How AI-Powered Real-Time Accent Translation is Revolutionizing the Contact Center Industry
“Could you say that again?... I can’t understand you.”
This is perhaps the most dreaded question for contact center agents.
Whenever we hear accented English, we're listening to a unique story that reflects the diverse cultures of its speakers worldwide. Over 1.5 billion people speak English globally, and there are about 160 different recognized accents. With global agent populations being a prime example of diverse accents, this poses challenges in hiring, training, call quality, feeling understood, and effective communication on a day-to-day basis in their work.
For decades, companies have utilized agent talent for customer support operations in locations like Philippines, India, and Latin America for many strategic reasons including talent availability, lower costs, and to address both growth and slow down in the global economy. While AI is being used to automate many things in CX, there is little debate that there will continue to be demand for voice-based, human-to-human customer support and using AI to improve communication is smart, easy to implement, and produces virtually immediate results.
Customer journey transformation is happening now
AI is driving the greatest transformational change in the 45-year history of customer support. The role of the agent is already becoming more important, more complex, and requires higher skill levels than ever before. AI will impact virtually every aspect of the CX cycle and customer journey including hiring, training and coaching, communication and productivity, optimization, and security.
Companies of all sizes have decisions to make on what AI tools and capabilities they will deploy across the CX cycle to maximize the satisfaction and loyalty of its customers in the most efficient and cost-effective ways possible. Sanas is at the heart of this journey, improving communication and productivity. Sanas uniquely solves the challenges of miscommunication, decreased customer satisfaction, and unfair treatment of agents that arise due to accent bias. The benefit of the Sanas platform comes in three phases:
- Immediate improvement in the customer experience: There is an innate need for every human to be understood and when an agent knows they will be understood, they are confident and the caller knows that their problem will be solved better and faster. The improved results in NPS and CSAT are virtually immediate.
- Effect on productivity, customer loyalty, and customer retention: The impact of fewer disconnects, fewer transfers, and calls that are smoother due to clearer understanding from the start will produce fewer negative experiences reducing customer churn, reducing AHT, and turning a cost center into a revenue generating center.
- Agent happiness and hiring talent that previously were disqualified: Companies invest significantly in amenities and programs in order to be a great place to work for agents. Eliminating the part of an agent’s job that creates the most anxiety and stress could be the best investment to-date and result in improved agent retention by 39%. Additionally, high morale can boost efficiency, as happy employees tend to be more productive and engaged. They will stay longer at the company, and greater tenured agents are always your high performers. Finally, imagine the ability to hire agents that have all the prerequisite skills and talent, but lack English proficiency; they can now participate in the global CX economy for the first time.
Real-time Accent Translation technology can significantly address the challenges of accent bias and miscommunications in contact centers, and enhance communication. This technology helps overcome communication barriers, reduces misunderstandings, and ensures fair treatment of employees.
Components of Sanas Accent Translation
Sanas Accent Translation not only enables agents to be better understood regardless of their accent, but it has several other Speech Understanding solutions built in to enable customers to understand agents from different backgrounds and locations better:
Noise Elimination: Sanas Accent Translation technology uses a unique learning process to block out distractions and focus on the speaker's voice, making sure the message comes through clearly.
Voice Enhancement: Sanas uses advanced AI and audio technology to improve voice quality. This makes the speaker's voice always sound clear and confident.
Speech Intelligibility: Sanas Accent Translation doesn't just change speech – it transforms it. Using advanced technology, it creates speech that is extremely clear and easy to understand.
Speech Naturalness: The speech-to-speech neural network picks up on the small details of human speech, like tone and emphasis, making sure the message sounds naturally warm and genuine.
Voice Authenticity: Sanas retains the speaker’s personal voice. Trained on a massive database of millions of utterances, the result is speech that is unique to the speaker, every time.
