Telephone interpreting is available at very short notice

Telephone interpreters can be available in under a minute, ready and prepared when an interpreter is required unexpectedly. This makes telephone interpretation the ideal solution for GP surgeries, hospitals, local and central government bodies and the police, where the need for interpreting can often arise with little notice.

Telephone interpreting is the preferred mode of interpretation for conversations of around 30 minutes or less, which makes it more akin to a ‘pay as you go’ service. The reduced time it takes to takes to set up a telephone interpreting session compared to a face-to-face translation also makes it more time and cost efficient.

Telephone interpreting is not subject to geographical limitations

With today’s tech, it’s easier than ever to ‘dial in’ to a telephone conversation or video conferencing call in order to perform a telephone interpretation. In fact, none of the participants need be in the same geographical location as one another so long as there is an audio link.

For example, emergency and crisis response can take doctors and medics to remote locations around the world, where having a medical interpreter physically present is likely fraught with logistical challenges and unwarranted risk. Connecting patients with doctors via telephone interpreters is one example of how telephone interpretation is saving lives in such geographically remote locations as the Syrian desert.

In the business and financial sectors, international trade deals and purchases are often settled under a time-pressured deadline or with a rapid turnaround. In such cases, arranging for a face-to-face interpreter to commute or travel to your business location may cause unwarranted and troublesome delays.

Another advantage for those conducting international businesses is that no matter where, or in which time zone you operate, our interpreters are available on demand, 24/7, 365 days a year at a moment’s notice.

Telephone interpreting is a solution when anonymity is preferred

In the case of medical and police conversations, parties may prefer for a third-party interpreter to perform their role remotely so as not to compromise the confidentiality of an patient or defendant. This physical barrier can be reassuring in such cases as highly personal information is to be shared, or a person would prefer their identity remains anonymous for safety and security reasons.

That goes for the interpreter too when the responsibility of interpreting upsetting content might prove difficult. In criminal cases, for example, an interpreter may prefer to deliver their translation remotely so as to remain anonymous. In an interview with The Guardian, Nuremberg Trials interpreter Siegfried Ramler recalls an event in which a colleague felt too complicit to perform her interpretation in the courtroom: “a word came up that she could not bring herself to pronounce, because it was so vulgar… she stopped, she just wouldn’t do it.”

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