How Do You Calculate Rush Fees? Initiator des Themas: Globwords
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Globwords 
Ägypten
Local time: 04:55
Mitglied (1970)
Englisch > Arabisch
+ ...
When clients need translations ASAP, it often means adjusting timelines and increasing intensity. How do you calculate rush fees, and what percentage do you add for urgent projects? Let’s compare approaches and experiences!
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I’m not asked rush jobs very often, but, if it’s a new client, I either ask a rush fee of 30-50% (if they accept or not it’s another matter) or I don’t take the job if I feel that I can’t fulfill the deadline without compromising the quality of my work. Anyway, I prefer to invoice those jobs on a case-by-case basis. I must say though that I do not charge extra for rush jobs from my long-standing customers, small assignments for next day are pretty much routine and most of my clients ha... See more I’m not asked rush jobs very often, but, if it’s a new client, I either ask a rush fee of 30-50% (if they accept or not it’s another matter) or I don’t take the job if I feel that I can’t fulfill the deadline without compromising the quality of my work. Anyway, I prefer to invoice those jobs on a case-by-case basis. I must say though that I do not charge extra for rush jobs from my long-standing customers, small assignments for next day are pretty much routine and most of my clients have reasonable requests. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgien
Local time: 03:55
Mitglied (2020)
Französisch > Niederländisch
+ ...
It's one of those remarkable features of the translation industry. Why would people apply rush fees? I'm available or I'm not available. There's nothing in between. I won't suddenly be available because the rate will be higher. It makes me think of volume discounts, which make absolutely no sense either.
I apply neither of them.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Niederlande
Local time: 03:55
Mitglied (2006)
Englisch > Afrikaans
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| Rush simply means priority | Nov 8 |
Globwords wrote:
When clients need translations ASAP, it often means adjusting timelines and increasing intensity.
To me, it does not increase intensity. I don't really work faster when I'm rushed. I do accomplish more work, but that is because I waste less time on breaks, but I don't actually work faster. If a rush job comes it, it usually just means that that job has priority over the other jobs, or that I may have to work late or over a weekend.
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Zea_Mays
Italien
Local time: 03:55
Englisch > Deutsch
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Why does an agency ask questions they should perfectly know?
| | | | | Rush means out of hours | Nov 8 |
This is what it mainly means to me. If I am available and/or can move other projects to make time, I will not charge a rush fee. If I am not available, for example because I am fully booked or because it is the weekend, I might invest some of my free time for my favorite clients and/or for the chance of a much higher payment. So yes, I might suddenly be available because the rate will be higher. My surcharge for such work is usually 30-50% (I once charged 100% surcharge for a whole weekend's wor... See more This is what it mainly means to me. If I am available and/or can move other projects to make time, I will not charge a rush fee. If I am not available, for example because I am fully booked or because it is the weekend, I might invest some of my free time for my favorite clients and/or for the chance of a much higher payment. So yes, I might suddenly be available because the rate will be higher. My surcharge for such work is usually 30-50% (I once charged 100% surcharge for a whole weekend's work) to account for my loss of free time. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 02:55
Mitglied (2014)
Japanisch > Englisch
If I have already accepted jobs, then those projects of course take priority - first come, first served. If I can fit a new job in and I feel like doing it then I fit it in. If I can't or don't, I decline the offer (although generally I try to make a virtue out of a high level of availability, so it is unusual for me to reject work). I don't think I have ever charged a rush fee.
Regards,
Dan
| | | | | service value higher | Nov 8 |
I haven't applied rush fees for a long time due to less favourable conditions and fewer safe opportunities to apply one.
But I used to apply rush fees without second thought in the golden age: agencies viewed me as reliable and thorough enough not to mess up with some urgent critical announcement or piece of news, but my schedule was always consistently full. Getting a rush fee was a given.
