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Politeness to customers
Thread poster: Parrot
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 06:37
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
Blunt Jul 29, 2015

Parrot wrote:

Thank you. I AM trying to close the door. There just seems to be a crowbar wedged in it.


A colleague in a situation like yours once asked me how do I impose "my way".

Putting it bluntly:

"It's either my way or the highway. My way leads to the results you are seeking to achieve. The highway will lead you to the next town."


 
Inga Petkelyte
Inga Petkelyte  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:37
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
:) Jul 29, 2015

To this trying this, I always remembar an interview with a pedetrician, years ago. The doctor was telling: "When a mum complains that she cannot administer medicine to her kid, that the kid won't simply take it, I always ask her: and if you knew that your kid would die without taking that medicine?"
That interview is still fresh in my memory and has helped me to find a solution in countless situations of the most different nature.
Try to find yours! Nice advice was given here and I e
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To this trying this, I always remembar an interview with a pedetrician, years ago. The doctor was telling: "When a mum complains that she cannot administer medicine to her kid, that the kid won't simply take it, I always ask her: and if you knew that your kid would die without taking that medicine?"
That interview is still fresh in my memory and has helped me to find a solution in countless situations of the most different nature.
Try to find yours! Nice advice was given here and I especially loved this one:
I'm afraid I cannot work under those terms.
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564354352 (X)
564354352 (X)  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:37
Danish to English
+ ...
Try this to match your photo Jul 29, 2015

Parrot wrote:

Or do I really look like a doormat?


No, but maybe you could try this:

Polly wants sugar.
You give Polly sugar or Polly won't work.


 
Gudrun Wolfrath
Gudrun Wolfrath  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 10:37
English to German
+ ...
How about one of these? Jul 29, 2015

https://www.google.de/search?q=There%20is%20no%20such%20thing%20as%20a%20free%20lunch&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMIr_6wldWAxwIVRF0sCh2mTw8y&biw=1280&bih=864

 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:37
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
nullum gratuitum prandium Jul 29, 2015

Loved that!

You guys are great.

I just tell myself things could be worse: some people feel so insecure they bite the bullet. I'm continually giving seminars about it, but I guess some just have to live and learn.

@Gitte, his name's Friday ("honoured to serve"). He just doesn't like predators


 
Electra Voulgari
Electra Voulgari  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:37
Member (2010)
Spanish to Greek
+ ...
this might help Jul 29, 2015

Of all the suggestions I have been reading on the internet lately, this little blog post has been the most helpful. In case you haven't stumbled upon it yet, here it goes:

http://thoughtsontranslation.com/2015/05/12/when-a-client-asks-for-a-discount/


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:37
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
a suggestion Jul 29, 2015

Inga Petkelyte wrote:
So next time, I will tell them politely that I do offer discounts to my clients providing me with regular orders but I regret to tell I can't offer this idscount to you.

"I need to inform you that I raised my rates last month/quarter/year/January... My current rate is nn. Please confirm your acceptance of this rate."


 
Angela Malik
Angela Malik  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:37
German to English
+ ...
Not clear enough? Jul 30, 2015

Parrot wrote:

Thank you. I AM trying to close the door. There just seems to be a crowbar wedged in it.


Seems to me you might be too concerned with being rude and not concerned enough with being clear. I would just say that because "it seems our current business strategies are not on the same page, with respect, I have to bow out of any future collaboration with your company. I wish you all the best, but will not be accepting any translation or revision requests unless you are willing or able to work with me on more agreeable terms. If you find that your budget has more flexibility in future, please feel free to contact me."

They should understand that clearly and you part ways for good, but if they still insist on sending ridiculous requests, you could say something like "I am more than willing to consider requests for my rate of nn, but as there seems to be such a big discrepancy between a rate you find acceptable and my own rate, I do not see the point of continuing our negotiations. Therefore, please do not be offended if I decline from replying to any more requests like these; I simply do not wish to waste your time or mine." Then ignore all future requests.

In terms of not doing translation tests, "As an established translator with over X years of experience, I do not do test translations, but I will be happy to provide samples of my work for this purpose instead." (but if this is for that same client who you already know you don't want to work with, you might as well skip this altogether and not waste anyone's time)

Easy. Once you've made yourself clear, you have no obligation to continue replying to this client, so just ignore the "crowbar" and move on with your life

Am I too polite? Or do I really look like a doormat?


If you cannot be clear about saying "no", you will end up looking like a doormat.


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:37
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Seconded Jul 30, 2015

Christine Andersen wrote:
When promising new clients turn up, then of course, I try to fit them in along with the regulars. However, if they look average or below, I tell them I really have no capacity available, or whatever expression matches theirs, for the next three months. (Alternatively whenever the deadline is, or until after the summer holiday or Christmas break or some suitably distant landmark that should put them off )

If they try to press my rates, I mention that the clients who keep me fully booked also pay the rates I ask, so sorry, but it doesn't make sense for me to squeeze in anyone who pays less.

And after that simply busy-sounding one-liners, 'Sorry, I'm fully booked right now' as necessary!

Exactly my approach in very much the same phases.


 
Gabriele Demuth
Gabriele Demuth  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:37
English to German
I agree! Jul 30, 2015

I still feel somehow insulted when I am asked to drop my rate by a third (and then waste more time doing a free test) with an expectation that I would happily agree because I am desperate and I am just sitting here waiting for whatever agency to give me lots of words to translate, to work evenings, weekends ... so that I can pay my next bill?!

