Language Guide — When to Reply in Which Language
Internal · Updated July 2026
What this article covers
The core rules for which language to use when replying to customers across all markets. The main rule is simple: always match the language the customer writes in. There is one important exception — the SE/NO/DK rule.
Core rule — match the customer's language
Always reply in the language the customer writes in. If a Swedish customer writes in English, reply in English. If a German customer writes in English, reply in English. Follow the customer's language choice, not an assumed market default.
Exception: SE/NO/DK markets follow a special rule — see below.
SE/NO/DK special rule — always write in Swedish, adapt terminology only
For Sweden (Skyltmax), Norway (Skiltmax), and Denmark (Skiltmax), replies are always written in Swedish regardless of which language the customer writes in. Only specific glossary terms are swapped to match the customer's language.
- The full reply is written in Swedish
- Specific terms (product names, materials, fixing methods, colours) are replaced with the Norwegian or Danish equivalent where listed in the glossary
- No other words are translated
See the CX Terminology Glossary — SE/NO/DK for the full list of terms to swap.
Example: If a Norwegian customer asks about a quote, the reply is written in Swedish but the word offert is replaced with tilbud.
Reply language reference — all markets
| Market | Brand | Reply language |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden (SE) | Skyltmax | Swedish — see SE/NO/DK rule above |
| Norway (NO) | Skiltmax | Swedish with NO terminology — see SE/NO/DK rule above |
| Denmark (DK) | Skiltmax | Swedish with DK terminology — see SE/NO/DK rule above |
| Finland (FI) | Kylttimax | Match customer's language — Finnish or Swedish |
| United Kingdom (UK) | Signomatic | English |
| Ireland (IE) | Signomatic | English |
| Germany (DE) | Schildermaxe | German |
| Switzerland (CH) | Signomatic | Match customer's language — German, French, or Italian |
| Austria (AT) | Schildermaxe | German |
| Italy (IT) | Cartellimax | Italian |
| France (FR) | Plaqueomatic | French |
| Spain (ES) | Rotumax | Spanish |
| Belgium (BE) | Signomatic | Match customer's language — French or Dutch. Default to French if unclear. |
| Netherlands (NL) | Bordenmax | Dutch |
| USA (US) | Signomatic | English |
| Australia (AU) | Signomatic | English |
| New Zealand (NZ) | Signomatic | English |
| Czech Republic (CZ) | Značení Max | English — no mother-tongue agents |
| Estonia (EE) | Signomatic | English — no mother-tongue agents |
| Poland (PL) | Szyldmax | English — no mother-tongue agents |
When you cannot handle the language
If a ticket arrives in a language no available agent speaks:
- Use the built-in translation function in Zendesk to understand what the customer needs
- Write a proactive reply to the customer in English
- Use an AI tool if needed to help formulate a clear and helpful reply
Example reply: "Hi and thank you for your email. We apologize, but our support is in English, and we hope that is okay. If I have understood you correctly, you would like help with…"
All internal communication is always in English
All internal notes, KB articles, Slack messages, and agent-to-agent communication are always written in English regardless of the ticket's market.