| Páginas sobre el tema: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: Would you reduce your rates if a client asked for it? Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
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| It depends on... | Feb 5, 2009 |
The SUBJECT matter.
If it is a translation that I can do even with "Dragon Natural Speaking", c'mon! Yes, I would lower my translation rate.
By the foregoing I mean that I need not any research, googling, refer to glossaries and dictionaries, no technical terms at all. That is, a smooth-tongued and beautiful translation. Easy and cool.
Yes, I would.
| | | | Laureana Pavon 
Uruguay
Local time: 20:20
Miembro 2007
inglés al español
+ ...
MODERADOR | Surprising results | Feb 5, 2009 |
I'm surprised that almost every single poster says they would outright refuse to reduce their rates, yet poll results show that almost 70% have voted "It depends on the client."
I wonder what this means... There seems to be something wrong with this picture.
Cheers!
Laureana
| | | | | Only the "No" people can dare to post in this thread | Feb 5, 2009 |
Or don't you think, Laureana, that the translation agencies registered on this site are scouring this thread for "suitable" translators to add to their databases?
| | | | | 68 % of us agree: it depends. | Feb 5, 2009 |
It depends on many factors: the client; the kind of a job; what kind of a relationship I have with this client; the client's past payment history; how busy I'm at this particular moment; the state of the economy; and many other factors.
Most importantly: reduce my rates by how much? If a client asks me to slash my rates in half, or more, I'll tell him to .............. (feel free to fill in the blank with a word/words of y... See more It depends on many factors: the client; the kind of a job; what kind of a relationship I have with this client; the client's past payment history; how busy I'm at this particular moment; the state of the economy; and many other factors.
Most importantly: reduce my rates by how much? If a client asks me to slash my rates in half, or more, I'll tell him to .............. (feel free to fill in the blank with a word/words of your choice, language of your choice).
If, on the other hand, the requested reduction is 10% or less of my normal rate, and I know that this client pays promptly, then my answer is yes. ▲ Collapse
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DianeGM
Local time: 02:20
Miembro 2006
neerlandés al inglés
+ ...
| for me ... it depends ... | Feb 5, 2009 |
With long standing and/or trusted clients and depending on the text, deadline, language combination, my other work, etc - I consider it.
Though probably worth mentioning too - that last year I agreed a rate in UK pounds and to receive payment in UK pounds for a couple of my long standing/trusted UK clients - who asked me to do so due to a combination of high bank charges and exchange rate - given the current exchange rate that results in a reduction in those specific earnings - wh... See more With long standing and/or trusted clients and depending on the text, deadline, language combination, my other work, etc - I consider it.
Though probably worth mentioning too - that last year I agreed a rate in UK pounds and to receive payment in UK pounds for a couple of my long standing/trusted UK clients - who asked me to do so due to a combination of high bank charges and exchange rate - given the current exchange rate that results in a reduction in those specific earnings - which, effectively amounts to the same thing. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Laureana Pavon
Uruguay
Local time: 20:20
Miembro 2007
inglés al español
+ ...
MODERADOR | I agree with you, Astrid | Feb 5, 2009 |
I've also noticed that most of the translators participating in these discussions are not the ones who offer low rates but instead those that have highly professional education/experience.
Of course, there are many clients out there willing to pay professional rates for a professional job, but I think it would be interesting to know whether many translators have actually been asked to reduce their rates or this question is merely hypothetical.
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I have worked for SLIGHTLY lower rates. I am not certified, and have not been doing this for very long. There are times when, if the client is on a restricted budget or is a non-profit, I will accept a slightly lower rate. And not long ago, I did accept a job that was below my standard rate because it had been a very slow period. It evened out because of the currency exchange. But i made it clear that next time, regardless, I will ask for the standard rate.
But in general, NO! I hav... See more I have worked for SLIGHTLY lower rates. I am not certified, and have not been doing this for very long. There are times when, if the client is on a restricted budget or is a non-profit, I will accept a slightly lower rate. And not long ago, I did accept a job that was below my standard rate because it had been a very slow period. It evened out because of the currency exchange. But i made it clear that next time, regardless, I will ask for the standard rate.
But in general, NO! I have bills and rent to pay and I am not a charity or a sucker. End of story! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Giles Watson
Italia
Local time: 01:20
italiano al inglés
In Memoriam | Everybody likes a problem solver | Feb 5, 2009 |
Laureana Pavon wrote:
Of course, there are many clients out there willing to pay professional rates for a professional job, but I think it would be interesting to know whether many translators have actually been asked to reduce their rates or this question is merely hypothetical.
I have plenty of work from clients who know my rates and find my services generate income for their own businesses, which makes me fairly relaxed about enquiries from new clients. If the new prospects are willing to match the rates my current clients are paying, and I have the time, that's fine. If not, I usually try to suggest colleagues who can do a decent job at the rate the customer is willing to pay. I don't act as an agency; I just pass the job along.
The important thing is make sure that the customer's problem is solved.
Giles
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Ivan Patti
Italia
Local time: 01:20
inglés al italiano
+ ...
| I've been asked once (so far) to lower my rate | Feb 5, 2009 |
As Astrid said, only people who answered no dare posting in this forum... Well, I'm one of them and proud to be!
Three weeks ago an Italian agency sent me an offer for the translation of a clinical trial of about 50K words. After explaining everything in detail they ended the mail with "we know that you charge X for this kind of projects, but we'd like to know if you are willing to lower your rate by 40% considering this is a large-volume job and that other jobs of the same volume and nat... See more As Astrid said, only people who answered no dare posting in this forum... Well, I'm one of them and proud to be!