But it has paid off for me to write a considered and polite reply, stating my terms, justifying them and leaving a door open for the client,
... See more
I still feel somehow insulted when I am asked to drop my rate by a third (and then waste more time doing a free test) with an expectation that I would happily agree because I am desperate and I am just sitting here waiting for whatever agency to give me lots of words to translate, to work evenings, weekends ... so that I can pay my next bill?!

But it has paid off for me to write a considered and polite reply, stating my terms, justifying them and leaving a door open for the client, so that they feel happy to contact me in the future (should whatever cheaper option not work out).

I think should design a standard reply for that.
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Steffen Walter
Steffen Walter  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 10:37
Member (2002)
English to German
+ ...
Slightly different angle Jul 30, 2015

I have reached a point in my freelancing career where I am determined to work exclusively for direct clients. Thus, all I write in response to any new agency enquiry is 'Thank you for your enquiry but I no longer work for agencies because I am currently shifting my business model to a 100% direct client scenario' (I also state this in my profile headline, by the way). If they are still unwilling to listen, I might add something along the lines of 'From my standpoint, your proposed rate is not a ... See more
I have reached a point in my freelancing career where I am determined to work exclusively for direct clients. Thus, all I write in response to any new agency enquiry is 'Thank you for your enquiry but I no longer work for agencies because I am currently shifting my business model to a 100% direct client scenario' (I also state this in my profile headline, by the way). If they are still unwilling to listen, I might add something along the lines of 'From my standpoint, your proposed rate is not a viable business proposition at all - it appears we are operating in very different market segments. Would you therefore kindly refrain from contacting me again until you are prepared to pay [insert appropriate rate]. Thank you.".

On second thought, I must admit that the second statement would open the door again - at least a tiny bit - that I had closed with the first reply, but most of them will not contact me again anyway.

[Edited at 2015-07-30 07:47 GMT]
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Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:37
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
I have on one occasion registered a sender as spam... Jul 30, 2015

Once, as a last resort I set my spam filter to send mails from one particular enquirer straight to the spam folder. That is not polite, but it worked!

I get a mail every day telling me what is in the spam folder, because one of my best clients used to end up there now and then, for no good reason I could fathom! I have rescued other interesting mails over the years too.

The would-be client went on for quite a while, but having made the decision, I could ignore him.


 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:37
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I'm tweaking this Jul 30, 2015

Great to "see" you, Steffen!

Steffen Walter wrote:

I have reached a point in my freelancing career where I am determined to work exclusively for direct clients. Thus, all I write in response to any new agency enquiry is 'Thank you for your enquiry but I no longer work for agencies because I am currently shifting my business model to a 100% direct client scenario' (I also state this in my profile headline, by the way). If they are still unwilling to listen, I might add something along the lines of 'From my standpoint, your proposed rate is not a viable business proposition at all - it appears we are operating in very different market segments. Would you therefore kindly refrain from contacting me again until you are prepared to pay [insert appropriate rate]. Thank you.".

On second thought, I must admit that the second statement would open the door again - at least a tiny bit - that I had closed with the first reply, but most of them will not contact me again anyway.

[Edited at 2015-07-30 07:47 GMT]


I work with teams, for international agencies requiring multilingual services, so the "agency" comes as a given (they're actually former in-house staff now dedicated to the same big-wahoonie umbrella). But for that same reason, it IS a "very different market segment".


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:37
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
My own response Jul 30, 2015

Parrot wrote:
Richard Foulkes wrote:
It seems like you're trying not to offend clients you're not interesting in working with because they don't pay enough.

Why not just quote them your current rate, then they will either offer you work at that rate or not bother you again?

I did. Then they offered revision (even more cut-rate than the translation offer). I counter-quoted with time-based and word-based rates, cum caveats. Then they got back to me about testing.

From that I concluded they i.) could only be inordinately dense; or ii.) would not have been around long enough in the business.

First contact suggesting I might like to work for a low rate: I politely state my current full terms and conditions (bearing in mind that low payers are normally slow payers, too), plus the services I offer, and I tell them to feel free to contact me again if they have work that fits my profile and terms.

Second contact offering unsuitable work (rate or area of service being wildly adrift from my previous statement): I refer them to my previous email; restate it all if necessary (i.e. if it isn't included in the conversation); and ask them to update their database. I also ask them not to contact me again with unsuitable offers.

Third time: I tell them bluntly that they are now spamming me, and I formally request removal from their database. I make it clear that I will not hesitate to report them if they continue to send me emails.

Maybe it's because I'm getting on in life, but there are two things I hold dear:
1) Politeness (which seems less present in children's upbringing nowadays) - so I would never just ignore emails unless I'd already told the sender so;
2) My time - I don't have enough left to beat around the bush once things are totally clear. I have no intention of ever wasting my time working with people/companies I don't feel happy about.


 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:37
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Will keep it in mind, @Sheila Jul 30, 2015

As it is, my last response (to the collaboration agreement) was, that if I'd given the impression I was willing to work for them, it was not intended as being on a regular basis (I DO offer combinations not easily available, default of which might just be detrimental to some poor unwitting chap with no idea of agency terms). And that said, I was unwilling to bind myself to any "collaboration agreement" as I had not defined this as a regular package service.

(Poor girl on the other e
... See more
As it is, my last response (to the collaboration agreement) was, that if I'd given the impression I was willing to work for them, it was not intended as being on a regular basis (I DO offer combinations not easily available, default of which might just be detrimental to some poor unwitting chap with no idea of agency terms). And that said, I was unwilling to bind myself to any "collaboration agreement" as I had not defined this as a regular package service.

(Poor girl on the other end was just a clerk under orders.)
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Politeness to customers







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