How much more do you charge a direct client? Thread poster: wonita (X)
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wonita (X)
China
Local time: 04:57
I charge a direct client around 50% more than an agency. Up until now, all my clients have accepted it without any problem.
Is it a reasonable price for direct clients? Would more difference be suggested?
All my clients are based in Europe.
Bin
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2008-08-10 17:21]
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That might be enough. Or you might want to charge more. I suppose it depends on the services you offer. If you are paying someone to proofread for you, then your effective margin isn't that much higher, especially when one considers the additional effort involved in managing direct customer relationships.
| | | | Heidi C 
Local time: 04:57
English to Spanish
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| Direct clients / agencies | Aug 10, 2008 |
I work mainly with direct clients.
For agencies, I quote 20% below my direct client price. And I have received jobs from them.
So, either my direct client prices are too low, or there are some agencies out there who consider a 20% profit enough...
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 02:57
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
I deal mostly with direct clients, but my work is worth the same no matter who the client is. Agencies get the same rate.
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| It sounds about right to me | Aug 10, 2008 |
Hello Bin,
The minimum difference is supposed to be 40%, so I heard. However, you will need to keep pushing your prices up if you have a number of direct clients and are considering becoming an agency eventually. The main thing is to raise the prices for those direct clients on a regular basis, such as on the same date each year.
Good luck!
Astrid
| | | | | Fellow soul :) | Aug 10, 2008 |
Henry Hinds wrote:
I deal mostly with direct clients, but my work is worth the same no matter who the client is. Agencies get the same rate.
Even though I'd say the amount of work from agencies / direct customers is 50:50 with me.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 10:57
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| Do your clients know each others' rates? | Aug 10, 2008 |
Bin Tiede wrote:
Up until now, all my clients have accepted it without any problem.
How do your direct clients know that they're being charged a premium?
| | | | Heidi C
Local time: 04:57
English to Spanish
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| Makes no difference... | Aug 10, 2008 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Do your clients know each others' rates?
How do your direct clients know that they're being charged a premium?
I don't know if my clients know each others' rates or if they even know each other...
After all, they are charged the same: a premium rate.
If there is a variation in price, it will be due to the nature of the project
And all of my clients are charged a "premium" rate, because they are receiving a "premium" product.
When I quote for agencies, I give them my "top and bottom price", I consider a 20% discount is fair for their work in invoicing and getting me a client. And the agency gets the same high quality product.
[Edited at 2008-08-10 16:58]
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Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 05:57
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
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| Different prices for different services | Aug 10, 2008 |
Hi
When Tiede says that she charges 50% more to direct clients, I must assume the following facts:
1) when the client is an agency, she is delivering "only the translation"
2) when the client is an end client, she is the one and only responsible for the translation in the eyes of the client (and I must provide proofreading and editing services on my own acount).
I mean: if I get a direct client, usually it is a person who doesn't understand either the sourc... See more Hi
When Tiede says that she charges 50% more to direct clients, I must assume the following facts:
1) when the client is an agency, she is delivering "only the translation"
2) when the client is an end client, she is the one and only responsible for the translation in the eyes of the client (and I must provide proofreading and editing services on my own acount).
I mean: if I get a direct client, usually it is a person who doesn't understand either the source language or the target language; so I carry full responsibility for my work. On the contrary: if my client is an agency, then the agency is held legally responsible regarding the end client, and I am responsible only in the eyes of the agency. As one can easily see, the responsibility burden is very different, and accordingly the price must be different. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heidi C
Local time: 04:57
English to Spanish
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| Different product for final client or agency? | Aug 10, 2008 |
Fabio Descalzi wrote:
When Tiede says that she charges 50% more to direct clients, I must assume the following facts:
1) when the client is an agency, she is delivering "only the translation"
2) when the client is an end client, she is the one and only responsible for the translation in the eyes of the client (and I must provide proofreading and editing services on my own acount).
I mean: if I get a direct client, usually it is a person who doesn't understand either the source language or the target language; so I carry full responsibility for my work. On the contrary: if my client is an agency, then the agency is held legally responsible regarding the end client, and I am responsible only in the eyes of the agency. As one can easily see, the responsibility burden is very different, and accordingly the price must be different.
Does this mean you deliver to the agency a "not so rough draft" (to call it something) instead of a final, publishable document?
| | | | Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 05:57
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
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| Not a "rough draft" | Aug 10, 2008 |
Heidi C wrote: Fabio Descalzi wrote:
... As one can easily see, the responsibility burden is very different, and accordingly the price must be different. Does this mean you deliver to the agency a "not so rough draft" (to call it something) instead of a final, publishable document?
Hi Heidi
I don't deliver a "rough draft" or such. But I already am used to getting feedback from agencies - which means, they do their own proofreading in order to ensure the quality of my translations.
