AI · 4 min read · Savina Bansal
Hinglish, Tamil, Bengali: an AI agent that talks like customers
Customers write the way they speak, in their own script or in English letters, often mixing two. How Ohanvi’s AI agent matches that, region by region.
Building the platform this article is about
An Indian customer rarely writes “textbook” anything. “Bhaiya ye blue wala kitne ka hai?” is Hindi in English letters. A Chennai customer may write Tamil in Tamil script, then switch to English for the address. A reply in a different language, or a different script, reads like a machine.
The rule the agent follows
Ohanvi’s agent is instructed to match the language of the customer’s latest message exactly. Hindi in Devanagari gets Devanagari. Hindi in English letters gets Hinglish back in English letters. A message that mixes languages gets a reply in the same mix. And if the customer switches language mid-chat, the agent switches with them instead of sticking to the first one.
It is also told never to “correct” the customer into a purer language or another script.
Voice notes too
Many customers would rather speak. A voice note is turned into text with the language detected, Hinglish and Indian languages included, before the agent reads it.
Making it work in your region
Write your FAQ in the words customers use. If your customers ask “delivery kab tak?”, put that phrasing in the question, alongside the English. The agent finds answers by matching the question to your knowledge, and the closer the wording, the better the match.
Test it in each language you serve. Ask the test chat the same question in English, Hinglish and your regional language, and rate any reply that reads wrong. Speak into the test chat if your customers send voice notes.
Keep product names as customers say them. If everyone calls it the “Jaipuri razai”, so should your price list.
When a person takes over
Your team may not read every language your customers write in. Speak and Translate in the Team Inbox covers 56 languages plus Hinglish: read any message in your language, and reply in theirs.
Keep reading
Questions this answers
- Does the WhatsApp AI agent reply in Hinglish?
- Yes. Ohanvi’s agent matches the customer’s latest message: Hinglish in English letters gets Hinglish back, Hindi in Devanagari gets Devanagari, and a mix gets the same mix.
- Can the AI agent understand voice notes in Indian languages?
- Yes. Voice notes are transcribed with the language detected, including Hinglish and other Indian languages, before the agent replies.