Multilingual Support

FrontdeQ answers calls in English and Spanish. The AI detects the caller's language from their first sentence and responds in that language for the rest of the conversation.

How Detection Works

When a call connects, the AI greets in the salon's default language (usually English). As soon as the caller speaks, the AI classifies the language and adjusts.

If the caller opens in Spanish:

Caller:  Hola, quiero hacer una cita.
Agent:   ¡Hola! Con mucho gusto. ¿Qué servicio le gustaría reservar?

The agent's greeting is in English, but the first full response is in Spanish — same tone, same warmth, same flow.

Code-Switching

Real bilingual callers frequently mix languages. The AI follows the dominant language of the latest turn. If the caller switches from Spanish to English mid-sentence, the AI follows on the next turn.

Caller:  Quiero hacer una cita para un corte. Actually, is there
         a Saturday slot?
Agent:   Yes, Saturday has several openings. What time works for you?

The caller code-switched to English, and the AI stays in English from that point. If the caller swings back to Spanish on the next turn, the AI follows again.

What Carries Across Languages

• Client memory. Memories are language-agnostic. If a client booked three times in English and then calls in Spanish, their memories (preferred stylist, scheduling habits) are still available.
• Square integration. Service names, stylist names, and availability are the same regardless of language. The AI translates them naturally ("color" in English becomes "color" or "tinte" depending on the Spanish context).
• QA scoring. Spanish calls are scored on the same 7 dimensions as English calls. The nightly improvement loop works on Spanish calls just as it does on English ones.

Setting the Default Language

From your dashboard → Settings → Phone Config, you can set:

• English (auto-detect Spanish) — default. Agent greets in English, switches to Spanish if caller opens in Spanish.
• Spanish (auto-detect English) — agent greets in Spanish, switches to English if caller opens in English. Useful if the majority of your callers speak Spanish.
• English only — agent stays in English regardless. Not recommended; Spanish-speaking callers get a worse experience than a polite Spanish response would provide.
• Spanish only — agent stays in Spanish regardless.

The auto-detecting modes are the default because they cover the widest mix of callers with the best experience for each.

Voice and Tone

The voice model speaks both languages with native-level fluency and natural prosody (the rhythm and intonation). Spanish is handled with Latin American neutral accent by default — understandable across Mexico, Caribbean, and US Latino audiences.

If you want to change the voice or the accent, Settings → Phone Config → Voice. The voice dropdown lists all supported voices with a preview button.

Known Limitations

Languages supported: English and Spanish only. Portuguese, French, Mandarin, Tagalog, and other languages are not supported today. If a caller speaks a language FrontdeQ doesn't understand, the AI politely asks if they'd prefer to be transferred to a staff member.

No real-time interpretation between caller and salon owner. The AI responds directly to the caller in their language. If you want a Spanish-to-English transcript of a call for your records, the dashboard shows both the original transcript and an English-language summary (auto-generated by the post-call analysis).

Accent robustness. The voice model handles standard Latin American Spanish best. Strong regional accents (e.g., certain Caribbean or Andean variants) may occasionally cause misrecognition. If a specific caller repeatedly has issues, check the transcript to see if their speech is being parsed correctly.

Mixed-language bookings. The service catalog is typically in English (the language Square uses). When a Spanish-speaking caller books a "haircut," the AI maps "corte de pelo" to the English service name in Square. This works reliably for common services, may falter for unusual or salon-specific service names. If a service doesn't map cleanly, the AI will ask for clarification.

Testing Multilingual Support

The fastest way to verify Spanish works on your salon:

1. Call your FrontdeQ phone number
2. Open in Spanish: "Hola, ¿a qué hora abren mañana?"
3. Confirm the AI responds in Spanish
4. Switch to English mid-call: "Actually, can you check availability for a haircut this week?"
5. Confirm the AI follows the language switch

All of this should work out of the box, no configuration required.

What You'll See in the Dashboard

Each call's transcript shows the original language. Alongside it:

• English summary — auto-generated, 1-3 sentences describing the call's outcome
• Intent classification — works the same way regardless of language (booking, reschedule, cancel, pricing, etc.)
• QA scores — all seven dimensions, scored on the original Spanish or mixed transcript

For salon owners who don't speak Spanish, the English summary is enough to review the outcome of every Spanish call without needing a transcript translation service.