How to Call Customer Service and Get Through Phone Menus in a Language You Don't Speak

1. Before You Call

• Your account or order number, and the name on the account.
• Identity-check details agents usually ask for: date of birth, billing ZIP or postcode, the last four digits of your card.
• One sentence with what you need, for example "I was charged twice for order 4471 and I want a refund."
• The opening hours. Call when the line opens, when queues are shortest.

2. Getting Through the Automated Menu

Most companies answer with an automated menu: "For billing, press 1. For technical support, press 2." On a translated call, those prompts are translated for you as they play, so you know which option you need.

• Press options on the keypad. Open the keypad during the call and tap the number. The tone goes straight to the company's line. Keys 0 to 9, * and # all work, so you can also enter account numbers, extensions and PINs when the menu asks.
• Don't say numbers out loud. Your voice is translated, so "two" reaches the menu as a sentence in another language, which it won't recognize. This is the most common reason calls get stuck in a menu.
• Menus that only take voice: some systems ask you to say what you need. A short keyword in the menu's language works best; on English-language lines, "representative" or "agent" usually does it. If that fails, pressing 0 or staying silent often transfers you to a person.

3. On Hold

• Hold time uses your call minutes, so the time you call matters.
• A translated call can last up to 30 minutes. If the recording warns of a long wait, hang up and try again when the line opens.
• Don't accept a callback. A callback rings your own phone directly, without translation.

4. When a Person Answers

The short greeting that announces a translated call plays when the line picks up, which is usually the automated menu, so the agent hasn't heard it. Start with: "Hello, I'm using a translator, so there will be short pauses." Agents are usually patient once they know.

• Keep to one topic per sentence and pause after each one.
• Repeat numbers and dates back to confirm them.
• Ask for a case or reference number before you hang up.
• Ask them to confirm by email or text, so you have it in writing.

5. Keeping Account Details Safe

Numbers you press on the keypad are sent straight to the company's line and are never logged or stored by LiveLingo. Everything you say, on the other hand, is transcribed for your after-call memo. When a menu asks for a PIN, a card number or a security code, type it on the keypad instead of saying it.

6. Ask Whether They Offer an Interpreter

Some companies can add a human interpreter if you ask. In the US, health insurers and health care providers that receive federal health funding must offer a qualified interpreter free of charge, by phone included, under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (HHS, 2024). For a medical bill or an insurance claim, ask for one.

7. How to Make the Call With LiveLingo

1. Open LiveLingo on your iPhone or Android phone, or the Call tab of the web app.
2. Verify your own phone number once with an SMS code.
3. Choose the language the company's line speaks.
4. Enter the full number, toll-free or regular, and start the call.
5. Read the translated menu, press options on the keypad, and talk to the agent in your own language, pausing after each sentence.

In 15 languages the call opens with a short greeting in the company's language; on an English-language line it says "Hello, this is a translated call from [your name] via LiveLingo. Please pause for each translation."

Translated calls are part of Pro+ at $29.99 per month. Calls to the US and Canada, toll-free numbers included, use the standard rate (up to 90 minutes a month); calls to the UK, France, Germany, Japan or Australia use a higher rate (up to 60 minutes). The app connects over the internet, so your phone plan isn't charged for an international call. Pro includes one 3-minute trial call.

8. What to Say to the Agent

More on making calls abroad: calling French public services and which phones can translate calls.

9. Frequently Asked Questions

Customer service lines aren't built for people who don't speak the language, but you can still get through. Make the call with LiveLingo and press your way through the menu.