Empire Interpreting

Today I was speaking with a like minded business owner who talked about their company culture and how it aligned with ours. ‘White glove service’ is what he called it.

The first time I heard that term was many years ago, when I ordered a glass top coffee table and the salesman asked, “Would you like our white glove service?” So I asked what that entailed. That meant in simple terms, the coffee table would be brought into my home unboxed, assembled, and cleaned. The delivery people would have booties on their shoes before entering my home and they would place the table in as many locations as I wanted to help me decide where it looked best. It meant they would remove the old table, if desired. It meant they would remove the packing and take it with them. White glove service! It sounded bougie. It sounded good to me!

Empire Interpreting Service was built on what we saw lacking in the industry. The vetting of interpreters. The response time and individual service to our customers. The thoughtfulness in matching our interpreters to the consumers in each setting. The prep; obtaining as much information as possible with each request in order to support the interpreters and allow them to do the best job possible. Our policy of 24/7/365 contact and support with one of the staff.

The follow-up with interpreters and consumers. Staff having a tool of sharing information and a reciprocity of support. People started calling us a ’boutique LSP (language service provider). We were not the cheapest. But we were the best. We were preparing it carefully, shining it up….putting our booties on and removing any of the ‘dirty’ distractions so that all was left was a beautiful piece of work. We then helped place it for the best perspective of all in the room. Shiny and pleasant to everyone involved. Bougie.

White Glove Service. I’ll take that title any day!

I was on a website today, trying to get help with an issue I was having with an order through the chat feature. The more I chatted with the ‘person’ on the other end, the more I realized this was not a real person. When the issue I was having did not propagate in the chat box, I finally gave up and called their customer support line. I again quickly realized I was not going to be speaking with a real person, but being directed to push numbers in order to finally leave a message. And then wait hours for a response.

It does not escape me that there is a labor shortage. Or that AI is helping businesses to cut costs and trim some of the mundane tasks for businesses. However, where does customer satisfaction and customer frustration diverge and become a liability for your company? That balancing act has been something we’ve struggled with over the years and although we have moved the line a little.. I am still holding strong to a few non-negotiables.

Every phone call and email is answered by the end of the day and honestly, usually within 20 minutes by any of the staff. We have a 24/7 emergency line where a human picks up the phone. Although our phone system is automated to leave a message, customers may also bypass that option and connect directly with any staff. And each staff have a direct phone numbers for customers.

There is nothing more frustrating than needing to make a quick call and getting the runaround from a recording or a program set up to take the place of a human. Although the uses for these types of services are endless and in many cases appropriate, I feel for the service we provide it is not. When you are dealing with humans needing services, and communication is your product – communicating in real time with your customer – person to person is warranted. And a non-negotiable.

As a business owner, you only know when someone tells you.

I had two scenarios this week – 1st, I had a customer call me to tell me of a very unusual and stressful situation that a team of my interpreters showed up for. The customer called and said “Did your interpreters tell you what happened on the assignment last weekend?” I took a breath, hoping this wasn’t a complaint. We don’t often get complaints, but when we do – it’s a ‘put everything down and address this’ kind of call.

This was a complimentary call regarding the two men I had sent to her place of business and how they navigated graciously and professionally an unknown and stressful situation. I thanked the customer for taking the time to call. She replied ‘you only know when someone tells you’..

The next day I went to a local high end salon to treat myself to a facial. I explained to the technician, who had given me facials in the past, that I was having some sensitivity issues and dealing with stress hives. Hence, I wanted nothing harsh on my skin. She seemed a little taken aback and said “No problem. I know what to do and you’ll love it!” Within hours my skin turned red and I started to see swelling. By 3 am I had a full on reaction and my skin was on fire. After a trip to my dermatologist the next morning, I stopped before exiting my car and picked up my phone to call the salon. After explaining the situation to the receptionist and asking the owner to return my call, I went back to my office. Soon after the owner called me, obviously upset. She did everything but turn cartwheels to pacify me. I explained that I was not about to go to social media, or to spread the word her technician hadn’t listened to me – that I just wanted her to know.

