Can an AI Receptionist Answer in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil in Singapore?

Short answer: yes, for voice. Voice agents speak English (a Singaporean accent is among the English voices), Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, and you listen to each voice in a searchable library before you pick one. Replies on WhatsApp and website chat run in 37 languages, and English and Tamil are among them, but Mandarin and Malay are not. We do not claim Singlish or Chinese dialects such as Hokkien or Teochew.

Who in Singapore gets calls in more than one language?

More businesses than you would guess. A dental clinic in Novena has patients who prefer Mandarin for a treatment plan. A tuition centre in Toa Payoh talks to parents in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. An aircon servicing firm in Tampines hears from older residents who are more comfortable in their home language. A corporate secretarial firm in Tanjong Pagar deals with founders from across Asia. In each case a missed call usually means the next search result gets the job.

What does the agent do on the call?

• Greets in the language you set and continues in the caller's if you tell it to match them. Test this with your own staff before you rely on it.
• Books and moves appointments in your calendar through Cal.com, or in your own system through its API.
• Answers from your material: fees, opening hours, packages, directions, what to bring. It reads your website, files and pasted text.
• Takes a message with the details you need (block and level for a repair, level and subject for a tuition enquiry) and keeps a transcript.
• Hands over to a person for complaints or anything clinical (transfer works on Plivo and Telnyx numbers, not on an imported Twilio number).

What are the limits on language?

Callers in Singapore often switch language in one sentence. We have not published how each voice copes with that, so do not promise your customers a seamless code-switch. A customer who writes to you in Mandarin on WhatsApp gets a reply in English, or the conversation goes to your team from the shared inbox.

How do I test a voice before I trust it?

1. Filter the library by language, accent and gender, and listen to three or four voices.
2. Ring the agent from the browser and ask the ten questions your customers ask most.
3. Have a native speaker of each language you plan to offer ring it, without a script, in the way they would speak at home.
4. Read the transcripts and fix the agent's instructions where it misheard a name, a block number or a place name.
5. Only then forward your out-of-hours calls to it, and widen to busy periods once you are happy.

Can I keep my Singapore number?

Yes, if the number sits on a Twilio, Telnyx or Plivo account you hold, or you can port it or forward calls to one. We do not sell Singapore numbers, and international workspaces cannot rent one from us. Telnyx only calls the countries switched on in your outbound voice profile, so add Singapore before you make outbound calls. We have not tested every carrier route.

What about data and recording?

We support region deployments for enterprise customers. Calls are processed partly in other countries, under transfer safeguards, so ask your adviser what the PDPA requires of you; our PDPA transfer guide covers the PDPC's wording. Recording is a per-agent switch, off by default, and the opening line is yours to write, so it can tell callers the call is recorded.

When is a person-answered service the better choice?

If most of your calls need judgement, such as a complaint at a clinic or a sensitive family matter, a human receptionist suits you better. The agent is strongest on the repeat questions and the booking calls that arrive when nobody is free. The Singapore page has the languages, numbers and billing in one place; billing is in US dollars by card, and the pricing page has the plans. See also the AI receptionist page.