I always do act responsibly as a translator; and that is why most of my agency-clients come back once and again. At the same time, I do know in advance that these agency-clients do their own proofreading/editing.
But if I know in advance that my work won't be further revised and that it will be delivered "as is", then I must get my own proofreader (to my expenses). And that, in turn, makes the final price higher.
| | | | Heidi C
Local time: 04:57
English to Spanish
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| What my time is worth | Aug 10, 2008 |
Fabio Descalzi wrote:
Hi Heidi
I don't deliver a "rough draft" or such. But I already am used to getting feedback from agencies - which means, they do their own proofreading in order to ensure the quality of my translations.
I always do act responsibly as a translator; and that is why most of my agency-clients come back once and again. At the same time, I do know in advance that these agency-clients do their own proofreading/editing.
But if I know in advance that my work won't be further revised and that it will be delivered "as is", then I must get my own proofreader (to my expenses). And that, in turn, makes the final price higher.
I was not questioning anyones' responsibility as a translator!! (I apologize if it seemed to be so)
I just had never thought of it like this, as I have always worked for direct clients and only lately have done a few jobs for agencies. So this has cleared a lot of things...
I see agencies as an intermediary, who can provide me with extra work on "low periods" and give me the advantage of just having to trace one person for invoicing or sending the finished work...
And I consider that this "convenience" is worth 20% of my fee.
It is not worth my time to work for less than that and I would never give a 50% discount...
I would rather work three days a week at full rate than six days for the same amount of money.
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NMR (X)
France
Local time: 10:57
French to Dutch
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Heidi C wrote: Fabio Descalzi wrote:
Hi Heidi
I don't deliver a "rough draft" or such. But I already am used to getting feedback from agencies - which means, they do their own proofreading in order to ensure the quality of my translations.
I always do act responsibly as a translator; and that is why most of my agency-clients come back once and again. At the same time, I do know in advance that these agency-clients do their own proofreading/editing.
But if I know in advance that my work won't be further revised and that it will be delivered "as is", then I must get my own proofreader (to my expenses). And that, in turn, makes the final price higher. I was not questioning anyones' responsibility as a translator!! (I apologize if it seemed to be so) I just had never thought of it like this, as I have always worked for direct clients and only lately have done a few jobs for agencies. So this has cleared a lot of things... I see agencies as an intermediary, who can provide me with extra work on "low periods" and give me the advantage of just having to trace one person for invoicing or sending the finished work... And I consider that this "convenience" is worth 20% of my fee. It is not worth my time to work for less than that and I would never give a 50% discount... I would rather work three days a week at full rate than six days for the same amount of money.
I charge agencies 30% less than my direct client price. The reason is that the agencies do the advertisement, paperwork, project management and if necessary solve some technical problems. The jobs I get from them (I only work for 4 or 5 well-known agencies) are ready-to-translate, whereas for direct clients I sometimes have to resolve problems or to look for a friend who can help me. But the end quality is the same, of course, the difference is in the job handling, and I think this is worth 30% of my price.
It works the other way round too: if the relation with an agency is fine, I don't mind to give its name to a direct client if he wants other languages.
NB to Penelope, hereunder: third party proofreading is not included in my price. And I don't like it, because it is very difficult to find someone and it eats up all my time.
[Modifié le 2008-08-11 08:17]
| | | | | 40% and not same quality | Aug 11, 2008 |
In my case, I charge around 40% less to agencies but the quality might not be the same.
If working for an agency, I only have to take care of the translation and my own proofreading of the text. The agency will proofread/revise the text and deliver a final version. The agency hires me to do the translation only and has a proofreader/reviser to revise it.
If working for a direct client, I translate, a third party proofreads, I "study" the changes, if any, and deliver a f... See more In my case, I charge around 40% less to agencies but the quality might not be the same.
If working for an agency, I only have to take care of the translation and my own proofreading of the text. The agency will proofread/revise the text and deliver a final version. The agency hires me to do the translation only and has a proofreader/reviser to revise it.
If working for a direct client, I translate, a third party proofreads, I "study" the changes, if any, and deliver a final, printable copy.
*If DTP is involved in the job of the direct client, the price is higher since I outsource it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heidi C
Local time: 04:57
English to Spanish
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| An honest question | Aug 16, 2008 |
Penelope Ausejo wrote:
If working for an agency, I only have to take care of the translation and my own proofreading of the text. The agency will proofread/revise the text and deliver a final version. The agency hires me to do the translation only and has a proofreader/reviser to revise it.
Has this been established beforehand? Or, are you just assuming it is so?
What I mean: is it a mutual agreement, both of you know that there will be a proofreader who will be responsible for the final version?
I ask, because I had never thought of it like this...
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