Enhancing clarity in communications
A leader in AI speech technology with real-time Accent Translation that keeps emotion and tone intact plus built-in noise elimination, our tech stack:
- Enables faster GTM as it can be implemented in minutes
- Offers real-time support and overcomes network challenges
- Supports real-time accent translation with minimal latency
- Enables hiring from diverse backgrounds
- Eliminates the need for permanent and costly accent training
- Comes embedded with background noise cancellation
- Keeps the natural sound of the speaker
Contact centers with Sanas
But you don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what Michael Mahar, SVP Tech & Digital Services, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, has to say about Sanas adoption:
“Sanas's pioneering technology aligns perfectly with Wyndham’s broader efforts to be genuinely customer-centric, breaking down communication barriers and ensuring that every interaction feels personal, effortless, and engaging.”
-Michael Mahar, SVP Tech & Digital Services, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
If you are leading a team of agents or heading contact center operations, this is your chance to implement advanced AI technology to retain the natural tone and nuances of your agents’ speech, bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, and improve customer satisfaction and agent morale.
Book a demo to help your contact center agents speak to global customers confidently and clearly while retaining their native accents. Make communication more inclusive and effective, foster trust and credibility, and ultimately transform your contact center experience.
Why Authenticity Matters in Call Centers
Call centers are often the frontline of customer communication. These interactions shape brand perception, build trust, and influence loyalty. While automation can improve efficiency, customers value interactions that feel personal, empathetic, and real.
Research shows that customers prefer speaking with agents who sound relatable and authentic. A robotic or overly polished tone can feel impersonal, reducing customer satisfaction. That’s why the goal of AI in call centers isn’t to replace the human element but to empower agents to communicate more effectively and authentically.
How Sanas Accent Translation Enhances Authentic Communication
One common challenge in global call centers is the diversity of accents. Customers may find certain accents difficult to understand, creating frustration and communication barriers. Sanas Accent Translation addresses this challenge head-on.
Our AI-powered Accent Translation ensures agents retain their natural voice while making their accent more neutral or familiar to the customer. This fosters smoother, more inclusive communication without erasing the agent’s identity. By improving clarity, we help agents build trust and create positive customer experiences.
Clearer Calls with Sanas Noise Cancellation
Background noise is another significant hurdle for call centers, whether in bustling office environments or remote setups. Noise disrupts conversations, increases stress, and hampers service quality.
Sanas Noise Cancellation eliminates background distractions on both sides of the call, delivering crystal-clear conversations. This allows agents to focus fully on customer needs, improving call resolution times and creating a more professional experience. Reduced noise also means less stress for agents and customers, contributing to better outcomes on every call.
Balancing Technology and Human Connection
AI has the potential to revolutionize call centers, but its true value lies in its ability to enhance human capabilities. Sanas solutions are built with this philosophy at their core. By tackling accent barriers and background noise, we enable agents to bring their best selves to every conversation—authentic, empathetic, and focused.
This doesn’t just benefit customers. By reducing the stress of repetitive clarifications and noisy environments, agents can work more efficiently and confidently. This leads to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates, creating a healthier work environment.
Authenticity as a Competitive Edge for Call Centers
In a highly competitive industry, authenticity sets great call centers apart. Customers remember interactions that feel real and relatable. By integrating AI tools that enhance—rather than replace—the human touch, call centers can deliver exceptional experiences that build loyalty and trust.
Sanas solutions are empowering call centers worldwide to achieve this balance. Our technologies don’t just remove obstacles; they create opportunities for agents to connect with customers in meaningful ways. This human-first approach strengthens relationships, boosts customer satisfaction, and drives long-term success.
Looking Ahead: AI with Humanity at Its Core
As AI continues to evolve, the focus must remain on keeping the human element central to customer interactions. The future of call centers isn’t about achieving perfect automation; it’s about amplifying the qualities that make human communication special—authenticity, empathy, and connection.
At Sanas, we are committed to building AI solutions that reflect this vision. Whether through Accent Translation or Noise Cancellation, our mission is to ensure every call feels personal, every voice is understood, and every interaction leaves a lasting positive impression.
So, as you look to the future of your call center operations, remember: The human touch isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of every exceptional customer experience. With Sanas, you can embrace AI with confidence, knowing it’s enhancing what matters most: real human connection.
