Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3] >
I just fired an agency
Thread poster: Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:44
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I just fired an agency May 22, 2013

Samuel Murray wrote:

Most translators won't use the checklist as a list, however, but will simply check all the boxes without looking, so while the checklist is a bright idea in theory, it won't have the desired effect in practice.


True, but don't forget this lovely tidbit: "Should a client dispute the TEP quality, (XXXX) reserves the right to dispute the invoice. XXX may request a credit based on documented errors."

TEP is the initialism they use for translation, editing and proofreading.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 09:44
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TEP May 22, 2013

Jeff Whittaker wrote:
TEP is the initialism they use for translation, editing and proofreading.


Yes, I always say to a client who asks for TEP that I can't do TEP because I'm just one person. At most I can do TP, but even that is non-ideal.


 
Shai Navé
Shai Navé  Identity Verified
Israel
Local time: 11:44
English to Hebrew
+ ...
Good for you May 22, 2013

This kind of abusive agencies should become a thing of the past, and this turn of events will be facilitated only by independent translators starting to claim what they deserve and fire those clients (agency or direct) that try to abuse them or otherwise misaligned with one's professional and business values.

In the few occasions I did a similar thing, I notified the agency about it and even explained why. I actually first informed them about my new terms, and when they replied in t
... See more
This kind of abusive agencies should become a thing of the past, and this turn of events will be facilitated only by independent translators starting to claim what they deserve and fire those clients (agency or direct) that try to abuse them or otherwise misaligned with one's professional and business values.

In the few occasions I did a similar thing, I notified the agency about it and even explained why. I actually first informed them about my new terms, and when they replied in the lines of "our terms of business are non-negotiable, blah, blah, blah, there are plenty other translators out there who don't have any problem with our terms, blah, blah, blah", I just informed them that effective immediately we are no longer working together and asked them to remove my details from their system in case this was an agency I worked with before, or in the case of a new contact informed them that we will not go forward working together, and offered them to contact me in the future if their terms will change and become more aligned with mine.
Either way, some still contact me to this day with a flow of insulting and abusive offers. Not that I'm surprised considering how they work and their utter disrespect to our profession.


So, good for you Jeff, you did a great service to yourself and to our profession in general. Thank you so much for not only firing this client, but also for sharing this experience with the community.
Collapse


 
AnnaSCHTR
AnnaSCHTR  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:44
English to Czech
+ ...
Thank you May 22, 2013

I also feel like saying thank you on behalf of all of us. On the semi-related note - wouldn't TEP performed by a single person violate some sort of ISO certification rules the agencies like to talk about? Just curious.

 
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:44
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Smoke and mirrors May 22, 2013

Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz wrote:

...Consequently, typos and other such matter more than your otherwise brilliant rendition and elocution. They are referred to as 'quality issues' and fishing them out is referred to as 'quality control'. Avoiding them is referred to as 'quality assurance'. Your degrees, knowledge, experience and other qualifications do not ensure the quality of your translations; running the spell-checker does. How demeaning. (Not that there are many excuses for a linguist's being sloppy with the written word.)



Yes. All the items on that checklist are superficial. There is nothing there about making sure that the target document matches the meaning of the source text. Who cares about that as long as everything looks neat and tidy.

You spend hours and hours searching for a way to accurately translate a word or term from one language and culture to another and all they care about are capitalized letters, spaces and memories, oh my!.

[Edited at 2013-05-22 18:26 GMT]


 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:44
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
I had to call it quits, too. May 22, 2013

Not because of some new and time-consuming "QA" procedure, but because of some newly installed moronic automated "job dispenser" software. "It will be be sooo much easier for us to send jobs to you," the new PMs ecstatically claimed. I only have to log into their new robot system several times a day to be the first (!) to "retrieve jobs".
I don't think so. My reply per email was very outspoken, to put it mildly. They are totally losing it. I am wondering, what juvenile little "business ma
... See more
Not because of some new and time-consuming "QA" procedure, but because of some newly installed moronic automated "job dispenser" software. "It will be be sooo much easier for us to send jobs to you," the new PMs ecstatically claimed. I only have to log into their new robot system several times a day to be the first (!) to "retrieve jobs".
I don't think so. My reply per email was very outspoken, to put it mildly. They are totally losing it. I am wondering, what juvenile little "business management" dork ever came up with the idea, that seasoned translators will ever fight over little jobs like a pack of young dogs will fight over a bone.
Interestingly enough, the senior PMs still keep sending the large and regular projects. The good old-fashioned way. Targeted, and via email.

