| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Unreasonable conditions Thread poster: Julie Larochelle (X)
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Irene N
United States
Local time: 17:02
English to Russian
+ ...
| Excellent point, Julie | Apr 13, 2006 |
Julie Larochelle wrote:
the relationship between a translator and customer/agency should be one of mutual respect.
No self-respecting translator will do business with the employer who starts with reminding him/her that he is not supposed to pee in h/his pants in the middle of a conference room. I'm not a 3-year old. There are warranties to be stated and there are warranties to be implied based on the premise that both parties are dignified professionals. I would throw such contract in their face.
BTW, any project manager/business owner who is not a people person is doomed to failure - good solid professionals do not like this kind of treatment and will dump such big-shot boss on a spot. We handle an enormous pressure whether we interpret for a big crowd or translate the bid on a multimillion dollar project, and we like to be petted, appreciated and protected by those who charge us with those responsibilities. Trust me, we'll repay tenfold. It's not all about money. Any people business is also about phsycology and wisdom and life experience.
A friend of mine, big business owner, once said - "I will never hire a manager under 30 - in most cases life hadn't hit them hard enough yet, they lack compassion and respect for people, they think they are such big shots especially if their young age was accompanied by some success, and I'm in a people business". The way we are treated by her agency ensures that we shall work for her for free if she gets in any kind of trouble:-) God forbid!
Regards,
Irene
| | | | Gina W
United States
Local time: 18:02
Member (2003)
French to English
| Why would the agency expect any translation after a day then? | Apr 14, 2006 |
Julie Larochelle wrote:
They deduct 10% if the job is late for 3 hours, 30% if the job is late for 6 hours and they DO NOT PAY if the job is late for 1 day.
I do not promote being late either. Still, this seems a bit overboard. Even though I never have been late sending back my projects so far (knock on wood!), I feel uneasy thinking that should something, I would not get paid.
I don't see why the agency would expect the translation after a day, if they are not going to pay the translator. I would think that if a translator ran into a real emergency (medical or otherwise) to actually cause a delay of one day, and if the translator knew that after that day passed, there would be no payment for the job, then I would think that most translators would not even turn in the job - and in that case, the agency would be stuck with NO translation, late or otherwise. So I don't get why they would even adopt such a policy. What if the translator informed the agency of the emergency, would the translator still not get paid at all anyway? I just don't get it.
| | | | Ana Cuesta 
Spain
Local time: 00:02
Member
English to Spanish
| A different business model, perhaps? | Apr 14, 2006 |
My personal impression is that, being aware that translators accepting their rates could have to accept a heavy workload to make ends meet and so from time to time bite more than chewable and run out of time to honor a deadline, they are trying to minimize the risks (or the frequency) of that happening by imposing penalties on late delivery.
Wonder what the place of quality could be in such a business model (they don't seem to be concerned enough to even mention it ... See more My personal impression is that, being aware that translators accepting their rates could have to accept a heavy workload to make ends meet and so from time to time bite more than chewable and run out of time to honor a deadline, they are trying to minimize the risks (or the frequency) of that happening by imposing penalties on late delivery.
Wonder what the place of quality could be in such a business model (they don't seem to be concerned enough to even mention it ▲ Collapse
| | | | Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X)
Local time: 18:02
| You could nothave said it better, Julie... | Apr 14, 2006 |
Julie Larochelle wrote:
As I said, I politely declined because these were not conditions I was willing to work under. Not because I ever been late and I'm afraid I won't being paid, but because I believe the relationship between a translator and customer/agency should be one of mutual respect.
I respect my customers by providing them with the best work I can do and send my project one time. They respect me by paying on time, offering me reasonable rates/conditions and trusting me.
I do not believe this offer was respectful so I declined.
If a customer feels the need to protect himself so tightly, the message he's sending me is that he believes translators cannot be trusted. And I do not want to work for somebody who expects the worse out of me right from the get-go.
Maybe I am the one having unrealistic expectations...
I was thinking exactly the same thing, and I do not think we have unrealistic expectations...
Just imagine... agreeing to date someone and right afterwards announcing: OK, I am going to date you, but if you fail me in such and such a way, I will punish you in this and that way... a real good start!
[Edited at 2006-04-14 17:19]
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miking
Chinese to English
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| That sounds odd | May 15, 2006 |
Do not believe them. this is likely to be a trap.
i never hear about such conditions in china.
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