Outsourcers: Filling out forms Thread poster: Tadej Kokalj
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Tadej Kokalj 
Slovenia
Local time: 02:19
English to Slovenian
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Here is typical situation.
1. I get an inqury from an outsourcer.
2. I send my offer i.e. profile with all details from address, bank account, experience, rates, software I use etc.
3. Outsorcer is pleased with offer and than send me a questionnaire I have to fill.
And here is what bothers me: usually is over 90% of information requested through questionnaire already answered in my profile. Why must I fill the form? To let some secretary retype them in the A... See more Here is typical situation.
1. I get an inqury from an outsourcer.
2. I send my offer i.e. profile with all details from address, bank account, experience, rates, software I use etc.
3. Outsorcer is pleased with offer and than send me a questionnaire I have to fill.
And here is what bothers me: usually is over 90% of information requested through questionnaire already answered in my profile. Why must I fill the form? To let some secretary retype them in the AIS? Couldn't somebody just retype information from my document?
It is not, that it is hard, but it takes time, and some forms really take a lot of time.
It is disrespectful: we have no time to retype your profile, please fill our form, so we can retype from there.
Please, wouldn't be easier if they would just ask for the information they really can't find.
BTW: I don't mind to fill out electronic forms (i.e. on the internet site).
Regards,
Tadej
AIS - Agency Information System ▲ Collapse
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Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 03:19
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
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These forms are a nuisance, most of the information is of no relevance, as its only rates that count nowadays. I believe the more information an outsourcer is collecting the less he will give you work.
Its the same with tests, mostly futile work.
Regards
Heinrich
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Brandis (X)
Local time: 02:19
English to German
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| Heinrich is very right | Jun 16, 2006 |
it is a time waste. Tell those people to look at your proz.profile page. Or do you have a web site with everything on it. Brandis
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Levan Namoradze
Georgia
Local time: 04:19
Member (2005)
English to Georgian
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If I were you, I would never provide them with my banking details!
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awilliams
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:19
Italian to English
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| Outsourcers: filling out forms | Jun 16, 2006 |
Hi Tadej,
Put it this way: in the case you describe at least you had a job offer first. I'm not fond of "we saw you on the internet and we'd love to stick you in our database" forms that are not linked to any sort of job offer, and I don't fill them in. Why should I give all my contact details, rates, goodness knows what to all and sundry?
However, if you receive one of these forms connected with an offer of a job then you have to weigh up the pros and cons of filling it in. ... See more Hi Tadej,
Put it this way: in the case you describe at least you had a job offer first. I'm not fond of "we saw you on the internet and we'd love to stick you in our database" forms that are not linked to any sort of job offer, and I don't fill them in. Why should I give all my contact details, rates, goodness knows what to all and sundry?
However, if you receive one of these forms connected with an offer of a job then you have to weigh up the pros and cons of filling it in. Sometimes you have to give a little. I guess you could class it as part of your marketing activities. Heck, factor the time into your fee. And if you don't want to fill it in, don't!
Enjoy your weekend,
Amy ▲ Collapse
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Nicolette Ri (X)
Local time: 02:19
French to Dutch
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| Some reasons | Jun 16, 2006 |
1) outsourcer can say: "we work with 600 highly skilled translators"
2) the questionnaire gives outsourcers a way to choose the cheapest one
3) it enables outsourcers to have a look into your references and to prospect them (don't laugh, this already happened).
4) and, of course, the questionnaire comes from a "colleague" who does a market study.
A related issue is that outsourcers now want to have your cv. Firstly, I am not looking for an in-house job, and secondl... See more 1) outsourcer can say: "we work with 600 highly skilled translators"
2) the questionnaire gives outsourcers a way to choose the cheapest one
3) it enables outsourcers to have a look into your references and to prospect them (don't laugh, this already happened).
4) and, of course, the questionnaire comes from a "colleague" who does a market study.
A related issue is that outsourcers now want to have your cv. Firstly, I am not looking for an in-house job, and secondly, since I discovered that my cv has a real commercial value (I am in a market niche) and is likely to be "sold" (that is, used for tenders), I don't send anything anymore, especially to someone I don't know, and don't fill in forms. If someone wants to know who I am, I write this in three lines in an e-mail. ▲ Collapse
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| ...absolutely not! | Jun 16, 2006 |
Levan Namoradze wrote:
If I were you, I would never provide them with my banking details!
Hello, Tadej!
Levan is absolutely right! I only provide my clients with my banking details. As long as i start any kind of collaboration with an outsourcer, i inform them about my banking account nr.and the rest of my banking details. As for the form filling issue, this happens very often with outsourcers and it's quite bothering, i know that! I wouldn't fill it in either, if i were you!
