Pages in topic:   < [1 2]
Reduced rates due to Covid crisis?
Thread poster: Julia Glasmann
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Maths Jan 26, 2021

With agencies routinely charging a 50-200% markup, it’s hard to believe they would ever need to cut their prices to the point where they genuinely need translators to lower theirs.

Julia Glasmann
Gudrun Wolfrath
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 11:59
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Competitors. Jan 26, 2021

Chris S wrote:

With agencies routinely charging a 50-200% markup, it’s hard to believe they would ever need to cut their prices to the point where they genuinely need translators to lower theirs.



They compete for clients with other agencies, and yes, they do cut their prices for this reason, then asking translators to do the same. These are mostly low-end agencies, and although I don't have an official report, I believe they represent the majority on the market.


 
Marina Taffetani
Marina Taffetani  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:59
Member (2013)
German to Italian
+ ...
Discounts Jan 27, 2021

One agency I regularly work for "asked for" (or rather demanded) a 10% discount because of the COVID crisis. They actually said their employees had a similar pay cut, which I have a hard time believing, but still. Anyway, this was an already low-paying agency, but I grudgingly agreed as I thought it was better than not working. The important point, however, is that they set a time limit to it. They first said it would be until the end of August, then until the end of the year. I didn't like it, ... See more
One agency I regularly work for "asked for" (or rather demanded) a 10% discount because of the COVID crisis. They actually said their employees had a similar pay cut, which I have a hard time believing, but still. Anyway, this was an already low-paying agency, but I grudgingly agreed as I thought it was better than not working. The important point, however, is that they set a time limit to it. They first said it would be until the end of August, then until the end of the year. I didn't like it, especially when you think this is one of the largest agencies out there, so I have a hard time believing they might be experiencing difficulties. However, they did reinstate the usual rates on January 1st.

What you should ask yourself is: how come they are still struggling after a year? Why haven't things got back to normal yet? To me, it looks like they are:
a) using this as an excuse to lower your rates forever, and never intend to raise them again
b) actually struggling, which possibly means it will be very hard for them to overcome the crisis, and then it could go downhill and they might not even be able to pay you any longer
Collapse


Christopher Schröder
Julia Glasmann
 
Gudrun Wolfrath
Gudrun Wolfrath  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:59
English to German
+ ...
Regarding "asking me whether I could lower my rates due to the "difficult circumstances"" Jan 27, 2021

Question is: Have they ever asked you to increase your rates due to "positive circumstances"?

Christopher Schröder
Marina Taffetani
Liviu-Lee Roth
Julia Glasmann
Laura Kingdon
 
Sadek_A
Sadek_A  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:59
English to Arabic
+ ...
..... Jan 28, 2021

Julia Glasmann wrote:
Yay! So I can work even more for less money so eventually I will make the same money again that I did before agreeing to "special rates" to "stay competitive".
So even if things get a bit rough for a while, they have enough of an margin to cover it without "having" to push it onto us freelancers...

That's why things like the US ProAct from the other thread are much needed. We deserve binding, law-complying contracts to secure our professional earnings from those brokers.
I hope this reply doesn't get blocked as well, like the one in the ProAct thread!


 
Sadek_A
Sadek_A  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:59
English to Arabic
+ ...
..... Jan 28, 2021

Gudrun Wolfrath wrote:
Question is: Have they ever asked you to increase your rates due to "positive circumstances"?

Several years ago I was tested for, and offered, a translation project of an ancient(1) medical(2) book in an archaic(3) vernacular, by a non-US citizen in the US.
The output of that particular project was to be nearly less than 75w an hour, given the ciphers.
I provided him with my quote, he came back offering less than one third, which was an offer I wouldn't even accept for modern marketing materials in the medical domain.
Then he wrote "the economy is not good now", and reading this comment I chuckled thinking "when was it ever good? it is always bad when "bad" can be used to save on people's living!".
So, no, they won't ask to increase her rates, or ours, because their reading glasses only show the red, and no black whatsoever.


Gudrun Wolfrath
Adieu
 
Adieu
Adieu  Identity Verified
Ukrainian to English
+ ...
Lol Jan 28, 2021

Gudrun Wolfrath wrote:

Question is: Have they ever asked you to increase your rates due to "positive circumstances"?


"Sort of"

I once had the dubious pleasure of a regular client inadvertently admitting how much he thought my services were actually worth, when he loaned me to a direct competitor... and told me to charge 250% of my usual rate


PS that was a direct request from the head honcho of the shop, so no conflict of interest issue on my end


Gudrun Wolfrath
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
mik dicorato
mik dicorato  Identity Verified
Italy
English to Italian
+ ...
maybe Feb 3, 2021

Julia Glasmann wrote:I had a proposal for 0,2 cent per word . Is it normal payment at 60 days??

I have had two translation agencies (so far), asking me whether I could lower my rates due to the "difficult circumstances", so they could remain competitive on the market. Anybody else has been having similar requests? If so, how did you respond? I ended up asking the PM whether the agency's inhouse employees were also taking a pay cut in oder to remain competitive...


 
Julia Glasmann
Julia Glasmann
Germany
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Time limit Feb 4, 2021

Marina Taffetani wrote:

One agency I regularly work for "asked for" (or rather demanded) a 10% discount because of the COVID crisis. They actually said their employees had a similar pay cut, which I have a hard time believing, but still. Anyway, this was an already low-paying agency, but I grudgingly agreed as I thought it was better than not working. The important point, however, is that they set a time limit to it. They first said it would be until the end of August, then until the end of the year. I didn't like it, especially when you think this is one of the largest agencies out there, so I have a hard time believing they might be experiencing difficulties. However, they did reinstate the usual rates on January 1st.

What you should ask yourself is: how come they are still struggling after a year? Why haven't things got back to normal yet? To me, it looks like they are:
a) using this as an excuse to lower your rates forever, and never intend to raise them again
b) actually struggling, which possibly means it will be very hard for them to overcome the crisis, and then it could go downhill and they might not even be able to pay you any longer


All very good points. Had they put a time limit on the discounted rates, I probably would have considered it. But it really just seemed like an excuse to dump freelancers' rates...


 
Julia Glasmann
Julia Glasmann
Germany
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Good one ;) Feb 4, 2021

Gudrun Wolfrath wrote:

Question is: Have they ever asked you to increase your rates due to "positive circumstances"?


 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2]


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Reduced rates due to Covid crisis?







CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »
Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »