| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: When you outsource a job, do you tell your client? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
| | Xanthippe
France
Local time: 08:27
Member (2008)
Italian to French
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
No.... because I only work with direct clients who know I've some professional translators to whom I outsource when the job is not of my competence/pairs of languages.
[Modifié le 2008-11-19 13:27 GMT]
| | | | Theo Bernards (X) 
France
Local time: 08:27
English to Dutch
+ ...
| I don't outsource | Nov 19, 2008 |
The one thing I dislike most about this business is translators picking up all orders and then outsource for a lower fee and within an even tighter deadline. Bad practice and a really effective way to destroy the market.
If I can't fill an order I opt to honestly tell and refer to a trusted colleague. If there isn't anybody available I advise to repost the job and since most of my jobs come through reputable websites I usually see them appear rather quickly once they get reposted. ... See more The one thing I dislike most about this business is translators picking up all orders and then outsource for a lower fee and within an even tighter deadline. Bad practice and a really effective way to destroy the market.
If I can't fill an order I opt to honestly tell and refer to a trusted colleague. If there isn't anybody available I advise to repost the job and since most of my jobs come through reputable websites I usually see them appear rather quickly once they get reposted.
It may seem a bit foolish to throw your clients into the arms of competitors, but it is my experience that if you don't do that, they will end up with your competitors anyway and try to win a client back who walked away! They are harder to entice back to you than clients you have counceled into giving an order to someone else. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 08:27
English to French
+ ...
I outsource jobs into foreign languages to native speakers and tell my customers about it, of course.
| | |
|
|
|
Niraja Nanjundan (X)
Local time: 11:57
German to English
Theo Bernards wrote:
The one thing I dislike most about this business is translators picking up all orders and then outsource for a lower fee and within an even tighter deadline. Bad practice and a really effective way to destroy the market
....100%
I don't outsource either.
| | | | Anthony Baldwin
United States
Local time: 02:27
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| Don't be so judgemental | Nov 19, 2008 |
Theo Bernards wrote:
The one thing I dislike most about this business is translators picking up all orders and then outsource for a lower fee and within an even tighter deadline. Bad practice and a really effective way to destroy the market
I'm pretty good at advertising online, and I have made a lot of contacts in certain fields due to my interpreting work.
As such, local clients find me easily.
They either don't know how, or don't care to find a t... See more Theo Bernards wrote:
The one thing I dislike most about this business is translators picking up all orders and then outsource for a lower fee and within an even tighter deadline. Bad practice and a really effective way to destroy the market
I'm pretty good at advertising online, and I have made a lot of contacts in certain fields due to my interpreting work.
As such, local clients find me easily.
They either don't know how, or don't care to find a translator in Canada, France, Mexico, Brazil or Argentina, etc.
The contact me, and I send the work to a trusted colleague.
These providers, in general, can afford to work for less than I do (I live in one of the most expensive places in the world), and, still,
my profit margin is rather low on such projects. It does fill in some of the gaps, all the same.
In the past few months, frankly, I've outsourced more than I've personally done, because the work available
has been to foreign languages. Were I not outsourcing, my family would be starving.
Prior to these recent months, however, only about 10%, possibly 15% of the work that comes to me was outsourced, and I was very busy.
The market seems to have taken a hit in these past months. Weird that in July I hardly slept for the abundance of work,
and now I'm losing sleep for worrying over the lack of work.
But, for your information, I'm not destroying the market.
I'm brokering services for local clients who want to deal with a local company, but require translations to foreign languages.
I treat my providers fairly (see my blueboard record), and I provide a needed service to local businesses, while providing work to colleagues in other countries that they otherwise would not have had the opportunity to acquire.
I don't see any reason why I should refrain from outsourcing and concede to these huge, corporate language agencies (although I also do plenty of work for them, which I do not outsource, since they only send me work to my native tongue, and, in most cases, the lower rates, the contractor agreements and confidentiality requirements, etc., prohibit me from outsourcing such work).
They don't need the money any more than I do.
As it is, my providers and I have a great relationship, and my clients are happy because I provide excellent services at lower than agency rates.
As far as the question in hand, some of my clients know perfectly well that I am outsourcing the work, others probably could not care less, so long as they get the service they need.
[Edited at 2008-11-19 14:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Depends on job/customer | Nov 19, 2008 |
When I get a job from an agency and I can't take it, I just say no and offer to contact a colleague of mine if they need. And I agree with Theo, they come back even if you have to refuse a job sometimes, because they know it means that you're managing your time honestly and when you have accepted one of their jobs, you'll refuse someone else's assignement if necessary in order to devote the necessary time to their work. Having a network of trusted colleagues is very useful too.
