On-Demand
Over-the-Phone Interpreting Services (OPI)
Real-Time Phone Interpreting by Qualified Interpreters
Connect with appropriate interpreters
by phone and overcome language barriers in real-time with flexible Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI) services.
About
About Our Phone
About Our Phone
Interpreting Services
Seprotec’s Over-the-Phone Interpreting services provide access by phone to qualified interpreters in seconds, enabling real-time communication between individuals who do not share the same language.
Telephone interpreting is a flexible solution for organizations that need to overcome language barriers quickly, whether supporting customers, assisting patients and users, communicating with employees or handling other multilingual interactions with clients and providers.
Our interpreting services are ISO 18841 certified, reinforcing our commitment to consistent quality and professional interpreting practices.
Key Benefits
Immediate
Language Support
Access professional interpreting
in seconds when multilingual communication is needed, without waiting for an interpreter to travel
to site.
Easy Access by Phone
Connect participants and
an interpreter remotely by telephone, making professional language support accessible across locations, in seconds and without technological integrations.
Flexible and Scalable
Suitable for scheduled or on-demand business and service calls. Book in advance for rare languages, recurring sessions, or gender-specific needs. Scale from single calls to ongoing support across teams and locations—suitable for brief triage or longer consultations.
Reduced Risk
and Liability
Using vetted, trained interpreters ensures clear, accurate communication and reduces risk in every conversation.
Save Time
When urgency matters, our over-the-phone interpreting solution connects you with a qualified interpreter in seconds. Available 24/7 across time zones and industries, expert language support is always just a phone call away.
Minimize Costs
Eliminates travel costs and reduces wait times compared with in-person interpretation.
Over-the-Phone Interpreting: How It Works
Over-the-phone interpreting services connect frontline staff with qualified interpreters in dozens of language pairs, offering telephone remote interpreting for immediate needs.
Available on-demand or pre-scheduled, this interpreting solution ensures your team is always ready to serve customers who speak another language and in just four simple steps.
Seprotec's OPI workflow
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Dial the dedicated telephone interpreting number assigned to your organization.
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Enter your assigned access code and PIN to identify your organization and access the service.
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Enter the language code you need, or dial 00 to request assistance from the support team to find
the appropriate interpreter. -
Connect with a qualified interpreter and begin your multilingual conversation in real time.
Why Choose Seprotec for Over-the-Phone Interpretation Services?
Qualified interpreters. Just a phone call away.
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Professional Interpreters
Access trained interpreters who sign NDAs and follow a strict code of conduct, providing clear, real-time communication for a wide range of situations. -
Extensive Language Coverage
Support multilingual conversations across over 90 languages and dialects, helping your organization communicate with diverse customers, users and stakeholders. -
Immediate Access
24/7 availability and languages on demand. Connect with an interpreter in less than 20 seconds when a language barrier arises, without the travel or logistics required for on-site interpreting or any technological integration. -
Cost-effective
Choose preset packages or pay-as-you-go with highly competitive per-minute rates for professional, cost-effective telephone interpreting for organizations of any size. No minimum fees or costly subscriptions. -
Scalable Solution
Use over-the-phone interpreting in a wide range of business and service settings. Each session is tailored to the needs of the interaction—including conference calls and multi-conference situations—and supports high-volume demand across multiple locations.
Recordings are available on request. -
Confidential and Secure
Rely on interpreting services certified to ISO 18841 and delivered within Seprotec’s established confidentiality and information security framework.
Phone Interpreting
OPI Service Packages
Seprotec’s Over-the-Phone Interpreting service is available through flexible packs designed to accommodate different levels of usage. Each pack includes a set volume of interpreting minutes, valid for 12 months, giving your organization the flexibility to use them whenever telephone interpreting support is needed.
All packs provide access to our full range of more than 90 available languages. The included minutes can therefore be used across different languages and multilingual interactions, without the need to purchase a separate pack for each language.
Whether you require OPI occasionally or as part of your day-to-day operations, you can choose the pack that best matches your expected usage. We also offer alternative contracting options, including pay-per-minute pricing, and can design a tailored solution based on your organization’s specific volumes, workflows and operational requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Over-the-Phone Interpreting Services
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What is Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI)?
Over-the-Phone interpreting (OPI) is a remote language interpretation service delivered by interpreters via telephone. It enables real-time spoken-language interpretation between two or more parties who do not share a common language, without requiring the interpreter to be physically present.
Phone interpreting companies route calls to an appropriate interpreter in seconds, ensuring clear communication, language access, and adherence to a language access plan while maintaining proficiency, confidentiality, and compliance. -
How does Over-the-Phone Interpreting work?
One party dials a provider or connects through a platform, selects the required language or dialect, the interpreter joins the call, and consecutive interpretation is provided. Sessions can be one-on-one, three-way calls, or conference calls depending on the provider’s capabilities. OPI can be used for both planned and on-demand interactions.
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When should organizations use phone interpreting services?
Telephone interpreting is particularly useful for conversations where language support is needed quickly or where having an interpreter on site is unnecessary.
Common use cases are:
Business negotiations and remote meetings. Employee communications. Customer support and call centers. Legal intake and client interviews. Social services and public agencies. Healthcare triage and non-emergency consultations. -
What is the difference between OPI and video remote interpreting?
Over-the-Phone Interpreting is audio-only and connects participants with an interpreter by telephone. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) adds a visual connection, making it more suitable when facial expressions, gestures or other visual cues are important. The right interpreting format depends on the context and communication requirements. Video interpretations are typically scheduled in advance, while over-the-phone interpreting offers immediate assistance.
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How to choose an Over-the-Phone Interpreting provider?
When choosing an on-demand phone interpretation provider, evaluate several key factors to ensure they meet your needs:
Proven experience delivering the service and a strong track record of reliability. Clear evidence of language proficiency and coverage of the specific languages and dialects your organization requires. Fast response times, good availability, and accessibility for users in different locations and time zones. Transparent pricing and predictable billing practices. Strict confidentiality and robust information-security measures (including relevant certifications or audits). Compliance with applicable regulations in your country (for example, HIPAA for healthcare organizations). The provider’s ability to support your operational needs, including integration with existing communication systems. For organizations with recurring multilingual interactions, also consider the provider’s scalability and ease of integration into your workflows. -
What are the best practices for effective OPI calls?
Clearly introduce the participants, languages, and roles at the beginning of the call. Speak in short, clear segments and pause regularly to allow accurate consecutive interpretation. Minimize background noise and use a reliable phone or VoIP connection to ensure clear audio. Repeat and confirm critical information, such as names, numbers, dates, and instructions, to avoid misunderstandings.
Request a Free Quote
Overcome language barriers and take your communication to the next level with our professional onsite interpretation services!
Contact us today for a free quote.
