If you’ve worked with data in Excel files (.xls or .xlsx files), you know that Excel’s formatting and tools don’t always translate to a simpler, plain-text format. That’s where CSV comes in. Converting your Excel file to a CSV file saves your data in a simple, compatible format. It’s perfect for importing into many other platforms.

This guide will cover all you need to know about converting Excel files to CSV. It includes step-by-step instructions for Windows and Mac users. We’ll explore ways to fix common issues. These include using the correct delimiters (commas instead of semicolons). We’ll also cover how to convert multiple Excel sheets into CSV files if your data is on different worksheets.

Converting Excel to CSV on Windows

Knowing how to quickly convert excel to CSV is an underrated time management skill. For Windows users, converting an Excel file to a CSV file is easy using Microsoft Excel’s “Save As” feature. To save a single worksheet or convert multiple Excel sheets, use the steps below. They will ensure your data is properly converted to CSV format.

Using the “Save As” Command

1. Open Your Excel File: First, open the Excel file you wish to convert.

2. Go to “File” > “Save As”: In the Excel menu, click on the “File” tab in the upper-left corner and select “Save As.” Alternatively, you can press F12 on your keyboard to quickly open the “Save As” dialog.

3. Choose the CSV Format: In the “Save as type” dropdown, select CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv). This format saves the Excel data as a comma-separated text file.

4. Select the Destination Folder: Pick the location on your computer where you want to save the file, and click Save.

Note: When you save an Excel file as a CSV file, only the active worksheet is saved. If your Excel file has multiple sheets, you must save each one as a CSV. Simply switch to each worksheet, and repeat the “Save As” steps for each.

Addressing Compatibility Prompts

After you click “Save,” Excel might display a few prompts. These aren’t error messages—just reminders:

• First Prompt: Excel will inform you that only the active worksheet will be saved to the CSV file. If you want to save additional worksheets, click Cancel and save each sheet individually. Otherwise, click OK to proceed.
• Second Prompt: Excel may display a message about unsupported features in the CSV format, such as formulas, formatting, or images. Don’t worry—click Yes to continue saving the file. Remember that CSV files store only raw data, without formatting or formulas.

Converting Excel to CSV on Mac

If you’re using a Mac, the process of converting Excel files to CSV format is very similar. The steps below will help you export data from an Excel file into a CSV format on a Mac.

Simple Conversion Steps

1. Open Your Excel File: Start by opening the Excel file that you need to convert.

2. Go to “File” > “Save As”: Click on the “File” menu in the top-left corner, then select “Save As.”

3. Choose CSV Format: In the “Format” dropdown menu, select Comma Separated Values (.csv).

4. Save the File: Click Save and confirm any prompts. These prompts are similar to those on Windows, reminding you that only the active sheet is saved and that unsupported features won’t be included.

Tips for Mac Users

• If you need to save each worksheet as a CSV, repeat the steps for each worksheet in your Excel file.
• When prompted to proceed with saving as CSV, click Continue to confirm. This ensures your data is saved in a simple, compatible CSV format.

Adjusting CSV Delimiters for Regional Settings

When you convert an Excel file to a CSV file, you might encounter issues with delimiters. These are the characters that separate each piece of data. In many cases, this delimiter is a comma, but in some regional settings, it may default to a semicolon. This can affect how your data is interpreted. And as a business, you should always strive to have the best data privacy practices in place.  so it’s important to make sure your CSV files use the correct delimiter.

Common Delimiter Issues

Comma vs. Semicolon: In some regional settings, particularly in European countries, the default delimiter for CSV files may be a semicolon (;) instead of a comma (,). This can cause issues if you’re planning to import the CSV file into software that expects a comma.

Looking out for Compatibility: Double-checking and, if necessary, changing your delimiter settings in Excel can prevent problems when sharing or importing data.

Changing the Delimiter in Excel (Windows)

To make sure your CSV file uses a comma as the delimiter, follow these steps in Excel:

1. Open Excel Options: Go to File > Options.
2. Go to Advanced Settings: In the Excel Options dialog, select Advanced from the left-hand menu.
3. Uncheck “Use System Separators”: In the Editing options section, find the “Use system separators” checkbox and uncheck it.
4. Set the Correct Separators: For “Decimal separator,” enter a period (.) and for “Thousands separator,” enter a comma (,). Click OK to save these changes.

Now, when you save your Excel file as a CSV, it will use a comma as the delimiter. This is true regardless of your computer’s regional settings.

Checking Delimiters on a Mac

Mac has fewer regional delimiter issues. Still, verify the output if your data needs a specific format. Simply open the saved CSV file in a text editor like TextEdit to check that commas are used to separate values.

Alternative Methods for Converting Excel to CSV

If you need to adjust Excel files, or want an Excel alternative, there are other ways to convert an Excel file to CSV. We’ll explore a few methods, including using different file extensions and online tools.

Using “CSV (MS-DOS)” or “CSV (Macintosh)” for Compatibility

Sometimes, you may need to save an Excel file as a CSV. It must be formatted for older operating systems. Microsoft Excel offers two additional CSV formats in the “Save As” drop-down menu:

• CSV (MS-DOS): Choose this option if your CSV file needs to be compatible with DOS-based systems or older spreadsheet programs.
• CSV (Macintosh): This format is optimized for Macintosh systems and may be necessary if you’re sharing files with users on older Mac computers.