I let her know that I, also, owned a business. ‘As a business owner, you only know when someone tells you’ I repeated, from my caller the day before. Good or bad, taking the time to tell a business owner of your experience is not only being gracious to them, it’s often the only way they know so that they can affirm or change something in their business. It’s being human. It’s not pouring your everyday events/emotions on the internet. It’s just plain kind.

What Is The Third Most Widely Spoken Language
In The United States?

If you’re like most hospitals, government offices, universities and other
organizations, you probably have people available to speak to many of those
patients, citizens, students and others for whom English is not their first
language. Many organizations even have people on their team, or at least
readily available, who are proficient in the most common languages, like
Spanish, Chinese, and perhaps even Tagalog. But do you have someone on-
hand who is proficient in American Sign Language (ASL)?
According to thought leader, Trudy Suggs, American Sign Language (ASL) is
the third most popular language used in America. She notes that ASL is
often overlooked when it comes to providing language services. Many
organizations don’t realize what a large number of people there are in the
U.S. who are deaf or have extreme hearing loss, and who could benefit from
an ASL interpreter.
Some examples where ASL interpreters will be helpful include:

• an emergency room conversation between a doctor and patient,
• an attorney-client conversation,
• a student attending a class at school or university,
• a sales presentation to a deaf customer.
  In many cases, in order to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act
  (ADA), one must have an ASL interpreter on hand.
  Empire Interpreting Service™​ can help you assess your needs and then
  provide both on-site and on-demand ASL interpreters to help patients,
  clients, customers or students communicate.

Three Skills Great Interpreters Must Have

Having been in the language business for over 20 years, we often get asked,
what is the difference between interpreting and translating. Many people
think the words are interchangeable and so are the required skills. Although
Empire Interpreting Service does both, interpreting and translating require
different skills.
Translating typically involves the written or video-recorded word. Although
advanced language skills are required, translating can happen over a longer
period of time, enabling translators to research and consider the correct
words to use in their translation.
In addition to being fluent in both the source and target languages,
interpreting utilizes three special skills to be successful, because interpreting
happens in the moment, instantly as the conversation is happening. The
first skill, an interpreter must have is in having exceptional listening
capabilities. They must not only hear the words being said, but the intent
and tone how those words were being said. The second skill great
interpreters have is in quickly processing what is said and converting it into
another language. The third interpreter skill is in communicating the words
in the other language, in the way the initial speaker intended it to be
communicated.
Great interpreters, whether they’re interpreting spoken language or
American sign language (ASL), should never contribute to the conversation
but rather serve as a conduit through which the conversation flows, modified
by language, but not message, nuance or tone. With these three skills,
interpreters can be in the moment, instantly moving the conversation along,
where nothing can get altered or lost.
Empire Interpreting Service™​ is an award winning, certified woman-owned
company, recognized for raising the standards of skill requirements and
professionalism in the industry.

Did you know? Empire interpreters must pass a 7 point vetting program

Have you heard the story about the non-English speaking student who had to
repeat a year due to a faulty interpreter from another company? It’s true . . . and
sad.

One of the reasons we started Empire, over twenty years ago, was because we saw
such a large discrepancy in the quality of interpreters, both sign and spoken
languages. We committed ourselves to vetting every interpreter through our 7-
point vetting program. No other company has a program that is so stringent. It
includes:

1) Background checks
We check thoroughly to make sure that our people are honest, reputable and
competent.

2) Skills test with nuances
Not only do our people need to be proficient in the language they interpret, they
need to understand the nuances that make communication so much more valuable.

3) Experience in interpreting
Not only do interpreters need to be proficient in the language they speak, they have
exceptional experience in interpreting.

4) Awareness of HIPPA or other privacy/compliance laws
Because many of our interpreters work in the medical or legal space, we test to
make sure they are compliant in those laws and best practices.

