Translation - art & business » Business issues »
Legalised translations
Thread poster: Williamson
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:06
Flemish to English
+ ...
Dec 6, 2010

I have been registered as a sworn translator at a court (in Europe) for the past 20 years.
Once and a while, somebody picks out my name and calls me for translations of personal documents. These documents are standardized documents and do not take much time. In fact, once you have made a template of one, you just have to fill in the blanks.
No, I am not going to give reductions for 100% matches to private customers, who don't know what Trados is. Hence, I calculate my regular rate.... See more
I have been registered as a sworn translator at a court (in Europe) for the past 20 years.
Once and a while, somebody picks out my name and calls me for translations of personal documents. These documents are standardized documents and do not take much time. In fact, once you have made a template of one, you just have to fill in the blanks.
No, I am not going to give reductions for 100% matches to private customers, who don't know what Trados is. Hence, I calculate my regular rate.
However, to get those documents legalized I have to run to a department of a ministry, where I have to lay down those documents in the morning to get them back the same afternoon or if I hand them over to the registrar in the afternoon, I have to pick them up next morning.
Sometime, I have to go to two ministries. In short, a lot of running and waiting.
Hence, I calculate my word/line-rate and an hourly rate for the time I spent running through red-tape. But sometimes this is too expensive for the customer, who fails to understand that a couple of lines cost so much.

What would you do in such case? ▲ Collapse
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:06
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Just explain Dec 7, 2010

I don't see there's a lot you can do apart from explaining about the time and effort and extra costs incurred in visiting the ministry twice (at least).

I had all the family's birth certificates translated and notarized when we moved to France and I admit it was a hell of a lot to pay. But what choice did I have? They had to be done.

The question is, do you charge more than others on the list? If you do, then perhaps you should review your rates if you really want the w... See more
I don't see there's a lot you can do apart from explaining about the time and effort and extra costs incurred in visiting the ministry twice (at least).

I had all the family's birth certificates translated and notarized when we moved to France and I admit it was a hell of a lot to pay. But what choice did I have? They had to be done.

The question is, do you charge more than others on the list? If you do, then perhaps you should review your rates if you really want the work. ▲ Collapse
 


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