Are You Only Using 20% of Your On-Demand App? 5 Untapped Ways to Expand Your Reach

You have one of the most powerful tools for business growth already in your pocket.

When you first partnered with Heartland for on-demand interpreting, you likely had one big challenge to solve: a patient at the front desk, a customer on the phone, or a new family enrolling in school.

But what if that was just the beginning?

We find that many of our partners use their on-demand app for only one or two scenarios, leaving approximately 80% of its potential power unused.

Here in the Midwest, our biggest challenge is the shortage of skilled labor. We're all hiring from a global talent pool, which means language barriers aren't just a "customer" problem anymore. They're an HR, safety, and retention problem.

The good news? The tool you already have is the key to solving these internal challenges. Here are five ways you can expand your app's use today to improve retention, ensure compliance, and unlock the full value of your partnership.

1. The HR Onboarding Accelerator

The Challenge: You've hired the perfect person for a critical nursing role or a key line position. They're skilled and motivated, but on Day 1, they're handed a 50-page benefits packet in complex English. They nod, but don't understand. 

The On-Demand Solution: Instead of scrambling, what if your HR manager simply used the on-demand app for three key 10-minute conversations?

• Benefits Enrollment:
  Use a professional interpreter to clearly explain health insurance options, 401(k)s, and PTO. When an employee's family feels secure, that employee stays.
  

• HR Policy Review:
  Don't just get a signature on the handbook. Use an interpreter to confirm they understand critical policies on attendance, conduct, and advancement.
  

• The Welcome:
  A simple, interpreted "We are glad you are here" from a manager makes a new hire feel a sense of belonging from their very first interaction.

The Outcome: You stop losing the good people you worked so hard to find. Clear communication from Day 1 is your single best retention tool.

2. The Safety & Compliance Shield (For Operations)

The Challenge: Your floor supervisor is bilingual, so you ask them to handle the pre-shift safety briefing. But bilingual isn't the same as a professional interpreter. A critical detail about a machine guard or lockout/tagout procedure gets misunderstood. The real cost of this measure isn't measured in dollars—it's measured in safety.

The On-Demand Solution: This is what professional excellence truly means. Your bilingual supervisor is a vital asset, but they aren't a professionally vetted interpreter trained in ethics and accuracy.

• Pre-Shift Safety Briefings:
  Use the app's audio function on a speakerphone to ensure 100% of your team understands the day's safety priorities.
  

• On-the-Spot Accident Reporting:
  In the stressful moments after an incident, get a clear, accurate, and impartial account of what happened. This protects your employee and your company.
  

• Mandatory OSHA Training:
  For high-stakes compliance training, using a professional interpreter is your best defense and proof that you provided clear instruction.

The Outcome: You build a genuine safety culture where everyone, regardless of language, has the information they need to go home safe.

3. The Compliance Corner (For Healthcare & Public Service)

The Challenge: A patient or client walks up to your front desk and begins signing. Your staff freezes, unsure what to do. Meeting federal accessibility requirements for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a non-negotiable part of ADA, Title VI, and Section 1557 compliance.

The On-Demand Solution: This is exactly why your on-demand app includes Video Remote Interpreting (VRI).

• Instant ASL Access:
  With one tap on a tablet or desktop, your front-desk staff can have a qualified American Sign Language interpreter on video in seconds.
  

• Visual & Spoken Languages:
  VRI is also crucial for spoken languages where visual cues are important, like assessing a patient's condition or building trust in a sensitive discussion.

The Outcome: You meet federal requirements instantly, eliminate guesswork, and provide equitable access to everyone who walks through your door.

4. The Customer Service Connector

The Challenge: A walk-in customer is upset. A language barrier is exacerbating an already frustrating situation. Or, a high-value B2B client needs technical support, but their new point of contact speaks a language your team doesn't.

The On-Demand Solution: You don't need to find "someone in the back" who speaks that language. You have a professional interpreter ready.

• De-escalation:
  An impartial, calm interpreter on the line can instantly lower the tension, making the customer feel heard and understood.
  

• Complex Support:
  Handle detailed B2B support calls, complex financial aid applications, or technical service scenarios with total accuracy.

The Outcome: You solve problems faster, improve customer satisfaction, and turn potentially negative interactions into positive ones.

5. The 350+ Language Feature Focus

The Challenge: You hired us to help with your Spanish-speaking clients. But in the last month, you've interacted with a new engineer from Vietnam , a patient from the Marshallese community , and a skilled welder from Ukraine.

The On-Demand Solution:
Look at your app again. You don't just have one language—you have over 350.

That new hire from Vietnam? Covered.

Is the patient speaking Marshallese? We have that.

Your new team members from Ukraine? All one tap away.

The Outcome:
You stop seeing language as a "barrier" and start seeing it as a gateway. You have the confidence to hire the best person for the job, regardless of their native language, and serve every member of your community.

How to Start Expanding Today

Ready to get the full 100% value from your partnership? Here’s a simple checklist:

• Forward this blog post to your HR Director and your Head of Safety.

• Ask your HR team to add the on-demand app/dial-in number to their new hire onboarding packet.

• Ask your Safety Manager to post the app's QR code or access instructions in the EHS office.

• Bookmark the VRI link on your front desk and customer service computers, especially for ASL.

• Poll your supervisors: What languages have they heard this week? Let us know, and we'll confirm they're on our list of 350+.

If you need help training these new departments or want to walk through any of these scenarios, that's what we're here for.

Just call or email us — we’re here to help.