| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: When working with an agency, have you ever contacted the end client directly? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When working with an agency, have you ever contacted the end client directly?".
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| | | | Tim Drayton 
Cyprus
Local time: 08:14
Turkish to English
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I always think that this is a non-issue. How do I know who the end client is, anyway?
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Sometimes it is evident, who the end client is, but I have never had any reason to contact them directly.
| | | | | More often when I worked in-house, but I still do it | Oct 3, 2014 |
With the agency's permission I do sometimes contact the client directly with questions about a translation.
It can save an enormous amount of time to call someone and clear up supplementary questions immediately, instead of waiting for everything to be relayed through a PM who may or may not understand what it is all about.
Of course, I send simple questions by e-mail t the PM, and I NEVER contact the end client without asking the agency who would be the best person to ... See more With the agency's permission I do sometimes contact the client directly with questions about a translation.
It can save an enormous amount of time to call someone and clear up supplementary questions immediately, instead of waiting for everything to be relayed through a PM who may or may not understand what it is all about.
Of course, I send simple questions by e-mail t the PM, and I NEVER contact the end client without asking the agency who would be the best person to answer my questions.
When I worked in-house it was the accepted thing to do, and I can usually turn it to everybody's advantage by reporting back loyally to the agency.
It also helps to educate the client and make translators 'visible' as real people who think about their work... ▲ Collapse
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DianeGM
Local time: 08:14
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
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None of the responses seemd to fit.
With some technical projects I am assigned a contact person at the end client to answer my techncial questions. I then contact them directly and cc the proejct manager so everyone is in the loop.
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 07:14
English
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I don't work with agencies. Only with end clients.
| | | | Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:14
Russian to English
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In memoriam | Only once, as far as I remember | Oct 3, 2014 |
An agency sent me a translation on a medical subject (treatment of injuries caused by landmines) which I refused, as I don't think I have enough medical knowledge to undertake translations in that field. The agency then asked me if I could do it if I could contact the client directly to ask questions. The client was a medical research centre. I accepted, and I think the result was a good job, in which I learned a lot of information about the subject matter.
[Edited at 2014-10-03 14:55 GMT... See more An agency sent me a translation on a medical subject (treatment of injuries caused by landmines) which I refused, as I don't think I have enough medical knowledge to undertake translations in that field. The agency then asked me if I could do it if I could contact the client directly to ask questions. The client was a medical research centre. I accepted, and I think the result was a good job, in which I learned a lot of information about the subject matter.
[Edited at 2014-10-03 14:55 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I used to be the client.... | Oct 3, 2014 |
In the case of one of the agencies I work with, I used to work for the end client, who - after I moved out of Canada and therefore left the company - asked their agency to start using my freelance services. I know most everyone at the client's, and we even keep personal contact. However, when it comes to projects, I only contact the end client upon the agency's request. They know I won't go "over their heads" and try anything fishy.
As for the rest of the agencies I work with, I hav... See more In the case of one of the agencies I work with, I used to work for the end client, who - after I moved out of Canada and therefore left the company - asked their agency to start using my freelance services. I know most everyone at the client's, and we even keep personal contact. However, when it comes to projects, I only contact the end client upon the agency's request. They know I won't go "over their heads" and try anything fishy.
As for the rest of the agencies I work with, I have not needed to contact the end clients (I know who they are, for the best part).
Of course, I do have a few end clients of my own, and I keep close contact with those . ▲ Collapse
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Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 07:14
English to German
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In memoriam | Yes, of course | Oct 3, 2014 |
I work for a Swiss agency that always gives me the end client's contact address in the PO and asks me not to bother them with questions, but to contact the end client in case of any problems with the translation. I think this is the only way of professional translation. Anything else is balderdash and in most cases does not really work.
Greetings to all
Rolf
| | | | Al Zaid
United States
English to Spanish
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Christine Andersen wrote:
It also helps to educate the client and make translators 'visible' as real people who think about their work...
Nothing to add.
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How else would the end-customer know how to get hold of me and shaft the agency come the next job?
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 14:14
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| No, thank you! | Oct 3, 2014 |
If I have questions about the translation, I will pass them onto the customer during the translation or at delivery. I trust them to then ask the end client to clear up any problems I found with the translation, i.e. source text - otherwise, they would not be earning their markup as 'middle men.'
Of course, if those in the middle insisted on me contacting the end client, I, too, would insist on charging a higher rate because I would be doing the job they're supposed to be doing whic... See more If I have questions about the translation, I will pass them onto the customer during the translation or at delivery. I trust them to then ask the end client to clear up any problems I found with the translation, i.e. source text - otherwise, they would not be earning their markup as 'middle men.'
Of course, if those in the middle insisted on me contacting the end client, I, too, would insist on charging a higher rate because I would be doing the job they're supposed to be doing which would obviate the necessity of their presence in the first place. ▲ Collapse
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| In theory yes but in practice... | Oct 3, 2014 |
Julian Holmes wrote:
If I have questions about the translation, I will pass them onto the customer during the translation or at delivery. I trust them to then ask the end client to clear up any problems I found with the translation, i.e. source text - otherwise, they would not be earning their markup as 'middle men.'
Of course, if those in the middle insisted on me contacting the end client, I, too, would insist on charging a higher rate because I would be doing the job they're supposed to be doing which would obviate the necessity of their presence in the first place.
... it's sometimes easier to deal with the end-customer directly rather than playing Chinese whispers.
The way I see it, agencies earn their markup by saving you time (doing the sales legwork, finding alternative translators etc).
| | | | Liane Poost
Germany
Local time: 07:14
English to German
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I had to contact the client because the agency refused to pay me.
| | | | Liane Poost
Germany
Local time: 07:14
English to German
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Rolf Kern wrote:
I work for a Swiss agency that always gives me the end client's contact address in the PO and asks me not to bother them with questions, but to contact the end client in case of any problems with the translation. I think this is the only way of professional translation. Anything else is balderdash and in most cases does not really work.
Greetings to all
Rolf
So true.
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