Rebranding Spanish for QualTel
Una compañia. Una voz.
About QualTel USA
QualTel USA is one of the nation’s premier providers of next-generation domestic and international prepaid and VoIP telecommunications solutions. Founded by industry veterans, QualTel USA is a valued partner of some of the largest and most reputable telecommunications operators and stored value calling card distributors in the world. A service-based company, QualTel is laser focused on giving the best possible experience to the end user and distributor.
Identifying the Problem
QualTel approached GM Voices with consistency issues in the prerecorded Spanish voice prompts on their calling card platform. The application featured multiple voice talent with some extreme differences in volume levels compared to their English recordings. These types of issues are usually caused from obtaining voice recordings from multiple voice-over vendors, a common problem still heard on many phone applications today. This became very important for QualTel in February 2009 when a new customer required a higher-quality caller experience in Spanish.
Assessment and Investigation: Voice Brand Audit for Spanish
To document the scope of the problem, GM Voices dialed into the application, recorded and evaluated it as part of our Voice Brand Audit. Besides the different voices and volume levels, there were also inconsistencies in the Spanish translations. The application used different terminology; simple words like “press” were translated multiple ways. This discontinuity can lead to call confusion, resulting in incomplete tasks or “zeroing out” of the application.
GM Voices concluded that the problems were most likely caused by Spanish translations and voice recording updates acquired from different voice producers. When obtaining voice recordings in small batches, it’s important to have a single source, a voiceover vendor that can produce high-quality voice recordings consistently (the kind GM Voices’ clients have come to expect).
Fixing the Problem
GM Voices determined that the best solution was to obtain all previous voice prompt scripts for re-recording. We conducted a Spanish translation review and collaborated with QualTel within the approval process to allow changes and accommodate stylistic preferences. Once completed, a recording session was scheduled to direct and coach their newly-selected Spanish voice talent. Our production process allows clients to ‘dial-in’ to the recording session from any telephone and listen to messages as they’re being recorded ‘live’ in the studio. The client can actually talk to the voice actor and audio engineer to make any needed changes or alternate messages. Client-directed sessions like this ensure the client gets exactly what they want.
Rebranded Spanish: A Single, Consistent Voice
GM Voices helped QualTel successfully implement a single Spanish voice on all applications—a new voice brand for Spanish. The new audio files were implemented seamlessly. GM Voices can now guarantee consistency with all future IVR prompt updates throughout the life of their application.
“QualTel USA is very happy with the service that GM Voices provided,” said Nathan J. Skuse, Director of QualTel USA. “GM Voices reviewed our needs and expeditiously delivered a consistent voice brand that we were able to quickly deploy onto our IVR prompt platform. Our customers just love listening to Abril’s (QualTel’s chosen talent) voice when using our products.”
About Voice Branding and Voice Brand Audits
What is Voice Branding?
Voice Branding is a process to ensure the consistency of prerecorded voice prompts throughout a company. GM Voices creates a Voice Brand Persona using professional voice talent and then distributes it throughout an organization’s communications technology, regardless of make or model. A Voice Brand also makes sure that an automated phone system, often times the first (or only) contact with a customer, is compatible with a company’s overall brand image and marketing efforts.
Voice Brand Audit Presentations:
The cornerstone of any voice branding initiative is the Voice Brand Audit. Even if a company has never discussed its “Voice Brand,” it has one—good, bad or even ugly. For many companies, it’s a schizophrenic mix of staff- and supplier-provided voices that vary greatly across locations and applications.
A Voice Brand Audit documents the current voice brand by using recorded “Secret Shopper” calls placed to various offices across the country. A click of the mouse allows C-Level executives to hear their voice brand in dozens of locations instantly. Suddenly, marketing and branding leaders are able to critique their company’s voice brand strategically. This information allows them to easily evaluate the voice brand today and plan for an improved version tomorrow.
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