Applies to
8x8 Contact Center
What is digital interaction translation?
Digital interaction translation automatically translates conversations between customers and agents who use different languages. The feature works within Agent Workspace, converting messages in real time so each side can read and reply in their own language.
How translation is triggered depends on the channel the customer uses. For webchat, the customer or the pre-chat form determines the language. For Facebook, WhatsApp, and SMS, 8x8 Contact Center reads a signal that is already available on that channel, such as the customer's page language or phone number country code.
Agents see the translated conversation in Agent Workspace. They can choose to view the original text alongside the translation, or disable translation for that interaction.
How it works
Webchat
For webchat, language translation is defined either in the pre-chat form or in the webchat API. If a language is passed through this way, 8x8 Contact Center always translates the conversation, provided that language isn't one of the agent's primary or secondary languages.
You configure this in Configuration Manager for Contact Center > Chat Design > Form > Pre-chat. The administrator can let customers select a language from a drop-down list, or use the customer's browser language automatically.
When a customer chooses a language for webchat, 8x8 Contact Center automatically translates confirmed messages back to the customer through the chat window.
When an interaction starts through Facebook, 8x8 Contact Center receives the language the customer has set on their Facebook page. If that language is on the list of languages 8x8 Contact Center supports, the conversation is translated automatically.
WhatsApp and SMS
For WhatsApp and SMS interactions, translation is triggered by the country code of the customer's phone number. For example, a message from a +33 number (the France dialing code) is translated for French only.
Agent experience
When a conversation reaches an agent, 8x8 Contact Center translates it automatically. Agents can toggle whether the original message is shown alongside the translation.
If an agent doesn't want a conversation translated, they can disable Enable translation in the transaction options, as shown below.
Supported languages
English
Russian
German
Japanese
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Italian
Polish
Croatian
Hindi
Dutch
Arabic
Danish
Korean
Norwegian
Swedish
Vietnamese
Thai
Chinese Simplified
Chinese Traditional