To follow up a lead who wrote in another language, read the full chat transcript through a translation tool, reply in their language using short and plain sentences, say that you used a translation tool, and include your English original underneath. Before sending, translate your draft back into English and check the numbers, dates and any "not". That keeps the reply quick, polite and accurate, without needing a fluent speaker on the team for every enquiry.
Where the lead arrives, and in what language
When a visitor leaves an email address or phone number in a SpideyChat conversation, that conversation becomes a lead. It appears on the Leads page with the visitor's name, contact details and the first thing they asked, and a notification email goes to the address you set for that chatbot, or to the account owner if you set none. Replying to that email goes straight to the visitor's address.
Everything the visitor wrote stays in their language. The bot replied to them in it too, because it mirrors the visitor's language on every message. So the lead email's "They asked" line, and the whole transcript behind it, are in the language they chose. The dashboard is in English and does not translate conversations, so reading them is the first job.
Read the whole transcript first
The first message is rarely the whole story. A visitor might open with a general question about prices, then add three messages later that they need delivery to Portugal by the 15th. Read the full transcript before replying.
- Find the conversation on the Conversations page, where every chat is listed with its full transcript, and copy it.
- Paste it into a translation tool. Any mainstream one will give you the gist.
- Note what the bot already told them. If it quoted your delivery times or prices, your reply should match, or correct them clearly.
- List the open questions. What did they ask that the bot could not answer? That is what your reply must cover.
- Note the form of address they used. In languages with a formal and informal "you", mirror the visitor.
If the visitor also opened a support ticket, they will already have received a confirmation email with the ticket number. That email is in English, so a short reply in their language soon after helps.
How far to trust a translation tool
Machine translation is good at carrying the plain meaning of short, simple text. It is weaker on idioms, sector terms, tone and anything that depends on context. Google itself has said its translation service is not intended to replace human translators, and some public bodies that offer automatic translation of their websites, such as the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, state that the English version is the one to rely on.
So treat a translation tool as a reliable first reader and a careful first writer, not a final word. For a reply that only answers questions, that is usually enough. For a reply that commits you to a price, a deadline or contract terms, have someone fluent check it.
Writing a reply that survives translation
The way you write in English decides how well it translates. Keep these habits.
- One idea per sentence. Long sentences with several clauses are where translations scramble who does what.
- No idioms or jokes. "We'll get the ball rolling" will be translated literally somewhere.
- Figures, not words, for numbers. Write "3 working days" and "£120", with the currency every time.
- Unambiguous dates. Write "15 November 2026" rather than 15/11 or 11/15.
- Names left alone. Product and plan names should not be translated.
- A clear next step. End with one concrete action: "Reply with your postcode and I will confirm the delivery cost."
Then translate your draft into their language and back-translate the result into English with a different tool if you can. Compare it with what you wrote. If a number, date or condition changed, rewrite that sentence more simply and try again.
Reply etiquette
A few courtesies go a long way with a customer who wrote in their own language.
Reply in their language. They chose it, and the chatbot answered them in it, so switching to English in the follow-up feels like a step backwards.
Be open about the translation. A single line such as "I'm replying with the help of a translation tool, so please forgive any odd wording" sets expectations and invites them to ask if something is unclear.
Put your English original underneath. It costs nothing, and if they or a colleague read some English, they can check anything that looks wrong.
Check the time zone. A lead who wrote at 11pm your time may be in the middle of their working day. Mention times in their time zone if you propose a call.
Do not switch channels without asking. Calling someone who wrote in Spanish, when nobody on your side speaks it, is uncomfortable for both of you. Email first and offer a call if they want one.
Our general guide to writing the follow-up email after a chat enquiry covers structure and timing, and all of it applies here.
A shortcut for drafting
If you want a starting point, our free AI reply generator takes a pasted customer message and drafts three replies in different tones, written in the language the customer used. Check the facts against your own policies, back-translate it as above, and edit before sending.
Reduce the follow-ups you need
Many follow-ups exist because the bot could not answer something. Each one tells you what is missing. Add the answer as a Q&A pair, written in the visitor's language if you get many enquiries in it, so the next visitor gets it straight away. The post Can a Chatbot Answer in Spanish From English Pages? explains why that helps, and the lead capture chatbot page shows how leads are collected in the first place.
See it with your own content
Paste your address into the free trial builder and write to the assistant in the language your overseas customers use. You will see exactly what they see, and what your follow-up will need to add.