To save with these formats, do the same as for “CSV (Comma delimited)”: open your Excel file, go to File > Save As, select your format from the drop-down menu, and save. These formats make sure that your files display correctly on the recipient’s system.

Using a Text Editor for Customization

For extra control over the CSV format, edit the file in a text editor like Notepad (on Windows) or TextEdit (on Mac). Here’s how:

1. Save Your Excel File as a CSV: First, save the Excel file as a CSV (Comma delimited) file.
2. Open the CSV in a Text Editor: Once saved, open the file in a text editor.
3. Make Custom Adjustments: In the text editor, you can modify delimiters, edit tabular data, or remove any unnecessary characters to ensure the file meets specific requirements.

Editing the file this way lets you control some formatting. Excel can’t do that, especially if you’re using specific spreadsheet programs or data import tools.

Using CSV Online Converters

Online conversion tools can be a convenient option if you’re looking for a quick way to convert an Excel file to CSV without using Microsoft Excel. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose a Reliable Online Tool: Search for “CSV online converter,” and select a reputable option. Some popular ones allow you to upload .xls or .xlsx files and convert them directly to CSV format.
2. Upload Your File: Upload your Excel file to the site.
3. Select Output Settings: Some tools let you choose additional settings for delimiters or encoding. Set these as needed.
4. Download the Converted File: Once the conversion is done, download the file in the CSV format.

Online tools are ideal if you’re not on a computer with Microsoft Excel installed or if you need to convert .xls files quickly. Just ensure the tool is trustworthy to keep your spreadsheet data secure.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes, you may have issues converting an Excel file to CSV. This can happen even after following all the correct steps. Here’s how to solve some of the most common problems with converted files.

Problem: Incorrect Delimiters or Symbols

If you open your CSV file and find semicolons instead of commas, or unexpected symbols, it’s likely due to regional settings or the Excel file’s formatting. To fix this, try:

• Double-checking Delimiters: Follow the steps in Section 3 to make sure commas are set as the separator.
• Re-saving in a Different CSV Format: Try using the “CSV (MS-DOS)” option if the standard CSV format doesn’t work.

Problem: Missing or Extra Data

CSV files only store plain tabular data, so some Excel features—like formulas, formatting, and merged cells—won’t carry over. To solve this:

• Check Each Cell in Excel: Before converting, make sure each cell’s data is ready as plain text. Copy and paste formulas as “values” if needed.
• Use a Text Editor for Verification: Open the CSV file in a text editor to confirm that all data is properly formatted and appears as expected.

Problem: Multiple Sheets Not Converting

If your Excel file has multiple sheets, remember that each worksheet must be saved individually as a separate CSV file. Follow the steps in Section 1 for each sheet or use an online converter if you prefer.

Tips for Data Integrity in CSV Files

Converting Excel files to CSV can be easy. But, it’s vital to keep your data intact and error-free for smooth imports and exports. Here are a few tips to ensure your data’s accuracy:

Handling Special Characters and Symbols

When saving Excel files with special characters, encoding issues may occur. CSV files use plain text, so make sure to select UTF-8 encoding if your data has special characters. This option is often found when saving as CSV in some versions of Excel or in text editors.

Verifying Converted Files

To ensure your file is correctly formatted:

1. Open the CSV in a Text Editor: This allows you to quickly verify that the file appears as plain tabular data.
2. Check for Correct Delimiters: Make sure the delimiter (usually a comma) appears between data fields without any extra spaces.
3. Test-Import the File if Possible: If you’re using the CSV to import data into another application, do a test import to catch any issues before the full import.

Using CSV for Data Exports

CSV files are excellent for transferring data across platforms. However, they are limited to plain text. So, ensure the target system can handle CSV imports and accepts only a .csv extension.

Excel File Conversion

Converting Excel files to CSV is often necessary for anyone working with data. It must be accessible in different apps. We’ve covered the basics of converting .xls files to CSV on Windows and Mac. We’ve addressed common issues and discussed alternative methods for different preferences.

Whether in Excel or an online tool, your goal is to make your data as accessible and flexible as possible. For more office productivity tips that actually work, check out our other articles too.

The post How to Convert Excel to CSV: The Easy Guide appeared first on ExpressPigeon.

That sinking feeling of hitting “send” and immediately regretting it is a universal experience. But don’t fret. There’s a secret weapon hiding in your arsenal: Undo Send.

This magical feature lets you snatch back an email within a short window, saving you from potential embarrassment and awkward conversations.

Let’s show you how to recall an email in Gmail inbox.

Guide on How to Recall an Email in Gmail

Before you send:

Set a send cancellation period: By default, Undo Send isn’t enabled. To activate it and choose your preferred timeframe for un-sending emails:

Go to Gmail on your computer.

Click on the Settings cog in the top right corner and select “See all settings.”

Under the drop down menu,  “General” tab, scroll down to “Undo Send.”

Choose your desired cancellation period (5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds) from the dropdown menu.

Click “Save Changes” at the bottom.

After you send:

• Act fast! You only have a few seconds to undo an email after sending it.
• Look for the “Undo” option:

On Desktop: A brief notification will appear at the bottom left corner saying “Message sent” with an “Undo” or “View message” option. Click “Undo” to retract the email.

On Mobile (Android & iOS): After sending, you’ll see a “Sent” message with an “Undo” button. Tap “Undo” to take back the email.

