reads the language.
8. Instructions to paste into the agent: language rules
Copy thisPaste the block at the end of the agent's Instructions, fill in the brackets from your coverage matrix, save, and run the 5 test messages.
Language rules for the InstructionsLANGUAGE RULES
1. Reply in the language of the visitor's last message. If the visitor asks for another language, switch and stay in it. Never mix languages in one reply.
2. Supported with people: languages. Supported with AI only: languages. All other languages are not supported.
3. In a supported language, give refund, return, delivery, warranty and legal information only from the approved text for that language in the Knowledge Base. Do not add to it.
4. In a language that is not supported, answer simple questions. For refunds, returns, warranty and legal questions, say that the official text is in main language, send policy page link and offer a person.
5. Prices only in currency code, exactly as in the Knowledge Base. Never convert currencies or estimate taxes or duties.
6. Never translate these names: business name, product names. Use the approved words in the terminology list.
7. Form of address: language: formal or informal; language: formal or informal.
8. If you are not sure what the visitor means, ask one short question in their language. Do not guess.
9. When the visitor asks for a person: in languages with people, say that name will reply in their language within time. In any other language, say: our team works in team languages, and a person will reply in reply language within time. Ask for email or order number.
Test it: 5 messages
| Type this | Pass if |
|---|---|
| A price question in a supported language | Same language, price in currency code, nothing converted. |
| A return question in an AI-only language | The approved text for that language, nothing added. |
| A refund question in a language you do not support | Simple answer, official text in main language, a person offered. |
| A question in one language, then a switch to another | The reply switches with the visitor. |
| A request for a person in a language nobody speaks | Honest message with the reply language and the time. |
Where it goesRules go in the Shared tab of Instructions, so they apply to chat and voice.
For small sales and support teams
Answer in 95+ languages and check every language you promise.
In CRMsoftware.pro the AI agent replies in the visitor's language from your Knowledge Base and hands chats to your team in Live Support. On Growth, Auto translate lets a teammate reply in a language they do not speak. Scoring answers is your monthly test, not an app feature.
- AI replies in 95+ languages on every plan, from your Knowledge Base
- Human handover in Live Support from Launch, Auto translate on Growth
- Growth, $49 a month billed yearly for 20 users, adds the multilingual widget
Free plan: 3 users, AI chat and a basic knowledge base, no credit card.
Filled example
An online shop in 5 languages: coverage and the October test
Sagebrush Leather, a fictional online shop in San Diego, sells leather bags to the US, Mexico, Canada and Brazil. Daniela, the owner, speaks English and Spanish; Tom, in support, speaks English. In September, 41% of 610 chats were not in English. Here a customer in Brazil asks for a person in Portuguese.
Language coverage matrix, October 2026
| English, 59% of chats | Supported. Reviewer: Tom. Fallback: Tom in Live Support, 2 business hours. |
| Spanish, 24% | Supported. Reviewer: Daniela. Fallback: Daniela, or Tom with Auto translate. |
| Portuguese (Brazil), 9% | AI only. Reviewer: Lucas Almeida, freelance. Fallback: Tom with Auto translate, 1 business day. |
| French (Canada), 6% | AI only. Reviewer: Amélie Roy, freelance. Fallback: Tom with Auto translate, 1 business day. |
| German, 2% | Not supported. No reviewer. Fallback: honest message, email in English in 1 business day. |
Monthly answer evaluation, 5 October 2026
| Language | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|
| English | 30 of 30 (100%) | Pass |
| Spanish | 29 of 30 (97%) | Pass |
| Portuguese | 28 of 30 (93%) | Pass |
| French | 27 of 30 (90%) | Fail: 1 policy error |
| German | Not tested | No reviewer |
What failed, the fix and the completion check
| French, question 3 | Policy error: promised a free return label to Canada. Fix: a regional policy note in French, approved by Amélie. |
| French, questions 1 and 8 | Converted USD 189 to about CAD 259 by itself; used 'tu'. Fix: rules 5 and 7. |
| Spanish and Portuguese | Translated the name Ranger Tote; wrong delivery time to Brazil; European Portuguese wording. Fixed on 6 October. |
| Completion check | English and Spanish count as Supported, Portuguese as AI only. French counts as Not supported until the retest on 12 October. |
Why it matters
Why multilingual answers need a test in every language
More than 1 in 5 people age 5 and older in the United States, 22%, spoke a language other than English at home in 2017 to 2021; about 61% of them spoke Spanish1. An AI agent answers those chats whether or not anyone on the team can check the answer.
Fluent is not the same as correct, and quality is not the same in every language. When OpenAI machine-translated the same multiple-choice exam into other languages, GPT-4 scored 85.5% in English, 84.0% in Spanish and 62.0% in Telugu2. In a 2021 study of Google Translate for emergency department instructions, the meaning survived in 82.5% of 400 translations, from 94% in Spanish to 55% in Armenian, and the authors found the results inconsistent between languages3.
These numbers come from 2021 and 2023 tools and will change. The method will not: the same questions in every language, checked by someone who reads it, with a fallback for the languages that fail.
