A friendly interview does not tell you whether someone can resolve a complicated customer request. For bilingual service roles, assess the combination of language clarity, judgment and follow-through that protects the customer relationship.
Define successful service for your team
Different teams handle different risks. A representative processing routine order enquiries needs different authority and training from someone handling disputed payments or sensitive technical issues. Write down the decisions the hire can make, what must be escalated and what a useful record looks like.
Choose performance expectations that reflect those boundaries. Speed matters, but a quick answer that creates a false promise can generate more work for everyone else.
Use one scenario with a meaningful complication
A French-speaking customer reports an overdue order and asks for a refund. Give the candidate an order record, the known delivery status and a short refund policy. Ask them to respond by phone, then write an English handoff note. Add one complication: the customer needs the item for an event tomorrow.
The complication should test prioritisation and communication, not require knowledge you withheld. Supply the information a new employee could reasonably access. Keep the exercise brief and use fictional records.
Assess the behaviours behind resolution
| Competency | Useful evidence |
|---|---|
| Understanding | Confirms the order and the customer’s actual need. |
| Empathy | Acknowledges the impact without becoming defensive. |
| Accuracy | Uses verified information and avoids invented delivery promises. |
| Judgment | Applies policy and escalates exceptions appropriately. |
| Bilingual clarity | Communicates the same facts clearly across languages. |
| Ownership | Names the next action, update time and responsible person. |
Agree on what adequate performance looks like before meeting candidates. A practical three-level rating is “not demonstrated,” “demonstrated with prompting” and “demonstrated independently.” Record examples alongside the rating. Adapt the standard to the role and planned training.
Pay attention to the written handoff
The call is only part of the customer experience. A note should distinguish the customer’s request from a commitment the company has made. It should record what was checked, what remains unknown and who owns the follow-up.
A candidate who sounds reassuring but leaves no usable record may struggle in a team-based queue. Conversely, strong documentation can reveal care and organisation that are less obvious in an introductory interview.
Combine the exercise with relevant experience
Ask for an example of a difficult interaction and follow up on the candidate’s own decisions. Examine how they used policy, sought help and communicated a resolution. Do not assume that years in a call centre automatically establish the judgment your environment needs.
Internal screening can be effective when your team has bilingual assessors and time to review evidence consistently. If managers are spending hours on candidates who cannot handle the required conversations, specialist screening can be more useful than adding another informal interview.
Hire for clear communication and dependable service
MS2’s customer operations specialization brings language and practical service competencies into the same assessment. Compared with checking fluency alone, the approach gives you a more relevant basis for deciding who should meet your team.
Published · 3 min read
