students from

Harvard

Business

School visited China in 2003 they discovered that despite having studied basic Chinese, communicating with non-English speakers was a significant daily challenge, even for mundane tasks like asking for directions, talking to drivers or ordering food. Of course, such difficulties would have been easily overcome with a professional translator, but the pair felt this solution was too expensive for daily use and often unnecessary, as many of the most common language barriers they faced required only a few minutes of help.

Like many others lucky enough to have a bilingual friend, they used a mobile phone to get on-the-spot interpretation whenever language difficulties arose. They found that this approach worked well, with a few exchanges over the phone solving even the most tangled of misunderstandings. But this approach to the problem was not always practical, since their bilingual friend was sometimes busy or inaccessible just when he was most needed. It also seemed inconsiderate to bother their friend with too many requests for help.

Why not offer an always-available “friend on the phone?as a commercial service, providing immediate personal translation, interpretation and communication support at an affordable price?

It was this question that was to give birth to China Help Line ?a convenient phone-based solution to language difficulties that means they need no longer pose an obstacle to pleasure, business or everyday interactions in China.

Rather than hiring a translator for US$100 per day, it is now possible to use the China Help Line service for just 3 yuan

(US$ 0.36) a minute by dialling 021 6100 9700 between 7 am and 8 pm, seven days a week. The service has plans to switch to 24 hour service. Best of all, it’s completely free for a promotional period lasting until May 1. Users will still get their first five calls free, even after this period ends.

China Help Line also promises only to charge for time spent using the service, not rounding up to the nearest minute, not charging for hold time and not charging for any customer support questions. Payment can be made by bank debit, credit card or in person, with bills mailed monthly. Corporate customers receive a dedicated service line.

Presently China Help Line only offers its service bilingually, in Mandarin and English, but it plans to expand into a wider range of languages soon.

If you have any questions about China Help Line you can e-mail them at help@chinahelpline.com. The company promises a response from a senior executive within 24 hours. The company also has a website providing additional information, at www.chinahelpline.com.