Important to Remember:

• Undo Send only works within the timeframe you set (5-30 seconds). Once that window closes, you won’t be able to recall the email.
• The recipient may still see the email if they downloaded it or have very quick reflexes! For guaranteed privacy, it’s always best to contact the recipient directly if you need to retract sensitive information.

Scenarios and Solutions for When You Need to Recall an Email in Gmail

We’ve all been there: you hit send on an email on the Gmail app only to realize a moment later there’s a glaring typo, you forgot to attach that crucial document, or you accidentally replied instead of replying all.

Thankfully, The Undo Send feature isn’t your only weapon in these situations. Here are some common email mishaps and how to address them, even if the Undo Send window has closed:

Typos and Grammatical Errors:

While Undo Send can help with catching these in the nick of time, sometimes they slip through. Suppose you discover a mistake after the recipient has received the email.

In that case, the best course of action is to send a quick follow-up email to the recipient’s inbox. Politely acknowledging the error and providing the corrected version.

Missing Attachments:

Forgot to attach that important presentation? Don’t fret! Simply reply to the original email with the missing attachment in tow. You can also explain the oversight in your reply to add context.

Accidental Reply vs. Reply All:

Hitting reply-all on a sensitive email meant for one recipient can be a heart-stopper. Unfortunately, Undo Send won’t help here.

The best approach is to send a quick follow-up email apologizing for the mistake and clarifying the intended recipient.

You can also mention the confidential nature of the original email, but be aware there’s no guarantee everyone will disregard it.

Sending to the Wrong Recipient:

We’ve all sent an email to the wrong address at some point. If you catch it before the recipient opens it, you can potentially use Undo Send. Otherwise, act swiftly.

Compose a new email to the correct recipient explaining the error and politely requesting they disregard the original email sent to the wrong address. If the email contains sensitive information, consider contacting the mistaken recipient directly to inform them.

Pro-Tips & Best Practices to Avoid Hitting Undo Send

While Undo Send is a handy feature, it’s ideal to craft emails that don’t require a recall in the first place. Here are some pro-tips to help you avoid email mistakes:

• Proofread like a pro: Before hitting send, take a moment to double-check your email for typos, grammatical errors, clarity, and the correct recipient’s email address. Consider using a grammar checking tool for an extra layer of catching errors.
• Double-check attachments: Ensure all necessary documents are attached before sending. A quick scan of the email can save you from the scramble of a missing attachment.
• Think before you reply: Take a beat before hitting reply, especially on sensitive or fast-paced threads. Consider if “reply all” is truly necessary to avoid unintended recipients.
• Master the art of drafts: Don’t be afraid to compose your email in draft form first. This allows you to refine your message, gather attachments, and proofread before sending.
• Schedule important emails: Avoid sending impulsive emails. Tools like Gmail scheduling allow you to compose an email in advance and set it to send at a designated time, giving you a chance to catch any errors before it goes out.
• Embrace the pause: When in doubt, take a pause! Reread your email, step away for a few minutes, and come back with fresh eyes before hitting send on the wrong message.

With these practices, you’ll send clear, concise, and error-free emails, minimizing the need for Undo Send and keeping your inbox zen.

Gmail Recall FAQs

How do I recall a message in Gmail that’s already sent?

Unfortunately, you can’t recall a Gmail email after it’s been sent unless you enabled “Undo Send” beforehand. Gmail users can use this feature to unsend within a set time limit (5-30 seconds).

Can I recall an email in Gmail after 1 hour?

No, Gmail’s undo send feature only works within the timeframe you set (maximum 30 seconds). After that window closes, you cannot recall Gmail emails.

Can I Unsend an email in Gmail after 30 minutes?

No, the maximum time limit for undo send function is 30 seconds. You cannot unsend after that.

Why can’t I recall emails in Gmail?

By default, recall emails isn’t enabled in your Gmail account. You need to enable “Undo Send” in your settings menu (gear icon) before you can use it.

Can you recall an email on your mobile phone as well as your desktop? 

Yes, Undo Send works on both Gmail mobile app and desktop. After sending a Gmail message, look for the “Undo” option that appears briefly.

What happens when you recall an email in Gmail? 

If you use Undo Send within the time limit, Gmail attempts to prevent the recipient from receiving your sent email. 

However, there’s no guarantee they won’t see it if they already opened it.

The post How to Recall an Email in Gmail: Easy Guide appeared first on ExpressPigeon.

But caution is necessary when using machine translation for critical or professional tasks that require absolute accuracy and cultural sensitivity. Machine translation has been a long-standing goal in computer science, and recent advances in natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and computing power have made it a widely used productivity tool. 

This article will help you identify the most suitable machine translation software to accelerate the growth of your global organisation.

What is Machine Translation?

Machine translation is the automated translation of text or speech from one source language to another using computational algorithms and AI. Computer software automatically translates texts from one natural language to another using machine translation. The translation process involves inputting text in the source language into machine translation software, which then generates an equivalent translation in the desired destination language.

Machine translation engine uses algorithms and AI to analyse the original language structure, grammatical rules, and vocabulary. This technology can give accurate and contextually appropriate translations in the target language. The process involves complex linguistic analysis, statistical modelling, and a specific machine learning method.

For businesses aiming to expand into global markets, machine translation offers a convenient solution for translating website content, marketing campaigns, and customer communications into target languages. Some have even used a hybrid machine translation strategy that combines machine translation software and human post-editing in their translation workflows to gain a more accurate and tailored to the specific needs of the business.  