Greetings from Athens!
Vicky
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| Quite agree! | Jun 16, 2006 |
These forms really are a waste of time. I quite agree, it takes ages to fill them out... and the forms on web sites are often worse - once you've finished and want to send, the information is invariably lost because one of the address lines has not been completed correctly, ie: respecting a US format as opposed to a European one... and you have to start all over again...
Maybe there should be a poll - have you ever been contacted for a job as a result of filling out one of these for... See more These forms really are a waste of time. I quite agree, it takes ages to fill them out... and the forms on web sites are often worse - once you've finished and want to send, the information is invariably lost because one of the address lines has not been completed correctly, ie: respecting a US format as opposed to a European one... and you have to start all over again...
Maybe there should be a poll - have you ever been contacted for a job as a result of filling out one of these forms...? I'd be interested to find out whether it's actually worthwhile or not!
Personally, I don't bother anymore,
K
[Edited at 2006-06-16 13:40] ▲ Collapse
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Tadej Kokalj
Slovenia
Local time: 02:19
English to Slovenian
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TOPIC STARTER | Why the paranoia? | Jun 16, 2006 |
Vicky Alyssandr wrote: Levan Namoradze wrote:
If I were you, I would never provide them with my banking details! Hello, Tadej! Levan is absolutely right! I only provide my clients with my banking details. As long as i start any kind of collaboration with an outsourcer, i inform them about my banking account nr.and the rest of my banking details. As for the form filling issue, this happens very often with outsourcers and it's quite bothering, i know that! I wouldn't fill it in either, if i were you! Greetings from Athens! Vicky
Account number of a company is public information. Here http://www.bsi.si/orodja/register-transakcijskih-racunov-en.asp?MapaId=683 you can find account number of any company registered in Slovenia. I doubt that this would be confidential in the rest of EU.
If i provide my IBAN and SWIFT, how can this harm me?
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Elizabeth Ardans
Uruguay
Local time: 21:19
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
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| forms forms forms | Jun 17, 2006 |
When I first started working as a translator, I contacted lots of agencies, which sent me lots of forms, confidentiality agreements to sign, etc.
The truth is that all the agencies I have worked or I'm working with, just contacted me when they had a real job to offer and never requested a form or any other document. Not even a test! (just a short translation to start, but a paid job nevertheless...) Some of the agencies even sent documents by mail, to be signed and sent back (e.g. from UK... See more When I first started working as a translator, I contacted lots of agencies, which sent me lots of forms, confidentiality agreements to sign, etc.
The truth is that all the agencies I have worked or I'm working with, just contacted me when they had a real job to offer and never requested a form or any other document. Not even a test! (just a short translation to start, but a paid job nevertheless...) Some of the agencies even sent documents by mail, to be signed and sent back (e.g. from UK to Uruguay and back), which also has a cost, both for the agency and the translator, and then never contacted me again. It makes me wonder, why do that? Isn't it simpler if they just selected the CVs they like and test the translator with a short (paid) translation, and then IF THEY ARE SATISFIED, do all the rest?
I've had the same experience with tests... at first I accepted them, but most of the time they never even sent any feedback.
No more forms or tests for me! Let's go on form/test strike !!
[Edited at 2006-06-17 01:31] ▲ Collapse
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LJC (X)
France
Local time: 02:19
French to English
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One agency not only wanted to know how many words I had ever translated, they also wanted these wordcounts broken down into separate fields.
Needless to say, I didn't bother.
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Elizabeth Ardans
Uruguay
Local time: 21:19
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
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| misunderstood! | Jun 19, 2006 |
Tadej Kokalj wrote: Vicky Alyssandr wrote: Levan Namoradze wrote:
If I were you, I would never provide them with my banking details! Hello, Tadej! Levan is absolutely right! I only provide my clients with my banking details. As long as i start any kind of collaboration with an outsourcer, i inform them about my banking account nr.and the rest of my banking details. As for the form filling issue, this happens very often with outsourcers and it's quite bothering, i know that! I wouldn't fill it in either, if i were you! Greetings from Athens! Vicky Account number of a company is public information. Here http://www.bsi.si/orodja/register-transakcijskih-racunov-en.asp?MapaId=683 you can find account number of any company registered in Slovenia. I doubt that this would be confidential in the rest of EU. If i provide my IBAN and SWIFT, how can this harm me?
Oprosti!
It wasn't absolutely clear! Providing your IBAN and SWIFT cannot harm you in any case, of course. Company account numbers are public information, indeed. As a freelancer, i pay more attention in my personal data!
Let's end the paranoia here!
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