So, technically it didn't hurt and I saved myself a lot of time.
Collapse


 
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:44
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
The beginnings of disintermediation May 22, 2013

Nicole Schnell wrote:

....because of some newly installed moronic automated "job dispenser" software. "


Thanks Nicole. I agree.

Unfortunately, there are dozens of software publishers selling this kind of translation project management software.

Agency pays monthly fee to cloud-based management software (personalized with that agency's logo, company information, etc):

1) Client uploads project to be translated and makes electronic payment.
2) Software sends notification to all translators in that pair.
3) Translators log-in to the software and rush to be the first to accept the project.
4) Translator uploads completed project to the system.
5) Invoice automatically created based on word court and translator's rate.
6) Completed project sent to client.
7) Payment issued automatically to translator.

No human involvement needed. What could be simpler?

Except for the fact that the agency now becomes superfluous when translators create their own system.

It seems as though every day someone comes up with a new clever "idea" on how to make money from the translation "industry" doing everything except actual translation (which is, after all, just an afterthought and an unfortunate business expense).

[Edited at 2013-05-22 19:15 GMT]


 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:44
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
The human involvement kicks in when I receive panicky emails May 22, 2013

Jeff Whittaker wrote:
No human involvement needed. What could be simpler?


From said juvenile baby-PMs: "Whaaahhh! Our client complained. Could you please check if the client is right about that translator, Nicole? Please find attached the client's email. Can you check it? Pleeeeze?"

Except for the fact that the agency now becomes superfluous when translators create their own system.


Well, I prefer Lean Management and Total Quality Control. The rules are simple:

- If you want something, contact me directly. I will be there, as always.
- I am not your cleaning woman. I don't care about your mistakes.
- Learn.
- Don't expect me to take over any of your administrative or managerial functions. That's your job as an agency. That's what you are paid for.


 
Mark Benson (X)
Mark Benson (X)  Identity Verified

English to Swedish
+ ...
Breakups can be hard... May 22, 2013

Yes. All the items on that checklist are superficial. There is nothing there about making sure that the target document matches the meaning of the source text. Who cares about that as long as everything looks neat and tidy.

You spend hours and hours searching for a way to accurately translate a word or term from one language and culture to another and all they care about are capitalized letters, spaces and memories, oh my!.

[Edited at 2013-05-22 18:26 GMT]


It would be interesting to see a reply to Rudolf Vedo earlier in the thread: http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/249517-i_just_fired_an_agency.html#2141243


[Edited at 2013-05-22 20:54 GMT]


 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:44
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
I am still wondering May 22, 2013

Here is the scenario at another client:

Jeff Whittaker wrote:
1) Client uploads project to be translated and makes electronic payment.


Good for the agency! Money is good.

2) Software sends notification to all translators in that pair.


I will be sent an email by my contact that there is a new project (word count, topic, format...) for a particular client, and if I am interested, I can log on and view it.

3) Translators log-in to the software and rush to be the first to accept the project.


Not going to happen.

4) Translator uploads completed project to the system.


I send it both ways - as the usual email attachment, as well as an upload. These systems are still unreliable and shaky.

5) Invoice automatically created based on word court and translator's rate.


Only the highly sophisticated systems will turn the PO automatically into an invoice. This translator's delight is only to be experienced with proprietary systems, never with any of those commercial, one-fits-all systems, whose cute little ads are dangling right and left on this very website.

6) Completed project sent to client.


I hope not directly to the end-client before proper editing and QA.

7) Payment issued automatically to translator.


See #5. Commercial systems don't do that.



There. How much time was saved?


 
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 09:44
English to Polish
+ ...
Hai, I needs to proof ur stuff May 22, 2013

Nicole Schnell wrote:

Not because of some new and time-consuming "QA" procedure, but because of some newly installed moronic automated "job dispenser" software. "It will be be sooo much easier for us to send jobs to you," the new PMs ecstatically claimed. I only have to log into their new robot system several times a day to be the first (!) to "retrieve jobs".
I don't think so. My reply per email was very outspoken, to put it mildly. They are totally losing it. I am wondering, what juvenile little "business management" dork ever came up with the idea, that seasoned translators vendors will ever fight over little jobs like a pack of young dogs will fight over a bone.
Interestingly enough, the senior PMs still keep sending the large and regular projects. The good old-fashioned way. Targeted, and via email.