Some travel companies use machine translation technology to provide services in multiple languages. This facilitates access to information and bookings for tourists from various regions. It helps corporations seeking international growth and individuals looking to communicate with others from different linguistic backgrounds.

Common Types of Machine Translation

Image Credit: Phrase

Machine translators employ AI to automatically translate text from one language to another, eliminating the need for a human translator service. Many think that AI like ChatGPT, is leading the way in translation and localization technology as it has made machine translation post-editing more efficient. 

Below we have listed 3 main types of machine translation systems: rule-based, statistical, and neural machine translation. We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Rule-Based Machine Translation (RBMT)

Rule-based machine translation (RBMT) is an early machine translation engine that uses established linguistic rules to transfer text meaning between languages. It had limitations, requiring extensive human post-editing and manual language insertion, resulting in basic but useful translations lacking fluency and context.

Although rarely used, RBMT still finds applications in precise translation needs, like legal or medical documents. Since its inception, significant advancements in language translation technology have led to newer, more sophisticated approaches, such as statistical and neural machine translation.

These techniques leverage large bilingual dictionaries and corpora and artificial neural networks for more accurate and fluent translations. As a result, rule-based MT is now considered outdated compared to other methods.

Statistical Machine Translation (SMT)

Researchers introduced Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) in the early 1990s. It uses statistical models to create translations based on patterns and frequencies found in large bilingual corpora.

Unlike rule-based machine translation, SMT translation’s quality significantly improves by assessing word and sentence links in multiple languages for more natural-sounding translations. It may struggle with complex sentence patterns, strict linguistic rules, or languages with limited data.

SMT creates a statistical model of word, phrase, and sentence links in a given text, which is then applied to translate the components to the target language. While an improvement over RBMT, statistical machine translation still faces some similar challenges.

Nevertheless, SMT still finds use in older MT systems or specific cases where its qualities are beneficial. Machine translation methods are constantly evolving to achieve smooth and successful cross-lingual communication.

Neural Machine Translation (NMT)

Neural machine translation (NMT) is the most sophisticated type of machine translation. NMT uses deep neural networks to learn and understand the links between words in the source and target language. Unlike previous rule-based techniques, NMT’s neural network handles source text encoding and decoding.

NMT captures contextual information, which results in an accurate and smooth translation process. NMT systems continue machine learning and improve their knowledge with additional training data, much like neural networks in the human brain. This technology is capable of supporting numerous language pairings.

NMT is distinguished from other methods of AI translation by its outstanding accuracy. It also has the benefit of simple language integration and quick translation after the training process. NMT has quickly become the norm in machine translation development because of its capacity to generate excellent translations.

Neural machine translation software has replaced SMT as the preferred approach. NMT processes and translates text using artificial neural networks, resulting in more accurate and contextually relevant translations.

NMT translates any 2 languages with enough training data. NMT has produced some impressive results, even though it’s still under development. In many cases, NMT translations are now indistinguishable from human translators.

Automated vs. Machine Translation: Which way to go?

Automated and machine translation are two terms often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct methodologies in language translation. Computer programs and algorithms help with automated translation, including machine translation, Translation Memory Systems (TMS), and Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools.

The difference lies in the level of human involvement. Automated translation requires human translators’ involvement in working alongside a generalised translation tool to ensure accuracy. Machine translation is fully automated and requires minimal human interaction once set up.

Choosing between these methods depends on factors like the volume of material, required accuracy level, and budget constraints. Machine translation is beneficial for tasks where speed and cost-efficiency are crucial. Businesses that demand higher quality and contextual correctness may prefer automated translation with human control for tasks that require it.

The Best Machine Translation Software

Image Credit: Machine Translation

Machine translation has made remarkable progress in recent years thanks to neural machine translation advancement. NMT has improved machine translation engines to produce translations on par with human-translated content.

Most MT suppliers have embraced NMT in different ways. Some machine language translation offers are free and user-friendly, and others are customised to meet specific business needs. So let’s explore some of the most popular general-purpose MT engines available today.

Google Translate

Google Translate is one of the world’s most widely used machine translation systems, offering translations in over 100 languages.

Google adopted NMT early on. NMT uses artificial neural networks to learn statistical correlations between words and sentences in different languages, resulting in accurate and fluent translations.

Aside from accuracy and fluency, it offers additional features that make it a valuable tool for users. It has real-time text translation, language translation in conversations, and even translates entire websites.

Main Features of Google Translate:

• Support for over 100 languages
• Text and speech translation
• Real-time camera translation
• Offline translation for selected languages
• Integration with Google services

Pricing:

Free to use for individual users. Enterprise plans require a subscription-based pricing model.

Free Trial/Plan:

The basic version is available for free to all users.

Distinguishing Factors:

It’s a user-friendly translation tool because of its vast language coverage, real-time camera translation, and smooth connection with notable platforms.

Amazon Translate

Amazon Translate is an integrated neural-based machine translation service by Amazon Web Services (AWS), introduced in 2017. It has rapidly become a popular choice among translation services in the market.

Amazon Translate uses NMT technology to deliver high-quality translations across various content categories. Its simple API connectivity makes it easy for developers to incorporate translation into their applications. This API makes it a valuable tool for organisations to provide content to their customers in more languages.

