FAQ - Language Interpretation & Translation Services
Quickly find the answers to your questions with the links below.
What happens after I sign the contract?
Once we receive the signed agreement, the person whose name appears in the 'contact person' line of the agreement will receive a phone call from our Interpreter Services Coordinator. The Coordinator will then ask a few simple account questions (Please note that no account will be set up until the Coordinator has spoken with you). Once all account questions are answered, it usually takes 24-48 hours to set up your account (if your call is held on a Friday, please allow until the following Tuesday). Once the account is active, you will be sent via email instructions and supplied with temporary usage materials to use until you receive the hard copies. You may start using your new account the minute you receive the activation email.
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Who should be the 'contact person' on the agreement?
The 'contact person' on the agreement needs to be a person responsible for the day to day use of the service.
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When is the service available?
This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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Are the rates different based on weekends or holidays?
No, the rates are always the same.
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Are the rates different based on the language?
No, the price per minute that is agreed upon in your agreement is the same for EVERY language.
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What languages do you offer?
We offer over 150 different languages and that list grows daily. For a comprehensive list of available languages please click here. If you do not see the language that you are looking for, please email us at languageservices@spectracorp.com.
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Do you offer written translations?
Yes. If you would like a document translated, please send the source file of the document to languageservices@spectracorp.com. We will come back to you with a quote for the service. We never move forward with translations until a quote has been approved by the client.
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Do I have to purchase anything to use the over the phone translation service?
No. All you need is a working telephone. However, we offer dual handset phones which enable the patient to be on one handset and the staff member on the other while speaking with the interpreter. One benefit of having these dual handset phones is sanitation since there is no need to pass the phone back and forth. The other benefit is that the phone helps to insure the confidentiality of the exchange.
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If I want to buy dual handset phones, what kind of phones do you offer?
We have corded and cordless dual handset phones
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Do the phones work on analogue or digital lines?
The corded phones will ONLY work on analogue lines, the cordless phones will work on both analogue and digital lines.
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Are the phones programmable and if so who programs them?
Yes. The corded phones are programmed by SpectraCorp before being shipped to you. The cordless phones are programmable, but they must be fully charged before they will hold the programming. SpectraCorp does NOT program the cordless phones. Instructions on programming come with the phone, so you can program them at your facility.
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Are your interpreters certified?
There are currently no national standards for interpreter credentialing. However, all our interpreters go through a training and testing program which covers medical terminology, interpreter skills, and professional ethics. For more details on our interpreter training and testing, please contact us at languageservices@spectracorp.com.
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Can you test the competency of one of my staff interpreters?
Yes, we offer both language proficiency assessments, as well as interpreter skills assessments.
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How is the over the phone language service billed?
The service is billed monthly.
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Does the call start billing when the operator answers?
No, the call does not start billing until the interpreter is connected
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Can I place a 3rd party call? And if so, how much is it?
Yes, and it is absolutely free.
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Can my wireless hospital phones be used to dial the interpreter?
If your hospital has Vocera or Spectralink phones and they are currently using these for interpretation needs, you can continue to use these for our service as well. This can be handled by your IT department.
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I have nurses in the field that may need to use the service, how do they do this?
They simply dial the 800 number for the service as in the main facility. They can either take one of the dual handset phones with them or use a cell phone with speakerphone capability.
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Are usage materials free?
All of the basic materials for the service are free, if you ever need to replace those materials just let us know and we can send you more free of charge.
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I've heard that your employee's follow up with clients every quarter. Is this true and why?
Yes, this is true. We understand that you are very busy and sometimes important things fall off the radar. We follow up every quarter to insure that the program is running smoothly for your facility. At this time we usually ask you if you need more materials, would like to order phones, or if you are having any problems with the service.
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If you would like further explanation on any of the above information, please email languageservices@spectracorp.com with your name, phone number, facility name and question.