5) We provide liability insurance
Few companies back up their people and protect clients with liability insurance.

6) A code of professionalism.
Our people subscribe to a strict code of honesty, timeliness and competence.

7) We even utilize a dress code
Our interpreters arrive at a case project ready for business.

Empire’s 7-point vetting program is exceptional in our industry and your guarantee
that you’ll have a capable professional to bring you the most effective
communication between your customer/client/patient/student and your team
members.

One of the fun aspects about being a sports fan is indulging in the theatrical component of that world which revolves around off-season, or in saucier situations, mid-season contract negotiations. Because of the 24hr news cycle that follows professional athletics, we’re often privy to the ins and outs of Player X negotiating a deal with Team Y. We get to know how many years, how much money per year and what clauses are written into contracts that haven’t even been agreed to yet. That in of itself is interesting, but the real spectacle comes when an agreement cannot be reached and a ‘fight‘ over terms ensues.

It’s at that point we may see the battle tactics from each side come out. The team can leak stories that paint the player as selfish to the media to add public pressure or they might sign a younger, less expensive individual as a supposed backup to send a message. The player can in turn suffer a mysterious injury which keeps them unavailable to play, demand a trade or make it public they have no intention on signing an extension, thus limiting the teams power to trade them. Back and forth this dance can go, at times the process becoming seemingly toxic and personal until, poof; a contract is signed. Suddenly everyone’s happy and the entire circus is forgotten by the end of the next game. It’s an odd spectacle that as fans, we’re able to brush off because a wealthy person is now making a fortune to play a game and a much wealthier person is now making a larger fortune by paying them to do so. Seems like a win-win.

What I like most about this entire process is that after it’s all said and done, there seems to be an understanding that everyone involved was doing the right thing. The player’s career might be to throw a ball, but his job is to get as much money as possible doing so. Likewise, the ownership of a team’s objective is to win games, but their job is to do so while spending as little as possible, thus making as much as possible. There’s not a bad guy in these situations. Just people with different, sometimes conflicting objectives trying to do what’s right by them.

I think we’d be well served to keep this in mind when reading about similar negotiations or conflicts at all business levels. If a tech firm suddenly changes gears and lays off 10% of their staff due to an increase in automation, and the move saves them 30% at the end of the year, then they did the right thing. Likewise, if a group of 200 employees organize a last minute strike to force management to the negotiation table during the busiest time of year and the result is a 15% increase in pay, then they also did the right thing. As long as everyone is staying within the law then I propose that we stop trying to find a Good Guy or a Bad Guy in these situation. Sometimes business forces us to into conflict even with the people we work closest with. And although we might have to fight, let’s remember that we’re not automatically enemies.

It’s been some time, too long if I’m being honest, since we’ve been able to post a blog. Sorry about that! We like to keep these as consistent as possible but the last few weeks have been filled with what feels like countless items which have kept our staff either away from their desks or swamped while at them. These are both bad and good problems to have but as far as social media is concerned, the result is the same; less time to blog.

But now we’re at a point in the year where we feel a little more grounded and can get back into the rhythm of writing and updating here. Part of what has kept us so busy in the last few weeks has been planning and preparing for some very exciting changes here at EIS which will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months. I don’t want to be too specific about any one item right now but it’s fair to say that how we do business, who we do business with and what kind of business we’re doing will all look a little different by the end of 2023. We’re really excited for what’s coming up so please make sure you’re checking back here as the updates and the usual blogs are back up and running in their usual rhythm, we promise.

Until then, we hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and has been able to kick off 2023 on the right foot. We’ll see you in a couple days with our next post and until then, make sure you’re checking out all our other social media accounts which continue to be updated on a daily basis.

Like a lot of business people, I’m motivated by cleanly organized, prioritized and if I’m feeling especially motivated, color coordinated lists. Whether it’s a to-do list for work that day, things I need at the grocery store or a sequence of movements for the evening’s workout, I like being able to see and gloriously check off items as I go. There’s a real sense of satisfaction in cleaning out a list.