Besides, rush fees help me perceive I'm in control of my schedule. Didn't I sign (ahem)... See more I haven't applied rush fees for a long time due to less favourable conditions and fewer safe opportunities to apply one.
But I used to apply rush fees without second thought in the golden age: agencies viewed me as reliable and thorough enough not to mess up with some urgent critical announcement or piece of news, but my schedule was always consistently full. Getting a rush fee was a given.
Besides, rush fees help me perceive I'm in control of my schedule. Didn't I sign (ahem) to the self-employed status exactly for that?
You want to pressurise my schedule with your rushed project? Here's the price tag. You send me a request that you feel is urgent when I have plenty of time to fit it in? Pricing as usual.
It's either taking it on at my standard fee, taking it on at +50% or not taking it on.
I don't want to work at weekends, late at night or early in the morning just to offset time added to an already full schedule. If you require me to do so, I need to be compensated for the trouble. The cost for me is higher.
Almost 20 years ago, I used to translate news, breaking news and everything else for the website of an F1 team, including free practice, qualification and race reports. Everything was urgent, multilingual pieces were published to their website as they were sent, and I applied my 50% extra charge for everything, including when the weekend competition was at the other end of the world, requiring a reliable alarm clock to wake up and work instead of living a wild night life. One weekend out of two for two full seasons.
Philippe ▲ Collapse
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| Client calls or mails at 5 pm my time and wants the job at 10 am next morning | Nov 8 |
Client calls or mails at 5 pm my time and wants the job delivered at 9 am next morning.
- That is a rushed job, and I have done a number over the years. If it s a couple of hundred words, then I may just charge my normal rate. If it meant working all night, and consequently having to sleep in working hours next day and probably waiting for a migraine attack to wear off, then I charged 50 to 100% extra. (I don´t take on that kind of job any more!)
I charge extra for weekend w... See more Client calls or mails at 5 pm my time and wants the job delivered at 9 am next morning.
- That is a rushed job, and I have done a number over the years. If it s a couple of hundred words, then I may just charge my normal rate. If it meant working all night, and consequently having to sleep in working hours next day and probably waiting for a migraine attack to wear off, then I charged 50 to 100% extra. (I don´t take on that kind of job any more!)
I charge extra for weekend work over a public holiday if I cannot rearrange my schedule to fit it in.
My clients have known for years that I had no small children, and my family life can sometimes be flexible. The regulars offer a rush fee when they ask if I can take the job!
It is not always due to bad organisation. Emergencies happen, faulty products have to be recalled ASAP, or the client needs the minutes of a meeting translated overnight, because they want to negotiate a big contract next day ...
Probably people are trying to use AI for rushed jobs now, but the results still have to be checked carefully by a human! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Rachel Waddington
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 02:55
Niederländisch > Englisch
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This doesn't usually come up for me. I'm either available or I'm not. If I'm not, more money won't magically make a gap appear in my schedule.
| | | | Hager Shehata
Ägypten
Local time: 04:55
Mitglied (2021)
Englisch > Arabisch
+ ...
| Building Community Through Shared Experiences | Nov 8 |
Zea_Mays wrote:
Why does an agency ask questions they should perfectly know?
Thanks for your response! This question wasn’t about seeking new information but about sparking a conversation among translators. It’s a way to take a break and connect with others in the field, sharing our approaches and building a sense of community together.
Thanks again for joining in!
| | | | philgoddard
Vereinigte Staaten
Deutsch > Englisch
+ ...
I've found customers increasingly reluctant to pay rush fees. Same goes for minimum charges.
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Lieven Malaise
Belgien
Local time: 03:55
Mitglied (2020)
Französisch > Niederländisch
+ ...
philgoddard wrote:
I've found customers increasingly reluctant to pay rush fees. Same goes for minimum charges.
I don't charge minimum fees, unless my customer suggests to apply one himself. I consider those small and indeed mostly unprofitable jobs as a form of goodwill, as a generator of more substantial work.
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