How to Use Generative AI for Email Communication with International Clients

Example prompt: Please translate the following client email into Chinese:

For lengthy emails, in addition to simple translation, we can also ask AI to help us organize the email’s ideas and summarize the key points.

Example prompt: Please translate the following client email into Chinese and categorize the main content into key points:

For difficult terms or abbreviations in the email, we can ask AI to analyze the context to help us understand more accurately.

Example prompt: What are the possible meanings of “TAT” (term or abbreviation) in international business emails?

In the past, we encountered a lengthy foreign email forwarded by a client, asking us to quickly translate the email attachment. However, the forwarded email was very long and contained a lot of irrelevant content. If we browsed and read it in the conventional way, it would take over 2 hours. To quickly extract the relevant information for this project, we organized the email into a text of over ten pages and used AI for translation and summarization. Within 5 minutes, we understood 90% of the email’s content and key points and filtered out the background information related to this project, greatly improving efficiency.

Secondly, AI can provide us with more solutions and ideas.

In the process of communicating with clients, we often encounter knowledge blind spots, sudden challenges that may trap our communication. If we cannot respond to clients quickly and accurately, it might appear unprofessional. For example, how do you quote for creative translation? What software is good for video editing? How to break down the steps for subtitle translation, and how to report time? How to use a certain function in Word? Do you have common norms and guidelines for writing Chinese technical documents? Which authoritative websites do you generally consult when translating medical terms?

In the past, when faced with these challenges, we often chose to consult experienced colleagues or seek help from relevant departments in the company. However, we frequently faced time and experience constraints; colleagues might be busy with their work, and relevant departments might lack the necessary knowledge or experience. A more convenient solution is to ask our “think tank”—AI. Compared to the overwhelming amount of information available on search engines, AI is like a caring and wise mentor, capable of quickly searching for relevant knowledge and conducting in-depth analysis and refinement based on that. The answers it provides are like those organized by an all-around assistant, comprehensive yet highly targeted.

Example prompt:

• What are the differences between creative translation and ordinary translation? Please analyze from as many angles as possible in a comparative chart.

• Besides using word count as a pricing method, what other pricing methods can be considered for creative translation? Please provide as many ideas as possible.

• How to count the word count of CAD drawings/PPTs?

• CaptionHub is a paid software for subtitle translation. Please research similar software and compare their pros and cons.

• When opening a Word document that requires a password, how can we cancel the password protection if we know the password?

• What English-language official websites can you find regarding Chinese technical document writing guidelines?

• What authoritative websites can you find for querying Chinese and English medical terms?

• What characteristics do Chinese surnames in the U.S. have? What are the differences and connections with surnames in mainland China?

Moreover, when replying to emails, we often fall into a limitation of thought, unsure how to properly address clients’ questions and requests. AI can provide us with more angles of analysis and generate multiple response options. Additionally, whether in Chinese or English, it can switch back and forth effortlessly. We can draw inspiration from it, combining our understanding of the business and insights into the clients to create email replies that align with our style.

Example prompt:

• From which angles can we reply (in authentic English) to the following email sent by a client?

• When a client asks how we ensure translation quality as a translation company, what aspects can we address?

• If a client is dissatisfied with our translation style, believing it is too literal, what aspects can we argue against?

• If a client is dissatisfied with our translation style, believing it is too complex, what aspects can we improve?

• For a video dubbing project, how should we break down the steps?

• If a client wants to translate Yapese, what language is it? Which universities worldwide offer Yapese language courses? Where can we find translation resources?

• Please try to analyze a specific issue using the mindset of an American. The American is male, around 40 years old, graduated from a certain university with a specific major, and is currently a project manager at a well-known company.

Even if we have some ideas and thoughts, through in-depth discussions with AI, we can identify potential shortcomings and fill in missing details, making our replies more thorough and professional.

This interaction not only enhances our depth of thought but also enriches our knowledge base, allowing us to provide more comprehensive and precise solutions when facing more complex issues.

Finally, AI can also assist us in editing and refining emails.

Even if we have exhausted our thoughts to write the first draft of an email, there may still be some imperfections, such as awkward phrasing, imprecise word choices, or lack of logical flow. AI’s language polishing function acts like a professional editor, meticulously examining our emails and optimizing them in all aspects from grammar and word choice to sentence structure. It will express our ideas in more authentic and elegant language, making the email read more naturally and fluently, increasing its appeal and persuasiveness, thus enhancing the client’s recognition of our professionalism and service quality.

AI can modify and polish emails in various ways, and these methods can be interspersed and flexibly applied:

1. Rewrite a well-written Chinese email into English using AI.

We are proficient in expressing in Chinese. When we need to write emails to foreign clients, we can first draft them in Chinese, allowing our thoughts to flow freely and accurately express every detail. Then, we can leverage AI to convert it into authentic and fluent English business emails. This way, we can avoid struggling with both the content conception and writing English sentences, ensuring the email content is rich and precise while easily overcoming language barriers, efficiently completing the email writing process.

Example prompt:

Please rewrite the following email response to a client into American English, considering the client is a male American, around 40 years old, graduated from a certain university with a specific major, and is currently a project manager at a well-known company.

2. Edit, rewrite, and correct a well-written English email using AI.

When we are confident in our English skills or the email content is relatively short, we can directly write the first draft of the English email and then let AI intervene to edit it. It can polish the email in detail, making the expression more vivid and fluent; cleverly rewrite it to fit the business context; and accurately correct grammatical and spelling errors.