So, technically it didn't hurt and I saved myself a lot of time.


[Edited at 2013-05-22 20:18 GMT]

OOT: I feel like such a geek. The del tag wasn't permitted, so I put an inline style on a strong tag. I should quit translating and start making websites for translators.

[Edited at 2013-05-22 20:21 GMT]


 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:44
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Łukasz, you are the best! :-) May 22, 2013

Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz wrote:

Nicole Schnell wrote:

Not because of some new and time-consuming "QA" procedure, but because of some newly installed moronic automated "job dispenser" software. "It will be be sooo much easier for us to send jobs to you," the new PMs ecstatically claimed. I only have to log into their new robot system several times a day to be the first (!) to "retrieve jobs".
I don't think so. My reply per email was very outspoken, to put it mildly. They are totally losing it. I am wondering, what juvenile little "business management" dork ever came up with the idea, that seasoned translators vendors will ever fight over little jobs like a pack of young dogs will fight over a bone.
Interestingly enough, the senior PMs still keep sending the large and regular projects. The good old-fashioned way. Targeted, and via email.

So, technically it didn't hurt and I saved myself a lot of time.


OOT: I feel like such a geek. The del tag wasn't permitted, so I put an inline style on a strong tag. I should quit translating and start making websites for translators.



But I can not accept your edit as is. You have to upload your revised version to our cloud-based FTP site, we will issue you a password, which you will receive automatically via email. Should you not have received your password within 24 hours, we ask you to fill out all 14 pages of our registration form again, as all previously entered information will be void.



 
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz
Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 09:44
English to Polish
+ ...
Thanks but I prefer to haz cheezburger instead! May 23, 2013

Nicole Schnell wrote:

Łukasz Gos-Furmankiewicz wrote:

Nicole Schnell wrote:

Not because of some new and time-consuming "QA" procedure, but because of some newly installed moronic automated "job dispenser" software. "It will be be sooo much easier for us to send jobs to you," the new PMs ecstatically claimed. I only have to log into their new robot system several times a day to be the first (!) to "retrieve jobs".
I don't think so. My reply per email was very outspoken, to put it mildly. They are totally losing it. I am wondering, what juvenile little "business management" dork ever came up with the idea, that seasoned translators vendors will ever fight over little jobs like a pack of young dogs will fight over a bone.
Interestingly enough, the senior PMs still keep sending the large and regular projects. The good old-fashioned way. Targeted, and via email.

So, technically it didn't hurt and I saved myself a lot of time.


OOT: I feel like such a geek. The del tag wasn't permitted, so I put an inline style on a strong tag. I should quit translating and start making websites for translators.



But I can not accept your edit as is. You have to upload your revised version to our cloud-based FTP site, we will issue you a password, which you will receive automatically via email. Should you not have received your password within 24 hours, we ask you to fill out all 14 pages of our registration form again, as all previously entered information will be void.



 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:44
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Blueboard May 23, 2013

So after these experiences with the customer, what is your "Likelihood of working for this outsourcer again"?

I guess the Blueboard would also allow us to assess customers in terms of sensible business practices, and not only bad payment as we tend to do?


 
Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:44
Italian to English
And the point is? May 23, 2013

I wonder just what the point of such a checklist is. IMHO, translators fall into one of two groups - the diligent ones who do these things anyway, and those who don't bother but tick the boxes anyway.

Hoops like these make me want to run for the hills, which I daresay is the same for most serious, seasoned translators. The first group mentioned above. Which leaves the agency with the second group - those incompetent translators who will tick any box going just to keep their inbox f
... See more
I wonder just what the point of such a checklist is. IMHO, translators fall into one of two groups - the diligent ones who do these things anyway, and those who don't bother but tick the boxes anyway.

Hoops like these make me want to run for the hills, which I daresay is the same for most serious, seasoned translators. The first group mentioned above. Which leaves the agency with the second group - those incompetent translators who will tick any box going just to keep their inbox flowing over.

So at the end of the day, what has the agency really achieved? Anyone who thinks this will somehow improve quality and/or morale needs a serious reality check. I continue to believe that the amount (and quality) of work received from agencies is inversely proportional to the amount of red tape they make you wade through. Bad news for this particular agency and its hapless translators.
Collapse


 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

I just fired an agency







Trados Business Manager Lite
Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio

Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.

More info »
Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »