| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you often have to reject jobs because you are waiting for another job confirmation? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you often have to reject jobs because you are waiting for another job confirmation?".
This poll was originally submitted by Nathalie Reis
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run.... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you often have to reject jobs because you are waiting for another job confirmation?".
This poll was originally submitted by Nathalie Reis
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | | often no, sometimes yes | Mar 13, 2009 |
it does happen and it is infuriating when the job that you are waiting for is cancelled!
| | | | Wil Hardman (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:38
Spanish to English
+ ...
| First confirmed, first served. | Mar 13, 2009 |
I always take on whichever job is confirmed first since all too often a job pending confirmation is cancelled at the last minute. If the other job is then subsequently confirmed I just work extra hard to get them both done.
I don't think a client can expect you to keep you schedule free just because you have accepted a job that may or may not materialise: I had one job that was 8 months pending confirmation.
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I work on a first come first served basis
[Modifié le 2009-03-13 13:27 GMT]
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Alice Bootman
United States
Local time: 13:38
Spanish to English
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Sophie Dzhygir wrote: I work on a first come first served basis [Modifié le 2009-03-13 13:27 GMT]
I completely agree with you Sophie!
| | | | Luisa Fiorini
Italy
Local time: 20:38
Member
English to Italian
+ ...
| some clients expect you to keep you free | Mar 13, 2009 |
Wil Hardman wrote:
I don't think a client can expect you to keep you schedule free just because you have accepted a job that may or may not materialise.
Unfortunately some clients want you to keep your schedule free for them. I tried to explain this to a client some weeks ago but it was useless. At the end they understood my position and we found a solution so that I could work on the project without refusing other jobs which arrived in the meantime, but other clients want you to be ready for them.
A question: do you let your clients know that you are not going to keep your schedule free?
| | | | Xanthippe
France
Local time: 20:38
Member (2008)
Italian to French
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
as Will, Sophie and Alice .....
1st confirmed>1st served
| | | | Nikki Graham
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:38
Spanish to English
| Often, no. Has it happened? Yes | Mar 13, 2009 |
If I am waiting for confirmation of a job and receive a firm offer, I inform the first client that I have received another offer and ask for their confirmation. Depending on their reply, I will accept/reject the second offer. Telling the first client that you are in demand usually makes them get their act together and finalise, postpone or cancel the deal.
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m_temmer
Local time: 12:38
English to Dutch
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As most of you already wrote: first come, first served
Luisa Fiorini wrote:
A question: do you let your clients know that you are not going to keep your schedule free?
Of course they know. We're business people like everybody else. We can't pay our bills if we have to stick to one client who may have some work, but isn't very sure yet.
| | | | jccantrell
United States
Local time: 11:38
Member (2005)
German to English
With Nikki on this.
If an established client lets me know that there will be something in the pipeline soon and someone else steps up with a real job, I will contact the first client to let them know. If they can step up with a real job, they will get first call. If not, it goes to the guy with the cash.
First in, first out.
First come, first served.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
I haven't had my coffee yet, so that is all I can t... See more With Nikki on this.
If an established client lets me know that there will be something in the pipeline soon and someone else steps up with a real job, I will contact the first client to let them know. If they can step up with a real job, they will get first call. If not, it goes to the guy with the cash.
First in, first out.
First come, first served.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
I haven't had my coffee yet, so that is all I can think of.
Communication is the main thing, especially with established clients. They run on approximately the same business model, so they will understand. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Never again! | Mar 13, 2009 |
It happened to me once in my life, but it lasted four months. I'll never do it again.
An all-stars huge translation agency phoned me from far away asking if I'd be "available full-time next week". It was a 120,000 words proofreading job, rush, rush, rush!
We agreed on all the details, they even sent me all the original files, said a team of translators was working on them. Monday came, and no files. The end-client had put the project on hold. Every time I queried... See more It happened to me once in my life, but it lasted four months. I'll never do it again.
An all-stars huge translation agency phoned me from far away asking if I'd be "available full-time next week". It was a 120,000 words proofreading job, rush, rush, rush!
We agreed on all the details, they even sent me all the original files, said a team of translators was working on them. Monday came, and no files. The end-client had put the project on hold. Every time I queried them, the PM had to "get hold of the sales people and ask". Finally, four months later, upon asking the PM again, she wrote me that "It was cancelled. I closed that work order last week."
In all these four months, I turned down each and every large and urgent job, anything that couldn't be done in 4-6 hours. So I squealed as high up their organization as I could. I know that most of the nice people I had contact with are no longer there, however this didn't help my accounts at all.
So now I tell prospects that if you approve the order by [date] it will be delivered on [date]. Otherwise I'll reschedule this job when a firm order is received.
LATER NOTE: They even sent me a very formal, complete, detailed and thorough PO with all those clauses on what would happen if I opted out midway, delivered late or failed to deliver, had quality issues, etc. What that PO failed to cover was their failure in sending me the complete material to work with, i.e. to proofread.
[Edited at 2009-03-13 16:25 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | It doesn't work that way | Mar 13, 2009 |
I don't wait for any confirmation and my clients do not expect that either. Otherwise why would we call ourselves freelancers?
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| first confirmed, first served | Mar 13, 2009 |
When I work with several clients, I demand exact info to estimate the time needed. If jobs overlap, I can outsource and then proofread... I never reject. Instead, I can ask for some exact amount to fill the time if I know the period of delay of another job... I try organising my work flow "nose-to-tail"...
| | | | | To cope with this, I have a strategy... | Mar 13, 2009 |
...which includes extra hours of work and a dedicated team.
Of course, editing and prooreading of team's output is all mine...
| | | | Krys Williams
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:38
Member (2003)
Polish to English
+ ...
| I negotiate deadlines | Mar 13, 2009 |
I will not take on a large job with a deadline that leaves me with less than 50% capacity per day to be used for other clients, especially regulars. I will then turn down other larger jobs while waiting to hear, but will take on small jobs. If the big job falls through, I can usually make it up by accepting more smaller jobs.
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