Main Features of Amazon Translate:

• Neural Machine Translation for accurate translations
• Support for multiple content types, including text and HTML
• Scalable and efficient translation through AWS infrastructure

Pricing:

Amazon Translate’s pricing is based on the number of characters processed, making it a cost-effective option for businesses of all sizes.

Free Trial/Plan:

Amazon Translate provides a 12-month free trial for new AWS users, allowing them to experience the service without any charges.

Distinguishing Factors:

Amazon Translate’s smooth connection with AWS services and emphasis on meeting the demands of developers make it a good alternative for businesses that already use Amazon’s cloud infrastructure.

DeepL

DeepL Translate is a machine translation engine developed by the German company DeepL SE. It employs a neural machine translation (NMT) model to generate natural-sounding and nuanced translations. 

DeepL has gained widespread popularity, with millions of users worldwide relying on it to translate documents, websites, and other information. Professional translators and content creators who appreciate its precision and fluency favour it.

Main Features of DeepL:

• They support a total of 31 languages, with 650 possible translation combinations.
• Context-aware translations for more accurate results
• Usage of existing translations to improve machine-translated output quality
• Support for document translation

Pricing:

DeepL offers both free and premium plans. The premium version has an unlimited number of characters, 5-100 editable documents per user/month, tone of translation, and API integration. DeepL offers both free and premium plans.

Free Trial/Plan:

DeepL offers a free plan that limits the number of available daily translations. The premium plan removes this limitation and unlocks additional features.

Distinguishing Factors:

DeepL is a good choice for organisations and people who want high-quality translations. It emphasises translation quality improvement, has a user-friendly design, and supports 31 languages.

Benefits of Machine Translation

Machine translation is a transformative technology that makes translation workflows more efficient, especially regarding post-editing. 

Key benefits of machine translation include:

• Global communication: MT translates marketing materials, product manuals, and customer service content into multiple languages. This eliminates language barriers.
• Time and cost savings: MT reduces the time and resources required for translation tasks, making it cost-effective. Human translators with language skills will be able to focus on more complex translations as they do post-editing.
• Real-time translation: Neural machine translation (NMT) allows real-time translations for instant interactions with customers and partners. MT enables real-time translation in customer service chat conversations or live videos.
• Consistency: MT maintains consistency in translated content for a cohesive brand tone across different languages. Companies translate their product catalogues, marketing brochures, and training materials into various languages preserving a unified vocabulary and style.
• Language learning: MT will assist language learners by providing context and examples of word usage. Translating foreign-language news items or creating flashcards with translated vocabulary terms will aid learners in improving their fluency and comprehension of a new language.

What is Machine Translation: Conclusion

Machine translation engines help global communication by bridging linguistic gaps. Neural machine translations have replaced traditional rule-based approaches to achieve more accurate and fluid translations.

MT services like Google Translate, Amazon Translate, DeepL, and Microsoft Translator offer diverse options to meet the needs of different users. Revolutionising communication across various sectors, translating news stories, product descriptions, and social media content. It finds applications in education, medicine, and tourism.

As MT technology continues to evolve, it will play a vital role in breaking down language barriers further. MT fosters outstanding connectivity among individuals from diverse cultures and nations.

FAQs on Machine Translation

What is an example of machine translation?

An example of machine translation is automated tools that translate text or speech from the language pairs. To give a better example, let’s use one of the commonly known machine translation tools “Google Translate,” to translate the sentence “Hello, how are you?” from English to Spanish, resulting in the translation “Hola, ¿cómo estás?”.

Machine translation is a valuable tool that provides quick and rough translations that give the general meaning of foreign language content. This benefits travellers, businesses involved in international trade, or individuals seeking to understand foreign news articles and websites.

Machine translation engines have also revolutionised real-time communication by breaking language barriers during live chat sessions and video conferences. 

What is machine translation good for?

Machine translation is good for various purposes. It effectively translates text from the language pair, opening up opportunities in different fields. Businesses find great value in machine translation.

Language service providers will help reach global audiences by translating their websites, documents, and marketing materials into multiple languages. It broadens their market reach, potentially increasing sales, heightened brand awareness, and enhanced customer satisfaction.  For individuals, basic machine translation is a valuable tool to help them understand foreign texts. When travelling, it is handy for translating signs, menus, and other essential information in a foreign country.

Businesses engaged in international trade rely on hybrid machine translation to translate contracts and other crucial documents. Even those interested in reading foreign news articles or websites use MT to grasp the general meaning of the content. Machine translation enables real-time communication by translating conversations during live chat sessions or video conferences. This live translation allows effective communication between individuals who speak different languages.

Is machine translation difficult?

No, machine translation is incredibly user-friendly and accessible to end users, requiring only an internet connection. To use it, you will need to input the sentence you want to translate and select the desired output language.

However, developing sophisticated machine translation poses significant challenges. Ensuring more accurate translations, especially for complex texts or rare languages, requires advanced algorithms, enormous data processing power, and continuous refinement.

Researchers and engineers continuously work to enhance machine translation, aiming for more accurate and contextually appropriate translations. End users find machine translation easy to use. However, developing and training advanced machine translation models are complex for developers and researchers.

Is machine translation possible?

Yes, machine translation is possible. It has become widely used due to significant advancements in artificial intelligence and natural language processing. Although the translation management system may not consistently deliver perfect translations, they serve as valuable tools for global communication.

