| Vom Thema belegte Seiten: [1 2 3 4] > | Blog post: What freelance translators want from translation companies Initiator des Themas: Mike Donlin
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Recently in the Translators and Interpreters (ProZ.com) facebook group feedback was given for what criteria should entitle an agency to a ribbon.
A list was started from the discussion.
A good agency...
Pays on time, pays decent rates, makes freelancers feel part of the team, commits to revising work before sending on to clients, accepts responsibility for quality, maintains an excellent commu... See more Recently in the Translators and Interpreters (ProZ.com) facebook group feedback was given for what criteria should entitle an agency to a ribbon.
A list was started from the discussion.
A good agency...
Pays on time, pays decent rates, makes freelancers feel part of the team, commits to revising work before sending on to clients, accepts responsibility for quality, maintains an excellent communication system with freelancers, has reasonable expectations of freelancers, issues clear and precise briefs with every job, sets realistic delivery times, sets appropriate non-compete terms, makes fair requests, makes any in-house software easy to use, never sets unpaid tests, avoids group mails to multiple translators wherever possible, distinguishes between variants, and applies human touch in its dealing with freelancers and issues clear POs for every task.
What would you add to this list?
This list is also available in the blog post here: https://go.proz.com/blog/what-freelance-translators-want-from-agency
Mike
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Additions from forum replies
Pays within 7 days
Gives thoughtful feedback
Addresses freelancer by name
Does not send mass emails ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 04:22
Mitglied (2008)
Italienisch > Englisch
Mike Donlin wrote:
What would you add to this list?
Pays within 1 week of receiving an invoice
[Edited at 2019-04-22 18:50 GMT]
| | | | Josephine Cassar 
Malta
Local time: 05:22
Mitglied (2012)
Englisch > Maltesisch
+ ...
| Would be nice.. | Apr 22, 2019 |
It would also be nice to receive feedback. Just getting repeat translation jobs is nice but sometimes, I would like to know how Reviewer would have tackled certain phrases, etc. not as criticism of my work but for improvement. At least, in my opinion. Also, I now no longer answer to mass general emails so it would be nice or is nice to be addressed by name as it means the agency might assign you the translation whereas when issuing mass emails, the agency shows it probably has no intention of as... See more It would also be nice to receive feedback. Just getting repeat translation jobs is nice but sometimes, I would like to know how Reviewer would have tackled certain phrases, etc. not as criticism of my work but for improvement. At least, in my opinion. Also, I now no longer answer to mass general emails so it would be nice or is nice to be addressed by name as it means the agency might assign you the translation whereas when issuing mass emails, the agency shows it probably has no intention of assigning you the translation. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I don't think I would add anything | Apr 23, 2019 |
That's pretty sizable and exhaustive list in my opinion! If an agency succeeded in fulfilling all of those conditions all of the time, I don't think anything else needs to be added.
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Vera Schoen
Schweden
Local time: 05:22
Mitglied (2008)
Deutsch > Schwedisch
+ ...
| All necessary information together with the query | Apr 23, 2019 |
I sometimes receive queries like “We have a DE-SE translation, are you available?”
What I love is when the query comes with the information below without me having to ask:
Number of words
Subject matter/target group
End client (if applicable)
Required CAT (if applicable)
Preferred delivery date
And a preview of the original text.
Most of my agencies provide this information in the first e-mail, but alas not all of them.
| | | | | Horses for courses | Apr 23, 2019 |
Writing this with staff member hat on and as the initiator of the discussion on Facebook.
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I'm delighted that the Facebook group came up with these extensive answers. In fact there were over 160 comments, some very interesting differences of opinion (between agency owners and translators – but all in good humour) and a great deal of consensus.
The FB gr... See more Writing this with staff member hat on and as the initiator of the discussion on Facebook.
***
I'm delighted that the Facebook group came up with these extensive answers. In fact there were over 160 comments, some very interesting differences of opinion (between agency owners and translators – but all in good humour) and a great deal of consensus.
The FB group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProZcom/) serves this kind of purpose very well. There are debates here in the Forum which require longer, more reflective answers, but for quick-fire responses, consensus-building and the ability to see multiple replies at a glance, (not to mention the potential to reach 25,000 people at once), then other social media can make a great contribution.
