Bonjour. Hi. Either one works.
AlloPlace answers your calls in French or English. You pick the language it greets callers in, and if someone answers in the other one, it switches.
Why we care about this
The name says it. "Allô" is how French speakers pick up the phone. French was part of the plan from day one, not a translation we'd get around to later.
A lot of AI receptionists are built in English first. Some offer French as a setting, and plenty don't mention it at all. If you run a business in Quebec, Ottawa, New Brunswick or anywhere your customers speak French, that gap shows up in every call.
How it works on a call
- You set the default. Most Quebec businesses start in French. A business in Ottawa might start in English.
- It follows the caller. If a caller answers in the other language or asks to switch, it switches and stays there.
- Your greeting, your words. Write the greeting the way you'd say it. "Bonjour, Plomberie Tremblay, comment je peux vous aider?" works fine.
- Your answers in both languages. TBD: confirm how business facts and FAQs written in one language are answered in the other, and whether owners should enter both.
TBD: audio, the same booking call once in French and once in English.
If you're in Quebec
Quebec's Charter of the French Language gives customers the right to be informed and served in French. A receptionist that answers in French helps you meet that on the phone, including at night and on weekends when nobody else is around to do it.
It's one piece, not the whole picture. Your website, invoices and contracts have their own rules. If you're not sure where you stand, ask your accountant or lawyer.
What we do in French ourselves
We think a company selling a French receptionist should work in French too.
- The dashboard is available in French.
- Support in French. TBD: confirm who answers French support and when.
- Contracts and invoices in French for Quebec customers. TBD: depends on the French terms and the billing setup.
- This website is in French. The French pages are written in French, not run through a translator.