It’s necessary to acknowledge that machine translation cannot fully replace human translator experts, especially for critical or creative tasks that involve cultural nuances and context. Instead, it complements human translation, making communication more accessible and efficient. Machine translation tools and services range from free online options to premium business solutions.

How does the machine translation work?

Machine translation works by employing algorithms and statistical models to analyse and interpret a text in one language, generating equivalent text in another. It involves analysing extensive bilingual text data to identify patterns and associations between words and phrases in different languages.

Advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence then use these findings to produce translations. With the advent of the neural machine translation system and machine learning algorithms, modern machine translation often combines both approaches, resulting in substantial improvements in translation quality.

Is machine translation accurate?

Yes, machine translation has significantly improved accuracy, thanks to AI and neural network advancement. The translation management system now achieves remarkable precision, especially for widely spoken languages, providing fluent and understandable translations suitable for everyday texts, emails, or website content.

Machine translation still faces challenges in handling context, idiomatic expressions, and domain-specific jargon. Accuracy varies depending on the source text complexity and the availability of relevant training data. Human translation remains the gold standard, ensuring absolute accuracy and cultural appropriateness for critical or professional purposes.

What is a machine language translator called?

Machine language translators are often called “Machine Translation Systems.” Translating text or speech from one language to another without human post-editing. These systems come in different forms, such as online language translation services like Amazon Translate or language-specific translation technology designed for specific industries.

Referred to as “machine translation tools” or “machine translation technology,” these systems play a crucial role in modern communication, enabling interactions between speakers of different languages and bridging language barriers worldwide.

What’s the meaning of machine translation?

Machine translation is the automated translation of text or speech from the language pair using computational algorithms and artificial intelligence. Its primary goal is to break down language barriers and enable understanding and interaction with content in various languages.

This revolutionary technology has transformed global communication, facilitating connections, collaborations, and mutual understanding worldwide. However, caution is necessary when using machine translation for critical or professional tasks that require absolute accuracy and cultural sensitivity.

The post What is Machine Translation? Types, Tools & Benefits  appeared first on ExpressPigeon.

Setting customer service standards to meet and exceed expectations isn’t just important. It’s absolutely critical. But which are the customer service standards you should care about? 

These standards aren’t just some abstract concepts. They are the pillars that uphold your business. They shape your brand image and influence customer loyalty. So, let’s dive into interactions and customer service standards.

What Are Customer Service Standards?

Customer service standards refer to the quality benchmarks customers expect when interacting with a service representative. These can range from quick delivery times to prompt responses on calls or chats. 

Setting service standards isn’t just a casual thought. It’s a key factor influencing your business growth. These creative design trends suggest consistency and reliability are essential in building trust. Customer service standards influence:

• Customers who have specific expectations
• Potential clients discovering your company
• Your team members, who need to uphold these standards
• Managers tracking and measuring performance

By maintaining high service standards, you’ll have better customer relationships. It creates a win-win situation.  Customers feel valued, and your brand successfully meets their needs.

6 Customer Service Standards to Live Up To 

Customer service standards are like a guidebook for your customers. They clearly show what your customers can expect from your business. They also serve as instructions for your team. They give rules to follow when dealing with customers.

These standards guide you in delivering an exceptional customer service experience. They remind your customers that they are indeed your top priority.  

Quality Standards 

Quality in customer service isn’t just a gold standard.  It’s the lifeblood of any successful business. You risk losing your competitive edge if you overlook quality assurance and estimation.

Delivering top-notch service isn’t just about keeping clients happy. It’s a powerful tool that can drive referrals, recommendations, and ultimately, higher profits.

There are many ways to validate your customer service. Start by encouraging your team to discuss challenging cases.  Focus on the entire customer journey and make data-driven decisions.

Here are some metrics to help you measure quality:

• SERVQUAL. This questionnaire helps gauge if your service meets customer expectations. It’s a valuable tool that brings insights straight from your customers.
• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). This score reveals how customers feel after interacting with your service. It’s calculated based on responses from post-service surveys. The goal? Making every experience a good one.
• Social Media Performance. Keep track of customer mentions about your business on social media. 

Speed Standards 

Delivering service quickly is the essence of customer interactions.  And speed is a firm pillar in customer satisfaction. Let’s delve into the vital metrics that help maintain this standard:

• First Response Time. This measures the average time customers receive an initial response to their inquiries. It isn’t about resolving the issue but simply acknowledging it. The response should be immediate for live chats and phone support. Preferably kept under 2 minutes. While email responses might take longer, ideally they should be within 24 to 48 hours.
• Response Time. This is the average time between responses. For example, if an email ticket is answered in three responses at intervals of 20, 3, and 10 minutes, the response time averages 11 minutes.
• First Contact Resolution Ratio. This metric indicates the ratio of issues resolved in the first contact to those requiring additional replies. Not only is this a key factor in customer satisfaction, but it also reflects your team’s efficiency.
• Instant Service/Queuing Ratio. This ratio represents the number of customers who received immediate support versus those placed in a queue. Everyone is queued for email support, this metric is for live chat, messaging, and phone support.
• Queuing Waiting Time. This measures how long customers are held on hold before they’re served. The goal is to keep this value as low as possible, as prolonged waits can result from understaffing or inefficient routing.

Speed in service doesn’t just mean fast but being efficient, responsive, and proactive. It’s about valuing the customer’s time as much as they do.

