| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you accept requests for urgent projects? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you accept requests for urgent projects?".
This poll was originally submitted by Harald Roald. View the poll results »
| | | | | urgent project = higher rate? | May 27, 2013 |
Hi
some people suggested me to charge an additional 30% for urgent jobs, which I never did.
what do you think about it?
Madeleine
| | | | John Cutler 
Spain
Local time: 13:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Depends on who's asking... | May 27, 2013 |
From regular, known clients, yes.
From some unknown Tom, Dick or Jane agency, no. The email goes directly into the circular file.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 20:47
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Only occasionally and only for special customers
I won't charge extra as a goodwill gesture since they are generally small piddly things. However, I will make it clear in as pleasant a way possible that they understand the concept of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" and I get first picks on future jobs.
@John
"Circular file." Is that the one that makes the gurgling sound when it's flushed?  ... See more Only occasionally and only for special customers
I won't charge extra as a goodwill gesture since they are generally small piddly things. However, I will make it clear in as pleasant a way possible that they understand the concept of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" and I get first picks on future jobs.
@John
"Circular file." Is that the one that makes the gurgling sound when it's flushed? 
Small edit
[Edited at 2013-05-27 09:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Koen Speetjens (X)
Local time: 13:47
English to Dutch
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| Definition of urgent | May 27, 2013 |
Some companies seem to work exclusively with urgent jobs (deadline same day, or morning after, or first thing on monday when you get the job friday afternoon).
Others appologies when they offer such a "short" deadline as one week...
I just see what fits for me, and overlook the word "urgent" in the offers.
| | | | Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 14:47
Turkish to English
+ ...
| Yes, sometimes | May 27, 2013 |
If I am free, and feel that I will be able to complete the work by the proposed deadline, then I make an offer to do it. If the deadline is too tight for me, then I don't. I would have thought that this was self evident.
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 13:47
Member (2006)
German to English
Depends if it is a regular customer, then always. If it is one of those mailing things via ProZ, then never!
Oh yes, and extra charges, never. As Julian mentioned, it is a mutual relationship and if it is a good one, then it is just a part of business life.
[Edited at 2013-05-27 09:09 GMT]
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:47
Hebrew to English
| Always in two minds.... | May 27, 2013 |
When I was at university, there was a building where students would go to have their coursework bound, laminated, etc. At the end of most terms when there were clusters of deadlines it was like sardines in a can in there! Every student who had left it till the morning of handing in the assignment would be in line there, beads of sweat dripping down their foreheads as they anxiously waited. There was a sign there that reminded them:
On the one hand I want to be accommodating, especially to my good clients who I like, but on the other hand, I'm always reminded of being in line in that building and suddenly appreciating how the staff there felt.
Another thing is, many "urgent" requests tend to be simply unfeasible - i.e. requests for too much work in too short a time (e.g. 100 pages of text in 2 days)
Then there's the argument that most projects these days tend to be "urgent"...
So, in conclusion, I approach it on a case by case basis, factoring in all the variables mentioned above (who's asking, is it feasible, can I squeeze it in, do I have existing commitments etc.)
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Sometimes, depends who for, etc | May 27, 2013 |
I usually bend over backwards to accommodate my regulars. I’m also normally willing to accept “urgent” work from most clients, regulars or otherwise, as long as it’s doable and they ask me nicely. About the 70% of the work I get seems to have some kind of "urgency" associated with it anyway, which I initially put down to the fact that if it's not tagged as such, it will tend to be "mañana-ized".
However, the other day I was offered a translation which I refused because th... See more I usually bend over backwards to accommodate my regulars. I’m also normally willing to accept “urgent” work from most clients, regulars or otherwise, as long as it’s doable and they ask me nicely. About the 70% of the work I get seems to have some kind of "urgency" associated with it anyway, which I initially put down to the fact that if it's not tagged as such, it will tend to be "mañana-ized".
However, the other day I was offered a translation which I refused because the agency (not an assiduously regular client) mentioned Trados (grrr) and asked to me to provide proof of my mastery of the field and vocab in question (double grrr, snarl). They then offered me the job of revising it (or "proofing" if you like), blithely assuming that it would only take me an hour or so and that I'd easily be able to return it in 24 hours. Now, that may have been the case, but the fact that they didn't stop to consider that I might have a whole bunch of other clients and jobs (or "projects", arf arf) on the go, all as equally pressing as theirs, is what finally prompted me to reject that offer too. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Personal view | May 27, 2013 |
Madeleine Chevassus wrote:
Hi
some people suggested me to charge an additional 30% for urgent jobs, which I never did.
what do you think about it?
