LanguageLine Solutions review: Bad Business 26

Language Line Services also claims to have a computer glitch causing call length record inaccuracies on telephonic interpretations. Based on the alleged glitch, a certain percentage of telephonically interpreted minutes (often interpreted calls altogether) is not paid to interpreters. This is occurring regularly and for many years. As a result, interpreters are not paid correctly for their services. The company has not fixed the alleged glitch, which errs only in one direction, namely shortening/deleting calls on call length lists for interpreters. The company refuses to make available their actual call length records, which exhibit the real end time of calls. Interpreters are not allowed to see actual call length records and the actual end time of calls they interpret on the phone. Contesting call length is reason for work volume reduction and termination.

Female Language Line Services interpreters are harrassed and abused by obscene calls allegedly coming from fake law enforcement in the UK, Canada, or the USA. These callers know police station ID numbers with Language Line Services, which are known only to LLS staff and police stations. Language Line Services states that these callers must be either current or past police officers, as they have access to confidential information. Language Line Services states also not to be able to find these callers. LLS' statement logic appears "glitched". The correct logic suggests the abuse calls originate from Language Line Services itself, to harass selected interpreters.

Language Line is greedy, dysfunctional, abusive and DISHONEST.

Totally agree. They are ripping off their interpreters for cheap labor. Unhappy interpreters means poor quality interpretation and customer service. Don't use Language Line Solutions. Word to the Greedy CEO/ President of LLS: you can't spend all the money you're ripping off from workers in your life time. Have a heart too.
Buying out small companies and halfing their interpreters' wages is such a low, greedy behavior.

I agree. This company is a disgrace to the interpreter profession. Don't even think of making a career with them...

I am a Court certified Intepreter/ Translator with the District Atty's Office in Texas. Do NOT use language line services. They have NO SCREENING for their interpreters and so I get to do transcriptions from 911 emergency calls for open cases with our Office. People in dire straights, in real danger have been harmed and suffered because of the blatant and horrendous interpreting errors made by the LANGUAGE LINE staff. People who clearly have no command of either one of the languages being interpreted. Highly incompetent.
TERRIBLE COMPANY.

Agree about this job : total rip-off.
Bad pay rate, mysterious computer "calculations" and whatever effort you make or overtime, the check is still strangely light.
People sneaking over your line to listen to conversations, then you get negative comments from "supervisors" some of them are not even speaking your language but appraising the quality of your translation (!?)
clearly, the job is edmanding sometinmes you get more than one hour under pressure with patients and doctors over serious matters, and get peanuts. You get consideration equivalent to third-world call center agents get.
sweatshop is too nice a word for this. Scam would be adequate.

Entirely agree with the criticism about LLS. This company should be kept out of the interpretation business as they provide incompetent services and are unable to produce any acceptable quality services in this business area. This is so due to the questionable policies and business approaches taken by the management. Know from my own experience... It is true that those using LLS services can be exposed to unacceptable risks. Interpreters are discouraged from doing their duties due to being absolutely abused and mistreated in every way imaginable. Clients should be cautious about using LLS services.

I know five or six other LL interpreters in different parts of the country and hear consistently the same things. This is one of the most poorly managed companies I've researched. Problems range from sub-par interpreters with poor native language skills not to mention English, to incredibly unstable IT applications that the interpreters need to use to perform their jobs and to manage their own HR issues (HR as a friend of the employee is an unknown concept to LL). The interpreters, arguably, make or break this company and are the front line in projecting LL to their customers and the public. The company is currently trying to create a system where the interpreters are entirely responsible, via online platform, for checking in and out for the day and for breaks, logging their own vacation time (which is a disaster because "the system" routinely denies vacation requests without providing a reason and then makes it frustratingly near-impossible to get human contact to correct "the system's" mistakes, and on and on. In general an interpreter is on their own to make sure their check ins and outs are recorded correctly by the company, that they get proper credit for their time on calls, that they get overtime credit if calls extend beyond their shift, that their paychecks are correct, etc. Paycheck errors are epidemic and correcting them is like climbing the Matterhorn. There are no significant reward systems or motivations in place to make an employee (from my contacts this means interpreter on up through middle management) want to strive to better themselves and the company. In fact there is a general loathing of the company by most interpretors and many in management. The company makes it truly complicated, difficult, frustrating and maddening to work for them. The only reason interpreters stick around is that most of them need the job and do not have training for other types of work ... which along with pay levels, gives one a clue as to interpretor skills and competence. True, the job does entail working from home which is a benefit to many, but check around before you take a job with this company because once you're hired the nightmare begins and you'll wonder if you'll ever talk to a human being again, it is made that difficult by the company to get any human contact. Management, forget it, they are invisible in their ivory tower over near Salinas plotting how they can eliminate more people. It's likely the company is headed in the wrong direction and if you check out the resumes of most of the "leadership" (using that term loosely) you'll note the mediocrity, particularly at the very top of the exutive ranks; not judging the board, don't know who they are but one can take a guess at their competence as well. Ask around, talk to the interpretors.

