Off topic: Protection for live clients!
Thread poster: Claudia Krysztofiak
Claudia Krysztofiak
Claudia Krysztofiak  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:52
English to German
+ ...
Nov 20, 2008

There it was again - this completely-unknown-to-me translation agency contacting me, stating that it
"is a leading provider of multilingual production services for
the translation and localization industry. Our clients include some
of the largest and most sophisticated consumers of multilingual
services across all industries."

And then:
"Our goal is to develop long-term,
successful and win-win relationships with our freelance workers. We
... See more
There it was again - this completely-unknown-to-me translation agency contacting me, stating that it
"is a leading provider of multilingual production services for
the translation and localization industry. Our clients include some
of the largest and most sophisticated consumers of multilingual
services across all industries."

And then:
"Our goal is to develop long-term,
successful and win-win relationships with our freelance workers. We
can provide continuous, steady income possibilities for our
freelancers and the best news of all is WE PAY ON TIME."

If they emphasize it that badly they must think this is something special? Perhaps a completely new business conept?

Unfortunately there was no BB record available to proof their experience and good collaboration with professional translators all over the world.

In their letter, that was signed without any contact name (this is not yet part of their sophisticated business concept ), they (of course!) asked me to do a test translation or rather "complete a brief translation evaluation." Since I made it quite clear in all my profiles that I do not do unpaid test translations (I also do not ask for free test payments, though, to make it even), I tried to send a polite answer:

"Dear [name of the company, since nobody signed the mail with a name],
thank you for your enquiry!

Unfortunately, I am currently too busy to do test translations or register in databases. But please feel free to contact me if you have a project you wish me to assist you with. ..."
and then something about the rates I charge and where to find examples of my work.

And they are FAST and they have a nice kind of humour!!!

This morning I received their reply, again signed without a name:
"... Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately without taking our translation
test we cannot consider you for any work as we cannot allow to test
our new translators on live clients. ..."

This is good news: Finally live clients get at least some protection from experimental translating. The world is already a little bit brighter today! Have fun! )







[Bearbeitet am 2008-11-20 11:22 GMT]
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Lorenzo Lilli
Lorenzo Lilli  Identity Verified
Local time: 11:52
German to Italian
+ ...
Oh my Nov 20, 2008

I had never thought of clients as guinea pigs. Well, you live, you learn

 
Percy Balemans (X)
Percy Balemans (X)  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 11:52
Disclaimer... Nov 20, 2008

Pretty soon we'll be seeing a disclaimer on all translations:

"No live clients were harmed in the making of this translation"


 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 11:52
Spanish to English
+ ...
I think it's called Nov 20, 2008

"Phase III Clinical Trials"

 
RichardDeegan
RichardDeegan
Local time: 05:52
Spanish to English
They're just following the guidelines Nov 20, 2008

An excerpt from the EN 15038 standard for quality in the translation industry
4.1. Employment of translators
4.1.1 Outsourcing
a) No translation outsourcer, agency, service provider or other intermediary involved in the procurement or placement of translation services, with the exception of a direct user of such services, shall employ or otherwise engage a translator who has not previously provided a test translation of at least 300 words, whether or not for compensation, to pe
... See more
An excerpt from the EN 15038 standard for quality in the translation industry
4.1. Employment of translators
4.1.1 Outsourcing
a) No translation outsourcer, agency, service provider or other intermediary involved in the procurement or placement of translation services, with the exception of a direct user of such services, shall employ or otherwise engage a translator who has not previously provided a test translation of at least 300 words, whether or not for compensation, to perform such translation services for a live client.
b) Section a) above shall not apply to the translation of applications for administration, probate petitions, wills and testaments, death certificates, autopsy reports, transfers under an estate proceeding or other similar.
c) Section a) further above shall not apply to the translation of works by authors whose works are deemed as in the public domain due to the passage of sufficient time under the EC EN Copyright Law of 2008 after their presumed death.
d) Within the terms of the EC EN Copyright Law of 2008, Section c) above shall apply solely to those authors born prior to 17 July 1435.
e) Sections b) pretty far above, c) a little less above and d) above shall not apply to audio, visual or text material by or referring to the Grateful Dead, all of which is covered by the EC EN Copyright Law of 2008. For such material the provisions of Section a) way, way above shall be applicable.
f) Sections a) really, really, way above, b) pretty far above, c) a good bit above, d) not too far above and e) above shall not be applicable to the translation of material for fictitious or otherwise non-existent clients.
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Tomasz Kościuczuk
Tomasz Kościuczuk  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 11:52
English to Polish
+ ...
Thought of the day! Nov 20, 2008

"I also do not ask for free test payments, though, to make it even."

Thought of the day!


 
NancyLynn
NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 06:52
Member (2002)
French to English
+ ...

Moderator of this forum
LOL Nov 20, 2008

With Percy and Richard's additions, we're pretty well covered!

Thanks everyone for a good laugh

Nancy


 
Viktoria Gimbe
Viktoria Gimbe  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 06:52
English to French
+ ...
Just bad marketing Nov 20, 2008

If we take away the way the whole thing is worded, what is left is just another standard translation agency - nothing wrong with that.

It just seems that this particular agency knows that the market is full of crap, and they are trying to distinguish themselves from the rest by emphasizing on what most agencies do that is wrong (phase III clinical trials and such). It is a fairly old principle - tell your clients/providers that others on the market are crap, and they will buy from y
... See more
If we take away the way the whole thing is worded, what is left is just another standard translation agency - nothing wrong with that.

It just seems that this particular agency knows that the market is full of crap, and they are trying to distinguish themselves from the rest by emphasizing on what most agencies do that is wrong (phase III clinical trials and such). It is a fairly old principle - tell your clients/providers that others on the market are crap, and they will buy from you. Remember those Gain ads showing us how bad Tide is?

I think this is terrible marketing. Trying to get to the top by trampling others is not the way to go - when I see this kind of advert, my first reaction is "if they trample their competitors, I wonder what they do to their clients/providers". The same in politics - I never vote for politicians who try to prove their valor by dissing the others, instead of simply giving us reasons to vote for them.

Don't get flustered about it. Terrible marketing always gives off the wrong message, far from the one initially intended. I wouldn't be surprised if this agency was otherwise a good potential client.
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Marie-Hélène Hayles
Marie-Hélène Hayles  Identity Verified
Local time: 11:52
Italian to English
+ ...
Aren't you contradicting yourself, Viktoria? Nov 20, 2008

I think this is terrible marketing. Trying to get to the top by trampling others is not the way to go - when I see this kind of advert, my first reaction is "if they trample their competitors, I wonder what they do to their clients/providers".



I wouldn't be surprised if this agency was otherwise a good potential client.




 
Viktoria Gimbe
Viktoria Gimbe  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 06:52
English to French
+ ...
Otherwise Nov 20, 2008

Marie-Hélène Hayles wrote:

Aren't you contradicting yourself?

I wouldn't be surprised if this agency was otherwise a good potential client.




What I meant is that I don't think the assumption that this agency thinks they are so revolutionary with their ideas is correct. They may be the trampling kind, but I don't think they truly believe they are revolutionary - they probably only seem to think so highly of themselves because of the bad marketing.


 


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