Best Practices for Video Remote Interpreters

Best Practices for Video Remote Interpreters

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As conferences are cancelled or indefinitely postponed and states continue to implement stay-at-home orders, on-site interpreters have seen their businesses completely vaporize. COVID-19 has transformed nearly all face-to-face work into remote work.  

With social distancing becoming our new norm, remote-anything is the only thing booming right now, and video remote interpretation (VRI) is probably the shortest distance between your current income stream and your next income stream. Anecdotally, something we have noticed is that the number of daily remote medical setting sessions is higher than the number of onsite sessions. Also, perhaps unsurprisingly, VRI sessions tend to last longer – probably due to delayed communication.   

To help you adapt to this new form of communication, we spent some time compiling a list of resources and best practices for video report interpreters. The resources are listed in three parts:

  • Skills training and licensing
  • Tools and environment
  • Business development

Skills training and licensing

In most states, being a certified interpreter is sufficient to transfer your skills to remote interpretation. Nonetheless, they are not exactly the same service so we’ve provided some resources that will help you brush up on or gain VRI skills. 

VRI has long been associated with American Sign Language (ASL), so while some of the training applies to spoken interpreting others concentrate on ASL (if you’re wondering, it takes about 4 years to become proficient in ASL.):   

Most OSI interpreters have clients nearby, so you’re probably already licensed to service your current clients. Just understand that you’re not necessarily restricted to your state anymore.  

Tools and environment

Now that you’ll be offering services from your home/office, the environment is now not only in your control, but a significant contributor to the quality of your service. Here’s a list of items to consider when offering remote interpreting services:

  • Video communication & internet: A video communication tool like Zoom should be able to meet your needs. For better quality, avoid Wi-Fi/wireless and use ethernet/cord connections. Some interpreters maintain two internet connections to provide the best quality.  
  • Headset: To ensure quality verbal communication, check out InterpretAmerica headset suggestions, and make sure the headset you select provides protection from acoustic shock.  
  • Webcam: Chances are you already have a webcam, either within your laptop or seperate, but does it provide the high fidelity you need to provide quality services? If not, check out InterpretAmerica webcam suggestions.  
  • Virtual interpreting technology: Nimdzi has a pretty comprehensive virtual interpreting technology (VIT) comparison tool. To start you need to focus on the technology that the end user is going to use – phone, online, mobile app, and make sure you can work with their technology choice. Another consideration is to determine which technologies allow you to provide on-demand or scheduled VRI in a three-way setting. This is where both parties are communicating from two different locations and not all VIT tools provide this flexibility. Finally, note liability and privacy. Who is to blame if the platform goes down or is hacked?
  • Work space: Although you may not be providing ASL, ASLI best practices are comprehensive, and apply to any remote interpreting setting.  

VIT is constantly changing, so it might be out of date in a few months. Be sure to keep up with the latest technology to ensure you always have what you need to provide the services your clients depend on. 

Based on our research, most VRI technology is priced for agencies and not for freelancers. This might be different for remote simultaneous interpreting platforms. If you find a technology for freelancers that works with you, let us know! Nonetheless, this might be the time to collaborate with fellow interpreters and create a network to provide more diverse remote interpreting services.  

Business development

Selling remote interpreting services is a bit different than selling onsite interpreting services.  In the case of on-site interpreting (OSI), you’re selling yourself. In the case of VRI, you might be selling the platform. This section focuses on:

  • Pricing
  • Support
  • Unique Selling Point (USP)

Interpreters who do remote interpreting exclusively are doing financially better during this pandemic than before. By joining the remote interpreting sector of our industry,  you can become more successful and better prepared for the future.  

Pricing

Pricing for VRI is different from OSI. OSI is charged by the hour, while VRI is charged by the minute. This is largely because there are no travel costs or other opportunity costs. So how much do you charge? Here are some links to help you determine the right rate:

Support

Since you are pivoting from OSI to VRI, you probably already have a number of clients that are now in need of VRI services instead of OSI. In this case, understand that you will need to provide a lot of up-front support to onboarding your clients to the new system. As mentioned before, make sure the VIT tool you use is compatible with your client’s tools. For new clients, most of the selling actually starts after you have secured a client. If your client already has a VRI system in place, request information on joining their system.  

Unique Selling Point

Why you? You’re (probably) local, you have the relationship, and now you have the technology. Not only that, you already know the forms and workflows of a hospital, so they benefit by keeping you as their interpreter. Your last resort would be to join another vendor under their platform – unless, of course, you’re all splitting the cost of the platform. 

Collaborate with fellow interpreters and seek out remote interpreting work. If it helps, invest in the technology and start developing your skills. At worst, you will be moving in the right direction, at best you will be one of the success stories emerging from this pandemic. 

We hope this has provided you with a start for adapting to remote interpreting work. If you have additional resources that you’d like to share, please feel free to pass them along to us so that we can provide them to a larger audience. Keep in touch!

Interested in being an interpreter for BURG? We’re always looking for high quality interpreters, contact us today.