This is one of the BEST commentaries re: LLS ever made! Well said! My sentiments precisely to a T! I am semi retired and fortunately not as hard up as some others, but enjoy-enjoyed the convenience of working from home (ONLY true benefit); ...They are at the very least ARROGANT in their success over the years, but trust me; Empires do fall...The lack the decency to come out and tell you where you stand; HR is a joke; ZERO COMMUNICATION...on and on...again well expressed!

Brilliantly put!

There are interpreters who have had extensive training, are legal and medical interpreters. Overall the statements touch on valid points. But not every thing here, especially in regard to interpreter qualifications is 100 % accurate

I wish I had read reviews about LLS before applying for a job there. Needless to say that most reviews are negative and it would have saved me a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, I did apply for the interpreter's job and was apparently rejected for "not having good pronunciation", and they gave me negative feedback for the stupidest of reasons, which only made me mad. Do the supervisors there even speak English? They only made me waste my time (they don't even answer your emails). What's laughable is reading reviews of people who were accepted and seeing how they can barely write a sentence with proper grammar. So LLS rejects the good candidates and hires people who don't even speak English. This company is a joke. At least I was able to avoid the nightmare of working for them.

does anyone know if language line have interpreters working from home in mexico?
how do they get paid?

Languageline treat employees as slaves. Cut employees' wages after you worked for them for years. I'm thinking of a lawsuit against them. For their mistreating all the interpreters. Please email me to: justiceforinterpreters@gmail.com.

BEWARE of using the services of LANGUAGE LINE INTERPRETERS. If you are a client, you may not get the best quality service. LLS does not require any qualifications of their interpreters, not even a college degree. There is only a brief training and a number of glossaries of terms provided. They hire bilingual people from all walks of life, who know enough of both languages to "get by" but may not be able to provide high-quality service. The pay is meager and there are almost no benefits or opportunities for advancement. In addition, the interpreters are overworked, given very little (and unpaid) time-off, and receive no incentives for improving their performance. The quality control people are very few and it's impossible for them to observe each interpreter more than just a few times per year. So practically, there is almost no quality control. The companies recent, extremely unwise and greedy policies made many qualified, experienced interpreters seek other options and leave, thus making the quality of service suffer. IF YOU ARE A CLIENT, PLEASE TAKE ALL THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. THIS COMPANY IS A QUESTIONABLE BUSINESS FOR BOTH INTERPRETERS AND CLIENTS ALIKE.

I was hired by Language Line, in an email, May 2, 2017. Then after waiting for two weeks, I called them to inquire about my orientation for new hire. After a few days they got back to me stating I was not in their system. I explained to them that I refused another job believing I was hired with them and that I had spent my money to purchase the equipment and faxing the documents they requested, and wanted reimbursement. STILL WAITING for them to reply. Not good!

This company does have very qualified interpreters such as myself. But the problem is that many interpreters who are very qualified are leaving because this company has poor employee support. Does not pay correctly according to the times worked, does not have monitors in LEP languages and therefore they do not correctly monitor. LLS allows the clients to abuse the interpreters without recourse. Interpreters get written up for situations such as technical difficulties coming from the company (LLS) side. LLS applies doubles standard when it comes to guidelines for interpreters to adhere to. There are a few people working in the administrative field who are nice and supportive, but majority of personnel does not respond quickly in appropriate time, or never. When I first started working for LLS it was fun and I felt I made a difference, but at the beginning of this year all support diminished and aggression/abuse from clients and personnel increased. Not a good company to work for if one is looking for a step up. The pay as W2 employee is below every industry standard. In my opinion it is a company who knows that many interpreters can be easily replaced, even by inexperienced ones and therefore does not support their interpreters and only is looking at how to make an extra $$.

LLS forced existing employees who have negotiated an hourly rate at the beginning of employment, to accept a rate way lower. If that particular employee did not accept he/she was fired. LLS forced employees to be equipped with a laptop computer and new system such as video interpreting, which also requires a lot more internet capacity as for a OPI over the phone interpreter. There is more cost involved but no increase in pay.

Looks like the City of San Francisco will not use them again.

https://sfist.com/2019/03/11/hilariously-bad-chinese-translation-on-city-survey-calls-tenderloin-beef-filet/