Public Sector vs the Private Sector

Why is that the public sector has embraced the need for interpreting services - face to face and telephone interpreting, sign language or braille - and yet much of the private sector have not? NHS patients or UK citizens who use other government services and agencies, such as Job Centre Plus, are all consumers of goods and services within the private sector. Gas, electricity, water, telephones, banks, insurance, road side assistance - the list goes on and on. And yet in the majority of cases, companies in these markets make only a limited effort to reach out to this potentially huge number of potential clients. If at all. Last year, for instance, a small survey was conducted across nine of the major banking and six of the major insurance companies in the UK. All were approached by potential customers who did not speak English but wished to open up a bank account or receive an insurance quote. Twelve commonly spoken languages in the UK were employed. The results were unsurprising but, with less than 2% of these potential customers enjoying a successful outcome from their request, it is clear to see that revenue and customer service opportunities are being squandered.
There are perhaps a few potential reasons for why the public sector does and the private sector does not reach out to all potential UK "consumers":

The public sector is mandated to provide a service for its "customers" irrespective of colour, creed, ethnic origin, disability or language.
The private sector does not see the opportunity at the moment, or sees a greater opportunity elsewhere
There may be perceived or actual barriers to entry for some private sector enterprise, for example their attitude to risk or confidentiality
The private sector is clearly not aware that telephone interpreting is a readily available and cost effective service
A lack of cultural sensitivity
Perhaps companies are waiting for others within their industry to make the first move.

LangCommLive provides the solution for overcoming the language barrier. Its 24/7 service gives all companies the ability to reach out for new clients or to enhance their existing customer experience. The service is on demand with no booking required, and offers interpreting services across more than 150 of the primary languages spoken in the world today. Visit us at www.langcommlive.com or contact us at enquiries@langcommlive.com