My d... See more When I get a job from an agency and I can't take it, I just say no and offer to contact a colleague of mine if they need. And I agree with Theo, they come back even if you have to refuse a job sometimes, because they know it means that you're managing your time honestly and when you have accepted one of their jobs, you'll refuse someone else's assignement if necessary in order to devote the necessary time to their work. Having a network of trusted colleagues is very useful too.
My direct customers know that I outsource texts when the language combination is not mine - they know I'm not working with all languages and they trust me to find a professional translator when it's not my combination.
I also generally tell them when their deadline is really too short and offer them either to change the deadline so that I can do the job, or I outsource to a colleague I trust will do a good job which I will proofread anyway.
But sometimes I have to outsource a job because an unforeseen event prevents me from meeting the deadline alone and I don't always tell the client I have outsourced because I work with trusted colleagues and always proofread their translation to make sure it's consistent with the usual style and terminology expected by the client. So whether they know I'm not the one translating or not, I deliver only something that I can take responsibility for. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Xanthippe
France
Local time: 08:27
Member (2008)
Italian to French
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | I don't destroy the market | Nov 19, 2008 |
I don't destroy the market because my clients (I work only with direct clients) do not want coordinate the project, search and find relaible translators. They trust me and they ask me to do this job. So, I don't say them I outsource ... because they know !!!!
| | |
|
|
|
andres-larsen
Venezuela
Local time: 02:27
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Outsourcing of jobs | Nov 19, 2008 |
There has not been enough incoming work for me to outsource any jobs
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 08:27
Spanish to English
+ ...
| I said "yes" | Nov 19, 2008 |
... but I can only recall one instance. I generally refer clients to other service providers. It just so happened that for one week I left business in the hands of someone not able to invoice. The client dealt directly with that person.
| | | | Laureana Pavon
Uruguay
Local time: 03:27
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
MODERATOR | Different languagues | Nov 19, 2008 |
Interlangue wrote:
I outsource jobs into foreign languages to native speakers and tell my customers about it, of course.
My clients know full well that I only work in certain language pairs. However, clients that have come to trust me often ask me to provide translations from different languages into my own target languages, in which case I outsource the translation and provide final proofreading. In these cases the translator to whom I outsource the job must sign an NDA with the client as well.
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 08:27
English to French
+ ...
Theo Bernards wrote:
The one thing I dislike most about this business is translators picking up all orders and then outsource for a lower fee and within an even tighter deadline. Bad practice and a really effective way to destroy the market.
If I can't fill an order I opt to honestly tell and refer to a trusted colleague. If there isn't anybody available I advise to repost the job and since most of my jobs come through reputable websites I usually see them appear rather quickly once they get reposted.
It may seem a bit foolish to throw your clients into the arms of competitors, but it is my experience that if you don't do that, they will end up with your competitors anyway and try to win a client back who walked away! They are harder to entice back to you than clients you have counceled into giving an order to someone else.
I never accept nor outsource a job I cannot do myself, except when my notary for instance, or a private individual of the neighbourhood needs a document translated into a foreign language. They wouldn't know where to turn and appreciate the service. The colleagues I network with are paid the rates they pay me when the situation is reversed. Some people are lost at the simple thought of having to call abroad and make arrangements over the phone with some one they don't know. Some people still don't know how to use Internet, etc. Not everybody lives in your world.
| | |
|
|
|
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 08:27
Spanish to English
+ ...
if by outsourcing you mean passing on the work to another colleague, there is no need to. My clients know that if they ask me (a native English speaker) for a translation into another language not my own, I will entrust it to someone capable and personally approved by me. They also know that I take full personal responsibility for checking and ensuring the quality of translations into English outsourced to other native English speaking coleagues.
| | | | Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:27
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
If I can't do a job, I might suggest a colleague the outsourcer can contact.
If I feel I can't do all of a job, I will ask the outsourcer if I may pass some of it to a colleague, and will only do so with permission.
| | | | Paul Malone
France
Local time: 08:27
Member (2004)
French to English
+ ...
| Yes - but I would only outsource in very specific circumstances | Nov 19, 2008 |
I have only ever outsourced if;
1) I did not cover the language pair in question and the (direct) client had asked me to handle the job and was fully aware that the translation project would be outsourced, or
2) I did not have sufficient availability to complete the requested translation task personally, so with the (direct) client's permission I outsourced part of the job.
Other than these specific cases I would not normally outsource.
Th... See more I have only ever outsourced if;
1) I did not cover the language pair in question and the (direct) client had asked me to handle the job and was fully aware that the translation project would be outsourced, or
2) I did not have sufficient availability to complete the requested translation task personally, so with the (direct) client's permission I outsourced part of the job.
Other than these specific cases I would not normally outsource.
The main reasons for this are because most of my agency clients would not agree to this and also, in particular, because I believe that there is very little (if anything) to be gained from outsourcing by freelancers in business relationships with agencies. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: When you outsource a job, do you tell your client? | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
