By David Hayes, Founder, Babeltext

When I think about an Australian business expanding overseas, I think about the customer's first question. It might be about delivery, a product detail or a problem after purchase. If that question arrives in a language the team cannot understand, the sale can be harder to win and the customer harder to support.

I believe that conversation deserves as much attention as the advertising that brought the customer to the business. We can put substantial effort into reaching another country, then leave the buyer to do the work of communicating in English.

That is the problem we are working on at Babeltext. I want Australian companies to be able to support an overseas customer through the same experienced people who look after customers at home.

Giving your existing team a wider reach

Babeltext brings translated messaging, AI and Human Agents into one interface. Customers can reach a business across eight channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat and Web Chat, with support for more than 200 languages. 

A customer writes a message in their own language. Their message appears in English, or the language the service team uses. The agent replies, and Babeltext translates the response back for the customer. For a call centre, that means adding multilingual written conversations to the way it already serves people. 

Imagine an Australian equipment supplier receives a Spanish-language enquiry: "Can you confirm which spare part I need for this model?" Someone on the existing team may know the answer immediately. Translated messaging lets that person ask the follow-up questions and keep the conversation moving. Technical details still need careful checking.

For a smaller exporter, I see value in being able to test a new market while drawing on the expertise already in the business. Translation helps staff communicate; local market knowledge and good judgement still matter.

Why I put messaging at the centre

A phone call is not always convenient, especially when the two people are in different time zones. With a message, the customer can explain the issue, check a model number and come back to the conversation when they have the information.

It can also be easier for someone who is less confident speaking English, or who has hearing or speech difficulties. Different ages and markets will favour different channels, so businesses need to ask what their own customers use.

I would be careful about assuming messaging only appeals to younger people. ACMA found that 48 per cent of Australians aged 75 and over had used an app for messages in the six months to June 2025. That measures everyday communication, rather than customer-service preference, but it is a useful reason to offer people a choice. ^[3]

An Instagram message may suit one customer, while another is comfortable with SMS or WhatsApp. A business should make those conversations manageable for its staff and keep telephone support available where it is needed.

A practical example through Global Business Mentor

A live example readers can explore is Chat2Me.AI's Global Business Mentor. Chat2Me.AI is powered by Babeltext, and the service offers AI business research and decision support through SMS and WhatsApp, with a Web Chat option on its page.

An Australian business considering an overseas market might ask, "I'm looking at selling into Singapore. What should I research before approaching a distributor?" A useful follow-up could be, "Help me prepare questions for a potential local partner." These are illustrative enquiries a reader could try.

That is where I see the value: helping an owner start the research and work out what to investigate next. Its guidance is general information, and regulatory or other professional advice needs independent checking.

Readers can explore the example at chat2me.ai/global-business-mentor.

This illustrates how business information can be made available through a familiar conversation. With the right setup, an exporter could apply a similar approach to its own approved product information, then bring a member of staff into enquiries that need a decision.

As service such as Global Business Mentor could also be positioned as a corporate customer acquisition strategy for one of the big five.

AI works best when a person can step in

I am interested in AI that helps people get a useful answer and makes the service team's job easier. It can handle routine questions using approved business information, collect details and provide a response while the Australian office is closed.

But there are times when a customer needs someone who can make a decision. A delivery problem might require an exception. A complaint might need a careful conversation. The customer should be able to ask for a person without having to fight their way through an automated process.

Babeltext brings AI and human agents into a shared workspace with the conversation history available. When someone takes over, they can see what has already been discussed and continue helping in the customer's language.

My view is straightforward: if I have already explained the problem, I should not have to start again. Businesses also need to be honest about when their people are available and how long a customer can expect to wait.

There is a practical purchasing side as well. Babeltext is an independent software vendor, or ISV, and an AWS Partner. The platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services and available through AWS Marketplace, giving companies that buy software through AWS an established purchasing route.

My suggestion is to begin with one overseas market and a few common enquiries. Choose the channels customers actually use, prepare reliable answers and decide when a person should step in. Then look at whether customers are getting their issues resolved, whether enquiries become sales and what the team finds difficult.

If we are going to ask people overseas to buy from Australian businesses, we should be ready to answer their questions in a language they understand.

Hope that helps David Hayes, Founder Babeltext Pty Ltd – [email protected]

Quotes for David Hayes

On helping existing service teams

“Your team may know the product inside out. The difficulty starts when the customer's question arrives in a language they don't speak. We want to help those same people carry on the conversation.”

On the Global Business Mentor example

“With Global Business Mentor, I want a business owner to be able to pick up their mobile phone, text a question and get a useful starting point for their research. They can then decide what needs a closer look.”

On handing a conversation to a person

“If I've explained a problem to an AI assistant and then need a person, I don't want to start again. The person taking over should be able to see the conversation and help me from there.”

About the author

David Hayes is the founder of Babeltext, an Australian multilingual customer engagement platform. His work focuses on bringing AI and human agents together to help organisations serve customers across languages and messaging channels globally. babeltext.com