If your business takes calls from customers around the globe, you’ve probably run into the nightmare of language barriers. There’s nothing like a confused caller and a frustrated agent to ruin someone’s day (and possibly a sale). That’s where setting up multi-language support in Novocall comes in. This guide is for anyone who wants to make their international callers feel at home, keep things smooth for your team, and avoid expensive mistakes.
Let’s get straight to it. We’ll walk through every step — honestly, with some “what not to bother with” advice thrown in. If you want to help your customers in their own language, and you’re using Novocall’s call automation platform, this is for you.
1. Figure Out What “Multi-Language Support” Actually Means for You
Before you poke around in settings, stop and ask: what do you mean by multi-language support? Novocall, like most platforms, gives you a few tools, but it’s not going to magically turn your team into polyglots.
Here’s what you can (and can’t) expect:
- What’s possible: Automated greetings, call routing menus, SMS notifications, and web widgets can be set up in different languages.
- What’s not: Novocall isn’t a live interpreter or AI translator. If your agents don’t speak the language, no software will fix that.
- What’s worth it: Focus on caller-facing touchpoints (like the booking widget and IVR) and basic notifications in the right language. Don’t overcomplicate with every language under the sun—pick the ones your customers actually use.
Pro tip: Look at your call records. Which countries (and languages) make up most of your international calls? Start there.
2. Set Up Multi-Language Web Widgets
Most callers start by booking a call on your website. If the booking widget is only in English, you’re already losing trust.
Here’s how to add languages to your booking widget:
- Go to the Widget Settings
- In your Novocall dashboard, navigate to “Widgets.”
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Pick the widget you want to edit.
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Find the Language Settings
- Look for a “Language” or “Localization” tab. (Novocall sometimes buries this under “Advanced.”)
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Supported languages will be listed. It’s usually the major ones: English, Spanish, French, German, etc.
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Enable Multiple Languages
- Select all languages you want.
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For each, you may have the option to tweak translations. Don’t just trust the default—machine translations can be awkward or wrong.
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Assign Widgets by Country (Optional)
- If you serve different regions with different web pages, set up separate widgets with the default language matched to the region.
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If your site is multilingual, embed the right widget on each language version.
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Test Like a Real User
- Switch your website language, or use a VPN to simulate being in another country.
- Try booking a call—check for broken or weird translations.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over “supporting every language.” If you have three German calls a year, you don’t need a German widget.
3. Set Up Multi-Language IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Menus
When a customer calls in, the first thing they’ll hear is your IVR greeting. If it’s only in English, non-English speakers may just hang up.
How to configure languages for your call menus:
- Access the IVR Setup
- In the Novocall dashboard, find “Call Routing” or “IVR.”
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Choose the call flow you want to edit.
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Add Multi-Language Greetings
- Most IVR systems (including Novocall’s) let you add messages for each language.
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Either upload audio files (better quality, but takes more effort) or use the built-in text-to-speech (quicker, but sometimes robotic).
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Set Language Detection or Menu
- Option 1: Auto-detect by caller’s country code. This works if you know, say, French callers are always from France. Not foolproof, but easy.
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Option 2: Let callers choose their language. Add a greeting: “Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish,” etc. This is more flexible but can annoy callers if there are too many options.
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Route Calls to the Right Agents
- After the caller picks a language, route the call to agents who actually speak that language.
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If you don’t have native speakers, don’t fake it—route everyone to a fallback (like English support) and make it clear to the caller.
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Test Every Path
- Call your own number, pick each language, and see what happens. Is the greeting clear? Are you routed to the right person? Fix any weirdness before going live.
Pro tip: If you don’t have staff for every language, it’s better to offer a few well-supported ones than a dozen you can’t handle.
4. Localize SMS and Email Notifications
Novocall can send automatic SMS or email notifications—like confirmations or reminders—when someone books a call. These are small details, but they matter for customer trust.
Here’s how to localize them:
- Find Notification Settings
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In the dashboard, look for “Notifications,” “Reminders,” or similar.
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Set Up Templates for Each Language
- Create a separate message template for each language you support.
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If possible, use placeholders (like {{customer_name}}) so you don’t have to rewrite everything.
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Map Notifications to Caller Language
- This usually ties back to the booking widget or IVR selection. Novocall should send the message in the language the caller picked.
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If it’s not automatic, you might need to set up rules based on country code or widget used.
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Avoid Google Translate Syndrome
- If you don’t have someone on staff who speaks the language, pay for a real translation (at least for key messages). Auto-translate can make you look unprofessional.
What to ignore: Don’t bother customizing every notification. Focus on the ones the customer actually reads (booking confirmation, reminders, and follow-ups).
5. Train Your Team — and Set Expectations
No software setting replaces a human who can actually talk to customers in their language. If you’re serious about international support:
- Make sure agents know which language calls they’ll get. There’s nothing worse than being surprised by a French caller when you only speak English.
- Have a backup. If you can’t staff for every language, at least make it easy to escalate, transfer, or get a message to someone who can help.
- Don’t overpromise. Be clear in your IVR or booking widget: “Support available in English and Spanish.” That’s better than pretending you’re global and disappointing everyone.
Pro tip: A little goes a long way. Even a basic greeting in the caller’s language shows respect and can buy your team time to connect the right person.
6. Keep It Simple and Keep Improving
International, multi-language support is a moving target. Languages change, your customer base shifts, and your team grows. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s avoiding the obvious tripwires:
- Don’t drown in complexity. Start with your top 2-3 languages and get those right.
- Review your call and support data every few months. Are you getting more calls from a new country? Time to add a language.
- Update your greetings and notifications as needed. (Nothing says “we don’t care” like a broken translation or outdated info.)
Bottom line: Multi-language support in Novocall can make a huge difference for your international callers—if you keep it practical. Start small, test everything, and don’t promise what you can’t deliver. It’s better to do a few languages well than try to do everything and end up with a mess. Set it up, listen to your customers, and tweak as you go. That’s how you actually make global customers feel welcome—without driving your team nuts.