Example prompts:

• Are there any grammatical errors or typos in the following email response to a client? Please point out all errors and correct them:

• Please rewrite the following email greeting to a client in an enthusiastic style as a professional customer service representative whose native language is English:

• Please rewrite the following email response to a client to ensure it is logically clear and rigorous, with smooth sentences, and maintain a cautious yet warm style:

3. AI can also expand specified content or write directly on a given topic.

When we have initial thoughts on a specific topic but don’t know how to start, we just need to throw these fragments to AI, and it can quickly flourish like ivy, adding branches and leaves to the specified content, making the originally thin idea become rich and three-dimensional. We can even just provide a topic, and it can directly write a complete piece based on its strong knowledge base and logical reasoning ability.

Example prompts:

• Please expand the following key points into a business email of about 300 words as a professional customer service representative whose native language is English:

• There are several bills from last year, and we hope the client can pay them as soon as possible. Please write an email of about 60 words on this topic in English.

• Please write a few Christmas greetings for a client who is a male American, around 40 years old, graduated from a certain university with a specific major, and is currently a project manager at a well-known company.

4. Translate English text back into Chinese using AI to check if it aligns with our intended message and if the tone and style are appropriate. If there are flaws, we can further modify it with AI and finalize it.

Example prompt: Please translate the English email into Chinese:

We once encountered a complaint from a senior client regarding a project, with an email that was nearly a thousand words long. The client’s intention was to deduct payments and establish new deduction rules with us. However, such a lengthy email put immense pressure on the customer service staff. We did not want to agree to these client requests. However, in response to the client’s heavy writing, we could not simply reply with a disagreement, as it would not only fail to resolve the issue but could also damage the long-established cooperative relationship.

First, we needed to calm down and analyze the client’s email in depth to understand her reasoning and logic. We used AI to translate the entire email into Chinese, meticulously organizing the translation word by word, and replacing terms with commonly used internal terminology based on our usual communication with the client, making the translation more aligned with our everyday communication context.

After fully understanding the email content and the client’s demands, we began to introspect. We verified with the translators whether the client’s feedback was valid, sorted out the deep-seated reasons for our mistakes, and assessed the amount of deduction we could negotiate; we analyzed the difficult pain points and feasible solutions that could be addressed.

Next, we drafted a Chinese version of the email response. We organized all the above content into a detailed Chinese email that was clear and logical. We sincerely analyzed the responsibilities and reasons for the mistakes, earnestly requested the client to reconsider the deduction matter, and expressed our understanding and respect for either canceling or reducing the amount. More importantly, we solemnly promised to take a series of strong preventive measures to prevent such issues from occurring again.

After drafting the email, we further refined it using AI based on the methods mentioned above:

1) Start by translating the email into English. We can try different AI tools and prompts to make the translation align more closely with our desired style.

2) Based on English thinking patterns, use AI to reorganize the entire logic framework and writing expression, aiming for smooth reading and clear understanding for the client.

3) Utilize AI’s powerful language processing capabilities to expand or condense content, ensuring the overall length is just right.

4) Ensure the wording is sincere and heartfelt, and rigorously proofread for grammar and spelling.

5) Carefully check whether the use of terminology aligns with the client’s habits and if the entire text is consistent.

6) To ensure everything is perfect, conduct a reverse translation with AI to meticulously review for any missing information, deviations, or inappropriate expressions.

After completing this series of detailed refinements, we finally finalized the email and sent it to the client with sincerity.

AI may produce errors during language processing due to data bias or algorithm limitations. These errors may manifest as subtle grammatical flaws, misunderstandings of specific industry terminology, or misjudgments of the emotional tone of the email. Therefore, we must not fully rely on AI’s output results but should carefully proofread every email generated or assisted by AI. This includes checking basic spelling, punctuation, examining the logical coherence of sentences, and considering whether the word choices are precise and appropriate; every aspect must be rigorously controlled.

Information security is a red line that cannot be ignored when using AI. Sensitive client information, such as personal data, business secrets, transaction details, etc., once leaked through AI systems, could lead to disastrous consequences, damaging client interests and plunging the company into trust crises and legal disputes. Therefore, we must take strict confidentiality measures. Before using AI, we need to desensitize the email content, removing critical sensitive information.

To address these deficiencies of AI, we need to clarify the boundaries of AI usage and reasonably allocate responsibilities between AI and human work. We should avoid blind trust or over-reliance on AI while mastering AI’s operational skills to fully leverage its auxiliary role and enhance overall work efficiency.

With the support of AI, the email communication work of international customer service seems to have taken flight. The deep integration of AI technology with international customer service work is not just a simple tool application, but a transformation of a new working model and mindset. It gives us more confidence in facing the complex challenges of international business, allowing us to provide more efficient, precise, and attentive service to win clients’ trust and favor.

However, AI is not omnipotent; it is merely a tool in our hands. What truly determines the success or failure of communication is our attentiveness to clients and our focus on the business. In the process of connecting with international clients, we must not only skillfully use AI technology but also maintain sincerity and enthusiasm, paying attention to every piece of client feedback and every detail of cooperation.

In the days to come, as AI technology continues to upgrade and innovate, I believe the email communication work of international customer service will become smarter and more efficient. But regardless of how things change, we must not forget our original intention, which is to always prioritize the needs of our clients, using our professionalism, dedication, and enthusiasm to build sturdy and warm communication bridges, allowing the seeds of cooperation to take root and sprout in the exchanges of emails.

Source | Xiamen Jingyida Translation Service Co., Ltd. Yang Zongjun