22%
of US residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, 2017 to 2021
85.5% vs 62.0%
GPT-4 on the same exam in English and translated into Telugu
94% vs 55%
meaning kept by Google Translate in Spanish and in Armenian, 2021 study
Excel evaluation
Multilingual answer evaluation template in Excel
Three sheets: Coverage matrix (one row per language), Evaluation (the example shop's October test: 4 languages, 10 questions each) and Summary. Shaded columns fill in by themselves. Opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
| Column | What it does |
|---|---|
| Coverage: language, share of chats, AI answers, people who speak it | One row per language. The share comes from Chat History or Analytics. |
| Reviewer, fallback, fallback tried, status | Who reviews, what happens when quality fails, Yes once tried this month, and the level from a list. |
| Test result, check, counts as Auto | This month's result, what is missing, and what the language really counts as by the completion check. |
| Owner, next action, due | Who does what next for this language, by when. |
| Evaluation: language, question, expected facts, three checks | One row per language and question, with the reviewer's Yes or No and a note for every No. |
| Score Auto | 1 point per Yes, 0 to 3. Empty until all three checks and the reviewer are filled. |
| Summary: score, policy errors, result Auto | Per language for the month you choose: Pass at 90% or more with no policy error. The threshold is editable. |
The Summary sheet shows each language's score for the month, Pass or Fail against the threshold, and the languages missing a reviewer or a working fallback. In the sample, French scores 90% but fails on one policy error, and German has no reviewer.
How to use
How to use the multilingual customer support playbook
- 1
Fill the coverage matrix
Share of chats, people who speak it, a reviewer, a fallback and a level per language (tab 1).
- 2
Set the greeting and rules
First message from tab 2, language rules from tab 8, approved texts and the terminology list in the Knowledge Base.
- 3
Agree the handover
Who replies in which language, by when (tab 3). Try one handover per language.
- 4
Run the monthly test
The same 10 questions in every language, scored by the reviewer in the Excel file.
- 5
Fix and decide
Fix the source, retest failures within 7 days and update each level.
Set it up in CRMsoftware.pro
- Find your languages: Chat History shows a Language under Visitor Info for each chat, and Analytics, where your plan includes it, shows Language Distribution under Demographics & Traffic.
- My Bots > choose the bot > Basics tab: paste the language rules into Instructions (Shared tab), add approved texts and the terminology list to the Knowledge Base, write the First Message. Save Bot.
- Set Widget Language for buttons and labels, or turn on Auto-detect website language; the language you pick is the fallback.
- Run the 10 questions in each language with Try Bot, with the reviewer typing.
- Handovers arrive in Live Support as Awaiting agent. On Growth, turn on Auto translate to read the customer's messages in your language and reply in theirs; Show original shows their own words.
- Tag chats by language: Settings > Conversation Tags > New tag, for example lang-fr. On Growth, save localized replies: Settings > Saved Replies > New reply, Shortcut /refund-fr.
CRMsoftware.pro does not score answers or route chats by language: the matrix and the test are your documents. AI chat and the Knowledge Base: Free, 3 users. Human handover: Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users. Auto translate, saved replies and the 17-language widget: Growth, $49.
Monthly language review, 30 minutes
- Every language marked Supported or AI only passed this month, with a named reviewer.
- Every fallback was tried once this month.
- Every No in the test has a fix, an owner and a retest date.
FAQ
Questions about multilingual customer support
What is a multilingual customer support playbook?
A short operating plan for serving customers in more than one language: which languages you support and how, what the agent and the team say in each, and how you check quality. This one adds a monthly test with the same 10 questions in every language.
What are multilingual customer support best practices for a small team?
Decide per language instead of promising to be multilingual. Use approved translations for policies and prices, keep product names untranslated, say honestly which language a person will reply in, and test every language monthly with a native or fluent reviewer.
How do you evaluate a multilingual chatbot's answers?
Ask the same questions in every language, with the expected facts written down from your source. A native or fluent reviewer scores each answer for correct facts, tone and policy. In this template, a language passes at 90% or more with no policy error; test monthly and after any change to prices or policies.
Is there a multilingual answer evaluation template in Excel?
Yes. The free Excel file has a coverage matrix, an evaluation sheet with a score formula per language and question, and a Summary with Pass or Fail per language and the languages missing a reviewer or a working fallback.
Can I machine-translate my refund policy and terms?
Only as a draft. A fluent reviewer checks it against the source and the owner approves it before the agent quotes it. In a 2021 study, Google Translate kept the meaning of emergency instructions in 94% of Spanish translations but only 55% of Armenian ones3.
What should the chatbot say when nobody speaks the customer's language?
Before the handover, name the language your team works in, the language of the reply and the time, for example: "Our team works in English and Spanish, so a person will reply in English within 1 business day." Never promise a person who speaks their language.
Which languages should a small business support?
Count a month of chats by language. Languages above about 3% get at least AI only, with a reviewer and a fallback. A language someone on the team speaks can be Supported. The rest stay Not supported, with an honest message.
Does CRMsoftware.pro answer in the customer's language?
Yes. The AI agent replies in the language the visitor writes in, in 95+ languages, on every plan. For the widget's buttons, Auto-detect website language matches your website's language, with Widget Language as the fallback; the 17-language widget comes with Growth.
Can my team reply in a language they do not speak in CRMsoftware.pro?
Yes, on Growth, $49 a month billed yearly: turn on Auto translate in Live Support to read the customer's messages translated and reply in their language; Show original shows their own words. For refunds and legal terms, still paste the approved translation.
Related templates
Free tools
Sources
- Language spoken at home, 2017-2021 American Community Survey, read 8 October 2026: U.S. Census Bureau, New Data on Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and the Ability to Speak English (3 June 2025)
- Same exam in 26 languages, Figure 5, read 8 October 2026: OpenAI, GPT-4 Technical Report (arXiv 2303.08774)
- Machine translation accuracy by language, read 8 October 2026: Taira et al., A Pragmatic Assessment of Google Translate for Emergency Department Instructions, Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2021
- Plans and prices: CRMsoftware.pro pricing
Answer every language. Promise only the ones you test.
Start free with 3 users: AI chat in 95+ languages and a basic knowledge base. Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users, adds human handover. Growth, $49, adds Auto translate, saved replies and the 17-language widget.