Because of that inclination, I’m always excited for a new year to kick off because that’s yet another opportunity to make a big directory of annual objectives and get to work. I’ve been thinking about my personal and professional list for 2023 over the last couple of weeks and was just about to officially put it on paper when I had a somewhat devastating dinner conversation.

While out to eat over the Christmas weekend, I asked a friend what she had planned for the new year. She named a couple of trips and bigger life errands she needed to take care of but I pressed her to be more specific. “No, I mean what are your goals for 2023?”

She thought for a second and made reference to a vague notion of improving herself both personally and at work. My sense of disappointment in her answer must have been obvious because she gave me a knowing look and asked “OK, what’s on your list?”. At first I gleefully checked off my items but as it became clear that my excitement at the scope of my goals was clearly not shared, I lost some steam. Adding to my frustration was the fact that the woman sitting across from me is more accomplished in every measurable way yet she didn’t share my obsession for this subject matter. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and regrettably asked a question that was both insulting and incredibly narrow minded; “How can you accomplish so much without well defined goals?”

Her response wasn’t mean in nature but it hit hard nonetheless. “If I was as focused on intricate details as you are, I don’t think I’d have the flexibility to adjust on the fly. It’s that flexibility that keeps me successful and happy”.

Naturally, I threw my wine in her face and screamed that she’s a mean hippie – kidding, of course. I slowly absorbed what she said and the conversation moved on to other topics. But I’ve thought about that perspective in the days since and I have a hard time arguing with the wisdom. I know that I have flexibility, both personally and in my work life – COVID made sure of that. But how much better off would I be if instead on using flexibility as a last resort, I put it to the forefront of my thinking? Is the vast yet specific nature of my yearly to-do list in some ways actually getting in the way of what I really want to accomplish? I have to acknowledge that it’s at least a possibility.

This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop making lists. I find them too useful and in a neurotic way, too much fun. But I am going to try and inject a little of my good friend’s flexibility into the contents. If you’re like me and love making them, maybe this could help you too.

Good luck to everyone in 2023 and have a wonderful New Year’s celebration!

Considering the upcoming holidays and the subject matter I’m about to talk about, I’m hoping that you can give me the benefit of the doubt before labeling me ‘a Grinch‘. Because, to be honest, this is going to sound pretty Grinch-y at first. With that said, here we go.

I’m not sure if there’s actually an uptick in this content or if I’m just noticing more of it recently but over the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a lot of stories or new clips that follow the same pattern.

1. A Deaf person enters a situation
2. Someone who knows a handful of signs surprises the Deaf individual with a greeting or phrase in Sign Language
3. The internet loses their mind in ‘awwww‘s

Every time I see one of these videos, while I certainly share part of that ‘how nice‘ sentiment, another big piece of me cringes. That cringe comes from the fact that these stories can carry the same sentiment that a surprise announcement of a pregnancy or video of a friend visiting from halfway around the world can; look at this totally unexpected and really nice moment.

Of course, these ARE really nice moments. And in the case of a pregnancy or a surprise visit, they are equally unexpected. But when it comes to communication equality, I think there’s a danger in grouping these moments neatly into the thinking of ‘what a wonderful surprise’. Because the ability to communicate shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone.

It’s becoming less so, but the Language Service Industry and the need for interpreters in general is still an abstract concept to many people in our country. Some people aren’t really aware that interpreters exist on a professional level and for those who are, many see it as much more of a boutique luxury than as a basic utility. And that perspective is unlikely to change if our media, ESPECIALLY our feel good media, treats moments of language equality like they do a little boy getting his first puppy. These aren’t isolated feel good moments – or at least they shouldn’t be. Instead, I think of them as warm but stark reminders that we’ve got a long way to go.

Having said all that, I do have to admit, anytime a little kid makes an adult cry by using their little fingers so say hello in Sign Language, my heart also grows three sizes that day.