Three weeks ago an Italian agency sent me an offer for the translation of a clinical trial of about 50K words. After explaining everything in detail they ended the mail with "we know that you charge X for this kind of projects, but we'd like to know if you are willing to lower your rate by 40% considering this is a large-volume job and that other jobs of the same volume and nature will come in the future."
I obviously answered with a "No, thank you". ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Depends on the client --to me | Feb 5, 2009 |
Fortunately, my regular clients have never asked me to lower my fees. I guess this is because we have been working together for so long.
I do not work with Chilean agencies, but I do have a few foreign ones in my portfolio. The latter sometimes call to say "our budget for this job is..." Then I remind them that my own budget does not vary with those of their clients --and decline the offer.
However, I voted "depends on the client," because when asked, if I had the time... See more Fortunately, my regular clients have never asked me to lower my fees. I guess this is because we have been working together for so long.
I do not work with Chilean agencies, but I do have a few foreign ones in my portfolio. The latter sometimes call to say "our budget for this job is..." Then I remind them that my own budget does not vary with those of their clients --and decline the offer.
However, I voted "depends on the client," because when asked, if I had the time, I apply reduced fees to students. If a school or college student comes to me with a paper they need for some research project, for example, I feel happy to help. By the way, some of their subjects have turned out to be by far more interesting than many of my best-paid projects, and I have learned quite a lot.
Cheers! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | who wants to reduce their rates? | Feb 6, 2009 |
Sometime some of my clients asked whether I would accept certain rates, I was enforced to accept them, better than having nothing to do. Look at the bright side.
| | | | m_temmer
Local time: 17:20
inglés al neerlandés
+ ...
Even by not adjusting your rate every year, you are lowering your rate in a way, especially these days when inflation is high.
I wish translators considered themselves more as business men/women and less as slaves. It seems that most of us think they should be grateful that a customers wants to give them work, no matter how bad the offered conditions are. Of course, we should be glad to have customers! But the customer should also be grateful that we are willing to do the job, becau... See more Even by not adjusting your rate every year, you are lowering your rate in a way, especially these days when inflation is high.
I wish translators considered themselves more as business men/women and less as slaves. It seems that most of us think they should be grateful that a customers wants to give them work, no matter how bad the offered conditions are. Of course, we should be glad to have customers! But the customer should also be grateful that we are willing to do the job, because otherwise, the customer has a big problem. We create value for our customers too, you know. Imagine what the world would be like without translators!?
Freelance translators do run a business. Have you ever gone to the supermarket and got a nice reduction just because you asked for it? Does your plumber charge less because you ask for it? Or a doctor, or the lady at the gas station, etc.?
Translators systematically underestimate the value of their work and agencies are happy to exploit that to their benefit.
This being said, I agree that charity translation work is different. I'm talking about "normal" clients. ▲ Collapse
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| My rates are not carved in stone | Feb 6, 2009 |
Different jobs call for different amounts of effort.
It takes me quite a lot longer to translate 800 words of medico-legal text than it does to find the publicity blurb from last year's trade fair in my TM, then shine the text up to say the same thing with new dates and figures, and call the products useful instead of functional, or brilliant instead of fantastic. But that is what the client sometimes wants!
It is far easier to lower rates than raise them.
... See more Different jobs call for different amounts of effort.
It takes me quite a lot longer to translate 800 words of medico-legal text than it does to find the publicity blurb from last year's trade fair in my TM, then shine the text up to say the same thing with new dates and figures, and call the products useful instead of functional, or brilliant instead of fantastic. But that is what the client sometimes wants!
It is far easier to lower rates than raise them.
So a client calls me and says 'I will have four pages in a hurry on Tuesday - will you reserve time, and what is your rate for it?'
I quote for a reasonably difficult job and four close-written pages to make sure I am not wasting my time, and add that it is subject to seeing the text.
I really prefer to quote per thousand words, but even here I get caught. It does depend on what the text is about and the target group as well as other factors.
Last week I quoted for about 4000 words of medical text. The client protested a little, but agreed. When the text arrived, it looked half familiar, so I analysed it in Trados - and there were two whole sections of 100% matches. Simply comparing the text with the previous job (in Word) showed they were identical. I gave the client a 35% reduction and everyone was happy.
But strictly, that is not reducing my rate. It is adjusting the amount of work we have agreed on at the originally specified rate.
In principle no, I do not reduce my rates. They just vary a little according to the type of job.
▲ Collapse
| | | | | it happened once | Feb 6, 2009 |
Well, I was asked only once, and because I had to face a problem with a possible "competitor-colleague" I had to say yes. I wasn't happy and I found out that with the new rate it wasn't worth it. Anyway, in about 7 months I was able to get back to the old rate.
Basically one of the problems that I think we all have to deal with, is that a lot of people, who have a different job, do translations, and because it's not their main income, and some of them do not care about the quality in gener... See more Well, I was asked only once, and because I had to face a problem with a possible "competitor-colleague" I had to say yes. I wasn't happy and I found out that with the new rate it wasn't worth it. Anyway, in about 7 months I was able to get back to the old rate.
Basically one of the problems that I think we all have to deal with, is that a lot of people, who have a different job, do translations, and because it's not their main income, and some of them do not care about the quality in general, but mostly on the technical words, they can ask a lower rate. In addition a lto of clients prefer to use people who work in-house to do the proofreading, so they think that a low price is the right choice. Unofortunately. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ivan Patti
Italia
Local time: 01:20
inglés al italiano
+ ...
| Right indeed! | Feb 6, 2009 |
Gianluca Marras wrote:
Basically one of the problems that I think we all have to deal with, is that a lot of people, who have a different job, do translations, and because it's not their main income, and some of them do not care about the quality in general, but mostly on the technical words, they can ask a lower rate.
Absolutely right and unfortunately true Gianluca, particularly in our country!
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