How to reply to a customer in another language
A message arrives in Spanish, Polish, Arabic or Portuguese, and you do not speak the language. It is tempting to reply in English and hope for the best, or to leave it for later. But a customer who writes in their own language is often a customer who would book if they understood you. With a little care, and the right tools, you can answer them clearly and accurately. This guide covers simple steps for replying, wording you can adapt, a worked example, and how to set up an AI agent so it replies in the customer's language without getting prices or policies wrong.
The short answer
Reply in the customer's language if you can do it accurately, keep your sentences short and simple, and write numbers, dates and prices in a clear format. For anything important, such as a booking, a price or a policy, double-check the translation or confirm the details in a second, simple message.
Replies you can adapt
Change the details to match your business. Names, prices and times are examples.
| When | Reply |
|---|---|
| Replying in their language | [In Spanish] Hola, gracias por su mensaje. Sí, tenemos mesa el viernes a las 20:00 para cuatro personas. ¿Se la reservo? |
| Checking which language they prefer | Hello! Thank you for your message. I can reply in Spanish or English. Which do you prefer? |
| You are unsure what they asked | Thank you for your message. To make sure I understand, are you asking about a table for Friday at 8pm for four people? |
| Confirming a booking clearly | Booked: Friday 14 November, 20:00, 4 people, name Garcia. See you then! |
| A price, written clearly | The price is £60 (sixty pounds) for two hours, including all equipment. |
| A policy in simple words | Please cancel at least 24 hours before your booking. If you cancel later, we keep the £20 deposit. |
| Offering a person who speaks the language | Thank you for your message. My colleague Ana speaks Portuguese and will reply to you today. |
| Your reply in English, kept simple | Hello! Yes, we are open on Sunday from 10am to 4pm. You do not need to book. |
| A sensitive topic | Thank you for telling us. This is important, so a person from our team will reply to you today, in your language if we can. |
What to avoid
- Ignoring messages in other languages. They are often from people ready to book.
- Long, complex sentences, idioms and slang, which translate badly.
- Writing dates in a format that could be read two ways, such as 03/04.
- Translating your terms, prices or medical and legal information without checking them.
- Switching languages halfway through a conversation without asking.
What to tell your AI agent
- Tell it to reply in the language the customer writes in, unless the customer asks otherwise.
- Give it your prices, times and policies in your own language, and tell it never to change the numbers when translating.
- Tell it to write dates with the month as a word and times in a clear format.
- Tell it to confirm the key details of any booking in a short, simple summary.
- Tell it to hand sensitive topics, such as complaints, health or legal questions, to a person.
When a person should take over
- Complaints and refunds, where tone matters and mistakes are costly.
- Health, legal and safety information, which should be checked by someone who knows the subject.
- Contracts, quotes and terms that the customer will rely on later.
Why it is worth replying in their language
People write in the language they are most comfortable with, especially when they are asking about something that matters to them. A tourist booking a table, a parent looking for a tutor or a new neighbour asking about a repair all want to be sure they have understood correctly.
A reply in their language, or in very simple English, shows that you want their business and makes it much easier for them to say yes. A long reply in complex English can feel like a closed door, even if every word is polite.
Simple steps for any language
- Work out the language. Most phones and translation tools will tell you.
- Read the message carefully with a translation tool, and note anything that is unclear.
- Write your reply in short, simple sentences in your own language first.
- Translate it, or reply in very simple English if the customer wrote some English too.
- Write prices with the currency, dates with the month as a word, and times in a clear format.
- For bookings and prices, send a short summary the customer can check.
- If anything is unclear, ask one simple question rather than guessing.
