Poll: Have you ever received a bonus from a client for a particularly good/fast/difficult translation?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jan 24, 2015

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever received a bonus from a client for a particularly good/fast/difficult translation?".

This poll was originally submitted by Nadine Epstein. View the poll results »



 
Leon Ivanihin
Leon Ivanihin  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:08
English to Russian
Yes, several times Jan 24, 2015

And it was very pleasant to know, that they have appreciated my additional efforts and the quality
At times we really save the client's reputation, making translation in time and even faster.


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:08
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Jan 24, 2015

Depends on what is meant by "bonus"... Once a client sent me a huge bunch of flowers the very next day of delivering a sworn translation for an international adoption procedure and once or twice clients suggested that I applied a rate higher than the one already agreed upon.

 
Erzsébet Czopyk
Erzsébet Czopyk  Identity Verified
Hungary
Local time: 13:08
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
good clients Jan 24, 2015

Teresa Borges wrote:

Depends on what is meant by "bonus"... Once a client sent me a huge bunch of flowers the very next day of delivering a sworn translation for an international adoption procedure and once or twice clients suggested that I applied a rate higher than the one already agreed upon.


lucky you


 
Gudrun Maydorn (X)
Gudrun Maydorn (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:08
English to German
+ ...
Yes, twice Jan 24, 2015

There have been two occasions when the clients (two different ones) contacted me to say they would pay me more than the agreed rate because they were so impressed with the quality received.

 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:08
Member (2006)
German to English
Does this also Jan 24, 2015

include "payment on time"?

 
Yvonne Gallagher
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:08
Member (2010)
French to English
+ ...
No Jan 24, 2015

Just gratitude.

It would be nice to get a bonus but not expected at all as I want all my work to be high-quality so no one piece should really be any better ("particularly good") than any other work of mine although it will, of course, outshine an inferior translation, of which there are many (I proofread as well so I see them and some are truly awful).

So, I think my clients just take my high-quality work as a given. Of course they're delighted when I return work earli
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Just gratitude.

It would be nice to get a bonus but not expected at all as I want all my work to be high-quality so no one piece should really be any better ("particularly good") than any other work of mine although it will, of course, outshine an inferior translation, of which there are many (I proofread as well so I see them and some are truly awful).

So, I think my clients just take my high-quality work as a given. Of course they're delighted when I return work earlier than expected but I apply an extra fee for urgent work and rates also go up for more difficult text or formatting so I'm already taking a "bonus" as such for that.

[Edited at 2015-01-24 17:53 GMT]
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José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 08:08
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
Only once Jan 24, 2015

One of my tenets is that quality should not change, and all my translations should be "particularly good" value for the prices I charge, otherwise my clients may find a better cost/benefit ratio elsewhere.

Apart from that, particularly fast, difficult, or whatever translations are priced accordingly at the outset.

I've had only one case where the end-client abused their quota of changes while the project was under way. Finally, when the project was all over, the PM/agen
... See more
One of my tenets is that quality should not change, and all my translations should be "particularly good" value for the prices I charge, otherwise my clients may find a better cost/benefit ratio elsewhere.

Apart from that, particularly fast, difficult, or whatever translations are priced accordingly at the outset.

I've had only one case where the end-client abused their quota of changes while the project was under way. Finally, when the project was all over, the PM/agency owner wrote me, "Please invoice us for $... to cover all the extra work you had with those changes."

[Edited at 2015-01-24 11:59 GMT]
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Platon Danilov
Platon Danilov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 14:08
English to Russian
+ ...
Once Jan 24, 2015

The client admired the quality I delivered, adviced me to apply a rate three times higher than my standard one and paid me accordingly.

The assignment however, was only one page and the client yet hasn't become regular one.


 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 13:08
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Yes, Jan 24, 2015

In 2013 I unexpectedly received an end-of-year bonus of $100 from one of my regular clients.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 08:08
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Higher rate included? Jan 24, 2015

Teresa Borges wrote:

...and once or twice clients suggested that I applied a rate higher than the one already agreed upon.


This kind of thing mentioned by Teresa has happened a few times. Should we consider it a bonus?

I have also received extra (above the price agreed) for translating text in images and charts that were not considered in the word count because it was not text, but images. A few times, the clients recognized the effort and asked me to quote the "extras".

Other than that, no, I never received a special "gift" from a client, but I consider that if the client likes the quality of your work and sends you more work or becomes a regular client, that's a good enough "bonus". Better than receiving a little extra and the client disappearing forever.


 
Michele Fauble
Michele Fauble  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:08
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
+ ...
Excellent work Jan 24, 2015

Praise, but nothing financial.

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:08
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Editing is even more difficult to estimate than translating Jan 24, 2015

There have been a few clients who have thought I've done more than they've paid for. Usually it's when I've helped them with their own texts and there have been several editing cycles. They only need to settle the invoice, but quite a few have paid more.

Don't think I've ever received a bonus for a translation, though. Perhaps it has to do with a client not knowing the true quality/value of our work.


 
Tim Drayton
Tim Drayton  Identity Verified
Cyprus
Local time: 14:08
Turkish to English
+ ...
No Jan 25, 2015

I wouldn't expect to.

 


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Poll: Have you ever received a bonus from a client for a particularly good/fast/difficult translation?






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