Efficiency Standards

Efficiency is a critical standard in customer service. It isn’t just about speed, but also about the effective use of resources and time. An efficient multichannel support system operates with a sense of urgency. If you find your profits are shrinking due to wasted resources, it may be time to look closer at your customer service efficiency.

Here are the key metrics to measure customer service efficiency:

• Answers per ticket. This metric reflects your support agents’ effort to resolve a ticket. Aiming for fewer answers per ticket indicates a more efficient process. However, the ideal number can vary.
• Average occupancy. This refers to the average time your team spends dealing with a customer. It includes the follow-up work after the conversation. While there isn’t a universal standard, some industry benchmarks include resolving 83% of calls within half a workday. 80% of chats within 20 minutes, and responding to all emails within 24 hours.
• Underperformance. This is measured by comparing the number of tickets received and opened against those resolved. If this ratio is increasing, it might indicate that your team is understaffed. A good service standard to aim for is processing at least half of the tickets by the end of the day.

Enhancing efficiency in customer service means:

• Quick responses
• Effective problem-solving
• Optimal resource allocation
• Expanding your team as needed

An efficient customer service team not only meets but exceeds customer expectations consistently. While monitoring your efficiency standards and performance metrics manually would be tedious, time-consuming, and inefficient, for the most part, you can do it much more effectively by leveraging the reporting and analytics capabilities of omnichannel contact center software. With complete visibility into your efficiency metrics, you can better allocate your resources and make the necessary improvements to ensure your team delivers efficient service with every interaction.

Accuracy Standards 

Accuracy standards are a promise we make to our customers. Imagine this: A client approaches with a specific, technical query. Our representative, committed to responding swiftly, dives into extensive research. The answer is delivered promptly.

But what if the client returns, frustrated because the solution provided didn’t work? Speed, it seems, isn’t always the hero of the day. Here’s where the Accuracy Standards shine. Customers anticipate accuracy and proficiency above all. Even though a precise but slower response may test patience, it ultimately earns respect.

So, how do we measure accuracy? Enter the ‘Customer Success Ratio’. This metric compares the number of customers who left satisfied with an answer to those who didn’t. 

Even the best service agents have their off days, and this ratio helps identify when and why they occur. By defining what constitutes as a “customer success”, we can add up the numbers. A higher ratio equates to more successful customers, and that is our ultimate goal.

Honesty Standards 

Honesty standards are a beacon of customer trust. They quash any doubts your customers may harbor about the worth of your offerings. You show honesty in your policy by being truthful about your products and services, including their possible faults.

But how do we measure honesty and trust?

• Share of Voice (SOV) Monitoring. Keep a pulse on your brand’s buzz – mentions on social media, comments on your blog, etc. This helps you understand public sentiment towards your brand. Social media monitoring tools help you measure your SOV.
• Brand Search Volume Tracking. Monitor the traffic that comes to your site via branded keywords from search engines over time. This is a reliable method to monitor your brand awareness.

To dig deeper, use surveys and polls. Include a questionnaire in your next email newsletter with questions like:

• How did you discover our service?
• When did you last use our product?
• Has your perception of our brand changed over the past [time period]?

Honesty Standards are not mere guidelines; they’re our commitment to building a relationship of trust with you.

Availability Standards

Availability Standards make sure that customers know when and how to reach you. Ideally, your accessibility should be so good that it borders on proactivity. These metrics measure whether you’re readily available when needed.

1. Customer Effort Score (CES).  This metric gauges the effort, based on a scale you set, that customers have to put in to resolve their issues or get answers. Customers are more inclined to penalize poor service than reward exceptional ones. Ask your customers how much effort they had to exert on a scale of 1 – 10.
2. Handovers per Issue. This metric counts how many different service reps have to handle an issue before it’s resolved. Phone customers particularly detest handovers, as they have to explain their issues again.
3. Queuing Hang-ups. This measures the number of customers who abandon the queuing process. Each instance represents a missed service opportunity and likely a lost customer. This specific ‘things gone wrong’ metric is closely linked to your standards of queuing waiting times. A lower value equates to satisfying service.
4. Clicks to First Contact. This tracks customers’ clicks from opening a new browser tab or a search engine’s homepage until the first message is sent. It can be tracked per channel – phone, email, or FAQ page. Maybe you even have a live chat app on your ecommerce store,. For phone, you would track how many clicks a customer needed to find your number.

Availability standards are guidelines and our commitment to being there for you when you need us.

Concluding Customer Service Standards 

Start by applying at least some of these guidelines to increase customer satisfaction. Even if you believe speed is your ultimate value, don’t underestimate the power of polite and professional communication.

Encourage your support reps to exceed the standards, aiming to deliver extraordinary service. These high customer service standards are more than just guidelines. They are your pledge to deliver top-tier customer service every time.

Frequently Asked Questions about Customer Service Standards 

What are the 4 Customer Service Standards?

The 4 customer service standards are professionalism, speed, effective communication, and personalization. 

1. Professionalism is treating all customers with respect, maintaining a positive disposition, and possessing deep knowledge of the product or service. 
2. Speed is how swiftly your team can address a customer’s issue or respond to their questions.
3. Effective communication involves clearly articulating solutions so customers can easily grasp them, coupled with active listening to the customer’s concerns. 
4. Personalization requires adjusting the service to suit each individual customer, making them feel valued and understood.

 These four standards are the pillars of excellent customer service.

What are Good Customer Service Standards?

