Conversations That Feel Human
.svg)
Bilingual Answering Service for English, Spanish and 55+ Languages
Retell's bilingual answering service answers 24/7 in English, Spanish and 55+ languages at one per-minute rate, no bilingual surcharge. Start with $10 free.
.png)
.png)
How it works
A Smarter Way to Answer Business Calls
01
Call arrives on your existing number
02
AI answers instantly, no hold
.svg)
03
Answers, books, or collects details
04
Warm transfer to a human when needed
.svg)
05
Summary, recording and CRM sync
.svg)
AI vs traditional answering service
Retell VS. A Traditional Bilingual Answering Service
Traditional Services
Retell
Contact SalesHours
English during business hours, with Spanish coverage often shorter or gone after hours
Every call answered 24/7 in each language you turn on, including nights, weekends and holidays
What You Pay For
Per minute or per call, with bilingual operators often billed at a premium
Usage-based per minute at the same rate in every supported language, no bilingual surcharge, $10 in free credits
Wait Time
Callers hold for the next bilingual operator, if one is on duty
Answered on the first ring in the caller's language, no queue
Busy Periods
Limited by how many bilingual operators are staffed, so non-English callers wait longer or hang up
20 concurrent calls included in every supported language, higher on Enterprise
Consistency
Depends on which bilingual operator picks up
The same answers from the same knowledge base in every language
Languages
Usually English, with Spanish as a paid add-on and other languages rarely offered
55+ languages, including English and Spanish, with no add-on fees
Handing Off To You
A message or a cold transfer, with detail lost when it's relayed across languages
Warm transfer with the full transcript and CRM record, plus the language the call was in
Setup
Write scripts, brief operators, and wait for bilingual staff to be trained
Start from a template, sync your knowledge base, pick your languages, go live
Your Tools
Messages by email or portal, sometimes translated after the fact
Connects to your CRM and helpdesk and acts during the call, in the caller's language
Compliance
Retell VS. A Traditional Bilingual Answering Service
Trust is essential when adopting an AI receptionist. Retell AI is built with enterprise-grade security, ensuring every call is protected while meeting the strictest industry standards.
SOC 2 Type II
Patient call data runs on SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure, clearing most clinic and hospital security reviews.
HIPAA
HIPAA-ready with a self-service BAA portal, and downstream voice and model sub-processors are covered under BAAs too.
GDPR
Patient data is handled in line with GDPR, covering consent, access rights, and processing records for international patients.
.svg)
PII Redaction
Social Security numbers, card details, and patient identifiers are redacted from transcripts automatically before storage.
The Problem
Why Businesses Need a Bilingual Answering Service
More than 44.9 million people in the US speak Spanish at home, according to US Census Bureau data, and Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken at home nationwide. When your phones only work in English, those callers wait longer, repeat themselves, or call a competitor who can help them in their language. A traditional bilingual answering service fixes part of that, usually as a paid Spanish add-on with shorter hours and quality that depends on who is working. Retell answers in English, Spanish or any language you turn on, at the same per-minute rate, on the first ring, and every caller hears the same hours, prices and policies from one knowledge base.
.png)
Cost per minute
$0.07-$0.31/min
LLM: gpt-5
$0.040/min
TTS: platform
$0.015/min
Voice Engine
$0.055/min
Background speech removal
$0.005/min
Safety Guardrails
$0.005/min
Buyer’s Guide
How to Choose a Bilingual Answering Service
$0.07-$0.31 Per Minute
You pay for real call time, nothing else.
$10 in Free Credits
Try it before you pay anything.
No Monthly Retainers
Nothing extra for nights, weekends or busy periods.
Lower Bills Overall
Routine calls clear on their own, so spend drops.
Capabilities
What Our Agent Does on a Bilingual Call
Speaks the Caller's Language:
You choose which languages the agent supports. It picks up the language the caller speaks and replies in it.
When you know the language ahead of time, a Spanish line, a CRM field or the number dialed can set it before the agent says hello, which gives the best accuracy.
When a person is needed, the agent warm-transfers with the full conversation, CRM record and call language attached.
Gives Every Caller the Same Answers:
It answers from one knowledge base, so English and Spanish callers hear the same current hours, services and pricing.
It looks up the caller's record mid-call and tailors what it says, whatever language they called in.
It books appointments and pulls from your CRM, ticketing or billing tools over secure webhooks while the call is live.
Setup
Live in Four Steps
Step 1
Build
Set up the agent in the no-code dashboard or through the API, pick the languages your callers use, and point it at your website and FAQs.
Step 2
Test
Run it against the calls you get, in the languages your callers speak, and confirm it answers correctly and hands off cleanly.
Step 3
Deploy
Keep your number over SIP trunking or take a new one, then go live on voice, SMS and chat.
Step 4
Monitor
Track resolution, transfers and caller sentiment by language in the dashboard, and adjust the agent as you go.
Value
Why Businesses Choose Retell
A Clean Handoff to Your Team
.svg)
Reporting You Can Act On
.svg)
Built for Sensitive Data
.svg)
- Hubspot
- Twilio
- Vonage
- Go High Level
- n8n
- Zapier
- Salesforce
- Hubspot
- Twillio
- Vonage
- Go High Level
- 8n8
- Zapier
- Salesforce
- Avaya
- Genesys
- Five9
- Amazon Connect
- Telnyx
- Make
- Cal.com
.svg)
- Avaya
- Genesys
- Five9
- Amazon Connect
- Telnyx
- Make
- Cal.com
Put Your Business Answering Service to Work Today
Start from a template, sync your knowledge base, and connect your line or take a new number. Try it on your real calls, then go live on voice, SMS and chat.
FAQ
Common Questions
Which languages does Retell's bilingual answering service support?
Retell supports 55+ languages, including English and Spanish. You choose which ones your agent handles when you set it up, so you're not limited to a single paid add-on language.
Can the agent switch languages during a call?
With more than one language turned on, the agent detects the language the caller speaks and replies in it. For the best accuracy, turn on only the languages your callers use, or route callers to a single-language agent by the number they dial or a field in your CRM.
Is it worth offering Spanish-language phone support?
For many US businesses, yes. More than 44.9 million people in the US speak Spanish at home, according to US Census Bureau data. Answering only in English makes those callers work harder to reach you.
How much does a bilingual answering service cost?
Retell is usage-based and billed per minute, with $10 in free credits to start. There's no surcharge for Spanish or any other supported language, and no platform fee. Rates vary with the model and voice you choose.
Does Retell sound like a person in Spanish?
Yes. Retell uses natural voices with pronunciation matched to each supported language, and a turn-taking model that handles interruptions at around 600ms latency.
What happens when a caller needs a person?
The agent warm-transfers the call to your team with the full transcript and CRM record attached, so whoever picks up knows what the caller needs and which language the call was in.
Does the bilingual answering service work nights and weekends?
Yes. Every call is answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, in each language you turn on. There's no extra charge for after-hours or bilingual coverage.