Madeleine
I think that when people do this, it's because they don't really want to do the job in the first place. For example, my friend charges extra for weekend work, but I don't (usually). He has kids and his wife, a teacher, works regular hours, so outside of what he considers his normal working schedule he charges extra to make up for the quality time lost.
My case is different - I don't have kids at home to look after and can basically work whenever I like, including late into the small hours and at weekends if need be - so I don't normally charge extra, unless I want to test the real level of "urgency", or perhaps in the hope of deterring the client from crying wolf in future.
[Edited at 2013-05-27 15:11 GMT]
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Neat reminder | May 27, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote: ... beads of sweat dripping down their foreheads as they anxiously waited. There was a sign there that reminded them: On the one hand I want to be accommodating, especially to my good clients who I like, but on the other hand, I'm always reminded of being in line in that building and suddenly appreciating how the staff there felt.
Cheers for that Ty, I'm definitely going to send it to at least one client soon
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 13:47
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| For certain clients | May 27, 2013 |
Knowing that my regular clients deliver any projects to me pretty much the moment they receive them, any urgency request is legitimate. These clients usually give me "easy" deadlines, so that when they ask for a quick turnaround, I know that it's not due to any organizational "lacks" on their part. Keeping my clients happy (and they me ) is the foundation of a good working relationship.
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Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 20:47
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Bad definition of "urgent" | May 27, 2013 |
When I first started out translating yonks back, I was once contacted from a newish customer on December 28th with the offer of a 60-page (don't get into discussion of what a page is, please!) document that needed to be translated by January 5th and sent abroad immediately. "You're the only one who can do this, Holmes-san," he said desperately. (It struck me later that everyone else had rejected the offer. Aaah, how innocent I was!)
Like a fool, I did the thing and delivered it fir... See more When I first started out translating yonks back, I was once contacted from a newish customer on December 28th with the offer of a 60-page (don't get into discussion of what a page is, please!) document that needed to be translated by January 5th and sent abroad immediately. "You're the only one who can do this, Holmes-san," he said desperately. (It struck me later that everyone else had rejected the offer. Aaah, how innocent I was!)
Like a fool, I did the thing and delivered it first thing in the morning on January 5th. I called them a week later about something else and asked about the job I'd sent the week before. I was blithely told that they hadn't checked it and would get around to it "soon." It was still sitting there gathering dust.
I had slaved like an idiot and wasted a large part of the New Year when I could have spent quality time with my family. (triple grrr, snarl. Thanks @Neilmac!)
I insisted I got paid the following week, and I never worked for them again. Maybe because I showed them how good my bad Japanese was.
And, since then, I have been very wary about accepting so-called "urgent" work over national holidays. Once bitten always shy! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:47
Hebrew to English
| "Urgent" work tends to fall into two categories... | May 27, 2013 |
1) The reasonable camp - which is quite doable, barring any circumstances precluding you from doing it.
2) The "extracting the urine" camp - where some linguistically clueless, middle-management brainiac thought they could run it through Google Translate and make do, when, inevitably, the excrement hits the fan and they realized they couldn't, they are left with a 400 page Company report to translate for their AGM in 48 hours and then they try to offload the stress and responsibilit... See more 1) The reasonable camp - which is quite doable, barring any circumstances precluding you from doing it.
2) The "extracting the urine" camp - where some linguistically clueless, middle-management brainiac thought they could run it through Google Translate and make do, when, inevitably, the excrement hits the fan and they realized they couldn't, they are left with a 400 page Company report to translate for their AGM in 48 hours and then they try to offload the stress and responsibility onto the translator (usually whilst not willing to pay for such urgency).
If I get a whiff of a "type-2 urgency" in an email, it usually gets a straight no, with little to no further consideration.
I've noticed that the really good clients rarely if ever bring you type-2 urgencies. There's a definite correlation.
[Edited at 2013-05-27 10:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Olga Adler
United States
Local time: 06:47
English to Russian
+ ...
| Yes, if the conditions are acceptable | May 27, 2013 |
When I say conditions I mean the subject matter (whether I am well familiar with it or not), the complexity of the text, the requirments for formatting and the rate, of course. I also warn my clients that in case of an urgent job I can't guarantee 100% of my usual quality.
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