No matter what language you speak, ICBC speaks it too

ICBC introduces a translation service for customers in 170-plus languages

VANCOUVER, July 28 /CNW/ - Customers who need language assistance during the handling of their claims will now be able to converse freely with ICBC in more than 170 languages through an interpreter.

The initiative - provided by Language Line Services - is an on-demand, over-the-telephone translation service that was piloted this year in nine Lower Mainland claim centres and earlier through ICBC's Dial-a-Claim service. The success of this trial period has resulted in a plan to roll this service out to all ICBC claim centres across the province.

"The Province values and celebrates cultural diversity, and this new service will ensure that British Columbians will have the confidence to speak to an ICBC representative in their language of choice," said Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Michael de Jong, QC. "With an increasingly diverse population, more and more companies are realizing that multi-language services are a necessity in meeting the cultural and linguistic needs of B.C.'s diverse marketplace."

"The successful handling of any claim depends on open and clear communication," said Craig Horton, vice president of claims at ICBC. "This service will reduce the anxiety some of our customers may feel by creating an environment for them to ask questions and resolve any issues in their own primary language."

The feedback from the pilot was extremely positive. It helped make what can be a complicated process understandable, helping to improve the customer's experience.

During ICBC's pilot for this translation service, the top 10 languages requested were:

    
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    1. Cantonese            6. Spanish
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    2. Mandarin             7. Farsi
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    3. Punjabi              8. Hindi
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    4. Korean               9. Russian
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    5. Vietnamese          10. Japanese
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All Language Line Services interpreters supporting ICBC and its customers are trained in the use of insurance terminology. On average, it will only take seconds to be connected to an interpreter and the service will operate 24-7, 365 days per year.

"We know that B.C. is a culturally diverse province but no matter what language you speak, we speak it too," said Horton.

A list of the more than 170 language translations offered by the service can be found at: http://www.icbc.com/claims/How-claim/claim-translation.pdf.

For further information: Media contacts: Mark Jan Vrem, [phone]