| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Client getting annoyed by having to sign a contract every time Thread poster: mike316
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Nicole Schnell 
United States
Local time: 11:10
English to German
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In memoriam | Let's see what the OP has to say | Jul 24, 2012 |
Gitte Hovedskov Hansen wrote:
Hi Nicole
I didn't say that you were a nasty person, I said that your comment was nasty and unkind.
I've no doubt you have a lot of experience in the world of marketing and management and whatever, and maybe with your own colleagues, who you know well, you can joke about at a sarcastic level, which is not an issue here at all. The issue is practically telling somebody who is merely asking for advice, that he might as well pack it all in due to your view of his abilities as a communicator. THAT is unkind and uncalled for, utterly unnecessary.
With all your experience, you could, undoubtedly, give him valuable, constructive advice... Alternatively, at times, less is more...
Gitte
Please do not forget that my comment was related to the OP's remark:
"You are probably still living in the "good old days"...today, it nothing works based on trust, at least not where I live."
So, any further judgment of yours regarding my wording in this context might get - a little bit too personal.
OK?
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 20:10
Danish to English
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It's not so nice when the shoe is on the other foot, is it?
At least that's worth remembering, now that we have gone completely off the original topic.
Gitte
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 11:10
English to German
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In memoriam | This is your fourth comment about one single comment of mine | Jul 24, 2012 |
Gitte Hovedskov Hansen wrote: It's not so nice when the shoe is on the other foot, is it? At least that's worth remembering, now that we have gone completely off the original topic. Gitte
Now, this IS getting personal. Honestly? This is creeping me out. I am not kidding.
| | | | John Fossey
Canada
Local time: 14:10
Member (2008)
French to English
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| Keep it simple | Jul 24, 2012 |
mike316 wrote:
Hello,
I run my own translation agency. Most of my clients are one time clients. They sign a contract for a specific job, when job ends, (hopefully) they pay, end of story.
but right now I have a repeat client who has brought me 3 jobs. Every time a job was brought, I had him sign a new agreement: "I agree to pay $x" etc. etc. 3 times.
but client is getting annoyed by having to sign an agreement every time.
The same rules apply to agencies doing business with end clients as for translators doing business with agencies. The cardinal rule is "know who you're doing business with".
An ironclad contract doesn't mean as much as the client's ability and willingness to pay does. If you have determined before accepting to do business with a client, that they have the financial resources to pay (ability) and a positive credit history (willingness) then many of the contract details are moot. Satisfy the client and you will be paid.
On the other hand if either of these factors are missing, the best contract in the world won't help much. Due diligence is required before doing business with anyone and if satisfactory, might as well keep it clear but simple.
[Edited at 2012-07-24 12:29 GMT]
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Phil Hand
China
Local time: 02:10
Chinese to English
| Sounds a bit unrealistic to me | Jul 24, 2012 |
John Fossey wrote:
If you have determined before accepting to do business with a client, that they have the financial resources to pay (ability) and a positive credit history (willingness) then many of the contract details are moot...
Due diligence is required before doing business with anyone and if satisfactory, might as well keep it clear but simple.
I don't really see how that is supposed to work - in fact, I think you've got it backwards. If someone comes in off the street asking for translations of their marriage/degree certificate, are you supposed to run a background check on them before accepting their business?
Because the world is large, clients are many, and due diligence is really hard, we mostly do the other thing: form binding contracts (explicit/implicit), and fraud is avoided because everyone knows that they can be held accountable, not because you've checked them out and only do business with nice guys.
Contracts are important and helpful. Americans (and presumably Canadians) other than lawyers don't think much about them, because a robust common law system assumes standard contract terms for the vast majority of everyday transactions, so you very rarely have to sign them. But that doesn't mean they're not there and they're not important.
The idea that you could do effective due diligence on one-off clients in a globalised industry like ours is crazy. The contract *is* the due diligence.
| | | | John Fossey
Canada
Local time: 14:10
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
| Due diligence always required and never a problem with legitimate clients | Jul 24, 2012 |
Phil Hand wrote:
If someone comes in off the street asking for translations of their marriage/degree certificate, are you supposed to run a background check on them before accepting their business?
Although this scenario is rare for me, it has happened. Off-the-street clients give me ID such as a driver's license before I start the work (so I know who they are and where to reach them; a driver's license also shows they are likely to have the resources to pay the small amount) and pay cash on delivery (which they agree to in advance). I've never had a problem with it.
When a local end client (therefore not listed on places such as the BlueBoard) asks me for a larger contract, I pay my bank $15 to run a background credit experience check which I usually get within 24 hours. Far from being unrealistic, due diligance is the simple way to stay out of trouble.
...only do business with nice guys...
I'm not interested in whether they're "nice" or not. I want to know can they pay and are they willing to pay. A contract tells me neither, other than clarifying the details so there are no misunderstandings. Going into a transaction with no idea whether a client can and is willing to pay is like flying blind.
[Edited at 2012-07-24 13:44 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 19:10
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| You already know they aren't trying to diddle you | Jul 24, 2012 |
John Fossey wrote:
The same rules apply to agencies doing business with end clients as for translators doing business with agencies. The cardinal rule is "know who you're doing business with".
I have an agency that sometimes sends me three jobs in a day. I can't imagine what it would be like exchanging contracts for each one. They proved by their very first payment that they were at least OK clients. Now they sometimes send me a half-line email attaching the file, to which I reply with "OK, will do". We both know the tarifs, delivery times etc. and they know damn well I'll be expecting payment of my monthly invoice.
IMO, demanding repeated contracts be signed is the height of rudeness.
Sheila
| | | | Dave Bindon
Greece
Local time: 21:10
Greek to English
In memoriam | I'd be annoyed too | Jul 24, 2012 |
As Phil said, most legal systems (Western ones, at least) give plenty of protection to the "contracting parties" without any need for a formal, signed contract. If my client asks me if I can do project X and I say "Yes, I can do it by Y date for Z Euro", and they say "Cool, please proceed", then that is our contract. On a B-2-B basis, I wouldn't really want anything else.
If you really want to have a more specific contractual arrangement specifying things which are not covered by co... See more As Phil said, most legal systems (Western ones, at least) give plenty of protection to the "contracting parties" without any need for a formal, signed contract. If my client asks me if I can do project X and I say "Yes, I can do it by Y date for Z Euro", and they say "Cool, please proceed", then that is our contract. On a B-2-B basis, I wouldn't really want anything else.
If you really want to have a more specific contractual arrangement specifying things which are not covered by common law, then you only need to have a single document (usual referred to as Terms and Conditions) signed once. ▲ Collapse
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