Multilingual customer support: 7 strategies to attract global customers

Your SaaS solution has started capturing the attention of users across the globe. New sign-ups are pouring in from Tokyo to Toronto, your metrics are soaring, and your product is primed for global success.

Then the inevitable happens—support tickets start to flood in. At first, you’re excited thinking it’s a sign of growth. But then you notice the obvious: many of the customer queries aren’t in English.

Customers in Brazil, Germany, and South Korea are reaching out, but they can’t find help in their language. They’re stuck, frustrated, and left feeling ignored. And some of the frustrated customers end up churning.

It’s no longer enough to just offer great features. Customers want to be understood, and they expect support in their language—68% of them, as per research. You might have the best product on the market, but if your support isn’t accessible, you’re losing business.

But imagine flipping the script. What if your customer in Buenos Aires felt as supported as your user in Boston? What if language was never a barrier but a bridge to deeper loyalty?

Multilingual customer support can turn your global presence from a challenge into an opportunity.

This guide shows you how to build a multilingual customer support system so that you can speak your customer’s language—literally—and how it can be your ticket to global growth.

What is multilingual customer support?

Multilingual customer support refers to the approach to customer support where businesses provide assistance in multiple languages, ensuring that every customer, regardless of their location, receives help in their native language. It bridges communication gaps, enhances user experience, and builds global customer loyalty.

For businesses looking to expand globally, language can be the make-or-break factor for customer experience. Companies often struggle with expanding globally because their support teams can’t speak every language their customers do. This gap alienates users, leaves issues unresolved, and drives customers to competitors.

So, multilingual support is the difference between losing and retaining a user. By meeting customers where they are, in their language, companies reduce friction, speed up resolutions, and enhance overall customer experience management. It’s not just about scaling—it’s about making every customer feel valued, no matter where they’re from.

Why is multilingual customer support important?

Multilingual customer support is important for business growth as it helps expand global reach and boosts customer retention rate. It enhances customer satisfaction and builds loyalty as you show customers across the world they’re valued, and also gives you a competitive edge to stand out in a crowded global market.

Let’s see the top 5 benefits of multilingual customer support to see how important it can be for your business:

1. Multilingual customer support lets you tap into global markets

When you offer support in multiple languages, you’re opening the door to entire markets you might never have accessed otherwise. Without multilingual customer support, your potential customers could feel excluded, leaving them to seek competitors that cater to their language needs. In fact, Harvard Business Review reveals that 72% of shoppers are more likely to buy from sites written in their native language. Your ability to speak their language can be the key to winning them over.

2. Multilingual customer support helps improve customer retention

Customer retention isn’t just about providing value; it’s about making users feel valued. Offering global customer service shows that you’re not just there for the sale but to build a long-term relationship. By eliminating language barriers, you not only solve their problems but also reinforce their trust in your brand. It’s a powerful way to turn one-time users into loyal advocates.

3. Multilingual customer support enhances brand image

In today’s global market, customers don’t just want a product—they want a brand that aligns with their values and makes them feel understood. So, when you offer multilingual helpdesk services, you demonstrate a commitment to cultural awareness and personalization, which resonates with international audiences. This inclusivity doesn’t just attract customers; it also builds trust and loyalty, positioning your brand as one that cares about its global customer base.

4. Multilingual customer support gives you a competitive advantage

A staggering 82% of companies don’t offer multilingual support because of poor ROI, according to a study. So, this is your chance to stand out. By showing that your business goes the extra mile to support diverse customers, you not only differentiate yourself from competitors but also create a brand image that is welcoming, accessible, and globally relevant. It’s a strategic move that sets you apart and attracts new users who want to feel heard and understood.

5. Multilingual customer support drives more revenue for your business

When your users can ask you questions in their native language, the ability to receive immediate, accurate support in their language removes they feel more comfortable, valued, and understood. his connection drives them to take action, whether it’s signing up, renewing a subscription, or upgrading to premium plans. A study shows 75% of customers are more likely to buy from a brand again if post-sale support is delivered in their native language.

Most important channels to provide multilingual customer service

Providing multilingual customer service requires selecting the right channels to meet customer needs. The most effective channels include live chat, social media, email, and self-service portals, all designed to deliver seamless, personalized experiences that enhance customer satisfaction and retention across diverse regions.

Let’s explore the 5 most effective channels and how each plays a crucial role in delivering quality multilingual support:

1. Live chat for instant multilingual support:

Live chat is the go-to for users seeking fast, real-time assistance. In a multilingual context, it’s a powerful channel that allows customers to get support in their native language without delay. Tools like AI chatbots can instantly detect a user’s language, providing immediate responses or routing them to human agents fluent in that language. A powerful AI chatbot can help you handle up to 90% customer inquiries—check out here how Tough Trucks for Kids pulled it off.

2. Social media for real-time engagement:

Social media has become a primary channel for customer interactions, especially among younger demographics. Offering multilingual support through platforms like LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram can significantly enhance engagement with non-English-speaking customers.