So I think it's a good thing if we keep using all the means at our disposal in 2019 to communicate back and forth between ProZ.com and its audience(s). ▲ Collapse
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I would like to add two points to the list:
- minimize bureaucracy (particularly, the bureaucratic overhead per single assignment)
- ban checklists
| | | | | One more point to the bureaucracy list: | Apr 23, 2019 |
Ban the so-called welcome packages having X multi-page documents to read and sign.
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Tom in London
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 04:22
Mitglied (2008)
Italienisch > Englisch
Teresa Borges wrote:
Ban the so-called welcome packages having X multi-page documents to read and sign.
... followed by NO WORK.
| | | | | I would like to take part in the discussion on ProZ's Facebook page... | Apr 23, 2019 |
but I can't see Andrew's posts... I guess because I must have been blocked personally by him in the past on FB?
As a ProZ's paying member, shouldn't I be able to see all the posts on ProZ's FB page?
I have already asked Jared for clarifications on this, but I got no reply...
| | | | | Consider yourself unblocked | Apr 23, 2019 |
@Giovanni
I have unblocked you this very minute. I understood you'd joined and left the FB group.
As to the reasons why, shall we go into them here? I think not.  Please let's not turn this into a post about me.
Happy to provide an explanation in private. [email protected] or +34689020727
| | | | | Thank you, Andrew | Apr 23, 2019 |
I don't remember what happened exactly (it was such a long time ago) and I don't particularly wish to "unearth" the whole thing again. It's water under the bridge, as far as I'm concerned. I don't bear grudges either. Also, not sure to what FB group you are referring to... and it doesn't matter. But I'd like to follow the debates on ProZ's FB page and now I can...
G
Andrew Morris wrote:
@Giovanni
I have unblocked you this very minute. I understood you'd joined and left the FB group.
As to the reasons why, shall we go into them here? I think not.
Please let's not turn this into a post about me. Happy to provide an explanation in private. [email protected] or +34689020727
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Then we're good. I don't bear grudges either. Sometimes I forget who is on the blocked list. Given recent er...events... it is considerably longer than it used to be. 
But once anyone gets in touch, especially in such a decent manner, I unblock them instantly. Look for... See more Then we're good. I don't bear grudges either. Sometimes I forget who is on the blocked list. Given recent er...events... it is considerably longer than it used to be.
But once anyone gets in touch, especially in such a decent manner, I unblock them instantly. Look forward to your contributions on https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProZcom/
Apologies: deleted my earlier message (exact same text) because I got the "quote" mechanism wrong. Will sort it out. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | @Tom, you're right! | Apr 23, 2019 |
Tom in London wrote:
Teresa Borges wrote:
Ban the so-called welcome packages having X multi-page documents to read and sign.
... followed by NO WORK.
My most unpleasant experience was with an USA translation agency which first of all asked me if I was willing to do a short medical test. OK! No problem! After this was done and approved, asked for a photo (?), a signed NDA and a long list of other requirements and to top it all emailed me a so-called welcome pack having 34 pages for me to read, sign and return. Some companies seem driven by bureaucracy! This one seemed surprised when I declined…
| | | | Richard Purdom
Portugal
Local time: 04:22
Niederländisch > Englisch
+ ...
| decent rates | Apr 23, 2019 |
I think demanding 'decent rates' a completely subjective, unworkable and even undesirable rule.
Agencies should be able to adjust rates as they see fit, and so should translators for that matter, and how exactly would who decide what are fair rates? The average rates according to the stats on this site are way out, there's no way I can get 11 cents a word for Dutch/English, and even so I earned a considerable K euros last year working 40 hours a week getting much less per word.
... See more I think demanding 'decent rates' a completely subjective, unworkable and even undesirable rule.
Agencies should be able to adjust rates as they see fit, and so should translators for that matter, and how exactly would who decide what are fair rates? The average rates according to the stats on this site are way out, there's no way I can get 11 cents a word for Dutch/English, and even so I earned a considerable K euros last year working 40 hours a week getting much less per word.
The main issue is companies sticking to their word. That means paying whatever they agree within the time agreed, and being fair in the event of any disputes. All the Dutch and Belgian agencies I work for are great in any case.
[Edited at 2019-04-23 14:09 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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