A worked example
This WhatsApp conversation is for a bike hire shop in a holiday town. The AI agent replies in the customer's language from the owner's English notes. The messages are shown in English here. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Customer, in German | Hello, do you have two e-bikes for tomorrow for the whole day? What does it cost? |
| Business, in German | Hello! Yes, we have two e-bikes free tomorrow. A full day is £45 per bike, so £90 for two, including helmets and a lock. Shall I reserve them? |
| Customer, in German | Yes please. We come at 9. |
| Business, in German | Reserved: 2 e-bikes, Wednesday 12 November, 9:00 to 18:00, £90 in total. Please bring a photo ID. See you tomorrow! |
| Customer, in German | One of the bikes was damaged when we got it, the brake is bad. |
| Business, in German | I am sorry. Thank you for telling us. Sam from our team will call you in the next few minutes to help. |
The agent answered quickly in German, kept the price and times exactly as in the owner's notes, and confirmed the booking in a short summary. When a safety problem came up, it handed over to a person straight away.
How AI agents handle other languages
Agents such as Claude, ChatGPT and Grok can reply in the language the customer writes in, even when your notes are in English. That makes them useful for businesses with tourists, students or customers from many communities.
Translation is good but not perfect. Agents can occasionally choose an awkward word, misread a local phrase or translate a policy in a way that changes its meaning. Keep the important facts in your notes, and tell the agent to repeat them exactly.
Languages
Reply in the language the customer writes in. If they mix languages, ask which they prefer.
Keep sentences short. No idioms or jokes.
Never change prices, dates or times when translating. Copy them exactly from these notes.
Write dates as "Wednesday 12 November" and times as "9:00".
After any booking, send a one-line summary: what, when, how many, total price.
Hand to a person: complaints, damage or safety problems, refunds, and anything about health or insurance.
If you are not sure what the customer means, ask one simple question.Mistakes that cause confusion
| Mistake | Better |
|---|---|
| 03/04 for a date | Thursday 3 April |
| 8 for a time | 8pm, or 20:00 |
| "We can pop you in first thing" | "We can book you at 9am" |
| "Sixty" with no currency | "£60 (sixty pounds)" |
| A long paragraph of policy | Two short sentences, each with one rule |
Other languages on different channels
| Channel | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|
| Popular with visitors and international customers. Short replies and a clear booking summary work best. | |
| People often ask about a post. Name the item they saw, because product names may not translate. | |
| Messenger | Common for local community groups and Marketplace. Keep prices and collection times very clear. |
| People may write longer messages. Answer each question in order, with one short paragraph each. |
Sum up and next step
Reply in the customer's language when you can do it accurately, keep sentences short and write numbers, dates and prices clearly. Confirm bookings in a short summary, and let a person handle complaints and anything sensitive.
With Spaces, the AI agent you already use can reply in your customer's language on your own WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email accounts, working from the notes you wrote in your own language.
Pricing
FAQ
Can an AI agent reply in any language?
Agents such as Claude, ChatGPT and Grok reply well in many languages, and you can write your notes in your own. Quality is usually strongest in widely spoken languages, so check a few replies in less common ones.
Should I tell customers the reply was translated?
It is honest and often helpful, especially for important details. A short line such as "This reply was translated, so please ask if anything is unclear" is enough.
What if I cannot work out what the customer means?
Ask one simple question to check, such as "Do you mean Friday at 8pm?". Guessing can lead to a wrong booking, which is worse than a short delay.
Should I reply in English if they wrote some English?
If they wrote in English, simple English is usually fine. If they wrote in their own language, reply in it if you can, or ask which they prefer.
How do I make sure prices are right in another language?
Keep prices in your notes and tell your agent to copy them exactly. Write the currency next to every price, and confirm the total in a short summary.
What about legal or medical information?
Have it checked by someone who knows the subject and the language. Machine translation can change the meaning of careful wording, and these are the topics where that matters most.
Can my notes stay in English?
Yes. Write your notes in the language you know best. The agent translates when it replies, and you can always read your notes to check what it is working from.
How can I check replies in a language I do not speak?
Paste a few of the agent's replies into a translation tool and read them back in your own language. If you have a customer or friend who speaks it, ask them to look at your most common replies once.