Good customer service standards are:

• Responsiveness. Your response to customers should be quick. No one likes to wait. So, when a customer has a question or concern, be there, ready to help them.
• Accountability. ​It’s all about owning up to it. When things go south, the real test of a business is how it handles the situation. Taking responsibility and making things right shows your customers that they truly matter to you.
• Over-delivery. ​It’s a little extra something just for you. Customers love it when they get more than they expected. So, why not exceed their expectations? It’s a sure way to wow them and make them feel special.
• Availability. Provide customer service on multiple channels. These include email, phone, and social media. This makes it easy for customers to reach out to you.
• Honesty. Trust is the bedrock of any relationship, including business. So, keep it real with your customers. Show them the true face of your business. When they see you’re genuine and transparent, they’ll stick with you through thick and thin.

This set of guidelines makes sure customers receive consistent, high-quality service.

What are 5 Important Customer Service Qualities?

The 5 important customer service qualities are

• Empathy. In customer service, empathy helps you connect with customers on a more personal level. This shows them that you truly care about their needs and concerns.
• Communication Skills. Effective communication is a great customer service standard and quality. You need to clearly convey information to customers and understand their needs. This also includes listening skills, as understanding a customer’s issue or question is the first step in being able to assist them.
• Patience. A customer interaction often requires a great deal of patience. Customers may be upset, confused, or just need a bit more time to understand information. Good customer service teams are patient and take the time to help the customer fully understand the situation.
• Problem-Solving Skills. Often, customers reach out to a customer service rep because they have a problem they can’t solve on their own. Thinking critically and coming up with solutions to these problems is crucial.
• Product Knowledge. Knowing the ins and outs of the product is essential. This allows a proper customer communication channel where you can offer a slow but correct answer to customer queries accurately and troubleshoot issues effectively.

The post The 6 Most Important Customer Service Standards & Metrics appeared first on ExpressPigeon.

Suppresion List Categories

Your suppression List may contain the following categories of contacts:

• Bounce – email address considered undeliverable after three attempts which resulted in soft bounces
• Hard bounce – undeliverable email addresses
• Unsubscribed – unsubscribed contacts
• SPAM – contacts that reported your message as SPAM (gathered from FBL integrations with major ISPs )
• Uploaded – those directly uploaded into a Suppressed list by you (when new customers migrate to us from other ESPs)

In starting with a new email service it’s highly recommended to upload your current suppressed contacts into your Suppressed List. If you do this during migration you avoid sending of unwanted messages.

Removing Contacts from a Suppression List

As an marketer you can move contacts freely across all lists and segments. But often not to remove them from a Suppression List. For your own safety!

Why couldn’t you just move contacts from a suppress list to any active list? Because you have to respect every individual’s decision to subscribe to whatever source of information they want. It also makes it easier to be compliant with CAN SPAM Act. Similarly, uploading a list as “new”, should never be able to overwrite the earlier suppressed email addresses.

In case a contact wants to be removed from a Suppress List back to an active list, they will have to subscribe again. For instance using one of the Web forms you define.

In some cases, when you feel very strongly that a suppressed contact shouldn’t have been suppressed, a support ticket to the vendor will do the trick. Customer service at the ESP may move the contact back to an appropriate list.

Manually unsubscribing contacts and updating your suppression list.

A marketing or business owner may want to manually suppress certain email addresses from getting marketing materials.
Think about unwanted email subscribers like competitors, disgruntled ex-customers, known spammy domains / bots.

Depending on your email marketing tool, you could set up exclusion rules, upload a list or by navigating to that contacts profile page and pressing the “Unsubscribe” button.

The post What is a Suppression List? appeared first on ExpressPigeon.

What is DMARC?

DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance. DMARC is yet another technology that ISPs and ESPs use to ward off SPAM in addition to SPF and DKIM.

DMARC record is a configuration of a domain record that tells the receiving computer what to do with messages if they are coming from a computer with a different domain compared to the one specified on the “Reply To” field.

For instance, at we configured our DMARC policies such that if someone else sends an email from their computer (which cannot have our domain), but set the Reply To as: “jack.the.intruder@expresspigeon.com”, then the accepting computer should report this incident to us.

So far so good? Well DMARC – has been used sparingly for some time. Different companies were doing pretty much the same as us: just reporting these incidents. A lot of companies however, haven’t implemented DMARC.

How does DMARC affect email marketers?

If you are sending emails from your email service providers servers (or if you are using any ESP), and you use your personal Yahoo! (or AOL) email as a “Reply To”, then most ISPs like Microsoft, Google etc will simply reject your emails because Yahoo asked them to!

The solution to this is to use your corporate email address. Yahoo! and AOL logic is easy to understand: they provide free email service to individuals. It is tough to get big volume sending through personal accounts right, and send mass emails through outlook for instance.

If an email address they provide is also used to send mass emails from another ESP, than this is kind of a violation of the agreement on your end (I’m not a lawyer, do not hold my feet to the fire:)). Instead of sending from miketheblogger@yahoo.com, you will have to switch to mike@miketheblogger.com to solve this problem.

Bottom Line

If you are sending mass email on behalf of your company, always use your corporate email for this. If you are a blogger, and represent yourself then take this opportunity to get your own domain and build a better brand for yourself! Happy emailing!

The post What is DMARC? and why do you need it in Email Marketing? appeared first on ExpressPigeon.