administrative overload Thread poster: Lia Fail (X)
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Lia Fail (X) 
Spain
Local time: 10:34
Spanish to English
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I wonder if anyone is feeling what I'm feeling, in relation to administrative issues.
For example, a few agencies I work for now have online systems, and increasingly there are more, which means more ways of doing things and more passwords and user names to remember.
Recently however, I have been feeling a bit annoyed...to the point where I will probably reduce or cut out sporadic cleints with complex /dysfunctiuonal systems. It's simply not worth the trouble.
... See more I wonder if anyone is feeling what I'm feeling, in relation to administrative issues.
For example, a few agencies I work for now have online systems, and increasingly there are more, which means more ways of doing things and more passwords and user names to remember.
Recently however, I have been feeling a bit annoyed...to the point where I will probably reduce or cut out sporadic cleints with complex /dysfunctiuonal systems. It's simply not worth the trouble.
One agency has a click to accept or decline a job. However, very frequently the DECLINE is ignored ...and I'm contacted by email. The same agency doesn't want bills (but I have to make them, whether they like them or not), I seem to constantly have problems logging onto their site...and basically their staff seem to spend the day troubleshooting, as I get these very pleasant and lengthy explanatiosn back - from a range of people - with attachments and so on. Don't they have work to do????
Another agency used to have a handy email PO system, I issued a bill once a month etc. Now they have an online system that doesn't actually do anything for me except list jobs done. It doesn't total them, doesn't work out VAT etc....so what's teh point?????
As recently as 6-12 months ago, I billed and that was that, no problematic logging on, remembering p-words and u-names etc.
Does anyone else feel that clients are developing 'systems' that are so disparate in teh way they work that it's getting non-viable to work sporadically for them???? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sonja Tomaskovic (X)
Germany
Local time: 10:34
English to German
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| Administrative Overload | Mar 6, 2006 |
Another agency used to have a handy email PO system, I issued a bill once a month etc. Now they have an online system that doesn't actually do anything for me except list jobs done. It doesn't total them, doesn't work out VAT etc....so what's teh point?????
I have a feeling that I know which agency you are referring to... My first impression after using the system was that they apparently seem to have had too much money that was then put into programming this absolutely useless piece of web application.... which basically means that I should definitely increase my rates for this particular client.
I don't know why they think it will save *them* time, since they still have to enter all the details for a job into their billing system. IMHO nothing's gained, not for me, not for them, but that is just my opinion.
Sonja
[Edited at 2006-03-06 19:47]
| | | | NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 04:34
Member (2002)
French to English
+ ...
MODERATOR | sporadic clients | Mar 6, 2006 |
I agree, Lia, it's just too much sometimes - there is more admin than translation, and that makes me unhappy
I imagine if there were a way to let it be known that all this is detrimental to business, these agencies would not be tempted by salesmen to invest in these programs.
Meanwhile I vote with my availability; I have to admit, I have dropped some clients whose convoluted billing schemes were just too ... See more I agree, Lia, it's just too much sometimes - there is more admin than translation, and that makes me unhappy
I imagine if there were a way to let it be known that all this is detrimental to business, these agencies would not be tempted by salesmen to invest in these programs.
Meanwhile I vote with my availability; I have to admit, I have dropped some clients whose convoluted billing schemes were just too much for me.... and now, for that famous decline button that no one sees, I have mentioned once or twice that it's not a great feature
Nancy ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lia Fail (X)
Spain
Local time: 10:34
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Nancy and Sonja | Mar 6, 2006 |
Glad to hear I'm not the only one:-)
And yes, Sonja, it's a company that is located in a EU country whose main foreign langugaes include DE, so we are probably taking of teh same company:-)
Today i spent the best part of 2 hours failing to log in, writing mails, looking for address and VAT number etc, etc for a sum total of 90 euros....hardly seems worth it:-(
What surprised me was the helpful emails from a number of people...my mails are NOT being left un... See more Glad to hear I'm not the only one:-)
And yes, Sonja, it's a company that is located in a EU country whose main foreign langugaes include DE, so we are probably taking of teh same company:-)
Today i spent the best part of 2 hours failing to log in, writing mails, looking for address and VAT number etc, etc for a sum total of 90 euros....hardly seems worth it:-(
What surprised me was the helpful emails from a number of people...my mails are NOT being left unread apparently, they are being passed on to some other bored human being!!!!
[Edited at 2006-03-06 23:15] ▲ Collapse
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Balttext
Latvia
Local time: 11:34
English to Latvian
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Well, it seems that you just have to increase your rates to cover for the time lost dealing with all the "smart" systems and extra staff in the agencies, which seems just right to me - the more time I have to spend with the client, the more the client has to pay. This might discourage some of them from working with you, so you will not be quitting on them, they will just mark that you've got too expensive ...seems better to me:)... the stubborn ones will just pay you more
Now, serio... See more Well, it seems that you just have to increase your rates to cover for the time lost dealing with all the "smart" systems and extra staff in the agencies, which seems just right to me - the more time I have to spend with the client, the more the client has to pay. This might discourage some of them from working with you, so you will not be quitting on them, they will just mark that you've got too expensive ...seems better to me:)... the stubborn ones will just pay you more
Now, seriously, I do understand that the agencies have to find a way of dealing with quite a number of incoming orders/calls of interest, maintaining freelancer databasis and so on. Each of them is trying to come up with an excellent solution. But mostly these solutions have 1 thing in common - they seem excellent mostly to the agency alone
Regards,
Uldis ▲ Collapse
| | | | Imad Almaghary (X)
Local time: 11:34
English to Arabic
+ ...
| Develop a list | Mar 7, 2006 |
Good morning
What I do to solve this matter is that I develop a list for serious companies and a list for companies who are not serious. It is easy to differentiate between both of them. Serious ones are esy to deal with due to taking care of others. One fact, Serious ones reply less than 48 hours.
Every time, I check my database and realy it works.
Yours
Mr. Imad
Translator, writer and lecturer
| | | | Stephen Rifkind
Israel
Local time: 11:34
Member (2004)
French to English
+ ...
| But there are others | Mar 7, 2006 |
I have the good fortune not to work for that EU company. However, I work for a Spanish based company whose online management system is a pleasure. I do everything there, including billing and almost never contact the agency unless it is an emergency or a problem with the original text. They had one technical glitch with a certain version of Windows, but they fixed that. There is much to be said for a functional online system.
Stephen Rifkind
Hebrew/Russian/French
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