3. Email for detailed multilingual queries:

Email remains a preferred channel for complex inquiries that require more detailed responses. With multilingual email templates and AI translation tools, your team can ensure accurate, personalized communication across multiple languages. Email is particularly effective for handling in-depth technical queries or follow-up interactions, ensuring clarity in multilingual conversations.

4. Self-service portals for multilingual independence. Many customers prefer solving problems independently, and a multilingual self-service portal empowers them to do so. Offering localized versions of FAQs, knowledge base articles, and tutorials can significantly reduce support ticket volumes while enhancing the user experience.

• Calls for complex, high-touch issues. When issues are too complex to be resolved via chat or email, calls through phone or video conferencing platforms remain invaluable. By staffing your call center with multilingual agents, you ensure that users can discuss intricate problems in their native language, fostering trust and customer loyalty.

7 tips to develop multilingual customer support in your organization

To make your customer support multilingual, focus on essential strategies: prioritize high-impact languages, build diverse teams, implement AI-powered chatbot software, and tailor services to local markets. These tactics drive global growth, boost customer satisfaction, reduce churn rate, and ultimately increase revenue, ensuring you deliver excellent customer experience.

Let’s break down some effective strategies that’ll help you scale multilingual support in your SaaS business and build a truly global customer experience.

1. Prioritize high-impact languages

It’s tempting to go all in and offer support in every language—but that’s not practical. Instead, start with high-impact languages. Use your user data, trends from your support tickets, and regional growth stats to determine which languages matter most. If Latin America is a major growth region for you, Spanish should be a top priority. A focused approach ensures you’re making the most of your resources.

2. Localize your knowledge base and self-service resources

Not every customer wants to reach out for help; many prefer self-service. Offering a localized knowledge base with FAQs, articles, and video tutorials in multiple languages empowers users to find answers on their own. Localized self-service portals don’t just save time for your users—they also reduce support ticket volumes. This means your agents can focus on solving high-value problems while customers enjoy a seamless, on-demand support experience.

3. Focus on region-specific channels

Multilingual support isn’t just about language—it’s about understanding how customers prefer to communicate. In India, for example, messaging apps like WhatsApp are more popular among customers when compared to the United States. Tailoring your support strategy to fit these regional preferences shows customers you value their experience. By integrating regional communication preferences, you’re meeting customers where they already are.This localized, personalized touch boosts satisfaction and loyalty.

4. Prioritize languages based on ticket volume

Your business will evolve, and so will your customer base. Keeping a pulse on language trends through support ticket analysis and user feedback is essential. Spotting an increase in queries in languages like Japanese or Portuguese can help you proactively expand your support. Analytics tools can help monitor and track these language demands, ensuring you allocate resources efficiently. Staying ahead of the curve means you’ll always be prepared to provide top-tier support as new markets emerge, keeping your business agile and responsive.

5. Set clear expectations for support availability

Transparency is key when offering multilingual support. Let your customers know which languages are available and during which hours. If 24/7 service in every language isn’t feasible, communicate this clearly on your website and within your support channels to avoid frustration. Being upfront builds trust and prevents miscommunication, ensuring a smoother experience for your customers.

6. Monitor and optimize performance continuously

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Use analytics to track key customer service metrics like response times, customer satisfaction scores, and ticket volume per language. Regularly review these metrics to find areas where you can improve support efficiency or identify language gaps that need attention. Continuous optimization ensures your support evolves with your business, maintaining high standards and exceeding customer expectations.

7. Leverage AI-powered chatbots for translation

AI chatbots can be a game-changer for multilingual support. Imagine having a 24/7 chatbot that automatically detects a customer’s language and responds immediately and fluently. Platforms like these can deflect up to 80% of basic queries, allowing your human agents to focus on more complex issues.

But it doesn’t end with chatbots. Integrate AI translation tools into your support systems so agents don’t waste time toggling between apps or relying on generic translators. This setup enables agents to provide fast, accurate assistance, ensuring quicker first reply times and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Wondering where to find a powerful AI-powered bot? Scroll a little to find out.

Integrate the right multilingual support tools

Meet PLuG by DevRev, a multilingual GPT-powered chat widget that can be set up in less than five minutes.

PLuG supports multiple languages including English, Spanish, Polish and French. Powered by Turing AI, PLuG enables real-time, multilingual customer support directly within the app instantly, ensuring human-like responses to user queries in different languages.

Also, PLuG incorporates Semantic Search within the in-app widget, allowing users to find solutions in their language without engaging directly with a support agent.

PLuG is part of DevRev, an AI-native platform that unifies data and information around products and customers to make workflow integrations seamless.

DevRev transforms experiences for customer service staff, support engineers, product managers, and software developers by analyzing structured and unstructured data like customer conversations, searches, and session analytics.

Book a demo now to see how DevRev can help you deliver world-class multilingual customer support.